Butterflies Fly Free - 10. Chapter 10 – Finally Home

After we’d finished our Sunday morning breakfast, Colt and I got the bikes out again and took off on our tour of the neighborhood. We immediately spotted a couple of places that were prime candidates for his service, so I jotted down the address on the small notepad I’d placed in my shirt pocket. We continued to peddle around for about an hour or more before heading home, and once we got back, I sat down with Colt and began to discuss how he thought he might want to approach these people.

I asked for his suggestions first, since I preferred that most of the ideas would come from him, and then I helped him polish up his delivery, until I felt he stood a good chance of being successful. He was so adorable as he worked on getting everything just right, so by the time he had perfected his pitch, I couldn’t imagine how anyone would be able to say no to this sweet young man.

When he felt comfortable with what he was going to say, he went out again, but this time alone, and approached the owners of the houses we thought were potential candidates. He was gone nearly two hours and I was beginning to worry about him, when I heard him putting his bike away. He then came rushing into the house all excited.

“I’ve got six jobs,” he announced, beaming. “The other person wasn’t home.”

‘Not bad’, I thought to myself. ‘Six for six.’

I could tell he was just about ready to burst with excitement.

“So, did you negotiate a decent fee?” I asked next.

“Yep, and I got more than I expected,” he informed me. “Your idea worked out great. At the first house, I was only going to ask the guy for $20.00 to do his yard, but I did like you said. I asked him how much he’d pay me to do the work for him instead and then had to keep from acting shocked when he told me $40.00. It was pretty much the same with everyone else too. I’ll be getting $230.00 every time I do all of their yards, and I can still go out and find even more places to take care of, if I want to.”

He could hardly stand still, he was so excited, and I was both proud and pleased for him.

“That’s great, Colt, but don’t bite off more than you can chew,” I warned. “I know the money sounds great, but leave enough time so you’ll be able to enjoy yourself and have some fun.”

“I will,” he agreed, “because that means time for me to spend with you.”

It was sweet of him to put it that way, since I hadn’t expected or even hinted at him making time for us to do things. I just wanted him to leave some time for himself and to make sure he wasn’t all work and no play.

Colt did go back out later and spotted a couple more places that looked like potential clients, so he stopped and gave them his pitch. He ended up signing them up too, so it seemed he must have a pleasant manner with strangers and a charming way of convincing them. I immediately thought that Colt was either going to be a successful salesperson or a great con man, but I just wasn’t sure which at this point.

Anyway, Colt spent the entire evening talking about his many clients, how much money he was going to be making and then he began to plan out his weekly work schedule. It was actually quite enjoyable watching him carry on like a blossoming entrepreneur and he was doing it all without my help, at least after I’d gotten him started. Once he thought he had everything figured out, he came over to speak with me about his finances.

“From now until sometime in August or September, I’ll probably be doing each person’s lawn once a week. That means I’ll be making about $300.00 each week, so I’m going to keep $50.00 and give you the rest, to pay you back for what you’ve spent on me.”

He was very sincere about this, but I considered it both unnecessary and unwanted.

“Colt, I’ve told you that you don’t need to do this,” I advised him again. “Why don’t you just open a savings account at the bank and put the rest of your money there.”

“No!” he replied, adamantly. “You’ve spent a ton of money on food and clothes for me, the tuition at school, the bike and the lawyer, plus all of those places you’ve taken me. I know you’ll be spending even more on me too, as long as I stay here with you. That’s why I want to do this, because I don’t want to become a burden and then have you decide to get rid of me.”

I could see from his expression that he was definitely concerned this might happen, so I felt I needed to ease his fears.

“Colt, I would never do that!” I consoled him. “I will never think of you as a burden nor ever want to get rid of you.”

“You might,” he countered. “Even my father told me I was becoming a bigger burden every year.”

He looked very sad after he told me this, but it helped me understand why he was so worried. I just had to let him know his father was an ass and I’d never treat him that way.

“From the many things you’ve told me about your father, I can only conclude that he was a selfish bastard,” I informed him. “I would never consider you as being anything other than a pleasure and a Godsend. In fact, I feel extremely fortunate that you have come into my life.”

“You really mean that?” Colt asked, unconvinced.

“I most certainly do and I’d feel terrible if you ever left,” I confessed.

