ANDREW'S RECRUITING SUMMER CHAPTER 2: REVELATIONS

From: JP EPISODE 20: THE MORNING AFTER (July 5th, 2005) 

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          After briefly washing up in the bathroom, Matt and JP headed downstairs and into the kitchen. There, Matt's mom greeted them like she always did when JP slept over - with a glowing smile and a huge serving of breakfast.

        "Good morning, boys," she gleamed, rubbing JP's extremely short hair with her hand. "It's nice to see your hair beginning to grow back in. I practically died when you shaved it." JP bit his lip, avoiding her smile. He had become like a second son to her, which only subjected him to her torturous criticisms. "Promise me never to cut that beautiful head of hair God gave you."

        Matt's boyfriend laughed. "I promise, Mrs. Andersson."

       "I hope scrambled eggs are fine with you," she commented. Matt and JP gestured that they were great, having already dove into their plates. Matt had never felt hungrier in his life. "I made a lot. I'm sure you two are starving from all that excitement last night."

Matt almost choked on his food when she said that. JP looked over at him, grinning wildly. Luckily, Matt's mom's back was to them, so she didn't pick up on it. Matt knew she was talking about the fireworks, but little did she know what else she could've been talking about.

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          Once they had finished eating and cleared the table, JP and Matt sat back down. Matt's mom, about to start washing the dishes, looked over.

         "What's up?" she asked, noticing that Matt and JP didn't run off like they usually did.

        "There's, uh, something I want to talk to you about, Mom," Matt said nervously.

        Matt's mom put down the dish towel and placidly - to his surprise - walked around the counter and slowly sat down across from JP and Matt.

       "What is it?" she asked him quietly.

      She was being rather calm about all this, which only made Matt more nervous. His heart was pounding in his chest; his head was spinning frantically. What am I doing? Matt thought to himself. Am I really ready for this? JP, seemingly sensing his insecurity, moved his leg so that his knee touched Matt's, letting his boyfriend know that he was there for him.

       "Mom," Matt stuttered, "I, um, I'm, uh..." He side-glanced over at JP: who was looking at him encouragingly. Finally, Matt closed my eyes, took a deep breath and just let it out. "We're gay."

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         Meanwhile, to the east, in the Comfort Inn Pentagon City, Andrew and Carrie woke up in their king-sized bed and smiled at each other.

        "Hey baby," Andrew crooned, hugging Carrie gently in his massive arms. "How did you sleep?"

        "I slept just fine Big Man, thanks to your massive muscles keeping me warm all night," Carrie replied with a sexy smile. She looked up at Andrew's massive shoulders and chest, sighing in satisfaction. "Last night was great: meeting JP and his friends Matt and Chrissy. Do you think JP and Matt will be able to get their parent's permission to come on the Ohio State recruiting visit with us?"

       "Since they both want to go to that school, the answer will be yes Carrie," Andrew reminded her, stepping out of bed with his girlfriend in his arms. "Of course, when we meet their parents for supper tonight, that will guarantee them saying yes."

      "Yeah, if their parents admire you even half as much as JP does, they'll have no problem trusting you with their sons' safety."

      And a whole lot more, Andrew thought to himself, as he turned on the shower. He had no idea what was going on at Matt's house that morning, but he would soon find out.

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FROM JP EPISODE 21: THE SMILE (July 5th, 2005):

         Have you ever had that time in your life when you were knowingly heading into the unknown, that place of uncertainty so terrifying that you were unsure of how it was going to turn out? It consumed every part of you, every thought, every feeling, that you were almost paralyzed, but you somehow ventured there nonetheless. That was how Matt felt about coming out to my mom that early July morning.

         Mind you, it wasn't like he didn't want to tell her the truth - he did - but it was really the fear of what she would say or do when he finally told her. Her father had been a strict Lutheran minister back in Minnesota, so Matt knew first-hand how conservative their family was. His grandfather nearly flipped when his mom got engaged to his dad, a Catholic. What would she say about this? Would she accept his homosexuality and his love for JP? Would she be able to understand that her son couldn't possibly imagine being with anyone else but JP? Would this change her view of him as a person?

         That's why when Matt uttered those two small words that morning, his whole world came to a sudden and staggering halt, waiting for the response that would surely change my life. There was no way he could take back what he said - it was already out there.

