The Cardmaker and the Caretaker - 7. Chapter 7 After the Famine, a Feast

Beginning a new day in a family embrace in the kitchen with Michael in the middle and his dad smiling tenderly at both of them filled Patrick with joy. The young boy was still babbling on in Danish, and he caught various distorted versions of his name.

“Jeg kan kalde ham pap-Patrick. Pappatrick, Pappa-trick, ej Pappa. Er det OK, tror du, far?” [1]

Peter’s smile was delighted. ”Papa betyder far på fransk og engelsk, så jeg er helt sikker på, det er OK.[2] Patrick, Michael wants to know if he can call you Papa?”

Patrick was speechless but managed to nod and was rewarded by two small arms wrapping around his neck and a soft voice in his ear saying ‘Papa’ then giggling.

The young boy squirmed to get down, grabbed his juice and disappeared while singing along to the tune announcing his favourite cartoon starting on the TV. This suited the two men fine and let them indulge in more kissing and exchanging quiet words of love. Peter expressed both their minds on Michael’s announcement.

“I’m very happy Michael wants to call you Papa, and I guess you’re pleased too.”

“Pleased isn’t the word, delighted, amazed, overwhelmed, is more like it. How can he accept all of this so easily?”

“Accept what? Us being together or you being his new dad?”

“Both, I suppose, but mostly the fact he seems to think nothing of his dad being with a man. Have you…discussed this with him?”

“In general terms, yes, but I haven’t told him about me in specific. There’s been no need before now. However, I know a few same-sex couples, and when Michael saw two of the guys kissing he asked why. I told him boys could be kærester, sweethearts, with girls or boys.”

“What did he say?” From the twinkle in Peter’s eyes, he had the feeling it was funny.

“He said: ‘Yuk, girls. I think I’d like a boy better.’ But then, we’d just spent Christmas with my sister and her oldest girl really annoyed Michael.”

He wasn’t sure which information was most important to react to, but decided to ask about his future family-in-law.

“Your sister has a daughter?”

“Two, actually. One who is seven and one four-year-old. Victoria is one month older than Michael.”

Peter hesitated, and then shrugged. “It’s one of the reasons I’m indebted to Annika, she breastfed my son along with her own daughter for six months. I guess you could say they are milk-siblings.”

He didn’t need his special sense to feel the tension in his partner. Hugging him closer and whispering, “You’re a great dad and a wonderful caretaker for Michael. I love both of you,” seemed the right thing to do.

“Annika…she wanted…she thought it would be best if I let her have Michael. She wanted to adopt him. Give him the family and home I couldn’t provide.” The anger with a hint of bitterness rolled off him, but it was mixed with love and understanding for a sibling who cared and meant well. “My mother agreed, but Moster Grethe supported me.”

“Oh Peter, as if you could ever give up your own son. But surely that’s all in the past now?”

“My brother-in-law managed to convince Annika she could be a part of Michael’s care without adopting him. It’s one of the few times he’s stood up to her, and I’m still grateful for that. Niels told me he would have said yes, if I had asked them, but he intended to respect my wishes and would make his wife do the same. They haven’t brought it up since.”

“He sounds like a good guy.” Patrick didn’t miss the implication of him stressing the word ‘they.’ Apparently, other people, most probably Peter’s mother, hadn’t shown the same restraint.

“Yeah, he’s OK; and he loves his daughters. They can wind him around their little fingers, especially the oldest. She’s is very much like my sister.”

Patrick decided to bring the conversation back to a more cheerful topic. “So, Michael is cool about the idea of us being a couple.”

“Oh yeah, all he cares about is me being happy. He wouldn’t say it that way, but I’m sure he notices. Calling you Papa shows he loves you too, you know.”

“It’s mutual, and I’d love to be his Papa for real.” They shared a long, loving kiss. “But I guess we should talk about this later. I really must get to work soon.”

“Of course, we have all the time in the world. Michael and I aren’t going anywhere; you’re stuck with us from now on.”

“Yes, I guess I managed to catch myself the perfect caretaker for my heart, my house, and my life.”

“And your body. I’m gonna enjoy taking very good care of that.” Warm hands tracking all over his back and his ass together with another hungry kiss emphasized his lover’s promise.

***

Patrick floated all the way in a cloud of infatuation. Not even the fact he’d agreed to meet the dreaded Moster for dinner could dampen his spirits. Luckily, few customers came by during the initial hours, and the besotted cardmaker actually managed to sort out his shop.