“Oh, Leo, I hope you always feel that way then,” he squealed in delight, “because I certainly feel lucky that I found you too. I don’t know where I’d be or what I’d be doing if you hadn’t offered to buy me dinner that first night and I’ll always be grateful you did that.”

He followed this up by giving me a big hug, but I didn’t want this to become too maudlin, so I quickly shifted the conversation to something else.

“Look, you’ve got school tomorrow,” I reminded him, “so is all of your homework done?”

He made a face after I’d said this, which let me know he wasn’t pleased with my query.

“You just spoiled a beautiful moment by mentioning homework,” he snapped, playfully. “Yes, all my homework is done, master.”

“I’ll give you master, you little twerp!” I exclaimed, as I grabbed a hold of him.

Now that I had Colt in my grasp, I started to tickle him as payback for his insolence. This, of course, caused him to squirm around and laugh hysterically, as he tried to wiggle free.

“Stop, stop. I give,” he pleaded, while gasping for air.

Seeing he gave in so easily, I began to take pity on him and eased up my attack, but that’s when he spoke again.

“You always cheat,” he added, just as I was about to release him.

“No, I just play to win,” I shot back, before giving him my best smug, self-satisfied look, as I swatted him playfully on the rear.

We spent the rest of the evening in each other’s arms and passed the remaining time just being affectionate, before we headed to bed. I knew I was totally and helplessly consumed by my feelings for this young man and hopelessly in love with him. I found it very difficult to believe that anyone else on earth could be as special, so much fun and such a pure joy to be around, at least in my eyes. I, therefore, relished every second I was able to cuddle and spend with him, and then I snuggled against him later and we stayed like that throughout the rest of the night.

The only unusual event for us that week was our trip to family court for Colt’s emancipation hearing. The first thing that happened was when the judge asked to speak with Colt and his attorney in his chambers, which made me a slightly nervous, since I wasn’t exactly sure what this was about. I knew he was probably checking on Colt’s fitness to make his own decisions, but I was worried he’d also explore my connection to Colt and feared he might begin to question my motives. They were in with the judge for about twenty minutes before someone came out and summoned me to join them. This also sent me into a panic, since my imagination had replaced any rational thought.

I was extremely leery as I entered the judge’s chamber, since I was unsure as to why I was suddenly being drawn into this process, after originally being excluded. I had concerns that the judge was suspicious about my connection to Colt and wondered if it was possible that he was thinking I had lured Colt away from his home so he could be my lover or something of that nature. Whatever the reason, I guess I was about to find out.

“It is my understanding that you know this young man and have allowed him to live with you,” the judge began, which caused me to nod in response.

“I need to hear you say your answer, so it may be recorded,” he clarified, so I did as requested.

“Ah… yes, sir,” I replied, somewhat intimidated.

“If I agree that Colton should be allowed to become emancipated, are you willing to let him continue living with you until he becomes self-supporting?” he followed.

I nodded again, but then remembered to answer him verbally as well.

“Yeah… yes, sir,” I stammered. “Colt is more than welcome to stay at my home for as long as he needs. He has his own room and has been doing various chores around the house to help out and hasn’t been a burden at all. He has even gone out and found odd jobs he can do in the neighborhood so he can earn some money, so he is more than welcome to stay with me.”

After hearing my answer, the judge flashed me a very reassuring smile.

“Colton has told us how good you’ve been to him and how you’ve helped him find a way to earn his own money, while going back to school,” the judge commented. “That’s really quite impressive. I’m usually more reluctant to grant a request such as this, because the individual requesting it generally ends up becoming a burden to the state. In this case, however, it seems as if that won’t happen. Colton informs me that he has a pretty substantial income for someone his age, but he is also continuing his schooling. I am greatly impressed with both of you and, therefore, we’ll go back into the courtroom so I can grant his request for emancipation.”

Colt, whom I noticed had been sitting on the edge of his chair and nervously fidgeting as the judge questioned me, squealed out his relief.

“Yes!” he exclaimed, in a sort of loud whisper.

The judge looked at him and smiled again, in appreciation of his restrained excitement. However, at that point Colt leaped up and raced over to me, so he could hug my chest.

“Thank you, Leo,” he enthused. “Without you none of this would be possible.”

