Page 10 of Baby Boy

Next time? Avery had sucked in a deep breath, almost choking on his own spit.

Get some rest, baby boy. I’ll talk to you in the morning.

Good night. Avery had an almost overwhelming desire to addDaddyto his text but didn’t have the nerve.

Now it was Monday morning and Avery had spent the entire weekend rereading the text messages Jace had sent over the last day. They didn’t talk about anything too deep. Jace asked him questions about his favorite color, animals, and other weird things. Avery had never been on his phone so much in his life. It was a good thing he’d switched to a cheap unlimited plan so he’d have access to the internet. At the time Avery had considered it a necessity for school, but now he had someone texting him!

He wasn’t very good at texting though. Jace asked a question and Avery answered. He hadn’t gotten the nerve to ask anything on his own but he always made it a point to answer Jace right away.

Avery had even taken his phone into the bathroom the previous evening when he’d taken a shower, not wanting to miss a message from Jace. The wordDaddykept swirling in his thoughts. Avery didn’t know if he’d be able to say that word out loud. He’d tried, alone in his apartment, but the word wouldn’t come out of his mouth.

It was too early in the morning for Avery to have moved from bed but when his phone buzzed, he excitedly grabbed the device from the charger on his nightstand.

Good morning, baby boy

Avery grinned and hugged the phone to his chest. He loved Jace’s nickname for him.Morning.

Did you sleep well?

Yes.Avery had had wonderful dreams about Jace holding him on a big couch while Avery snuggled close to him.

I’m happy to hear that. I have a meeting outside my office today so I won’t be able to see you at the shop. And you don’t work tomorrow. I was thinking we could have dinner tomorrow night. I need my Avery fix.

Avery’s cheeks warmed in delight that Jace really did know his schedule and that Jace wanted to see him again. Was Avery ready? Hell no, but he really wanted to be.

Before he had a chance to respond, another message came in.

Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?

Yes. Crap. Avery needed to give Jace a better answer.I’d like that, he added.

Great! I’ll text you when I get home tonight and we’ll work out the details.

OK. Have a good day. Again, Avery wanted to add the wordDaddybut couldn’t.

Thank you, baby boy. You have a good day too.

Avery closed his eyes.Baby boy.Jace kept sending that term of endearment and Avery hoped it didn’t stop. He closed out of his text messaging app and pulled up his internet browser. He had to think about what he wanted to look up. He finally settled on ‘how to be a good boy for his Daddy.’ The number of hits had his eye widening. He was going to need coffee…lots and lots of coffee.

He rose from the bed before setting the phone down on the pillow. He had to take care of the device that was his connection to Jace and to information on how to make Jace happy. Or what he thought would make Jace happy.

First, a stop in the bathroom, then coffee.

On his way to the bathroom, he glanced at the closet next to the front door. The small apartment didn’t have an actual bedroom. Instead he’d pushed a futon into the corner, next to a used nightstand he’d found in an alley.

In the middle of the room, the couch found at a charity donation store had a sheet over the cushions to hide the hideous upholstery. His small television sat on a box covered by another sheet. The closet held his best work shirts but at the very top, a box from his childhood was stashed.

He dragged his feet until he was standing in front of the closet. He knew what was in the box. He’d put it there himself years ago, but did that mean he was brave enough to face it? Avery could hear Jace’s voice in his head. ‘It’s okay, baby boy.’ It was okay—no one else had to know what he’d held on to.

Straightening his shoulders Avery took a deep breath and pulled open the door. He kept the space as tidy as he could—not having a lot of clothes helped—so the box was easy to spot. Avery had to rise to his tiptoes and even hop before he caught the edge of the box. He yanked it down, proud when he didn’t drop it. Avery didn’t look yet, though. He walked the box to the futon bed and set it down before continuing to the bathroom.

Avery completed his morning routine and had a mug of coffee in his hand, drinking from it before he faced the box. Now that his mind had gonetherehe couldn’t stop thinking about the items in the box. Avery set his mug on the nightstand and gingerly sat at the top of the bed. He pulled the box toward him and there right on top was what he’d been looking for.

Carefully Avery lifted the plastic zip bag and placed it in his lap.

He could still remember the day he’d placed the delicate fabric in the bag. He’d taken that blanket with him everywhere. Avery’s mom hadn’t been the best but she’d wrapped him in that blanket when he’d been six weeks old and left with his grandmother. There wasn’t a picture from birth to five years that he wasn’t holding that blanket. In all honesty, he’d kept using it even longer. When he’d noticed strange looks and quiet comments about his attachment to the soft fabric, he’d hidden the thing in his pillow.

Finally, on his sixteen birthday, his grandmother had demanded he get rid of it. The blue blanket had offered him so much comfort over the years when he’d been alone and scared that Avery had cried at his grandmother’s demand. She’d compromised, allowing him to carefully wrap it up and place it in a keepsake box.

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