Page 54 of Galen's Redemption
Chapter Fourteen
THE NEXTfew days flew by for Robert. A lot of favors were called in so they could give Bree a proper burial. He’d dipped into his reserves to pay for a funeral that Bree would have appreciated. Big bouquets of snow-white thistle flowers were spread around the room. Nearly everyone from the shelter came, even Billy and his mom. She told him she was going to name her babyBree, because no one should forget the woman who tried to spread sunshine, even when her life was so dark.
He and Noel had convinced her to come in for an appointment to make sure the baby was healthy, and she agreed, which pleased Robert greatly. In the end, Ted said she was going to have a girl and, from everything he could see, the baby was healthy. Robert spent several days trying to puttogether a place for Billy and Elaine Cassidy. Eventually, using her pregnancy as leverage, he found them a halfway house and got a promise of job training. Plus, he got Billy back in school with a stern lecture of how he needed an education if he was going to be the man of the house. Billy had puffed up his chest and promised he would do right by his little sister.
Then there was the matterof Galen. They didn’t get to spend any time together, but they talked each night, keeping the conversation light. Galen still hadn’t found a job, which he was sure was because of his father’s interference. The lawyers continued to haggle over the seized assets, and the only reason Galen wasn’t on the streets was because of Andy.
When Galen had called to say he got the last bouquet of flowers,something caught in Robert’s chest when he realized that those were the flowers Robert had ordered the day Bree died. When Robert got to the funeral home, he was shocked to see the bouquet had been added to the rest of the pieces. His heart swelled with pride over the fact Galen had done something so sweet.
Their late-night Skype calls meant everything to Robert. He’d lie in bed and stare atGalen, listening as he chatted about anything. It was just nice to hear his voice, which calmed Robert after the chaos of his days.
Tonight it was especially fun.
“And hekissedAndy, there in the restaurant in front of his friends and family.”
“You’re kidding? I thought Andy said he was so shy?”
“I know, right? He said Marco told him he didn’t want to scare Andy by going all caveman on him.That didn’t last long, obviously, since he practically mauled Andy.”
“So what did Andy do?”
Galen barked out a laugh. “He took Marco by the hand, turned to everyone they were eating dinner with, and said, ‘Excuse us, we have to go. Right now. Nice to meet you all, and…. Okay, bye.’ And then he dragged him out of the restaurant and back here. I had to sleep with a pillow over my head, becauseMarco was making Andy howl. But the best part? In the morning, Andy woke up and the other side of the bed was empty. He was so certain Marco had left, he sat on the bed, feeling stupid because he’d let another guy who wasn’t going to stay get what they wanted. When he stepped out of the bedroom, he could smell bacon and eggs. He turned the corner and found the table loaded with food. Croissants,bagels, muffins, fruit, juice, and the bacon and eggs. Marco looked up when he entered the room, swept across the floor, and kissed Andy, telling him good morning.”
Aw, that was so sweet.
“Okay, and?”
“You’ll love this. Marco told Andy that in his family, once you found the person you knew you were going to be with, you did whatever you had to in order to win their heart. He said he would doanything he could to make Andy happy, and hoped they could spend a lifetime together getting to know each other. Andy is over the freaking moon.”
“And where are they now?”
“They’re out with Marco’s family again. He’s introducing them to his boyfriend.”
Shit. Was it fast? Hell yes. But the times they chatted, Andy had told Robert all about Marco. He could hear in Andy’s voice that he was smitten,and it seemed as though it had paid off for him.
“I’m glad.”
“Me too. Andy deserves it so much.”
“Listen, this weekend we’re supposed to go to my folks’ house for dinner. Are you still up for it?”
There was a bit of a hesitation before Galen answered. “Sure. I’d like to go.”
“Great. I know Andy was going to come with us. Why not ask if he wants to invite Marco?”
“Seriously?”
Robert chuckled.“My mom will cook for an army. Tom, my brother, will sit there and stuff his face, and Mom will fuss over Brian, making sure he’s doing okay.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Cancer. It’s terminal, but he’s a fighter. They told him he had less than a year, and it’s been five.” Robert drew in a breath. “He’s fading, though. I don’t know how much longer he has.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. They met incollege and have shared almost twenty-five years together. Theirs is a love that everyone should aspire to have. I know that Tom is going to be devastated when Brian passes, but we’ll be there for him. He won’t have to face it alone.”
Robert had to admit that there had been many times over the years that he’d been jealous of what Tom and Brian had. Seeing them together in front of their parents’fireplace, Brian nestled in Tom’s arms, his head resting on Tom’s chest, brought home what Robert was missing in his life. The day they’d gotten the results of Brian’s biopsy, any trace of jealousy vanished as Robert did what he could to comfort them.
