Find My Heart (boyxboy)

7. Beta Blood

Joel

I liked him instantly.

He was cute as well.

But he gave off an "I'm taken" vibe.

I smiled to myself as I headed towards the address written on the scrap of paper in my pocket.

I hoped I would meet him again sometime.

I strode with purpose to the street I had already passed by several times over the last week. I was going to do it this time though. There was no turning back.

I walked up the street looking at all the doors and the numbers on them until I stopped outside number 15. I pulled the piece of paper out of my pocket just to double check. I don't know why as the address had been engraved into my memory for the last 18 months.

I looked at the small cottage terrace in front of me. It was what people would probably call 'quaint'. It looked small but pretty. There were sky blue shutters pinned back next to the small windows and the royal blue door was situated under a small porch with a pitched roof.

The garden in front of the property was small but tidy, with some ceramic pots by the door filled with purple and yellow crocuses.

It looked more than a house. It looked like a home.

It reminded me of my home, and I felt my gut twist as I was reminded of my adoptive mum and dad who I had not seen for such a long time.

I took a deep breath and walked the few steps up the path, and before I could change my mind, I knocked on the door.

"Just a minute," I heard a voice shout from behind the door.

"Ok," I shouted back.

I looked down at my hands, and frowned as I saw them shaking lightly. I shoved them into the pockets of my jeans.

I never thought that "Ok" would be the first thing I ever said to my mum. If indeed that was my mum. It could have been anyone. Who's to say my mum even still lived here? She could have moved...

The door was suddenly flung open.

"I'm sorry, I was just having a minor cooking incident involving a faulty blender, or at least that's what I like to tell myself when I forget to put the lid on properly..."

I stood frozen looking at the woman in front of me. She had wavy brown hair and warm hazel eyes. And pale skin with a slight pink in her cheeks. And an oval shaped face with a narrow chin and petit nose. And she was beautiful. And she was without a doubt my mother.

And she was covered from head to foot in small blobs of some sort of pink gloop.

I finally realised that she'd stopped talking and was looking at me in much the same way as I was looking at her.

"Joel?" she whispered, so quietly that I only just heard her.

"Yes?"

"Oh my heavens, Joel," she cried this time, throwing her arms around me. "I thought you were dead!"

She gripped onto me tightly and sobbed.

I felt slightly awkward and lightly patted her head, trying to keep clear of the pink stuff, which I could now smell was made from something sweet like strawberries.

"Come in, come in," she said, letting me go and stepping quickly into the house, probably aware that neighbours could be watching.

I followed her, still feeling like I was having an outer body experience, through a small hallway and into a cozy looking living room.