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The Pros and Cons of Loving
Part 23
Three Days Later
Frank’s POV
Gerard and I had just gotten home from eating out when we found Eric alone on the couch, quietly crying. I glanced at Gerard and then made my way over to him.
“Sweetie, are you okay?”
He wiped his eyes, not even looking up at me. “I’m fine.”
I sat next to him on the couch, wrapping one arm around him. At first he tensed under my touch but then he relaxed into me, closing his eyes and beginning to cry.
Gerard sat down on the other side of him, sighing. “Eric…”
Eric looked up at Gerard. His face was puffy and red from all of his crying. “What?”
Gerard put his hand on Eric’s shoulder, smiling weakly. “We love you and whatever you chose… well… we’ll be here.”
Eric began to cry again, reaching out and hugging Gerard. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
He pulled away and sat in between us. “F-for taking me in a-and not hating me… I know I’m not easy to like…” he sobbed. “Thank you f-for putting up with me.”
“Everyone loved you, Eric.” I gasped, hugging him once again. “I don’t know how many times I have to say it. You’re like my son… you are a part of this family. We love you. There’s uhm… actually something we had to talk to you about.”
He looked at me, crying still.
“In the folder your mom left… she signed for us to be your legal guardian. If you want us to… we’ll go ahead and sign it and it will be official. If not, though… we’d completely understand.” I continued.
“L-like adopting me?”
“Not quiet adoption, but almost. This way you and Aiden still aren’t related.” Gerard winked at Eric.
Eric smiled and let out a small laugh through his tears. “Y-you guys w-would really do that?”
“Of course.” I smiled at Eric. “Only if you want us to.”
”I do.” He began to cry again. “I really really do.”
“I’ll be right back.” I stood and went to our filing cabinet, pulling out the folder. It was different, having the folder this time. It was for a good reason.
I came back to the couch with the envelope, excited. Eric and Gerard looked at me as I sat down.
“You’re sure, Eric?” I asked him, looking him in the eyes. “If you say no, no one will blame you.”
“I’m sure… please.” Eric said, almost pleading me to sign the paper with his eyes.
I smiled and signed the sheet, feeling like I had the day we brought Aiden home from the hospital. Gerard smiled as well, signing the thin white sheet of paper the meant so much to us. Eric hugged Gerard and then me tightly, whispering thank you.
“Don’t thank us…” Gerard whispered. “It’s just on paper now.”
Eric wiped his eyes, sniffling. Then he grinned. “This is so cool. I was pretty much adopted by My Chemical Romance.”
Gerard laughed and hugged him. “That you were, kid. That you were.”
Several Weeks Later
Eric’s POV
Why was I doing this?
What would it help?
Nothing.
Why had her mom even agreed to this?
Why had Frank and Gerard let me come?
I had wanted to see her. Even though I’d had to testify right in front of Luke, I’d wanted to see her. Only me and some older eighteen year old had testified. The little girl had, but before I came.
“Are you ready?” Aiden asked as we pulled into a park in my old neighborhood, near where the little girl lived.
“No.” I said, feeling sick.
“Okay.” He relaxed against the seat. “We’re early anyway.”
“Why… I…”
Aiden was used to this. We had agreed that any time stuff about Luke popped into my head, I’d tell him. Even the whys that trailed off.
I sighed and looked around the park. It could be any one of these girls playing…
It was two now. Aiden looked at the clock, then at me. “Ir’s time, sweetie…”
I put my hand on the door handle and pushed the car door open.
“Do you need me to come?”
“Yes.” I pleaded.
He got out and came around to meet me. His hand slipped into my shaky and sweaty one. My entire body was shaking. I wasn’t even seeing Luke, just a ten year old girl. Harmless.
“I love you, Eric.” Aiden whispered.
“I love you too.” I said shakily, wanting to cry.
He led me to a bench and we sat on it. I scooted as close to Aiden as I could get. I needed to feel his presence. He stroked the palm of my hand, whispering quietly to me.
“Eric?”
I jumped. A young woman with dark hair and tan skin in blue jeans was standing in front of me.
“I’m Melissa. Katie’s mom. I’m sorry we’re late.” She said softly.
Aiden squeezed my hand. “Hi, I’m Aiden.”
“I spoke with your father.” She smiled.
“Eric, say something.” Aiden whispered.
I looked at him, my eyes wide. My mouth was dry, I couldn’t speak.
