The Boy Who Came in From the Cold (36 page)

“Just as long as you don’t fall for any other strays,” Todd said with a shy grin.
“I think I’ve fallen enough,” Gabe answered. “Besides, it’s time to have a spare room. I don’t need all that space. And you need a place.”

“No I don’t,” said Todd. “All I need is you.”

Gabe walked up to him and gave him a kiss, not caring what the men unloading the big truck thought. “Yes, you do. Even if it is only to write up your recipes or something. A place to decorate just how you want. It was ridiculous for me to need a home office and workout space. They can all fit nicely.”

Todd looked doubtful, but apparently wasn’t going to argue. “Besides,” Gabe added, “this way if family comes to visit, they’ll have a place to stay.”

Todd’s smile wavered. “I don’t know about that.”
Gabe held up a hand. “A drunken friend, then.”
Todd smiled again and nodded. “Whatever you want.”

Gabe pulled him tight and gave him an especially good kiss. “We. What we want.”

Todd sighed happily and then ran back over to the truck to direct the movers. He was laughing over a very large toy spaceship—Gabe wasn’t sure which one it was, only that it was from
Star Wars
—when Gabe got the call. When he pulled out the cell phone, he saw it was Peter. Now what could he want?

“Hey, Peter,” he said after excusing himself and stepping away from Todd, who had just ordered his ugly coffee table to be taken into the storage building.

“Good day, Gabriel. And how art thou?”

Gabe smiled. He looked over at Todd, who was digging quickly through some boxes and then pointing to the building or to the side of the truck. Gabe had already let the men know they had two stops and

not just one. They weren’t happy until he handed them a hundred-dollar bill. That made them smile. Just how little had “William” Racine paid them?

Todd looked so happy. All for a bunch of used-up furniture. But for want of a nail a war was lost? For want of his own personal, meaningful possessions, who knew what could have been lost?
“Actually, I am doing better than I have in a long time, Peter,” he said.
“So you two decided to consummate things, did you?”
Gabe almost gasped, but somehow stopped it. How did Peter do it? Read his mind even over the phone.
“Say no more,” Peter replied. “I am happy for you. I am sure this bodes well. There is nothing better or more precious than new love.”
Gabe glanced over at Todd again, who was shaking his head at a small TV. Gabe stepped around the moving truck and whispered. “This feels so real, Peter. Can it be finally? Can this be it?”
“And whatever that love is, perhaps an illusion of a new love, I

want it, I can’t resist it, my whole being melts in one kiss, my knowledge melts, my fears melt, my blood dances, my legs open.” “Shitfire, Peter. Who is that?”

 

“Anai¨s Nin. Who else? And yes, I think this could be the real thing. I think you know it too.”

“I was wrong with Daniel. I was wrong with Brett.”
“You loved them both, you did the right thing, you let go, you waited, you behaved just as you should have. But this is different. Toddy is different—”
“You know he doesn’t like to be called that,” Gabe said.
“—I feel good about him. Don’t you?”
“I do, Peter.”
He stepped back from around the truck. Todd had a funny look on his face. Was everything okay?

“We must celebrate.”
“That would be nice, Peter.” And it would. Peter would come up with something amazing and Todd needed some amazement in his life. Lots of it. Tons and tons.
“What are you two doing tonight?”
“Well, Todd has something in mind. Some special dinner he’s cooking.”
“Excellent! Perfect, in fact. You must invite me!”
Todd was looking through some drawers. He didn’t look good.
“Peter. I might have to go….”
“What time do you wish me to arrive?”
“Peter, I think Todd had something romantic in mind.” Todd was starting to throw things on the ground. Socks. Underwear.
“Gabriel. Trust me. You want me to show up. Do not doubt. My presence is called for.”
“Seven, then. I have to go.” And he hung up and dashed over to Todd. “Baby! Are you okay?”
“No! I’m not okay,” Todd cried. He was shaking.
“What is it? Tell me.”
“Money,” Todd said. “My money.”
Money? “I thought you said you were broke.”
Todd began to go through the drawers again. “This was special. My most magic money. The stuff I was saving for my most important

dreams. It wasn’t a lot. Three hundred dollars. Not enough for a month’s rent. But it was all I had. It was wrapped up in some black socks and in the back of this drawer.” He yanked it out. Waved the clunky thing in the air.

“Are you sure?” Gabe asked.
Oh, Todd. Not another piece of bad luck
.
“I’m sure,” he shouted.

Gabe spun on the movers, who were standing back, mouths open, hands raised before them. “We didn’t take nuttin’,” the biggest of them said. “Honest Injun.”
“Oh, Gabe! I wanted to do something for you with that money,” Todd sobbed.

Gabe took a step to him, laid a hand on his arm. “Todd, it will be okay.”

 

“No. No it won’t.”

 

“Todd,” he barked, sorry that he was so harsh. But he had to get through.

 

Todd stopped, looked up at him.

“It will be fine. We are fine. Money means nothing. We have each other now. Do you hear me? I would rather be homeless and be with you than rich and be without you.”

Todd froze. His eyes grew soft. “Really?”
Gabe pulled him into his arms. “Really.”

Todd laid his head on Gabe’s shoulder. He trembled once but didn’t cry. Good. There was no more room for tears.
Then he got an idea. He looked over Todd’s shoulder at the moving men. “Question,” he said.

“Shoot, boss.”

“When you moved the dresser down all those stairs, did you take the drawers out?”
The men looked at each other, a skinny one nodded, and then the big one answered. “Yeah. It was heavy.”

So they could have dropped a rolled up sock.
Or….
He grinned.
“Do you know if you put them back in the same slot?” The big guy shrugged. “We put ’em where they fit.”

Todd raised his head. Looked up at Gabe with hope on his face, then back at the dresser. He walked up to the drawer he’d been looking

through. “This isn’t the right one,” he said. He walked over to the left and pulled out the second one down. “Oh… oh, oh….” He rummaged through it and then let out a shout. In his hand was a rolled up pair of black socks. He quickly unrolled it, not caring how he did it, and then froze, a look of happiness on his face.