Love Means Courage - Andrew Grey

right. “Who is?”
    “Janelle. That’s what Mari was telling me when we were getting ice cream.” Cliff lifted himself away from Len, looking like he was ready to be sick. “Mari wasn’t able to get in touch with Janelle, but she talked to Vikki. And she said that Janelle had gotten a lawyer and was going to try to sue me for custody because I was bringing Geoff up in an immoral household.” 209
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“How can she do that?” Len could barely believe his ears.
“That mean-spirited, spiteful bitch!”
Cliff smiled for a split second. “I told you there’d be swearing.”
    “You’re damn right. There’s no way she’s going to take Geoff away from you.” Len stood and began pacing the room before stopping in front of Cliff. “Did Mari say how Vikki felt?” Cliff put his arms around Len’s waist, resting his head against his stomach. “According to her, she was appalled. I think Vikki reacted the same way she would if Janelle were trying to take the baby she’s about to have away from her.”
    “If you want my advice, I think all three of you need to confront her. She needs to realize that none of you support her, and that if she tries this, the rest of her family will stand against her.
    That might be enough to get her to back down.” Cliff sighed. “We can only try.” The phone rang, and Cliff let go of Len and answered it. “Yeah, she told me.” Cliff’s face remained the same. “We were just talking about that.” Len sat on the sofa and waited. “Okay, I’ll see you then.” Cliff smiled briefly.
    “Let’s hope so… and thank you.” Cliff hung up the phone and sank onto the sofa. “That was Vikki. She, Janelle, and Mari are going to be here tomorrow. She said she’d drag Janelle out here if she had to.”
    “Do you think she’ll actually come?”
“Vikki and Janelle have always been allies, even as children.
Vikki must feel very strongly about this, so yeah, she’ll come if Vikki wants her to.”
Cliff looked drained, and Len pulled him close, just holding him. “Come on, let’s go to bed.” This time, Len led Cliff toward the 210 Andrew Grey
bedroom, and it was Len’s turn to cradle Cliff in his arms. Getting ready for bed, Len pulled a distressed and very scared lover close.
    “No one’s going to take Geoffy, not if I can help it.” Len held Cliff and rocked him gently as he clung to him like a lifeline, until exhaustion and worry took their toll and sleep took hold.
    “CLIFF?” Len sat up in the empty bed, the house nearly pitch black, quiet, and very still. Pushing back the blankets, he pulled on his boxers and left the room. Padding down the hall in his bare feet, he saw that Geoff’s door was open and peeked inside. Cliff’s familiar shape was sitting in the chair next to his son’s bed, watching him sleep. “Cliff.” His head lifted and turned to look toward the whisper.
    “Come back to bed.”
    He got a nod in response and slowly got up. Len took his hand, leading him back to the bedroom. He could feel the fear in the way Cliff held his hand and in the way he shuffled his feet. “It’s gonna be okay.” Len helped Cliff back into bed, tenderly removing his lover’s boxers. He’d done this so many times before, but this time, the action was tender and caring as opposed to sexy. Slipping off his own, he slid between the covers, pulling Cliff to him, their skin touching in tenderness and caring, Len soothing Cliff’s fear.
    “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to him… to either of you.” Cliff’s voice was rough, like he’d been crying. Len stroked Cliff’s hair and face, his fingers drawing irregular shapes across his cheek as he felt his heart expand within his chest. That one simple statement erased all Len’s own fears. In his mind, Cliff had extended his family to include him, creating something he never thought he’d have: a family of his own.
    Len whispered into his lover’s ear. “I won’t let anyone hurt 211
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    our family.” Cliff rolled over and pulled Len to him, a hand cradling his head. Their legs entwined, chests meeting, as lips found their companions in the dark.
    WHEN morning light gleamed through the open window, Len again found himself alone in the bed. This time, he instinctively knew where Cliff was. Opening the closet door, he put on one of Cliff’s robes and went down the hall to Geoff’s room. Cliff was asleep in the chair next to Geoff’s bed. Smiling to himself,