Werebear

Reunion

Don’t get me wrong. I was grateful for Sniff’s presence, but the thought of the boys returning lightened my spirit. I had grown to enjoy sharing my space with them. Sure, we got on each other’s nerves from time to time, but it was nice to have someone to come home to and to share my life with. I was quite distracted the next day at work. All I could think of was trying to plan something special to welcome them back. But everything I thought of felt lame, so in the end, I didn’t do anything.

I wouldn’t have had time anyway, because Starlight was already waiting in my apartment when we got home. Sniff quickly brought him up to speed on the latest developments and rushed off to the retreat center. I had hugged Starlight when we arrived, so once we were alone, I asked, “Where’s Twinkle-Toes?”

“He had some family stuff to deal with,” Starlight informed me. “He should be here tomorrow.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Not sure,” he stated bluntly. “He has a difficult relationship with his parents. When they found out that he was gay they did everything short of kicking him out. He didn’t say what was going on before he left, but he did seem upset. We’ll find out when he gets here.”

True enough, I thought, but I was sorely disappointed. In all honesty, I was particularly looking forward to Twinkle-Toes’ return. Starlight sensed my disappointment and did his best to cheer me up. We played strip poker and then exchanged massages. He was actually quite good at it, but I had no idea what I was doing. Still, he was appreciative. We revived the goodnight kiss ritual and as he began to pull out the sofa sleeper, I suggested, “You can sleep in the bed if you want. All restrictions have been lifted.”

He smiled and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m fine out here.” He ran his hand down my cheek and across my chest and said with a knowing look, “Why don’t you keep that spot warm for Twinkle-Toes?”

Twinkle-Toes didn’t arrive until nine thirty the next evening. We were both beginning to worry until we got a call from Sniff, checking in, and telling us they were on their way.

We went to the lobby to watch. After about a half an hour, sniff dropped him off and we ran out to help him with his stuff. He was pleasant but subdued, not his normal bubbly self. Starlight got the ball rolling once we reached the apartment. “How’d it go? Do I need to mail a pipe bomb to those Assholes?”

Twinkle-Toes managed a weak smile. “That’d be great.” Then after a moment of silence,” I’ll be fine, honestly. I just need...” But he wasn’t fine.

We could both see that he was struggling to keep his composure. We took him to the couch and sat on either side of him, as first a few tears escaped, then a deep sigh cleared the path for the sobbing to begin. I drew him to my shoulder as Starlight rubbed his back. I had no idea what had happened, but I couldn’t bear that someone had hurt my beloved Twinkle-Toes. My tears joined his and, looking over, I noticed that starlight was also shedding tears of sympathy.

After a few minutes Twinkle-Toes looked up, wiping his eyes. “Well aren’t we quite the vision. Three sobbing sissies on a settee. Sounds like the title of a fairy tale or something.” It was good to see a glimmer of his humor returning. “No, I will be fine," he insisted. "It’s just…” He looked as if he were about to start blubbering again, but he took a deep breath and I could see the strength of his resolution grow. “Let me put my stuff down and settle back in.” Then turning to me, “Do you have any ice cream?”

I did not so I suggested we walk to the ice cream stand a few blocks away. “They’re open till eleven.”

Twinkle-toes looked grateful. “I can settle in later, Let’s go.”

I think the more public setting helped make it possible for him to tell us what had happened without breaking down again. “They threw everything away.” He spoke in short concise statements in a rather flat and disconnected tone. “They removed every trace of me. My room is now a guest room. No posters or old clothes. No pictures of me anywhere in the house. All my trophies and awards, gone. It’s as if I never existed.”

When he paused, I asked, “How did you know to go up?”

“My sister called. She saw what they were doing, but by the time she found out they were almost done.” His haunted eyes were looking inward, but rousing himself, he pulled something from his pocket and showed it to us. “She managed to save this.”

It was a perfect attendance award pin for Sunday school. “They liked me there when I was a kid, but today they wouldn’t even let me walk through their door. It’s all that’s left of my childhood, and I don’t even know if I want to keep it.”

After a moment, the anger began. “I had to stay at a fucking hotel. I couldn’t bear to be their guest, knowing I wasn’t welcome. I’m never going back there again!” he looked at the pin and stood up. “And I don’t need this, just bad memories!” He began to move towards the garbage can, but I stopped him.

Then, making him look me in the eye, “Why don’t you let me hold onto that for you? You might change your mind someday.” Without giving him the opportunity to object I took it and thrust it into my pocket.

That night we all slept together in the bed. Neither I nor Starlight could bear to let him be alone. We both held him all night, one on each side. And whenever he started to cry again, we held him tighter. He slept fitfully, but no matter which way he turned, one of us was there for him. We were now his family, and we wanted to make sure he knew it.