        Matt's mom looked at him calmly for a long agonizing moment. It was probably only a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. In her eyes, Matt swore he could see the look of pain a mother feels when her child disappoints her and his mind raced.

        Shit, Matt thought to myself, this is it. He braced myself for what was to come next. Every nightmare passed through my head - Matt was never going to be allowed to see JP again; he was going to be sent to some kind of boarding school or something. This was not going to be pretty.

        But then, something happened that neither Matt nor JP could never have predicted. She smiled.

        Matt let his mouth slip open in utter shock. What did this mean? None of my fears had ever included this reaction from her, which only made me more horrified. Matt glanced over at JP, who he could tell was doing his best to stay as stoic as possible: probably for Matt's sake.

       "I was wondering when you were finally going to tell me," Matt's mom said gently.

      "What?" Matt asked, more instinctively than consciously. 

      She smiled again and looked at him with the most caring eyes he had ever seen from her. He knew this was as hard for her as it was for him. "I've known for a long time," she continued. "I've known ever since that first night you brought JP home for dinner that you two were in love."

      "You did?" Matt asked, dazed by her revelation.

       His mom nodded. "It was the way you two looked at each other." Matt didn't notice JP suddenly flinch, and he had no way of knowing that he was remembering that Andrew also knew their secret, by the same set of signs. Then, Matt's mom briefly looked away, as if embarrassed. "But it was only confirmed when I walked in on the two of you one morning-" she nervously cleared her throat "- cuddling in your bed."

       JP shifted uneasily in his seat. Oh no! Matt shut his eyes in utter humiliation. An extremely awkward pause followed, as he frantically tried to think of what to say next.

       "So...you're ok with it?" he asked her hopefully.

       "No," she answered flatly, but with a tinge of regret in her voice. Matt felt his heart collapse. But then she raised her eyes to his: the most sincere eyes he had ever seen coming from her. "But..." she started, "I don't know how to say this."

        Pressing her fingers against her forehead, she let out a sigh. There was nothing Matt could think of to help her, half expecting her to burst into tears out of disappointment in him. Instead, she looked up at JP with her strong eyes. His eyes however, were almost panicky, unsure of how to take in what he was seeing and hearing.

        "JP," she tried again, "you are the nicest, most mature and most caring young man I have ever had the privilege to meet. I can completely see why my son has fallen in love with you." She paused, slowly turning towards her son. "And that's why I have no choice but to accept this."

       Oh my God, Matt thought to himself. She couldn't possibly be saying what I think she's saying. He looked at her questioningly.

       "Matthew," she went on, "when you were born, your father and I had the greatest of expectations for you. We wanted you to grow up to be strong, healthy, successful and, most of all, happy. We both promised to try our hardest to raise you the best we could."

        Oh no, here it comes, Matt thought. This is the part where she starts blaming herself. He closed my eyes again, not wanting to witness his mom falling apart.

       "Meeting JP was the best thing that has ever happened to you," she said softly.

       Huh? Matt's eyes immediately darted back to her with surprise and relief.

       "You have become stronger and happier since you met him," she continued, "and that is the best thing that your dad and I could ever have hoped for. I don't necessarily agree with or understand your being gay, but I recognize the love you boys have for each other. And I do know that the worst thing I could ever do to you, Matthew, is to tear you apart from him and make you unhappy."

       Matt's mouth dropped open and he felt like he was about to cry. He had never for a moment believed that his mom would have this reaction to him and JP coming out to her. He couldn't possibly have asked for a better reaction; he was so happy that he didn't know what to say.

       She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "And I promise you that I will try my hardest to accept this," she said, a sudden waver entering her tone which up till then had been steady. "I love you, no matter what - you know that." A tear escaped her eye and began rolling down her cheek. She immediately raised a hand up to her face in a vain attempt to hide it.

       Matt also fought back a storm of tears that were welling up in his eyes. He opened my mouth to speak, but the lump in his throat kept any sound from getting out; his lower lip just quivered uncontrollably.

       "Thank you Mrs. Andersson," Matt heard JP say softly, knowing that Matt was temporarily frozen with emotion. Out of the corner of his eye, matt saw my boyfriend turn his head towards him, a deep look of concern on his face. Damn, I love him so much! Matt thought. He's so good to me!

