Chapter 13

“He offered to change a dirty nappy this morning, Helen tells me.”

I breathed more easily. “We told him that if he was a good boy, and if you and Helen agreed, we would let him spend the odd night in the new bedroom. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“Not at all.” Paul shook his head. “You two are working miracles with that boy. Erm, Simon, I guess he’s told you that he thinks he’s gay.”

I nodded. “He seems pretty certain about it.”

“Sorry if this is too personal a question, but—”

“Did I know at his age if I was gay?”

Paul nodded.

“I knew. But different people realise it at different ages.” Feeling I ought to bring something up sooner rather than later, I said, “Mark and I…we could never, would never, do anything…inappropriate with Sam. I just thought with him staying over I should—”