World Tour

Birthday: resolution

They had grabbed a quick sandwich and eaten it on the go, and now they were in the venue, getting ready and arranging the last bits. 
Ibo had done a fantastic job: everything was in place. Eddy gave him a rap on the back and said:
¨Thanks, mate. It was awesome, today. The best.¨
Ibo just smiled, and said:
¨Sure thing mate, no worries. I figured you'd enjoy looking at a bunch of wooden poles.¨
Eddy snorted and shook his head. 
¨They were very good poles, strong and colourful¨, he said with a smirk.
Ibo roared with laughter, shoved his shoulder and walked off to the next job. 


Meanwhile, Brett had been acting strange since they'd got in, and Eddy couldn't figure out what was going on. He seemed... well, he seemed nervous, and Eddy had no idea why he'd be so nervous today. Okay, there was a concert, but that was no different from any of the other concerts they'd done, surely? 

¨You okay?¨ he asked, after a while. 
Brett looked at him, the picture of innocence, and shrugged.
¨Sure, why?¨
Eddy smiled slightly. 
¨No reason. Shall we head to the dressing room to get ready?¨
¨You go ahead¨, Brett said. ¨I'll be there in just a minute, okay?¨
Eddy wanted to say he'd wait for him. But once again, there was something in Brett's eyes that made him hold his tongue, and he just said:
¨Sure¨, and headed off. 

In the dressing room he sat down. Brett was taking a while, and he waited, wondering what Brett was up to now. He tapped his foot impatiently, feeling a bit nervous himself now, for absolutely no good reason.
Then, finally, the door opened and Brett walked in. 

Only Brett didn't walk in. Eddy's mum did. 

Eddy's heart fell out of his chest, through the chair and onto the floor. His eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped, and all he could do was stare. His whole being resonated with the word: mum!!
His mother walked closer, tears pouring out of her eyes, her arms extended, inviting him in. 
¨Eddy...¨ she whispered.
Before he knew it he was out of his chair and he had his arms around his mum, his cheeks wet with his own tears. 
¨Mum!¨
They stood there for a long while, Eddy just holding her tight, feeling her presence. He couldn't believe it. His mum was here. 
¨Eddy...¨ his mum said, letting him go to look at him, her eyes hazy with the moisture. 
¨Eddy, I'm so sorry I let you wait so long.¨
Eddy just stared at her, lost for words. 
His mum breathed deeply, slipping into Mandarin: 
¨I'm sorry, my son. I'm an old fool, I was shocked and I needed time to think, and then I wasn't sure what to say anymore. But I love you, and I love Brett, I'm so sorry I tried to get you to be something you are not. You are perfect to me, just as you are.¨
Eddy started crying in earnest now. 
¨Am I dreaming this?¨ he asked in Chinese, his voice breaking. 
¨No, son. I'm so sorry I've made you feel like this. Please forgive me.¨ his mum replied, shaking her head. 
Eddy buried his face in his mum's shoulder then, sobbing, all the angst and pain leaking out of his eyes and soaking into his mother's blouse. 
¨Of course I do¨, he said softly. 
They stood there for the longest time, holding each other tight, his mum stroking his back with both hands and running her hand through the short hairs on his neck, as she had so many times before. 

When Eddy finally opened his eyes he saw Brett standing close, his own cheeks wet and his eyes red.  
He let go of his mother and flew into Brett's arms. 
¨Brett, my love...¨ he whispered in his ear. ¨How will I ever be able to thank you?¨
¨You thank me every day¨, Brett said soberly. ¨Just by being my husband.¨

There was a knock at the door then, and when it opened he saw his sister's smiling face. 
¨Belle! Oh my God!!¨ he exclaimed, rushing to her. 
She looked around at all the tear-stained faces and laughed in her soprano voice. 
¨Brother, wow, it's all been a bit dramatic here, hasn't it?¨ she said, her tone full of irony. 
¨Are we going to have a concert, or do I have to run out and get some boxes of tissues?¨
Everyone started laughing. 

No one was better at breaking the tension than his sister. 
He hugged her, the laughter finally stopping the sobs, and whispered: 
¨I'm so glad you're here, sis. So glad.¨
She looked at him earnestly now. 
¨No place I'd rather be.¨

So half an hour later there he stood, on one of the final stages, his violin in his hands and his husband to his left. And right there on row three were his mother and his sister, beaming at him. 

He couldn't think of a single thing wrong with his world right now.