Read Online A Fluffy Tale 2: Warm & Fuzzy by Ann Somerville - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ann Somerville
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much hope of catching Spen’s eye in
the first place.
“Is your house the one your parents owned?”
Spen asked as they helped clear the plates.
“Yes. We all grew up there, and moving was
more hassle than we could deal with. You’ve always lived at home?” Daniel
flushed, wondering if that was too personal a question, but it was out now.
“Oh no, only since I broke up with Robert a
few months back. I was living in his apartment until then.”
Alex’s head swivelled. “Are you gay, Spen?”
Dee smacked his arm. “What?” he said, giving Dee a hurt look.
“Mum said there was nothing wrong with being gay. Daniel is.”
Daniel closed his eyes and prayed to
disappear into the floor. Even Kani meeped and went inside in sheer
self-defence.
“Yes, I’m gay,” Spen
said casually. “And of course there’s nothing wrong with it. Are you gay,
Alex?”
“I don’t think so,” Alex said thoughtfully. “How can you tell?”
Mr and Mrs Reardon, smiling benevolently,
kept quiet through all this, letting the young people handle things. Daniel
relaxed a little. They didn’t have a
problem, at least. “Maybe we can talk about that later,” Daniel suggested.
“It’s nearly nine. Spen and I have to work tomorrow and you have school.”
“Wish I didn’t,” Alex grumbled. “Can’t wait
until the long hols.”
“Only a few more weeks,” Daniel said. “Help
us finish clearing, and then if Spen could give us a lift back?”
“You go now, dear,” Mrs Reardon said.
“We’ll sort this out. Now, we’ll finalise things over the next few days but I’m
happy for Dee and Alex to stay here, or I can pop over in the evenings. In any
event, they’ll have us as an emergency contact, or even if they’re just a bit
lonely in the evenings and want some company.”
Daniel took her hand. “You’re a lifesaver.
Thank you so much.”
“Not at all, child. It’s a pleasure. You’re
all so lovely, and it’s such a shame what happened. I want to help. We all do.”
Spen came up behind Daniel and put his hand
on his shoulder. “Yeah, we do. I just wish I was going
to be around. Looks like I’ll have to babysit you at the conference instead.”
Daniel’s face felt hot enough to convert
water into steam. “I don’t need a babysitter,” he muttered.
“Then you can babysit me. Okay, kids, got
your coats and kems? I won’t be long, Mum. Thanks.” Spen kissed her cheek, and
she hugged him. The stone in Daniel’s chest got a little more painful and cold.
Their relationship was so like Daniel’s had been with his parents. Would he
ever be over losing the two of them?
Spen shooed Dee and Alex down the hall, but
as Daniel followed them, Spen put his hand back on his shoulder. “Must be
hard,” he said quietly. “I wouldn’t be able to bear losing mine.”
Daniel turned and looked up at Spen’s face
through tear-blurred vision. “Sometimes I don’t think I can either.”
Spen squeezed his shoulder. “You’re strong.
You’ll make it.”
Daniel tried to smile. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Come on, let’s get you all
home.”
~~~~~~~~
Dee and Alex chattered happily to Spen as
he drove, but even with answering their cheerful questions and concentrating on
the road, Spen was conscious of Daniel’s silence as he sat slumped in the front
passenger seat, staring blank-eyed out the window. Now Spen had seen how close
to the surface his misery was, no matter how good Daniel was at hiding it, he
was sorry he hadn’t found a chance to somehow bring up Daniel’s home situation
before. But maybe Daniel wouldn’t have thanked him for exposing his sorrow. The
wonder of it was how well they all coped. Dee and Alex were so normal, so ready
to accept happiness, and even though Daniel obviously carried the greatest
burden, he did so with grace Spen doubted he could have managed.
But that grace wouldn’t be enough unless
Spen—or someone with more power than he had—pulled that bastard
Noble off
the first place.
“Is your house the one your parents owned?”
Spen asked as they helped clear the plates.
“Yes. We all grew up there, and moving was
more hassle than we could deal with. You’ve always lived at home?” Daniel
flushed, wondering if that was too personal a question, but it was out now.
“Oh no, only since I broke up with Robert a
few months back. I was living in his apartment until then.”
Alex’s head swivelled. “Are you gay, Spen?”
Dee smacked his arm. “What?” he said, giving Dee a hurt look.
“Mum said there was nothing wrong with being gay. Daniel is.”
Daniel closed his eyes and prayed to
disappear into the floor. Even Kani meeped and went inside in sheer
self-defence.
“Yes, I’m gay,” Spen
said casually. “And of course there’s nothing wrong with it. Are you gay,
Alex?”
“I don’t think so,” Alex said thoughtfully. “How can you tell?”
Mr and Mrs Reardon, smiling benevolently,
kept quiet through all this, letting the young people handle things. Daniel
relaxed a little. They didn’t have a
problem, at least. “Maybe we can talk about that later,” Daniel suggested.
“It’s nearly nine. Spen and I have to work tomorrow and you have school.”
“Wish I didn’t,” Alex grumbled. “Can’t wait
until the long hols.”
“Only a few more weeks,” Daniel said. “Help
us finish clearing, and then if Spen could give us a lift back?”
“You go now, dear,” Mrs Reardon said.
“We’ll sort this out. Now, we’ll finalise things over the next few days but I’m
happy for Dee and Alex to stay here, or I can pop over in the evenings. In any
event, they’ll have us as an emergency contact, or even if they’re just a bit
lonely in the evenings and want some company.”
Daniel took her hand. “You’re a lifesaver.
Thank you so much.”
“Not at all, child. It’s a pleasure. You’re
all so lovely, and it’s such a shame what happened. I want to help. We all do.”
Spen came up behind Daniel and put his hand
on his shoulder. “Yeah, we do. I just wish I was going
to be around. Looks like I’ll have to babysit you at the conference instead.”
Daniel’s face felt hot enough to convert
water into steam. “I don’t need a babysitter,” he muttered.
“Then you can babysit me. Okay, kids, got
your coats and kems? I won’t be long, Mum. Thanks.” Spen kissed her cheek, and
she hugged him. The stone in Daniel’s chest got a little more painful and cold.
Their relationship was so like Daniel’s had been with his parents. Would he
ever be over losing the two of them?
Spen shooed Dee and Alex down the hall, but
as Daniel followed them, Spen put his hand back on his shoulder. “Must be
hard,” he said quietly. “I wouldn’t be able to bear losing mine.”
Daniel turned and looked up at Spen’s face
through tear-blurred vision. “Sometimes I don’t think I can either.”
Spen squeezed his shoulder. “You’re strong.
You’ll make it.”
Daniel tried to smile. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Come on, let’s get you all
home.”
~~~~~~~~
Dee and Alex chattered happily to Spen as
he drove, but even with answering their cheerful questions and concentrating on
the road, Spen was conscious of Daniel’s silence as he sat slumped in the front
passenger seat, staring blank-eyed out the window. Now Spen had seen how close
to the surface his misery was, no matter how good Daniel was at hiding it, he
was sorry he hadn’t found a chance to somehow bring up Daniel’s home situation
before. But maybe Daniel wouldn’t have thanked him for exposing his sorrow. The
wonder of it was how well they all coped. Dee and Alex were so normal, so ready
to accept happiness, and even though Daniel obviously carried the greatest
burden, he did so with grace Spen doubted he could have managed.
But that grace wouldn’t be enough unless
Spen—or someone with more power than he had—pulled that bastard
Noble off
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