Page 40 of Lost Little Boy

“You guys were kept together? The social worker said she was hopeful.” I felt a peace in my soul I’d never experienced before knowing they’d had each other growing up.

“We were adopted by a nice couple who lived in Nashville. That’s where we grew up. They tried to find you, but Mrs. Claymont, the social worker, said you werehappy where you were, and Momma Kelly said maybe it was best if we left you alone for a while.

“Life got busy, but when I was doing research at my summer associate position in DC last year, we had a client who was accused of armed robbery with aggravated assault. While I was researching case law for his defense, I ran across the case against the two guys who mugged your partner. It was random that the case came on my radar, but when I read the transcript of the trial, I found your name, Perry Castle, on the witness list.” She took a sip of her drink.

The Arlington police had found the two guys who mugged Wex in August after we’d gone to our first Pride Camp. The two assholes tried to rob another guy outside an office building in Washington, DC. That victim, unbeknownst to his would-be attackers, was a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiujitsu. He beat the hell out of them. When the police searched the apartment the two men had shared, they found Wex’s credit cards and driver’s license. They took a plea deal in Wex’s case and were both serving time in a supermax in southern Virginia.

“Why didn’t you call me? I’d have come to you.”

Wex cleared his throat from the kitchen doorway. “She called me, Perry, looking for you. She was able to track medown through the detective on my case, and I asked her to come here this morning.”

He walked over to me, pulled out my chair, and knelt on the floor in front of me. “I know this is a lot to take in. When we were first together, I asked if you wanted me to help you find them, and you said maybe they were better off without you. I’ve never agreed with you on that, but I respected your wishes. Neither of us knew that Elizabeth would find you, but she did. Let’s be happy about that.”

I leaned forward and kissed Wex. “Thank you. I love you.”

Wexler Grassley the third had brought me more love and happiness than I ever expected to find. He brought me into his light and I basked in it every day.

On the bookshelf in our office were all the toys Wex had given me for Christmases and birthdays in the time we’d been together. Sometimes, he gave me toys just because he loved me, which always had me smiling when I looked at them.

I cherished each and every car, block, art kit, and especially the little RV he’d given me when we were planning our first trip to Pride Camp. Still, on occasion when I was worried or upset, I’d take them down and play with them. Sometimes Wex would join me, and we would talk outwhat was bothering me while I played. It was a beautiful way for him to show me how important I was to him.

On the desktop in front of the bookshelf, the compass Wex gave me the first time we went to Pride Camp was next to my laptop to remind me I was loved and cherished. Engraved on the brass top were words I loved with all my heart.If you ever lose your way, use this to find your way back.

What Wex didn’t know was thathewas my compass. He was my Daddy, and I’d always come back to his welcoming arms. He was my home.

Wex

“Perry Castle.”

The cheers were loud as Perry walked across the stage to accept his bachelor’s degree in education from George Mason University. My parents, Nance and her family, Perry’s sisters and youngest brother were there to cheer him on. His other brother, Billy, had called to wish him luck because he was stationed in Oklahoma andcouldn’t get leave to attend. Perry and his family were working to rebuild their sibling bond, and my boy shined when he spoke to any of them.

Ossie and Carmine were coming down for the party I was throwing at the house—a surprise for Perry—and I was looking forward to it. Our lives were full, but things were about to change again.

We’d talked about getting married a few times, but Perry had asked that we wait until after he had received his degree, so as I’d done since we’d met and figured out he was a boy, I respected his boundaries, and we waited. Now, things were different, and before I left work on Friday, I got the ring I’d had for three years out of the safe in my office.

After the ceremony finished, we all went outside to wait for Perry. I turned to Liz, a question on my mind. “It’s none of my business, and if Perry hasn’t asked or if you’d rather not say, I won’t ask again, but where’s your biomom?”

Their adopted parents, Kelly and Jordan Anderson, were invited to the graduation party the next night so we could all meet, but I’d never heard anything about Suzanne. I knew Perry’s father was buried in a cemetery back in Tennessee, but I had no idea about their mother.

“She’s in a psychiatric hospital. Turns out, she’s lived with a severe mental health issue and survived multiple suicide attempts. Brian kept things going while he was alive, but after he was killed, Suzanne had no support system except us, and we were just little kids. Perry tried so hard to keep us together, and I don’t want him to feel as if he failed us in any way. He took care of us as well as he could until the state of Tennessee stepped in.” Liz and I had drifted away from the others, so I believed I could ask her a few more questions.

“How long ago did you find this out?”

“Kelly was contacted. The lawyers they used when they adopted us got a call from the police in Memphis. Mom and Dad had put a permanent restraining order against Suzanne in place after the adoption was finalized, and under the order, the authorities were required to keep our parents informed regarding Suzanne’s actions so they would know if she was ever coming to try to get us back. She got arrested for disturbing the peace at a fast-food restaurant in Memphis and they found a loaded gun in her possession. They had her evaluated and found she was a danger to herself and others, so the court institutionalized her to keep her from harming anyone.” Liz reached up and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

I pulled out my handkerchief and handed it to her. “I’m sorry you all had to endure this. I can see why you’d be worried about telling your siblings if there was a chanceshe could do harm to them. Are you okay?” I touched her shoulder in support. She was shorter than Perry, but the two of them were so much alike it was astonishing.

“Mom and Dad got me an appointment to see her doctor once because they said, as the oldest, it was up to me whether to tell my brothers and sister. I wanted to know her mental state before I told them anything, but I found out she’s basically catatonic. The doctor at the facility was nice. I talked to the man and explained what had happened that caused us to be taken away and adopted by a good family. The doctor said it would be best if we didn’t have contact with Suzanne.” She touched the cloth to her eyes again.

“I think that’s good advice. Again, I’m sorry you kids had to suffer through shit like this.” My heart broke for them.

I knew how much his childhood had affected my Perry, and even though they all wore happy smiles when they were together, I was sure his siblings were in pain as well. I vowed to get Perry into therapy now that school was finished. I’d be there to support him every step of the way and remind him he was my world. His healing was long overdue.

“The doctor said she probably wouldn’t remember who we were anyway, so it’s easier if we justimagine her gone like Brian. You’re the first person I’ve spoken to about any of this. I’ll leave it to you if you want to tell Perry, but I don’t see how knowing the information would benefit him in any way. He seems happy in his life now, and we can’t change history.”

She definitely had a point, but I’d give it some thought. I didn’t want to keep secrets from my boy, but if the information would hurt him, I couldn’t see why I should tell him. He’d been through a lot in his young life, and as I stared down the barrel at forty, I was more prone to the two of us avoiding heartache as much as possible.

Liz touched my arm. “I’ve forgiven Suzanne for my own sake, and maybe in time, the others will be able to do the same. I don’t want any of them to feel guilty. We were children. We weren’t capable of doing more for her.”

I gave her a brief hug. “You’re an incredible woman. If you want a job after you graduate, I’ll always have a spot for you. I’ll have a spot for any of you. You’re Perry’s family, and that makes you my family, too.”

When I met Perry after he saved my life the first time, he didn’t believe he had any worth to anyone. When I got to know him, I saw how wrong he was. He was the most important person in my world and only deserved the best life had to offer. I would never let him settle for anything less.

♥?♥?♥?