The first important visitors arrived at half past twelve and they happened to be his favourite couple. John was chatting away even as he approached Patrick; his tall, dark husband following quietly with an indulgent smile.

“Hi Patrick, we have a tricky task for you. Tony’s mum will be sixty and…”

The curly redhead stopped abruptly and stared at him with his mouth open. They’d caught him daydreaming while looking at photos of Peter and Michael which he’d printed from his camera and hung around his work place. During the seconds of stunned silence a slight blush developed on his cheeks, but he tried to stay calm.

John soon recovered and to Patrick’s consternation he was enveloped in an exuberant hug.

“Oh my God, I’m so happy for you. We’ve wondered, but we weren’t sure, even though Tony normally has excellent gaydar. But I can see you’re in love, you’re practically glowing. Oh and what a hunk, and he has a cute son too, wow, how lucky can you be. Do tell…” his husband’s hand on one shoulder made him falter for a moment, “…I mean only if you want to, of course, but we’re delighted you’ve finally found someone.”

Anthony caught Patrick’s eye and nodded, with one of his rare smiles showing he agreed with his excited spouse.

The next half hour was spent telling the story of the past few days, with John almost swooning over the romance of it all. Surprisingly reassuring, but Patrick was even happier by having Anthony accepting every statement. He expected the serious lawyer to be sceptical and cautious but he listened calmly and only offered words of congratulations and support.

When Patrick finally managed to voice his own worry about the shortness of their whirlwind relationship and possible difficulties ahead, including monetary issues, Anthony was surprisingly relaxed.

“Patrick, there’re several ways to solve this, and I’d be happy to help. But you need to tell Peter as soon as possible and be honest with him. I know the company he’s going to work for; they only employ the best and they pay accordingly. His salary will probably exceed yours by a significant amount, so I suspect he’ll be pleased the reverse is the case in relation to capital fortune. The main factor is your house. He’ll save a lot of money not having to rent or buy a flat, thus increasing his disposable income. Have you thought about decreasing your shop hours?”

Patrick nodded, and both of them gave him pleased smiles. Their sincere wishes for his new relationship to be a success and for him to have a life and love apart from card making coloured every word, gesture and look. In addition, the tendrils of a future friendship were growing from the sharing of confidence and trust, and something prompted him to acknowledge this opportunity.

“Would you be interested in coming over for dinner one night? Meet Peter and Michael and maybe his aunt too. Or we could go out for a meal, if she can babysit.”

“Certainly, we’d be delighted, wouldn’t we, John?”

“Absolutely. I’m always happy to get together with good-looking guys,” the redhead teased.

“And you’ve had a thing about Vikings since you were a boy, haven’t you?” Anthony teased back. “As half Irish you should hate Norsemen, but nooo. Instead, you dreamed of a muscular guy slinging you over his shoulder, carrying you off and having his way with you. Repeatedly.”

“That was my sister’s silly idea, not mine, and you know it.”

“But you liked it, babe.”

“Shut up or I may reveal your favourite teen fantasy. A lot kinkier than mine, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, I guess we all go through a phase of absurd, but pleasant daydreams, particularly if you don’t get any real action. Though, I suppose teenagers find plenty of substitutes on the Internet these days.” Patrick wasn’t going to admit he’d been doing the same until recently. He was enjoying the casual banter of his new friends, happy they felt able to relax and joke in his presence.

“Lord, yes. I sure wish I had access to some of my favourite sites back then,” John sighed.

“I’m not certain all of them would have been legal for you to visit.”

“Once a lawyer, always a lawyer.” The redhead rolled his eyes. “You should be glad Peter is doing something completely different.”

Patrick grinned, “I am, though in his case I suppose you could say, once a teacher, always a teacher, even if he coaches adults and not children.”

“Hmm, I may have to hint to the senior partners we could do with one or two leadership courses and direct them to the Mannaz homepage.” John joked, but Patrick thought the dark-haired man was half-way serious.

Patrick promised to get back to them with a date and time for the proposed dinner. After sorting out the proper card for a lady who felt bad about getting old in years when she was young in mind, Anthony and John left with a handshake and a hug.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly with a steady but scattered arrival of customers. Around six o’clock the cardmaker got ready to close the shop for a couple of hours. His nervousness at the approaching meeting with Moster Grethe returned and he almost wanted to text Peter and cancel. But before the imp in his head could trigger a stupid reaction with his teasing, his partner arrived with his family. All of them were carrying various bags and boxes giving off delicious smells.

