Lois and Carolyn, thanks for the beta...you’re the greatest!
I would also like to thank everyone who previewed the chapters for me.
Chapter 2 – Look What I Found
Saturday Afternoon… (Day 55)
It was a Saturday afternoon like any other. Hunter and Michael were working together at Red Cape Comics.
“When I was a kid, I hated Saturdays,” Michael explained to Hunter.
“Why?”
“On Saturdays, most kids got to do things with their dads. Since I didn’t have a father, I was alone. I didn’t have anyone to do anything with,” Michael added sadly.
“So that’s why you still prefer to work on Saturdays?”
“Maybe…”
“Ma tried to take up the slack; so did Uncle Vic until he moved to New York. But I was pretty much alone until I was about 14, and that’s when I met Brian. Those were good times; me and Brian did everything together. We were always there for each other; we looked out for each other.”
“Like Zephyr looks out for Rage?” Hunter asked with a smile.
“Exactly!”
“But Rage is in love with JT not Zephyr,” Hunter reminded him, trying to help Michael come to terms with certain truths. “There was even a marriage issue.”
“I know that!” Michael asserted, a part of him annoyed that Hunter would remind of him of the thing that he was trying not to think about.
“And life imitated art…” Hunter reiterated him, still driving home his point.
“So to speak…except, you know, that Brian and Justin aren’t married?” Michael quickly pointed out.
“Not technically maybe, but in every other way that matters, they are.”
“I know,” Michael said resolutely with a sigh. “I remember when I married Ben. You were there. That was an eventful couple of days, wasn’t it? Ma got engaged to Carl. There was the bike ride. Ben and I got married. Brian celebrated with us and got me…us a cake and champagne. Then Brian got injured during the ride. And, Melanie gave birth to JR.”
“We were all so happy then,” Hunter reminded him. “But it didn’t last.”
“No, it didn’t. But I still have the memories,” Michael said wistfully. “Are you doing okay?” he asked, stopping to consider the feelings of someone other than himself.
“I’m doing okay, I guess. School is going okay, but I miss living with you.”
“You know, you can visit me or stay over whenever you want. I’m sure Ben told you the same thing. No matter what’s going on between Ben and me, we both love you.”
“I know. I just wish that things had turned out differently. I just wish we were all still together.”
“I know…me too.”
Hunter and Michael quietly worked restocking the comic book inventory and waiting on customers.
Towards the end of the day, Hunter asked an unusual question, “Michael, what was it like growing up with Debbie?”
Michael had to laugh at the question. “For me, she’s always been just Ma. But for most other people, Ma takes some getting used to. But once you get to know her, you have to love her.”
“Has she always been like that?”
“You mean loud and over the top? Yeah…the kids at school used to be really jealous, because she was my mom. I got to do my homework at the Diner. Ma has always smothered everyone with a lot of love…especially me and Brian. That’s why everybody loves her. And you’ve got to remember that she’s calmed down a lot over the years, especially since she and Carl got together,” Michael had to laugh again. “But let’s face it…she has always been the talk of this town. Everybody knows her. Early on, she became a fixture here on Liberty Avenue. Yes, I would say that she is famous…infamous even. Oh, there have been those fleeting moments, when I wished that she were quieter and more reserved…maybe even like Jennifer. But then she wouldn’t be Ma.”
“No, she wouldn’t,” Hunter agreed.
“And I wouldn’t be me,” Michael acknowledged softly.
“Have you ever wondered what life would have been like if you had grown up with a father? Do you think you would have been different if your dad hadn’t died in Viet Nam?” Hunter asked.
Hunter noticed that Michael got this far off look in his eyes.
He wasn’t sure what was going on…but he didn’t want to press, so he just allowed the silence to linger between them.
Then Michael simply said, “It might have been interesting growing up with two parents. Ma wouldn’t have had to work so hard to take care of me.”
“And you would have had someone to spend Saturdays with,” Hunter pointed out with a laugh.
Michael thought about this for a moment before he said, “Then again, who knows? Maybe things would have been worse. Look at Brian. He had two parents, and they made his life a living hell.”
“I guess you’re right. My birth parents did the same thing to me. They tried to ruin my life. If you and Ben hadn’t taken me in and later adopted me, I don’t know what would have happened to me. Now, I’m lucky to have two parents that love me…no matter what.”
“That’s why I don’t understand Brian. He’s always been content to be a drop in dad to Gus. Oh, he and Gus seem to love each other and all. But he gave up his parental rights. I couldn’t do that. I’ve always wanted to be a real father to JR. Sometimes that’s very hard with Lindsay and Melanie living in Toronto.”
“JR loves you. She knows that you’re her dad. She knows that you love her. And JR is still quite young,” Hunter suggested.
“She is still my little honeybunch!” Michael gushed.
“She is that!” Hunter added.
“She’s really growing so fast. I just don’t want to miss any more of her life than I already have.”
“At least you get to see her almost very month. Melanie and Lindsay are very good about that.”
“Yes, I know. Once upon a time I’d hope that Mel and Linds would return to Pittsburgh to live, so that we could all be together again. Then I’d hoped that Ben and I would move to Toronto to help Mel and Linds raise JR. Ben had his reasons for not wanting to do that, but now that we aren’t together anymore, maybe I should think about it again.”
