Patrick's Christmas, a Year Later © 2019 By David Lee
This is a follow-up to a story wrote some time ago called Patrick's Christmas. I suggest it first one if you haven't already.
Christmas was only a week away, and it set Patrick thinking of everything that had transpired in the past year. What had promised to be a bleak season had dramatically changed the night Sargent Daniel D'Angelo "picked him up for loitering." Their initial attraction had been mainly physical but had developed into a loving relationship in the months that followed.
Once they began living together, Patrick's fortune had done a complete one-eighty. His long-term subbing job had turned into a permanent position. Because of that, he was able to contribute financially to their household, buying furniture and accessories to make Dan's house into a comfy home. That including outfitting one of the bedrooms with twin beds for Dan's sons, Benji and Joe-Joe, when they came to stay over. Another bedroom became the playroom with several shelves of toys which the boys loved.
Patrick wasn't a spendthrift, however. He'd found quality used things at a resale shop which he refurbished if necessary. He'd also purchased new items from Penney's with his employee discount. He'd managed to moonlight there occasionally during the winter months and put in some days during the summer, around coursework he needed to maintain his teaching certificate.
This year, Dan and he were to have his boys for more than a week over the holidays while Dan's ex-wife, Lisa, and her boyfriend went on a cruise in the Caribbean. The guys were excited by the prospect of having that length of time with the kids. Patrick would be on break, and Dan had planned for it by saving up vacation days he could use to be home with them.
Benji and Joe-Joe had spent several weekends with Dan and his `elf' in the past year. When their mother and Ralph wanted a getaway without them, it was easier to "dump" the kids on their father than to arrange for a babysitter. Dan grumbled to her about the inconvenience just enough so that she'd believe he was put out. That ensured it would continue. Lisa was as spiteful as ever. Of course, Patrick and he were thrilled to have the boys.
Lisa and Ralph had planned to get married on the weekend before Christmas. She hadn't shared the information with her ex because she'd originally wanted her sons to be in the small wedding. Ralph had nixed the idea last-minute and suggested they get married on the ship. Evidently, he didn't want the sons of his former high school rival at the event. It was a reminder that Dan had had Lisa first.
True to form, Lisa didn't inform the men about their departure date until the last minute. Patrick had to pick the boys up on his way home from school on Thursday. It would have been a real hassle if teachers hadn't been able to leave early on the last day before break.
When Patrick got to the house Lisa and Ralph shared, the boys weren't quite ready. Lisa thrust a bag of their dirty clothes at Patrick, saying that with her wedding plans, she hadn't had the time to wash them. He bit his tongue rather than to make a scene and upset the boys. Their state of mind took priority over his feelings. He loved them as if they were his own.
Once Patrick got the boys buckled into their car seats and the things Lisa was sending stashed in the passenger seat, they were on their way. It was only a 10 -minute drive home, but Joe-Joe kept asking how much longer before they got there. He was that excited.
As soon as he was in the back door, Joe-Joe headed for the toy room. He wanted to start building a tower with the Duplo blocks. It was one of his favorite toys. Benji hung around with Patrick instead. His love for the young man was almost tangible.
As Patrick began to mix the ingredients for the casserole he was planning for dinner, Benji sidled up and massaged Patrick's crotch. Patrick was so startled that he nearly dropped the mixing bowl on the floor.
"What are you doing, Benji?" he exclaimed.
"I want to make you feel good like I do Ralph," the boy replied. "He makes me do it, but I want to do it for you. Doesn't it feel good?"
"Well, it's not appropriate for men and boys to rub each other in places that would be covered by swim trunks. I think we need to discuss this with your dad."
"No, we can't! If I tell him Ralph will hurt me and Dad too!"
"If Ralph makes you do something that isn't right, he can be made to leave you alone for the rest of your life."
"I don't know..."
"I DO know! I'm going to call a nice lady who's a friend of mine. She will know what to do. You need to trust your Christmas elf."
Patrick called the Child Protective Agency and asked for a woman he'd worked with in a child abuse case back in September. She agreed to see Benji before quitting time if Patrick could get him there within the hour.
Putting the ingredients for dinner back in the fridge and gathering up Joe-Joe with enough Duplo blocks to keep him entertained, Patrick got the boys bundled up and hurried to the office.
Benji seemed distraught on the drive. Patrick hoped he wouldn't refuse to talk to the caseworker.
Cynthia Blazek was a kindly middle-aged lady with young grandchildren of her own. She had a lot of professional experience as well. With her soft motherly approach, Benji opened up quickly and completely.
So that he couldn't be accused of influencing Benji's story, Patrick remained in the waiting room entertaining Joe-Joe. He was on pins and needles wondering how he would break the news of Ralph's actions to his partner. He knew Dan would be furious. The natural instinct for most fathers would be the beat the crap out of any perpetrator who molested his son. It would be tragic if Dan took the law into his own hands and lost his right to see the boys and probably endanger his career in the process.