“We have brought dinner here rather than go out. Michael prefers to be in your shop, so I hope you don’t mind.” Peter said as he unloaded his parcels on a table and came over to kiss his surprised lover.

Patrick shot a quick look at his other visitors but there was no way he could refuse the hug and short but heartfelt kiss. He had missed Peter all day and basked in the light of his presence. Peter’s obvious need of touching and his eager lips were the answers to Patrick’s own cravings for love and acceptance.

When he returned to awareness of his surroundings, Michael and the woman were engrossed in laying out the feast. They chatted quietly in Danish, and the young boy proudly gestured and explained.

“He’s telling her how nice your shop is and all the fun he had decorating Easter eggs.”

At the sound of Peter’s voice the woman turned and smiled at them. She said something to Michael, who immediately took her hand and dragged her over to meet Patrick.

“Se bare, Moster, fars Valentin kæreste, og min pap-Patrick.[3] Papa, dis is Moster Grethe.”

By now he was familiar with most of the Danish words, and he knew he’d been introduced as Daddy’s Valentine boyfriend and Michael’s papa. The boy’s struggle to say at least some words in English was cute, and he resolved to help him master the th sound.

Peter kept his arm around him, as he shook the hand of the woman, who struck him as both kind and efficient. Not surprising for a retired nurse, but the way she’d managed to organize the food and let them have a private moment without even a trace of resentment for being ignored was astounding. She greeted him so cheerfully he didn’t even feel ashamed of his impolite distraction.

Moster Grethe was tall but graceful, obviously fit for her age, which he knew was 65 years. Her hair was almost white and her face still retained some of the beauty which her daughter had inherited according to Peter. Her smile was genuine and her greeting warm.

“I’m so glad to meet you, Patrick. Michael has talked about you and your shop the whole day, and I can see why you’ve captured my nephew’s heart. I hope you don’t mind us eating here. Like Michael I’m not fond of restaurants, and he should take a nap soon.”

“I feel the same way, and you’re very welcome in my shop. I hope you’ll consider staying in the house with us, but if you prefer to have your own place, I’m sure we can work something out.”

Patrick’s offer surprised himself as well as Peter and Moster Grethe. But his intuition told him this woman was the exact opposite of his own awful aunts. She cared about people and their feelings, and he felt comfortable in her company. Even when she started teasing her nephew after they’d eaten dinner, tidied up and persuaded Michael to take a rest on the sofa.

“I had a couple of interesting phone calls late last night and early this morning. Your sister called me twice Sunday, and my sister called me while I was waiting at the airport. Both of them insisted I discover where and when you’re getting married. As well as telling me to find out everything about your boyfriend. The whole family is going crazy over the fact you’ve finally fallen in love. I even had Kim send me an email from Tokyo asking me if the rumour was true.”

She sighed, but there was a twinkle in her eye.

“At least I can tell them you’ve managed to score a handsome man, who cares about Michael and is polite and welcoming to other members of the family. Why can’t my son Kim meet someone like you, Patrick?”

Luckily, Peter intervened before he died from embarrassment.

“Moster, you know Kim isn’t gay, don’t you? He’s not even bisexual like me.”

“But he’s never had a girlfriend, and I did catch you two together.”

This time Peter was the one to blush. “I’m never gonna live that down, am I? Look, have you thought about who was doing what, when you came in the room?”

She shook her head.

“OK, let me be blunt. There’s a good reason I performed oral on Kim and not the other way round. He got to close his eyes and imagine the blond bimbo with the big boobs next door, and I could think about her older brother. I fancied him, but he was straight too. Not that this prevented him from saying yes to a blowjob once I got up the nerve to suggest it.”

Peter was smirking at the stunned expression on his aunt’s face.

“So there’s the difference, Moster. Guys who like to give orally and receive anally are definitely on the gay side of the spectrum. Guys who go the other way can be either gay or straight. And Kim is most definitely straight. As far as I know he’s never done anything else with a man but the fooling around he and I did as teenagers.”

“But he’s never had a girlfriend.”

She seemed bewildered more than annoyed. But when Peter slapped his face with his open palm, Moster Grethe winked at Patrick, who bit his lip not to laugh.

“Ehm, that’s probably because he’s a nerd and shy. I mean, I like my cousin, but you have to admit he’s not the best in social settings. And I’ve never seen anyone who’s worse when it comes to flirting with girls.”

