Summer Love

James strolled through the meadow carelessly, smelling the flowers in bloom. The creek that ran through the grassland bubbled happily nearby, and the birds sang a merry summer song. All was well, and James had not a care in the world. Somehow, James knew this would be the best summer of his life.

As he strolled home that evening through his small town, James noticed a moving truck as he walked up the street to his house. He wandered over to the place next door and knocked on the front entrance, but could have never expected what would come next. A boy his age answered the door, and James was suddenly smitten with him. Shorter than James, he had dark brown hair and beautiful green eyes in which you could get lost.

“Hey, I’m James. I live next door to the left, and I wanted to introduce myself and say if you need anything, let me know. My family and I have lived here my whole life, so I know my way around here pretty well. Maybe I could show you around sometime, take you to the best spots in town, and introduce you to a few people.”

“Hi James, I’m Malcolm.”

“Nice to meet you, Malcolm. Where did you move from?”

“I moved from Chicago. I grew up there, but my grandma is getting old, so my dad moved us here to be closer to her. They’ll take care of her, and I’ll help her out at her flower shop over the summer.”

“That sounds like fun. I’m only next door if you ever want to hang out.”

James left the porch and went to his own house. His mom and dad were cooking dinner, and the music was loud enough to drown out the laughter from the kitchen. He put away his shoes, washed up in the half bath on the main floor, and then walked into the dining room. James watched his parents having fun in each other’s presence, wishing he could have a love like theirs. He thought about how much they loved him and how much he loved them back and entered the kitchen.

“Hey, mom,” James said. “Hey, dad.”

“Hey honey, how was your day?” Mom walked over with her bigger-than-life smile and embraced him in one of her legendary hugs. “Did you have fun at the creek?”

“Yeah, and on my way back, I noticed we have new neighbors!”

“Indeed,” Dad chimed in. “I went over and talked with them this afternoon. Darrion grew up here in town and moved out after high school to pursue a degree in criminology and become an officer. The man has had many successful years in Illinois, but moved back here to take care of his ailing mother. He will take over the local precinct from the current chief, so he’ll be a respected figure around town from now on. Darrion is a good man and an even better cop.”

“I also went to talk with them, and their son Malcolm answered the door. I think we’re going to become friends.”

“Good, I’m so glad to hear that, sweetie.” Mom smiled as she spoke.

“Now, let’s get to dinner, shall we?”

With dad’s last comment, they dug in, feasting on the bounty they had prepared.

That Sunday, James found himself in church. The worship service seemed to last forever because all he wanted to do was gather his friend and head out to the meadow to play, as they’d done many times that week since Malcolm had moved into the house next door. Finally, the service was over, and the boys ran with all their might to the creek. They had a grand time playing that day, wrestling in the grass and swimming in the water, but the next day is the first that Malcolm’s parents expect him to help his grandma in the flower shop.

James walked with Malcolm to his grandma’s flower shop. James could smell the roses as he walked up and heard gentle jazz music playing over the speakers. A red awning shaded the glass front store, keeping the summer temperatures down. James and Malcolm opened the door, and a little bell rang as they entered. Grandma Rose looked up and greeted the tweens with a smile and a kind word.

“Hey, darlings,” she said lovingly. “I’ve been expecting you both.”

With that, she set about giving them tasks to do and errands to run, and things to clean. By the end of the day, James was exhausted, but had never had as much fun working.

“Alright then, see you both tomorrow?” Rose asked.

“I’ll be here,” Malcolm replied.

“I’ll ask my parents, but I’m sure they’ll let me.” James is happy to see the smile come across Rose’s face. “See you later.”

With that, the boys took off to the creek to cool off. When they arrived, Malcolm pulled a single marigold flower from behind his back and handed it to James.

“What’s this for?” James wondered aloud.

“It’s for you. I took it from the shop. I asked Grandma Rose what to do if I like someone, and she said to give them flowers. So I got you a flower.”

“Malcolm, you like me?” James, initially surprised, quickly realizes that the boy he likes is saying that he likes James back. “I like you too.”

“James, I would give you a thousand marigolds if each one was a day I could spend with you.”

James blushed, and Malcolm drew closer to him and kissed him on the cheek.

