Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 8

Josh took it, winding their fingers together and pulling Trey closer.
    Aunt Julie smiled widely, although the way her eyes cut towards Josh's mom showed she was anticipating the explosion. "Oh, you two are together. How nice! I did wonder once if you would be, remember Ted? But then it didn't seem to work out."
    Josh's father rose slowly from the couch. "I am not amused, Joshua."
    The temptation to assume a mocking British-monarch accent came and went. "You aren't supposed to be. I'm gay, well, bi, but I'm with Trey so effectively I'm gay. We're gay. It's not a joke or some kind of temporary thing. This is us..."
    "Stop!" His mother had her hands over her ears. "You stop right now, Joshua Campbell! I won't have you upsetting your father and insulting your brother's memory this way."
    Josh felt Trey squeeze his hand but Trey kept silent. Josh said urgently, "Mom, Felix isn't dead. In fact, I told him already and he's fine with it."
    "You see?" Aunt Julie's voice was determinedly cheerful. "If Felix doesn't mind then why should we. Can't we just be glad Josh found somebody?"
    "Him?" Josh's mom pointed at Trey. Josh noticed that her finger was actually trembling. "That, that trashy boy." She glared at Trey. "You did this, didn't you? You made him gay. Always hanging around him, touching him. Don't think I didn't notice. Oh no. You tried to pretend you were just being friendly and all the time you were trying to seduce him. Well it won't work."
    "Mom! Dammit!" Josh knew his face was flaming red. "It's not Trey's fault I'm gay." Trey's elbow in his ribs caught him mid-word and he choked and then rethought what he'd said. "I mean there is no fault. It's not... it's how I am. I always have been. I had a boyfriend back in college."
    "Because he turned you." His mother was staring at Trey with loathing. "Hanging about, touching you."
    "Well, someone had to touch Josh," Trey snapped. "God knows you never did. Never hugged him, never gave him a tenth the attention you gave Felix."
    "Felix needed me. Especially after..."
    "After he was raped. I know." The word fell heavily into the room. Everyone stilled in its wake. Trey went on, "I do know that. But you sent Josh away to the farm and then you left him there. Aunt Julie and Uncle Ted were great, but they weren't Josh's parents. Where were you? Two months we were there, and neither of you visited even once. You could have taken the time, just one of you, to visit your other son, give him a hug, see how he was doing. Because for a while he really wasn't doing too good."
    Josh held his breath as his mother's eyes met Trey's. For a second he had hope as the righteous anger on Trey's face drew a hint of guilt in hers. But then she shook her head and hardened. "Who the hell do you think you are to tell me how I should have raised my son?"
    Trey looked at Josh, and his eyes softened. He moved up behind Josh, their hands still clasped, his chest against Josh's shoulder. He looked around the room. "I'm the guy who loves him. Did then, do now."
    "Bullshit." Josh's father's tones were icy. "I want you out of here. Out of this house, out of Josh's life. Do you hear me? Or I will make your life miserable."
    "Now just a minute. Everyone just calm down." Uncle Ted was a big, burly man and his voice could drop to a pretty low register, but Josh had rarely heard that note of command in it.
    Josh's parents stared at Uncle Ted with matching expressions of disbelief.
    "This is my house. And I have no objection at all to Trey staying here for as long as Josh wants him."
    Forever. I want him forever. It was too soon to say that, and not the place, but Josh had to bite his tongue until it hurt not to let the words out.
    Josh's mother turned on Uncle Ted as if glad to have another target for her anger. "How dare you? Josh is my son. Our son. And he's not gay. It's some kind of lie that Trey is making him believe. My son is not gay."
    Well, that was easy. "Yeah, Mom, I am." The subtleties of being bi had no place here. "I'm gay and I always have been, no matter how much I used to ignore it or hide it. Trey isn't my first guy, just my last and only." He leaned back a little, feeling Trey solid behind him. "I've loved him since we were kids."
    "Like kids do, like a brother." His mother actually looked more pained than angry. "You don't understand, it's natural to love a friend like that. But this, this other thing, it's disgusting, an abomination. If God had meant..."
    Josh could feel himself shrinking.