"Whoa, what's with the Popeye's chicken?" Dan asked when he came in the kitchen door.
"Lisa pulled a fast one and I had to pick up the boys the minute I left school. I started the casserole but got interrupted. I'll serve that tomorrow for lunch or whatever."
"Hey, I wasn't complaining. I'm thankful to have someone help me keep house! I didn't mean to get your dander up."
"Sorry, did I sound irritable? There are things we need to discuss, but only after we eat."
"Am I in the doghouse?"
"Nope, not at all," Patrick insisted as he kissed Dan on the cheek. "You'd better go to the playroom and greet your sons, so they'll have time to settle down to eat."
A few minutes later, they were sitting around the table enjoying their meal. Benji didn't display his usual appetite, but he did pretty well despite his stressful afternoon. Patrick had cautioned him to keep things secret until dinner was over.
After the dishes were put in the dishwasher, the men and Benji retired to the living room. Joe-Joe was already in the playroom building his tower.
Since he couldn't talk to Dan without Benji's hearing what he said, he sent a quick text.
When Dan's phone vibrated, he was going to ignore it, but Patrick suggested he check his messages.
"Dan, for Benji's sake, and for lots of other reasons, please do your best to remain unemotional while the three of us talk. You're a professional, and you need to put yourself into that detached state. You can vent to me after the boys are asleep. Trust me! I love you."
Aloud, Patrick said that Benji had something to tell his father, and that he, Patrick would fill in the details.
"Daddy, I've been doing something bad, but I didn't know it was bad. Ralph made me do it. He said if I told you, he'd hurt me and you. Patrick said I'm a good boy."
"You ARE a good boy!" Dan insisted, trying to swallow the tears which welled up. "Why did you think you were bad?"
"Boys aren't supposed to rub men here," Benji said, with his hand on his own crotch. "Ralph made me do it to him and he did stuff to me."
"Since you didn't know it wasn't nice, you're not bad! Ralph is bad because he's a grownup and should know better," Dan said. "What else did he do?"
Benji looked down at the floor, not wanting to tell everything. Patrick sat down beside him and pulled him on his lap.
"It's okay, Benji. You can tell Daddy what you told Mrs. Blazek. I know your father will understand just like she did. Can you do that for me?"
Benji nodded his head.
"He took my pants down and put my penis in his mouth. He said he was teaching me how to make men feel good. He said I would love it, but mostly it felt kinda scary. I thought I was going to pee in his mouth."
"So, did he make you do that to him?" Dan asked, hoping for a negative response.
"He said I would do it a couple of times every month when Mommy wasn't feeling well, but I haven't done it yet."
"Did you tell Mommy about it?"
Benji nodded.
"But she said he was just teasing me, and he would never do it."
"I know Mrs. Blazek. She's a nice lady. Did you tell her that?"
"Yes, wasn't I s'posed to?
"You did the right thing. She needed to know. How did you happen to meet her?"
"Patrick took me."
"That's good! I'm proud of both of you."
With that said, Dan got down on the floor and put his arms around his son and his lover.
"I love you both so much," he exclaimed, choking back the tears.
Just them, Joe-Joe lightened the mood when he came in wanting everyone to see how high he'd built his Duplo structure. He squirmed his way onto Patrick's lap, so he could be in the hug too.
The others followed him to the toy room and praised his tower-building prowess. Patrick made a mental note to buy more Duplo Blocks for Christmas.
Cuddled in their bed after the boys were asleep, Patrick told Dan about how Benji had rubbed his bulge, wanting to make him feel good.
"He thought he was doing me a kindness."
"Do you think he'll be messed up for life?"
"No, I don't. The fact that none of us made a big deal over it should keep him from dwelling on it long. You saw how quickly he got interested in playing with Joe-Joe after we talked. From what I've read in psychological studies, some children are scarred more because of how the adults react than they are from the incidents themselves."
"I'm so glad my partner knows all that stuff. And, thanks for the text alerting me on how to act. I might have gone ballistic otherwise."
"It would be the natural reaction. I wanted to go find Ralph and kill him myself!" Patrick admitted.
"So, my colleagues have been notified?"
"They have been, but they were too late to apprehend him because Lisa and he were on the plane to San Juan before they got the info. They probably need to verify all the details before they can make an arrest anyway. You know more about that than I do."
"Yeah, they'll have to do more investigating. I'll bet they can get a court order to search his house and get into his computer. If he'd do that to a seven-year-old, I'll bet there's kiddy porn on his hard drive."
"I know you'd like to see him in jail right now, but the additional time may be to our advantage. Lisa and he are going to get married on this trip. If she's his wife, and she had any inkling about what he's done, I'll bet she could be stripped of her parental rights completely."