James and Malcolm ran together, hand in hand, to their homes. James tried to go home, but Malcolm pulled him forward to his own house. They burst through the door, and Malcolm, smiling the biggest smile James had ever seen, announced to his parents with pride that he liked James and wanted him to be his boyfriend. Malcolm’s parents were completely supportive, calling James their future son-in-law and trying their best to embarrass Malcolm without making him feel ashamed. A half-hour later, James excused himself to slip home, hoping his dad wouldn’t notice him coming back after dark.

“James.” A chill ran down James’ back as his dad said his name.

“Yes, sir?”

“I saw you with that Malcolm boy. You were holding hands like a couple a...” His dad trailed off.

James’ heart dropped at a thousand miles an hour. He didn’t expect his old man to be happy about it, but those hateful words rang through his mind like a tolling bell. “How could you do this to me? I thought I raised you better. I had hoped you’d turn out tougher, but I guess you would be just like your mother.”

The words cut like hot glass, searing a scar through his memory and damaging the young man’s psyche irreparably. James ran to his room to cry, but his mom never came to comfort him.

James laid awake, thinking about what had happened that day. How could it be the best day of his life and also the worst ever? He should be happy to have a boyfriend, but his dad stole that joy away and made him kind of hate the part of himself that liked Malcolm. So many questions ran through his mind, like why did it make him a wuss to like a boy? Why was he different from others just for holding hands with the guy he likes? Was he going to hell for this? He decided he needed to talk to an adult, so James snuck out his window and knocked on the neighbor’s door. Officer Darrion answered the door and sat with James on the front porch.

“Am I gay?”

“James, you have the allowance to love whoever you want. In fact, I once loved a boy, same as you.”

“Really? That’s hard for me to believe.”

“Why? Because I’m an officer? Because I have a wife and a son? You see, James, life is more complicated than who you like, so that should be simple. If you like Malcolm, there’s nothing wrong with that. And if you end up liking a girl one day, there’ll be nothing wrong with that. Life will get you down, but you shouldn’t have to face it alone because of something beyond your control.”

“I never thought about it that way.”

“I have been where you are. I don’t know what it’s like to be you, but I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. It gets better. You get better. You don’t get over your feelings, but you get better at dealing with them.”

“What about god? Doesn’t he say that being gay is a sin?”

“No, he never actually said that. Not even Jesus said anything about being gay the whole time he was on earth. In fact, the Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all ways that we are tempted, which makes me think he dealt with same-sex attraction as well.”

“Really? That’s incredible.”

“All four books of the gospels speak of how much Jesus loved his disciple, John. I don’t think that’s an accident.”

“So, who did you love, sir? What was the boy’s name?”

“That’s a story for another time. I think it’s about time for you to get to bed, wouldn’t you say?”

James stepped off the porch a thousand times lighter than when he sat on it. The talk with Officer Darrion had helped him greatly, but how could he get his dad to come around? He’d have to get his dad to have his own chat with Officer Darrion.

The following day, James was in the kitchen when his dad entered. James decided to ask him to talk.

“Dad, Officer Darrion and I talked last night. He told me it was alright for me to like Malcolm.”

“That’s ridiculous. What kind of nonsense is that man filling your head with?” His dad shouted. “I won’t have him leading you on like there’s nothing wrong, just to have him leave you high and dry like he did to me!” Hearing his own words come out of his mouth, James’ Dad turned a shade of red and became so angry that he punched the wall.

“You’re the one he loved?” The shock was apparent in James’ voice.

“We loved each other. I wanted to be with that man forever, but Darrion was scared of what his preacher father would think. So despite all his words about how he’d love me forever, he ran out on me, leaving me here to deal with his shit. Do you know how many years after he left it took for people to stop talking about us? I had to marry your mother to dispel the rumors. Meanwhile, he went off to college in Chicago to study law. You know what I ended up with? A bitter heart and no love.”

“Dad, I’m sorry. I didn’t know, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like shit. It’s up to you to shelter me from the trauma that brought you down so that I can rise above. I love you, dad, and I love Malcolm. I have to ask you to accept that and respect my decisions.”

“Of course, son.”

With that, James went next door, asked Malcolm to play, and went off to the creek. They spent the rest of the summer helping Grandma Rose in the shop and playing in the meadow. They kissed for real under the oak tree that grew by the creek, and James’ dad and Chief Darrion finally made up after their sons found out they were old flames. James and Malcolm were the happiest they’d ever been, and no one could take that away.