“He’s really shy and… nervous.” Aiden explained.
“Hi.” I whispered.
She smiled. “I want to thank you for testifying.”
I nodded.
“My daughter is the red head in the purple shirt.” She said, pointing. I watched the little girl running around with someone who was a bit older. “That’s her brother. He’s 12. His name is Adam.”
“Oh… how is she… uhm, doing?” I asked, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. It left a wet imprint.
“She doesn’t understand yet… she’s… she’s confused by what he did, she knows it isn’t right. But ten year olds… she isn’t a baby but she sure doesn’t know what he did.” She sighed, sitting on the ground.
“I was twelve.” I whispered.
She nodded sadly. “Katie! Come over here and meet someone!”
The little red head girl ran over. She had freckles, glasses, and bright green eyes.
“Katie this is Eric and his boyfriend Aiden. I told you we were coming here to see them, remember?”
Katie nodded, her glasses sliding down her nose. “Hi.” She waved.
“Hi.” I felt myself smiling at the sight of her. This girl was the definition of adorable.
“Aren’t you the guy that testified against that bad guy?” she questioned.
I bit my lip, nodding.
“Oh… well thank you very much. My daddy said if it hadn’t been for you he wouldn’t be in the bad house because the other guy was a legal adult now and it didn’t look as bad. That’s weird though. And why did he do that’s to you? You is a boy and so was the other guy…” Katie trialed off, her face screwing up in concentration.
I sat there silently, watching her.
“Do you like to swing?” she asked, cocking her head to a side.
“I guess so…” I shrugged.
“Cool. Let’s go.” She grinned and held out her hand.
I looked at Aiden, biting my lip. He squeezed my hand and smiled. “Have fun.”
I nodded and followed Katie over to the swings….
Later That Day…
Aiden’s POV
“She was really nice…” Eric said, looking out the window as we were driving back home.
“Yeah, she was.” I nodded, glancing at him from the driver’s seat.
“So… are we really going to drive up here every weekend so I can see her?” he asked, turning his head to look at me.
“If you want that’s what we’ll do.” I smiled, reaching over my hand to grasp his.
“I think I do.” He whispered, nodding. “Thank you, Aiden.”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled and glanced over again to see him, head rested on the window, drifting to sleep…
Frank’s POV
Gerard and I had just gotten home from eating out when we found Eric alone on the couch, quietly crying. I glanced at Gerard and then made my way over to him.
“Sweetie, are you okay?”
He wiped his eyes, not even looking up at me. “I’m fine.”
I sat next to him on the couch, wrapping one arm around him. At first he tensed under my touch but then he relaxed into me, closing his eyes and beginning to cry.
Gerard sat down on the other side of him, sighing. “Eric…”
Eric looked up at Gerard. His face was puffy and red from all of his crying. “What?”
Gerard put his hand on Eric’s shoulder, smiling weakly. “We love you and whatever you chose… well… we’ll be here.”
Eric began to cry again, reaching out and hugging Gerard. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
He pulled away and sat in between us. “F-for taking me in a-and not hating me… I know I’m not easy to like…” he sobbed. “Thank you f-for putting up with me.”
“Everyone loved you, Eric.” I gasped, hugging him once again. “I don’t know how many times I have to say it. You’re like my son… you are a part of this family. We love you. There’s uhm… actually something we had to talk to you about.”
He looked at me, crying still.
“In the folder your mom left… she signed for us to be your legal guardian. If you want us to… we’ll go ahead and sign it and it will be official. If not, though… we’d completely understand.” I continued.
“L-like adopting me?”
“Not quiet adoption, but almost. This way you and Aiden still aren’t related.” Gerard winked at Eric.
Eric smiled and let out a small laugh through his tears. “Y-you guys w-would really do that?”
“Of course.” I smiled at Eric. “Only if you want us to.”
”I do.” He began to cry again. “I really really do.”
“I’ll be right back.” I stood and went to our filing cabinet, pulling out the folder. It was different, having the folder this time. It was for a good reason.
I came back to the couch with the envelope, excited. Eric and Gerard looked at me as I sat down.
“You’re sure, Eric?” I asked him, looking him in the eyes. “If you say no, no one will blame you.”
“I’m sure… please.” Eric said, almost pleading me to sign the paper with his eyes.
I smiled and signed the sheet, feeling like I had the day we brought Aiden home from the hospital. Gerard smiled as well, signing the thin white sheet of paper the meant so much to us. Eric hugged Gerard and then me tightly, whispering thank you.
