The first thing Jim did was to grab a robe off the back of the door and drape it over me; his sense of modesty dictated that.

"What's going on?" Sam asked from her side of the bed.

"You better get up, darlin. Barry will need your attentions, we need some privacy," Jim said.

Sam reached for her robe and slid it on while Jim pulled the chair out from his desk and pushed me into it. He took a seat on the end of the bed as Sam made her exit, and then he looked over at me with a sigh.

"What's going on, Evan? I came in that room and found all three of you naked ... what does that mean?"

"I ... I ... " The situation was impossible to explain.

"Was Barry sleeping in your bed? Is there something going on there?"

"No, Jim," I finally managed to say, and the emotions washed over me. Tears formed in my eyes and it was a blessing that I couldn't hear Tally's cries. I was still too numb to realize all the consequences.

"But Barry ... Oh no ... Not Tally ... How could you ... ?"

I had to say something, I didn't want him to think ... but then there was no avoiding the truth.

"Tally and I are in love," I said, and I began to cry.

"Tally and ... " He stopped, beginning to understand and yet rejecting the whole concept. It was only one piece of the puzzle. "What was Barry doing there?"

I just nodded between sobs; there was no way I was going to explain about Barry. That whole history with Rick had happened under Jim's nose and he didn't know ... I wasn't going to be the one to tell him.

"Barry ... Barry is jealous," I managed.

"Jealous?" The word sounded incredulous; I imagined the shock ... Jim had no idea why. He leaned over and put a hand on top of my head, tilting my face up to meet his. "Tell me what happened, Evan."

"I ... I was in bed with Tally, Barry just walked in and caught us. He started hitting me and Tally screamed. Then I heard him hit Tally and ... and I went off. Poor Tally," I sobbed.

"You think Barry wanted to sleep with you ... and you know what I mean by that?" Jim said.

I nodded. "He found out ... somehow he found out."

"Is this whole thing with Rick related to ... .Oh Lord," Jim said.

"I don't know ... you'll have to ask your mother," I said.

"Evan, I trusted you ... how could you start something with ... are you gay?" Jim asked.

I nodded and heard Jim sigh. That's when there was a soft knock at the door and Granny pushed it open.

"I want in on this talk," She said.

"No Ma, you don't need to get involved ... "Jim started.

"Involved? I've known since the beginning," She said. "You think I don't care what my grandson wants?"

"Tally? Tally wants ... Good Lord, do I know anything about what's happening around here?" Jim said.

"No you don't, it's not the kind of thing boys tell their father ... but they do tell their Granny."

"Jesus, Ma ... how long have you known about Evan and Tally?"

"Since that very first day. I knew about Tally when he was little and when he brought Evan home I knew he'd made a choice."

"This was Tally's doing?" He looked over at me and I nodded. "But how ... why didn't I see ... Tally never gave me a clue."

Granny sat down beside Jim and patted his hand. "Calm down, Jim ... you weren't meant to know. You have a gay son, what's important is what you plan to do about it."

I felt like an outsider in all this. My tears had stopped, I was too involved in what Granny was saying to feel weak, and this was my future they were discussing.

"I assume you mean Tally ... Barry was in there too," Jim said.

"Barry is a whole 'nother issue, son. I imagine we'll now have to deal with that as well, but not tonight. Evan is sitting there waiting, it's his future with Tally that concerns us both," Granny said.

"You don't expect me to agree to ... Damn, Ma, I can't have my little boy in a relationship with Evan ... What do you think that looks like, it's not even legal."

"He's not your little boy anymore, Jim. Whether you noticed it or not, Tally is a young man now, he will make his own choices," Granny said.

"I can't allow it, and that's final. Evan, you'll have to leave and ... "

"Stop right there, James Winslow," Granny said. "Are you going to reject Tally's wishes because he's gay?"

"No Ma, but he's fifteen ... this can't be allowed to continue," Jim said.

"Oh, Mr. High and Mighty now are we? Well I seem to remember you sleeping across the hall with a certain Susan McCormick some years back ... shall we talk about that?"