I quickly looked up and noticed the lawyer and judge both smiling appreciatively at the two of us. I, on the other hand, was grateful that Colt hadn’t kissed me or blurted out that he loved me.

After going back into the courtroom for the official announcement, we left the courthouse and headed home. It was a good thing neither of us had to return to work or school afterward, because I’m not sure we’d have been able to concentrate or function. Instead, I told Colt we would go home and celebrate privately first, but then I’d take him out for a nice celebratory dinner later. Colt said he wanted to pay for his own meal this time, but I told him the dinner was definitely my treat and he didn’t argue about it. Instead, he filled me in on what happened before I came in to join them.

“The judge started out by asking me a whole bunch of questions and I got really nervous,” he began. “He wanted to know why I left home and how I’d been surviving since I’ve been on my own. I was really scared and wasn’t sure if I should tell him the truth, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I just told him what had happened. I explained how the kids at school had picked on me and how they called me names, and then I told him how that got back to my parents and they believed what the other kids were saying. I told him how I became hated and unwanted at home, as well as teased all day long at school and I just couldn’t take it any more, so I left.”

He paused unexpectedly and looked directly at me, his face grim. I wasn’t sure why he did this, so I was hoping to find out.

“Then what happened?” I asked, wondering where this was leading.

“That’s when the judge asked if I was gay and if we were lovers,” he announced, as he watched my reaction.

“And what did you tell him?” I prodded, unable to stand the suspense.

“I told him I didn’t know if I was gay for sure, since I hadn’t really ever done anything,” Colt responded. “That’s when the judge told me it was ok if I was gay, because he had a wonderful son who was gay too.”

I immediately breathed a sigh of relief, thinking we had gotten lucky on which judge Colt drew for this case.

“After that, he wanted to know how we met,” Colt continued, “so I told him about how I asked you for money, so I could buy some food. I told him you wouldn’t give me any money, but offered to let me go out to eat with you and that you were going to pay for it. I also told him how we talked afterward and you offered to let me stay with you too, as long as I needed. I think the judge was impressed by that.”

Colt looked very pleased after saying this, knowing he had made me look good in the process. I guess I must have blushed, because Colt giggled.

“Anyway, the judge asked what I’ve been doing since I’ve been here, so I told him you convinced me to finish school and helped me get enrolled at a private school. I also told him that you bought me the bike and helped me get set up taking care of lawns so I could make some money, which I’m going to use to pay you back. I think that’s what convinced the judge to do this for me, especially after I told him how much I’d be making.”

“Good for you,” I told him. “It sounds like you handled things very well.”

“I think the judge thought YOU helped me handle everything very well,” Colt insisted. “That’s why he wanted to talk to you too, because he wanted to meet the guy who did so much to help me. I think it even surprised the lawyer when he invited you in to join us.”

“I was a bit concerned when I was called in,” I agreed. “In fact, I was more than a little nervous, because I thought the judge might accuse me of luring you to my place and then corrupting you. I even envisioned him having me arrested and locked up.”

Colt giggled, but I wasn’t sure if it was my reaction he was laughing at or if it was the idea of me getting locked up that amused him.

“I’m glad you find the idea of me being put in jail so damn funny,” I announced, which caused him to laugh even louder.

“You thought he’d lock you up because of what we’ve done?” Colt snorted out, more or less as a question.

“Yeah, this is the south,” I explained, “and the legal system around here has been known to lock people up for a lot less.”

I added that last part somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but he got the point.

“So this means my parents are no longer my parents, right?” Colt asked.

“No, Colt. They are still your parents,” I corrected him, “but they no longer are responsible for you or have a say in what you do. You are now your own man - your own boss. Do you see the difference?”

“Yes, I guess so, but I was hoping they wouldn’t be my parents any longer,” he explained, while looking slightly disappointed.

“Don’t overreact, as they did,” I warned him. “You never know if there will come a day when you will reconcile with them, and if that happens, then you’d wind up regretting that you had already ended your relationship.”

“I doubt that will ever happen,” he sneered, while making a face. “My father is never going to change, so there’s no chance we’ll ever make up.”

I thought it might be time to steer this discussion elsewhere, because Colt should be enjoying this moment, not dwelling on the past.

“How have things been going at school?” I asked, changing topics.

“Actually, pretty good,” he answered. “My teachers say I’m catching up really quick and I’ve made a few friends.”

