Continuance
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CHAPTER 3: 3
The London streets glistened as John and Trevor walked back to the flat. The time was spent mostly in silence, but Trevor didn’t push John to, as Americans say, “spill his guts” immediately. Trevor knew the story would come out in due time, and felt that his job right now was to simply be there.
John broke the silence first, as they stepped off a curb. “I’m sorry about all this,” he murmured. “ I just didn’t know who I could talk to in Basingstoke, and....I missed you. A lot. Why didn’t you ever try to call or something?” John said this, however, with no resentment. He knew the reasons. The younger brother/older brother tensions were gone, as is the norm when brothers grow up. They could now talk to each other as men and, more importantly, as brothers that loved each other.
A sigh emitted from Trevor as he put his arm around John. “Oh, Johnny, I’m the one that’s sorry – sorry about acting like I had no family for the past three years. To tell the truth, I really didn’t give Dad and Mum a thought, but you... He couldn’t finish the sentence because his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. “Damn,” he thought to himself, “just when you thought you were over it.” His therapist had been right – you can only push all the shit down for so long.
When they reached Trevor’s flat, John sat heavily on the couch in the sitting area. “Nice place,” he said dully.
“You want something to drink or eat or something?”
“No, I just wanna....sit.”
Trevor eased himself into an armchair opposite John. “Okay,” he said gently. “How’s tricks?” he said brightly, switching gears. They looked at each other, and the corner of John’s mouth, so hopelessly sad moments before, started to turn up inadvertently. That had always been one of Trevor’s stock expressions, and had somehow passed into John’s vernacular, too. That bond, however insignificant, warmed him.
“You have no idea.” He took a deep breath, straightened up, and faced his older brother. “Things have been... interesting lately. First of all, I need to tell you something. I’m gay.” It came out so easily, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for John to declare. It surprised John, but pleasantly so. He was gay. Period.
Trevor blinked. Twice. Of all the things his little brother could have shared with him, this was certainly not what he was expecting. “Uh, okay,” he stammered. “Are you sure?”
This time John laughed out loud and, after realizing how that question sounded, Trevor joined in with him. “Yeah, I guess you are, huh? Sorry about that. I was just kind of taken aback at that pronouncement.”
“It’s all right,” John said reassuringly. “What are the chances of two gay brothers in one family, right?”
“Ah, probably more than you would think.” A pause.
John took a deep breath. “There’s this guy, Steven...”, and he began telling the story to Trevor, leaving nothing out. When he finally finished, the sun was breaking into the windows, illuminating John in a golden glow as he renewed his relationship with his older brother by being completely candid with him.
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