Eternally Ours

32- Back To The Year 2000

"What the hell just happened?" I ask as soon as we get into my house Joanne sits on the sofa along with Jack, and I sit in the chair. But my Mum just starts pacing the floor, if she keeps going she'll wear the floorboards out.

"That sorry excuse of a man happened," my Mum exclaims, sill pacing. "He knocked on the door and introduced himself as Freddie's father so I was already pissed off because I knew that was the man who knocked two pints of shit out of Freddie. But then he told me that he was here because he wants his Son back. I thought okay maybe he feels bad for what he's done and realises what an archaic view he had on the world, and decided like any normal person that someone being gay is no different to someone being straight. But then he hands me this," my mum holds up scrunched up bit of paper that I can hardly make out for the way she is waving them around. "It's a pamphlet for a gay conversion camp in the states!" I let out a gasp, what is wrong with a person to think that is acceptable to send someone to a conversion camp.

"That's when I completely lost it, I mean that man was trying to tell me that Freddie wasn't gay he just had a mental illness that needed to be cured. I mean have you ever heard such bollocks in your life? I know loads of people who came out as gay when I was younger, and their parents accepted it. Never in my life have I seen a parent react like this!" I have no words, absolutely none. I can't believe what I'm hearing. My mum finally sits down and then there is a silence over the room as everyone tries to get there head round what just happened. That is until the door opens and Freddie comes gleefully walking in.

"I brought cake!" He announces, holding it up for everyone to see. "Christ almighty who died?" He questions walking over to the coffee table placing the cake down and perching on the edge of my chair, looking round at everyone again. "Shite did someone actually die?" He asks suddenly serious.

"No, no, Freddie darling we just need to talk to you about something," My mum tells Freddie's eyes fall onto the conversion therapy pamphlet and his eyes suddenly widen in shock.

"We'll leave you too it," Joanne tells us pulling a reluctant Jack up with her.

"Liz I'm really sorry if I've upset you, please don't send me to one of those places. I'm really sorry for whatever I've done, I'm begging you," Freddie begs and my heart drops as tears roll down his face, my hand shoots out and grabs his sweaty one, as his face turned pale.

My mums eyes go to the pamphlet as she grabs it, "Freddie no hunny I would never ever suggest sending you to one of those vile places. That's what I wanted to talk to you about, your Father brought it round," my Mum struggles to say, I grip onto his hand tighter as tears fall down his cheeks. I hate seeing him like this.

"He doesn't want me to be his son anymore does he?" Freddie's voice breaks as he asks the question he already knows the answer to, my Mum can't even form a sentence as she just nods, both our hearts breaking for him. But then he does something I didn't think he would do, he wipes his tears away and smiles. Well that is the biggest one eighty I think I have ever seen someone do, but if it his way of coping with it then who am I to judge.

"Who cares, I don't need them anyway! Who needs a family, not me!" He laughs but that when I know he's not okay. "Knock knock," Freddie says to me, but I just stay silent, "come on Emmy this is when you say who's there, go on say it!"

"Who's there?" I ask.

"Not my family! Get it because my family hate me and now I don't have one!" He starts to laugh like a hyaena but that soon turn into full on sobs as I stand and pull him into my arms, my fingers going into his curly hair as he pulls me tight against him, his tall frame towering over my short one. I walk him over to the sofa where my Mum joins us, sitting on his other side, putting her arm round the both of us.