“Really? That’s great,” I replied. “When will I get to meet them?”

“You want to meet them?” Colt responded, surprised.

“Yes, I do,” I told him, sincerely.

“Cool,” he replied.

He then studied me for a few seconds, before he said anything else.

“Do you think, now that it’s legal I’m living with you, that I might be able to invite some of them over once in a while?” he wondered.

Colt was unsure about how I was going to respond to his question and looked a bit apprehensive.

“Of course you may,” I assured him, “and you could have done that before. I didn’t encourage you to do it sooner, because you never mention anyone you were close to and might want to ask over or that you were afraid to do so.”

“I just didn’t know if doing something like that would get you into trouble or anything,” he admitted, “and I sure didn’t want that to happen.”

“All you had to do was ask,” I countered.

“But I didn’t want to make you feel bad if I couldn’t do it,” he told me.

Hearing him say this made me cringe. I never realized that he might have been worried that he could get me in some sort of trouble or hurt my feelings.

“Look, now you know you can invite people over any time you want,” I advised him. “You can even ask them to stay overnight too, if you want.”

“I can?” he blurted out. “I’ve never had a friend stay over before.”

His eyes went wide when he told me this, but I wasn’t sure if it had to do with how I was going to react or realizing how unfair his father had been.

“Never?” I asked, somewhat shocked.

“No, my dad didn’t like outsiders in our house and didn’t want them to know our business,” Colt explained. “He always said that a person’s home was for his family and not anyone else.”

“So he and your mother never had people over either?” I pressed.

“Not that I can remember,” Colt confirmed, “unless they were related.”

“I see,” I replied, simply, preferring not to delve deeper into family history. “However, it’s different here, so you can invite people to the house, if you decide there’s someone you’d like to have over.”

He smiled briefly and then just sat there staring at me. I could tell something was going on in his mind, except I had no idea what it was.

“Is there a problem?” I inquired, in an attempt to discover what he was thinking.

“Not really a problem,” he answered, “it’s just that I know my friends are going to ask me questions about why I live here with you, so I was just thinking about what I was going to tell them.”

“Oh, I see,” I replied. “Did you decide what that would be?”

“Not really,” he explained. “I’m not sure if I want them to know I’m gay yet, so I thought maybe I’d just tell them you were my older brother or something like that.”

“I supposed we could be half-brothers,” I conceded, “but then what do you think will happen if you decide to come out to them later or if they catch us hugging or kissing? Don’t you think that would make it a little harder to explain?”

He thought about this for a second before he responded.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he agreed. “What do you think I should do then?”

I took a second to reflect on this problem, so I could give him a suitable answer. After a few more seconds of thinking this over, I finally made up my mind and responded.

“You could tell them I’m a family friend that offered to let you come live here with me when you had problems at home,” I offered. “That’s a bit closer to the truth and might suffice.”

“Ok, that sounds better too, because I won’t have to explain why we didn’t live together growing up,” he conceded, looking a bit relieved. “I can tell them that you’re a family friend and not be lying about it, since I’m my own family now.”

He let out a little giggle after saying this, since he was pleased with his own little joke about being his own family, now that he had been emancipated. Once we had that settled, he told me about the first person he might invite over.

“There’s this guy, his name is Jason,” Colt began. “He’s in a couple of my classes, including P.E., and he plays on the basketball team. We were goofing around during lunch hour one day, playing one-on-one, and he told me I should try out for the team next year. When I told him I’d never played on a team before and only messed around on the court with friends, he said he’d be happy to work with me and teach me what I needed to know. That’s why I thought he could come over and we could practice basketball while he was here.”

“Hey, that sounds like a great idea to me and I’d love to see you play on the team next year,” I agreed. “I’m happy to see you’re making friends your own age too.”

“Yeah, it is nice,” he said, wistfully. “Especially since I know I can invite my friends over now. I didn’t make many friends at my old school, because I didn’t want to answer their questions about why I wasn’t allowed to go to their house and they couldn’t come over to mine. I thought it would be easier if I just didn’t get close to anyone, rather than having to answer all of their questions about things like that.”

“This is your home now too,” I told him, “so I want you to feel comfortable here. If you’re ever in doubt about what you can or cannot do, then just ask me.”

Colt smiled and hugged me, before I took him out to eat.