        "You're welcome JP," Matt's mom responded, smiling slightly at him. She looked back at her son, still silent, and reached out her hand to touch his arm. Her touch was warm and almost comforting. 

        "Thanks Mom," Matt croaked, barely able to get that one word out of his throat. He kept looking down at the table, avoiding his mom's eyes, afraid that he would lose it if he looked at her.

       "Well," she sighed, standing up, "why don't you two go upstairs and get dressed and I'll finish the dishes here."

       Knowing that Matt desperately needed time to think, it was the only thing she could have suggested at the moment. JP helped him out of his chair and guided him upstairs to his bedroom.

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            Meanwhile, in their hotel, Andrew, Mike and Carrie had gotten dressed and gone down to the hotel dining room for breakfast.

           "You look worried Andrew; what's bothering you?" Carrie asked him as they began eating.

           "I'd rather not discuss it right now Carrie; let's wait until we're alone," Andrew informed her. "It's a very delicate subject in this country, unlike ours, and that is the only hint I'm going to give you."

          Carrie furrowed her brow in confusion and then she suddenly remembered seeing Matt gazing longingly at JP the night before at the National Mall. A sudden look of understanding came over her face and she looked up at Andrew to see if her hunch was right. A slight nod of confirmation from him was Carrie's proof that she was right, and she suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach as she imagined what was going on between Matt and JP at that moment.

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           Once Matt's bedroom door was closed behind them, he burst into tears. JP immediately took him in his arms, offering him his shoulder to bury his face into. It felt so good to just let loose right there with his boyfriend protecting him. He couldn't have asked for anything more from JP.

          "It's alright," JP assured Matt, rubbing his back with his strong hands. "Just let it out."

          Matt had the feeling that JP was almost as overwhelmed as he was, but they both knew that he needed to stay strong for Matt's sake, and it was working. Matt's quiet sobs began to slow and he looked up into JP's eyes, his face still wet from crying.

         "I am in such awe of you," he whispered to Matt, taking his head in his hands. "I can only imagine how much courage that took."

         "It's because of you," Matt sniffed, his voice cracking like mad.

         JP shook his head and grinned. "Matt, you did most of that yourself; we both know that," he assured him.

         "No I didn't JP," Matt said, shaking my head and sitting down on my bed. "My mom only reacted that way because she loves you like a second son." JP sighed as he sat down next to Matt but he didn't interrupt. "She thinks you're amazing. She wouldn't have said those things if you hadn't been there." Matt was almost to the point of tears again. "What I'm trying to say is... you're too perfect. I don't deserve you." 

          JP bit his lip and kneeled down in front of him. "Matt, listen to me," he said firmly. "She said those things because she thinks that you are amazing."

          "JP," Matt groaned with frustration, rolling his head away from him. Surely he was just saying that to make me feel better, Matt thought to himself.

          "No Matt, wait," he protested, directing his attention back down to his eyes again. "Your mom said it herself - she loves you, no matter what. Even if I wasn't here, she would still feel the same way."

          Matt looked down at his boyfriend like he didn't believe him, and he didn't. He also remembered how his mom had mentioned how much happier and stronger he had become since meeting JP.  Surely JP, with his near-genius mind, had not forgotten that part of the conversation!

         "Come on: look," he said, pulling Matt up and bringing me in front of the bedroom mirror. "Look in the mirror," he instructed him. "What do you see?"

         "Me, standing next to the most perfect boy in the world," he answered stubbornly.

         JP rolled his eyes and sighed with exasperation. "Will you stop looking at me for once and look at yourself for a minute?" he asked impatiently. He put his hands on Matt's shoulders and stood behind me. God, I looked like crap; my eyes were all puffy from crying, Matt thought. "You have a killer body, you're gorgeous and you have the most stunning eyes anyone could ask for."

         Matt blinked as JP's words penetrated his stubbornness and looked into the mirror more clearly this time. In a way, he was right. The reflection Matt saw staring back at him was one that he could only have dreamed of a year ago. He was in the best shape of his life: my muscles were well-defined and he looked like a top athlete. He may not have been the Adonis that my boyfriend was, but he still looked pretty good. 

