10 Chapter X (10)

Tom hadn't even put the car in park, before his wife was out of the car, and if the house. "It was good we weren't more than twenty minutes away all day..." He chuckled now to himself. He got out of the car, and noticed, the mower was put away the way it normally was. He went to fix it, it was a new mower. "The boys must be doing better than I thought." He mused to himself, proud.

He walked into their room, standing in the doorway behind his wife. "Boy's Where'd the new mower come from?" He asked.

"John." Jayden said. "Sorry, Mr. Winters."

"Why did he buy you a new mower?" He asked.

"Cause it broke when I ran over the cannonball." Benny said, mater of factly, things were not adding up for Tom, as they did for the boys. He glanced at his wife, nor for her...

"Why did he have a cannonball?" He asked.

"Like an actual cannonball?" Tammy asked.

"Yes, mom, an actual cannonball. So I'd run over it, break the mower, so he'd have an excuse to take us, to the professional mower shop, and get us a new one."

"Does this make sense to you?" He asked.

"There is a rather circular logic to it." Tammy sighed. "But why?"

"I'll go ask." He sighed. He walked across the street and rang the bell. "Mr winters, I am sorry it's so late."

"Please come in." He held the screen door open and waved him in. "I was expecting one of you two to come by..."

"You were?" Tom asked puzzled.

"Now apparently the boy's had no clue I was gay, but I suspect you knew and wondered why an old gay man gave them a $1200 mower." He sighed.

"Yes." Tom said, sitting on the couch. "That thought had occurred, not that I suspect that your would ever...."

"You did, and that's ok, there isn't a parent that at one point see's an innocent passing glance as something more, this is a bit more than an innocent ." He noded. "Gay or straight, it just makes you diligent." He paused, then let out a long sigh. "I am going to tell you, you can tell your wife, but this doesn't get back to them." He wagged his finger at Tom.

"Of course, as long as it won't hurt them..." Tom said, but read the wince on the man's face, to meant it would.

"I have colon cancer, its early, but sometimes that helps, sometimes it don..."

"I am so sorry...." Tom started.

"Please don't be." The old man, recoiled like a wounded dog. "I had sixty years, with my partner, he was great, we were a lot like those two boys of yours. My dad gave me the boot the same way Jayden got it, I thought the world had changed." He paused as pain and emotion ran across his face. "It was then I found out it hadney4t, and saw Jayden teaching Benny how to mow, just like I was, then I realized that people have to start the changes they want to see, and I hadn't."

He paused to cry. "My legacy, my business is gone, I never had kids, cause gay men couldn't back then, but I can do everything I can to help them have what I didn't."

"Why don't you come over tomorrow night for dinner, It's Jayden's first time soloing the kitchen, He promises there will be singing." Tom chuckled.

"Oh my, I'll be there with earplugs." The old man chuckled.

"He's actually very talented, and a pretty decent cook. Say around Five tomorrow for the full show."

"Thank you." He stood, so did Tom, figuring his older neighbor needed to be alone. "I'll be there, and thank you." Tom just nodded, the slight paleness, and thin lines, told Tom the man meant for letting him be with his sons, but Tom was going to bring him into his family like he had Jayden. It was clear, the boys were fond of John, and for now, some supervised interaction a good start.

"Ohh By the way." John Sighed. "They're getting a new trimmer next week, that a surprise though."

"What's wrong with my trimmer?" Tom chuckled.

"Nothing, but by the time I am done with them, paying cash for college won't be a problem for them. If they were mowing just this street, it'd be fine." John said.

"Thank you." Tom said feeling inadequate as a father now.

"Kids at a certain age stop listening to their parents, I just hope I can be a mentor, for them." He said seemingly reading Tom's thoughts. "You did a fine job, they will always be your son's, even Jayden. I can see it when he talks about you." Tom left, told his wife, to expect one more, and what she should defnetally not tell the boys. Then she felt for the first time, she had a new reason to worry about her Jayden, the last two weeks, had been so good for him. She had hoped They were out of the woods.