“Don’t thank us…” Gerard whispered. “It’s just on paper now.”
Eric wiped his eyes, sniffling. Then he grinned. “This is so cool. I was pretty much adopted by My Chemical Romance.”
Gerard laughed and hugged him. “That you were, kid. That you were.”
Several Weeks Later
Eric’s POV
Why was I doing this?
What would it help?
Nothing.
Why had her mom even agreed to this?
Why had Frank and Gerard let me come?
I had wanted to see her. Even though I’d had to testify right in front of Luke, I’d wanted to see her. Only me and some older eighteen year old had testified. The little girl had, but before I came.
“Are you ready?” Aiden asked as we pulled into a park in my old neighborhood, near where the little girl lived.
“No.” I said, feeling sick.
“Okay.” He relaxed against the seat. “We’re early anyway.”
“Why… I…”
Aiden was used to this. We had agreed that any time stuff about Luke popped into my head, I’d tell him. Even the whys that trailed off.
I sighed and looked around the park. It could be any one of these girls playing…
It was two now. Aiden looked at the clock, then at me. “Ir’s time, sweetie…”
I put my hand on the door handle and pushed the car door open.
“Do you need me to come?”
“Yes.” I pleaded.
He got out and came around to meet me. His hand slipped into my shaky and sweaty one. My entire body was shaking. I wasn’t even seeing Luke, just a ten year old girl. Harmless.
“I love you, Eric.” Aiden whispered.
“I love you too.” I said shakily, wanting to cry.
He led me to a bench and we sat on it. I scooted as close to Aiden as I could get. I needed to feel his presence. He stroked the palm of my hand, whispering quietly to me.
“Eric?”
I jumped. A young woman with dark hair and tan skin in blue jeans was standing in front of me.
“I’m Melissa. Katie’s mom. I’m sorry we’re late.” She said softly.
Aiden squeezed my hand. “Hi, I’m Aiden.”
“I spoke with your father.” She smiled.
“Eric, say something.” Aiden whispered.
I looked at him, my eyes wide. My mouth was dry, I couldn’t speak.
“He’s really shy and… nervous.” Aiden explained.
“Hi.” I whispered.
She smiled. “I want to thank you for testifying.”
I nodded.
“My daughter is the red head in the purple shirt.” She said, pointing. I watched the little girl running around with someone who was a bit older. “That’s her brother. He’s 12. His name is Adam.”
“Oh… how is she… uhm, doing?” I asked, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. It left a wet imprint.
“She doesn’t understand yet… she’s… she’s confused by what he did, she knows it isn’t right. But ten year olds… she isn’t a baby but she sure doesn’t know what he did.” She sighed, sitting on the ground.
“I was twelve.” I whispered.
She nodded sadly. “Katie! Come over here and meet someone!”
The little red head girl ran over. She had freckles, glasses, and bright green eyes.
“Katie this is Eric and his boyfriend Aiden. I told you we were coming here to see them, remember?”
Katie nodded, her glasses sliding down her nose. “Hi.” She waved.
“Hi.” I felt myself smiling at the sight of her. This girl was the definition of adorable.
“Aren’t you the guy that testified against that bad guy?” she questioned.
I bit my lip, nodding.
“Oh… well thank you very much. My daddy said if it hadn’t been for you he wouldn’t be in the bad house because the other guy was a legal adult now and it didn’t look as bad. That’s weird though. And why did he do that’s to you? You is a boy and so was the other guy…” Katie trialed off, her face screwing up in concentration.
I sat there silently, watching her.
“Do you like to swing?” she asked, cocking her head to a side.
“I guess so…” I shrugged.
“Cool. Let’s go.” She grinned and held out her hand.
I looked at Aiden, biting my lip. He squeezed my hand and smiled. “Have fun.”
I nodded and followed Katie over to the swings….
Later That Day…
Aiden’s POV
“She was really nice…” Eric said, looking out the window as we were driving back home.
“Yeah, she was.” I nodded, glancing at him from the driver’s seat.
“So… are we really going to drive up here every weekend so I can see her?” he asked, turning his head to look at me.
“If you want that’s what we’ll do.” I smiled, reaching over my hand to grasp his.
“I think I do.” He whispered, nodding. “Thank you, Aiden.”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled and glanced over again to see him, head rested on the window, drifting to sleep…