"I was just a kid, Ma ... " Jim started to say.

"Yes, and so are they. You were just eighteen and she was fourteen as I recall, I wanted to beat you senseless. Did you love her, Jim? Did you tell her that you'd give her the rest of your life? No, I don't think so, besides she knew better."

"Tally is in love with Evan and he returns that feeling ten fold. These boys are committed to one another, nothing you or I say will change that ... it's done. And now you plan to send Evan away, to forbid Tally from seeing him and to put a stop to their love, it won't work."

"I can't allow ... Sweet Lord, can't you see what will happen? How can I allow this to continue under my roof?"

"That's the easy part, because you have an even harder issue to deal with first. Barry and Rick aren't just fighting because they have to work together, it goes deeper than that," Granny said.

"What has that got to do with Evan?" Jim asked.

"That bigger family issue ought to come first, but as for Evan staying here, this is my roof, not yours," Granny said.

Jim was dumbfounded, but Granny was right, all this was hers. Now I really felt like I shouldn't be sitting here as the debate was going to be between a mother and her son, but I was rooted to the chair.

"Ma, you have to let me deal with my own family," Jim said.

"And you will ... with my guidance," Granny said.

"Don't do this, Ma."

"It's already done. Jessie left it all to me and I wrote Mr. Lowe last week asking him to change my will. When I sign that change you won't have a choice. At the moment the farm is divided equally between you and Tom, the change gives it all to Tally."

The room became deathly silent, I was stunned and I knew Jim had been floored by the revelation. Granny held her head high, a quiet elegance, a strong firm set to her features. She was awesome in her righteousness; I couldn't have loved her any more than I did at that moment.

Jim cleared his throat. "You'd make a sharecropper out of me?"

"He's your son, Jim ... the choice is yours," Granny said.

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I'm going to move into town and take Tally with me, he won't want to live with his father after that. If you pursue him or try and stop me I will put the farm up for sale and then you'll be out on your ear. Don't test my patience, Jim ... the lives of two young men is at stake here and I'm on God's side."

Jim put his face in his hands and I felt so small, so insignificant next to what had just happened in this room. Granny had pulled out all her aces and Jim was left holding a pair of twos.

Finally Jim looked up and right into my face. "What does Tally mean to you," He asked.

The tears flowed down my cheeks as I croaked out my answer. "Everything, he is my world."

Jim nodded. "I hope you mean that, you ever hurt that boy and I'll ... you'll regret it."

I nodded in return. "Thank you." And now I cried for joy.

"Go on Evan, go tell Tally everything is settled," Granny said.

"Hold on, how are we going to deal with this ... what about Barry?" Jim asked.

"You and I need to have a long talk about that, but Evan doesn't need to be part of it," Granny said.

"Do we just ignore ... Jesus, Ma ... they're sleeping together."

"That's how you came into this world, son. I loved your father so much that what we did was just a sign of that love, we knew it was wrong. But I wouldn't change that for the world, you've become a fine man, Jim."

"Tally and Evan have love, what they do in that bedroom is their own business. I don't think the word will get around, they're too careful for that to happen. Now scoot, Evan ... Tally needs to know what a wonderful father he has."

I looked over at Jim and he nodded, it was all I could do to keep from hugging him. But I wiped the tears off my face and kissed Granny's cheek. "Thank you," I said once again, there would be time for talk later on. I opened the bedroom door and shut it quietly behind me. I didn't even want to know what Granny was about to tell him.

The upstairs hallway was quiet; Brad and Sam must have Barry down in the kitchen repairing the damage. I walked the length to Tally's door and looked in. I could see the numerals on the bedside clock said it was midnight, a new day had begun.

Tally lay there face down, his body still twitching with the quiet sobs he gave into his pillow. I stepped in and closed the door.

"Tally?" I said.

He jumped, turning at the sound of my voice. His face was red, and I could see the pain in his red rimmed eyes. But now something new crept across his face, something that could be summed up in one word ... hope.

"I'm here to stay," I said.