It was just as well that the men had felt the need for closeness rather than sex because there was no tell-tale aroma, and both were wearing sleep shorts when two rambunctious boys ran into their room and jumped into bed between them the following morning.
"You monkeys had better settle down," Dan cautioned. "Santa might be watching and wondering if he should bring you presents on Christmas."
"He won't forget us because we're good boys," Joe-Joe proclaimed.
Benji rolled his eyes, making Patrick suspect that he didn't believe in the jolly old elf anymore. He hoped it was that rather than Benji thinking he wasn't a good boy. Patrick would find a way to test his theory later.
"Are you monkeys hungry for breakfast?" Patrick asked, to change the subject. "Would you like pancakes with chocolate chips in them?"
"Cool!" Joe-Joe cried.
Benji agreed that he'd enjoy them too, so the men got up and pulled on sweat suits before heading for the kitchen. They'd already been awake awhile so they had brushed their teeth and washed up.
The minute he was done eating, Joe-Joe ran to the playroom to begin another Duplo project. Benji stayed behind a little while.
"Come and give your personal elf a hug," Patrick grinned as he donned the green hat with a bell on the end.
Benji came over and squeezed his tightly.
"I know you're not a real elf, but I love you more than an elf anyway," Benji whispered. "I know Santa isn't real either, but I'm not going to spoil it for Joe-Joe. He should believe at least until he's in first grade. That's when you figure things out."
"You're a good big brother!" Patrick said. "Let's keep him innocent as long as possible.
"So, if I'm not an elf, what am I?"
"You're Dad's boyfriend, I guess. I'm glad he has you. I wish we could always live with you."
"I wish that too."
"Do you think if I made a Christmas wish it could come true?"
"I'm not sure how that works if you don't believe in Santa."
"Maybe if I pray real hard it could. I believe in God."
"I do too, but God doesn't always answer our prayers the way we want him to."
"But haven't you ever prayed for something and had it come true?" Benji asked.
"Come to think of it, I have. Last year about this time I was cold and homeless. I did pray for a miracle and your Daddy brought me to his house to live, and that's made me very happy."
"It's made him happy too."
"Yes, it has!" Dan joined the conversation. "Having my own personal house elf has made my life complete."
"Jeez! I'm not sure I want to be a house elf. I remember that ugly little creature, Dobby from the Harry Potter books."
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking about him. I was thinking about my Christmas elf who's made my life wonderful this past year," Dan said, getting down on his knees. "I was going to wait until Christmas day, but I don't think I can. Will you marry me?"
"YES!"
Patrick helped Dan up to a standing position and they kissed.
"Cool!" Benji said, using his brother's favorite expression.
Two days before Christmas, Dan got a call from the police chief.
"Chief Burnside here, I have news for you that you're gonna love. I know the wheels of justice have been grinding too slowly for your taste, but we had to make sure we had a case."
"I understand that things take time. I'll have to be content to wait, I guess."
"Maybe not. Do you believe in miracles? Ralph's sister-in-law came in to file a complaint against him. She found a tiny spy camera in her son's room and discovered the remote receiver it was paired with. She's watched enough TV detective shows to know she shouldn't handle the evidence without rubber gloves to avoid messing up the fingerprints. The prints are a perfect match to Ralph's which were on file from petty thievery he was involved in as a young adult.
"Ralph had visited the day before leaving for the Caribbean and he and Lisa were going to be guests for dinner upon returning. He was evidently planning to retrieve his things at that time.
"The footage he would have gotten was of a young teen masturbating in his bedroom. An innocent event on the kid's part but prime stuff for a pedophile to trade with others.
"Bottom line is that, based on this evidence, Judge Warner granted us a search warrant. We entered the house with the key provided by his sister-in-law and seized his computer equipment. It's filled with child pornography. When he returns to the US, he'll be arrested and is likely to be sentenced to many years in prison.
"The judge will grant you temporary custody immediately. Given what your son told Mrs. Blazek, it's likely that it will be permanent, and your ex will lose her parental rights completely.
"You'll need to call the judge's office for an appointment tomorrow if you want it done before Christmas."
"Thanks, Chief! You've made my day, actually my whole holiday season! Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you and your little family. I'm pleased to have been a part of this. Give my regards to Patrick."
The following day, at 2:00 PM, Judge Warner signed the papers to make the temporary custody official. There would be another hearing later to decide if it would be permanent, but it looked like that was a distinct possibility.
Patrick and the boys attended the short hearing with Dan. Joe-Joe was too young to fully grasp what was going on, but Benji picked up on it immediately.
"I got my Christmas wish! I don't care if I don't get anything else this year!!!"
"Do you think God answered your prayers?" Patrick smiled.
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure he had some help from my special Christmas elf."
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Again, thanks to David for editing. If you like this tale, I'd appreciate hearing from you @ dlee169@hotmail.com
Happy Holidays to everyone, David