“I don’t know, Michael, have you talked to Melanie and Lindsay about this?” Hunter cautiously asked, already starting to think about what he knew about Melanie and Lindsay, and he didn’t think that they would react well to this idea.
Hunter started to mentally prepare himself for more trouble that he felt would be brewing on the horizon.
“In fact, I think I might bring it up as a possibility to Mel and Linds on their next visit,” Michael proposed.
“Give yourself some time Michael. You and Ben just broke up. And I’m sure things, at the moment, are probably a little rocky for them too,” Hunter cautioned, remembering all the things that were said at the dinner table less than a week ago.
“But it would be nice to be more involved with my daughter’s life on a daily basis,” Michael insisted.
“Have you talked to Debbie about this? She may not agree.”
Michael became angry. “Fuck Hunter! I’m a grown man. I don’t need my mother’s permission! I really don’t care what my mother thinks!”
“Sorry…”
“Besides, my mother isn’t always right, you know? When Ben and I first met, she didn’t think that I should have gotten involved with him. But now, she and Ben are crazy about each other. At least they were until….”
“I didn’t mean to bring it up.”
Michael and Hunter went back to their inventory duties. Their momentary disagreement was quickly forgotten.
***
Later, Hunter was entering some information on the computer when suddenly he became very animated. “Wow! Michael, did you see this?” he asked.
“Did I see what?” Michael casually asked.
“Look at this!” Hunter insisted. “This is great!”
“What on earth has got you so excited?”
Michael finally stopped what he was doing and walked over to see what Hunter was looking at. He made himself comfortable on the stool beside the computer and tried to see what had Hunter so excited.
Now that Hunter had Michael’s full attention, he could continue. “According to the web, the National Archives has released military records going back to 1607. Can you imagine! That’s like going back to the founding of America…the Jamestown Settlement, the Civil War, even the War for Independence. They even have the more recent wars too…World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq. ”
“When did you become so interested in history?” Michael challenged.
Hunter was surprised by the question, since he and Ben talked about history all the time. But then he realized that Michael might not have paid much attention to those discussions, so he just let the question pass.
“Can you believe that this is going to be available on the web? Think about all the people researching their family. This is going to make family histories come alive. Isn’t that amazing?”
“What’s so amazing about it?”
“According to the Internet, we can log onto ancestry.com, and be able to see actual documents prepared by people in the past. You’ll be able to see clips of newsreels shown in movie theaters at the time too. It’s all on the Internet, and it’s completely free at the moment. I think this is amazing.”
“I guess…”
“Michael, do you know what his means?”
“No, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
“We can see the actual military records for your dad. You’ll be able to see pictures. You’ll be able to know his entire military history.”
“Ma has always told me about my dad, so I’m sure there isn’t too much new information to know.”
“But you know Michael, reading the entire military experience of your dad may make you closer to him. To see copies of documents that he actually prepared with his own hands, wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“Since you seem to be so excited about it, maybe…”
“I thought that this was something we may be able to do together. We could also look at the military history of other members of our family. What do you think?”
“Well, it’s an idea. Since, as you say, it’s so readily available…it might be interesting to see. You’re right, there may be things…little things about my dad…that Ma never mentioned.”
“Ah ha…at last I’ve piqued your interest,” Hunter teased.
“I didn’t say that,” Michael said with a laugh. “But I agree it might be interesting to see what we can find out. Maybe there will be something that Justin and I can use for the comic. I think we should take a look at this!”
“But not tonight…it’s getting late,” Hunter reminded him.
Michael looked at the clock, “Where does the time go? You’re right…it’s getting late. You’ve worked very hard today,” he added.
“So did you…” Hunter added.
Michael walked over to the cash register and removed several bills. He handed the money to Hunter. “Here…this is for you…you’ve earned it.”
“Thanks, but you know you didn’t have to do this?”
“Contrary to your popular opinion, I don’t keep you around just for slave labor,” Michael teased, “Even though that may have been what you once thought back in the beginning.”
They both laughed as they each remembered a moment in time long ago.
Beginning of flashback.
“As long as you’re here, it wouldn’t kill you to help out. You know, straighten the racks…dust,” Michael suggested, coming out of the back room of the store.
“Is that why you took me in…slave labor?” Hunter pointed out. “Hey!” he added in protest as Michael threw a feather duster at him. “I’m allergic to feathers,” he quickly pointed out.
“Yeah! More like allergic to work.”
“Can’t you see I’m reading?”
“What …XMen, Spiderman?” Michael asked with renewed interest. Hunter responded by simply holding up the latest copy of Rage. “So how do you like it?”
“It eats shit!”
“Excuse me?”
“Who ever heard of gay crusaders? All fags care about is getting their dicks sucked.”
“Yeah, well for you information, I wrote that.”
“Well, then you ought to know. Besides a hot, hunky superhero like Rage would never exist. Not in a million years.”
Hunter was silenced as Brian entered the comic book store…a superhero come to life!
End of flashback.
Yes, things had changed for everyone.
Michael and Hunter had finished their work for today…it was now time for both of them to get going. Hunter seemed eager to go home and see Ben, so he hugged Michael and said his goodbyes.
Michael wasn’t quite ready to go home and be alone, so he headed for Woody’s to join the gang for a drink and maybe a game of pool before heading for Babylon…after all, it was a Saturday night in Pittsburgh.