He was off the bed in a flash and in my arms. I squeezed him so tightly, and then slid my hands to the sides of his head. When our lips met it was my turn to see stars, and the kiss seemed to last forever. Then he pulled away.

"What happened?"

"Your father said I could stay ... he knows everything," I said.

"He does ... and you can stay?"

"I'm going to be here forever," I said.

"But how ... why ... ?"

"Granny," I said. "Seems you're Granny's little pride and joy."

* * * * * *

Epilogue

I stayed, but life wasn't without complications after that. I often wonder what would have happened if Granny had carried out her threat, would Jim have relinquished Tally to her just to stay a farmer?

The Winslow farm prospered and some of that was my doing. Going back into study mode, I worked hard to bring Jim new ideas for planting and harvesting that increased the yield of his land, or I should say their land.

Tom was soon told about my relationship with Tally, he had to be let in on events since he still held sway over Rick. He was incredulous but yielded to Jim's decision, he would never find out what was behind it. Dealing with the twins was the hardest thing the family had to do that winter; both boys went into counseling, separately of course.

They may never see eye to eye, but at least they managed to let it all out and come up with some answers. Rick was finally able to come to grips with the abuse he heaped on his brother, the letters he wrote Barry may never be answered, but at least Barry read them.

And Barry eventually discovered that Rick's obsession was not his fault, he had been abused up until he was Tally's age before he resisted. Barry admitted to me that he'd tried to fool around with other boys as well, wondering if he was gay or just bisexual. I kept that to myself.

But he put aside that fight for something he loved even better, Barry joined the Navy. For once he managed to do something right and found himself stationed at a small post in northern Alaska, a far cry from the comforts of home. But he was there studying the impact of military occupation on the marine and wildlife in the region, a dream assignment as far as he was concerned.

Although he denied it, I was sure Tom had some influence over Barry's choice and the special assignment he was given. Barry sent e-mails now, something I had to teach both Jim and Sam to use. But even though Barry was thousands of miles away at the Artic Circle he had never seemed closer to his parents.

Rick buckled down; he was to become Brad's right hand man and was destined to become another Winslow farmer, one to make his Grandfather proud. Jim had some tough years, the state went through a terrible dry spell for a while and crop prices fell. But good management by the brothers kept their hopes alive. They had a legacy to maintain and I was proud to help them when I could.

Little Jerry grew into Big Jerry, and went off to college. He studied biology and then moved into agriculture, he works for the state now and just started his own little family. Tom couldn't be prouder of his son, not every generation would follow in the footsteps of the father, but Tom has hopes for his new little grandson.

Granny stayed on the farm until her sixty-fifth birthday, moving into town that year so she could be close to her friends ... and because Tally and I invited her to move in with us. She spends her time playing cards with her friends and working on the menu.

After Tally's graduation we took a house together, it was a busy time of life. That comic collection of mine sold at well over a hundred and fifty grand, enough to get me set up in business with Tally as my partner.

The dream of owning my own restaurant came to fruition over the course of several years. The right place became available and Granny urged me forward. I probably couldn't have done it without the support of my parents and Tally. Yes, they know now as well. He worked tirelessly as we remodeled, and now runs the business side of things. I get to cook ... anything I want.

This might be a small town off the interstate but we got reviewed by the folks from AAA and are now on the maps they send out to all their clients. Stan and Freddy stopped in just last week on their way to New York. It's a beginning and we've already been approached by several franchise outfits to expand. I just don't know if we will, who needs the headache?

Tally and I still rise at the crack of dawn, but not to go milk the cows. Now we have a quiet breakfast and listen to Granny tell us what she has planned for her day. None of this would have been possible without her love and affection; I realize that more every day. Tally is still the best thing that ever happened to me and Granny comes in a close second.

For that reason I always get a smile on my face when Tally and I park across the street from the restaurant. For up there on the awning above the door stands the name we gave our place. It's simple really; the sign reads "Granny's Pride and Joy."

On to Chapter Fifteen

Back to Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Index

Chris James Home Page