He smirked again. “Why do you think we used to go out together? I’d do the chasing and Kim would hover in the background and hope one of the girls took pity.”

At first, Patrick was somewhat appalled by the conversation, but gradually he realized Peter had managed to divert Moster Grethe’s attention completely. It gave him time to compose himself. As they continued to talk about Kim, he got the impression the clever lady was using the opportunity to dig for information which had eluded her in the past.

“I admit I used to wonder if he had a touch of Asperger’s. But he’s older now and doing better. Surely, some women can appreciate my son’s good points?”

He felt the genuine sadness of the older woman, the sort of worry a loving mother has for her son. Would his mother have felt the same, if she’d seen him going through life alone? He hoped she’d rejoice in his good fortune in meeting Peter and Michael. He even allowed a tiny hope of Moster Grethe extending the motherly feelings she so obviously had towards her nephew, to himself.

“Well, Kim’s recent job transfer to Japan might do the trick. He has all the assets which traditionally attract women in Asia – and most of them will score points with their parents as well. He’s educated, has a good job, is kind and polite, keeps quiet and shows few emotions in public, and when he bothers to dress well and keep fit, he’s quite good-looking. Oh and once a woman gives him a chance, she’ll learn of another impressive feature, which might be decisive.”

He leaned over and whispered in Patrick’s ear. “Kim’s hung like a horse.”

Of course he managed to time his remark to the moment Patrick took a drink of water. Moments later the cardmaker was sputtering and trying to get his breath back. He had barely avoided doing the classic spray-your-drink-all-over-the-table mishap, but only by swallowing and getting water down the wrong way.

To his chagrin Moster Grethe leapt up to help and scolded Peter while insisting on being told what he’d said. The commotion woke Michael, who was whiny and demanded his dad’s attention. Once Patrick had been sorted, he called a cab and suggested they head home.

“You’re welcome to spend the evening at the house, Grethe.” She’d been adamant he should use her first name. “Peter has a key and knows where everything is, but otherwise he can call me. We can make more plans tomorrow morning, if you come over for a late breakfast.”

“Thank you, I’d like that. The hotel is fine for sleeping, but your house is hyggeligt – cosy and comfortable.” The Danish word she used was familiar, as Peter had already tried to explain the concept of hygge.

When Michael caught on to the fact Patrick meant to stay at the shop, his voice got teary, and Peter looked beseechingly at his lover. Moster Grethe went over and put the boy on her lap and said something which made him shut up and stare hopefully at Patrick. The cardmaker knew he’d just had his first taste of the issue Anthony had raised.

Peter came over and embraced him, and the decision was made before he spoke. “Is there any way you can close the shop for tonight and come home with us? I’m sorry about asking, but…”

“Never hesitate to ask. I love you and I love Michael, and I’ve already made up my mind to change my opening hours. My customers will have to adapt. Family comes first. You are the most important people in my life right now.”

The kiss this little speech earned him was enough to make his head spin and his knees turn to jelly. Two familiar figures popped into his head, while he was trying to recover and get his raging erection under control.

‘I’m so proud of you. You made the right choices, especially telling your man how you felt.’ He smiled into the broad chest of his boyfriend, as always feeling safe and loved when they embraced. Nice to know his supportive angel approved.

Naturally, the dare devil took a different approach. ‘If you’d been alone, I bet your Viking would have ravished you right then. Laid you on the shop counter and sucked your cock, or bent you over the sofa and fucked the hell out of you. Does the idea turn you on? Having sex in your shop?’

By now he knew how to deal with his inner pest. His silent reply, “Sure. All kinds of sex with him turn me on, but I think doing him outside will be even more fun,” caused another impish implosion, leaving Patrick and the angel high-fiving each other mentally.

As the couple let go of each other, they immediately looked over at Michael. The young boy was smiling triumphantly and letting Moster Grethe bundle him up in coat, scarf, hat and gloves. He was clearly unfazed by the sight of his dad kissing and hugging another man. Were all Danish children brought up to be tolerant of same-sex couples, or was Michael special because they had talked about this? Or perhaps he really did sense Patrick made his dad as happy as Peter made him? He was grateful no matter what.

He finished the last part of his closing up routine as the cab arrived. While his family got into the car, he hung up the sign advising customers to call him, as the shop was closed for the day, and locked the door. It was such a novel but delightful feeling, to look forward to leaving the shop and going home.