         JP wrapped his arms around his chest and placed his chin on his shoulder. "But best of all, you're a strong person on the inside as well," he assured him. "You have a huge heart and you are so caring to those around you. But that's something you've always had." His voice was almost down to a whisper now. "Why else do you think I fell in love with you?"

          Now Matt understood what JP was trying to tell him. While his mom struggled with his homosexuality, she still loved him for who he was and always would. But there was something else: most importantly, she recognized Matt's love for his boyfriend as one that was real. She was willing to put aside her own prejudices for their sake, knowing that they would be happier if she did. In a way, it was truly brave and mature of her, and Matt loved her even more for it. Somehow that morning, he was closer to his mom than he had been in a long time, and definitely since before the divorce.

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            Meanwhile, Andrew and his friends had finished breakfast and were in their hotel room packing for the afternoon with JP and Matt at Burke Lake Park.

            "How exactly do we get to Burke Lake Park Andrew?" Carrie asked him. "Is it on the Washington area map?"

            "No it isn't Carrie, but let's check Windows Live Maps and see if we can find it," Andrew replied, stepping over to his laptop on the desk. As he sat down, he noticed Mike come out of his bedroom with the two backpacks. "Go downstairs and put the two bags in the car Mike; Carrie and I will be down with the map in a few minutes," he said, tossing his truck keys to his big friend.

             "Are you trying to get me out of the way so that you can discuss something private with Carrie?" Mike guessed.

            "How did you figure that out Mike?" Andrew asked in astonishment, turning to face him.

            "I saw the looks you and Carrie were exchanging during breakfast," Mike replied. "You seem to forget that I'm just as smart as you are."

            "You're probably even smarter than I am Mike, since I didn't think that you noticed Carrie and I exchanging our secret looks," Andrew said, looking nervous suddenly. But then he grinned and added, "But if you're half as smart as you think you are, you'll know not to bring up the subject again until I'm ready to discuss it." He flexed his massive bicep to emphasize his last statement (pardon the pun), and glared at his big friend. "You know what will happen if you make me mad Mike; we all found out last football season when those opposing players left the field on stretchers!"

             "Yeah Andrew, I remember," Mike assured him, looking scared for a split second before he regained his composure. "You're the only football player on the team who has a black belt in several martial arts and knows Infantry unarmed combat skills as well!"

            "Yeah man, if I wasn't in the Infantry Reserves, I'd probably have to register my hands and feet as lethal weapons," Andrew realized soberly. 'I never realized until now just how many ways I could kill someone, with just a hand or a foot or even a strategically-placed finger."

            "Yes, as Captain Kirk once famously said about Spock: 'Aroused, your great physical strength could kill,'" Mike suddenly realized, his look of fear returning.

             "Then don't make me mad Mike; get downstairs now," Andrew growled without even a hint of a smile. When Mike just stared at him in fear, Andrew added, "I've got another quote for you Mike, this time from Police Academy: 'Now Mister! Move it, move it, move it!"

            "Sure thing man; I'm gone," Mike stammered, heading quickly for the door. "See you downstairs Andrew," he added, as he stepped into the hallway. 

            "Not if I see you first Mike," Andrew corrected him, grinning to let his big friend know that he wasn't really mad. Mike grinned as he walked down the hall and out of sight. Andrew turned to look at Carrie, who wasn't able to erase the look of terror from her face in time to keep Andrew from seeing it. "Hey Baby, don't worry, I was just kidding around: acting tough so that Mike doesn't forget that I'm the boss around here," Andrew assured her. "After all, he's just as big and strong as I am, and he may even exceed me in size and strength one day, considering how big his brother is!"

             "You may have been kidding around about being angry, but I've been to all your martial arts classes over the years," Carrie reminded him. "So I know all too well how lethal you could be in a fight, especially since you're so big and strong!"

             "Yeah Carrie, but I only use a tiny fraction of my great strength on you," Andrew assured her, lifting her up gently until she could look into his eyes. He adjusted his grip on her waist slightly and then lifted one massive hand to her face, stroking it softly with a feather light touch. As Carrie's eyes closed in bliss, Andrew grinned and leaned closer. "See Carrie, you have nothing to be scared of," he whispered in her ear. "I'd never hurt you with my great strength; it's a lot more fun to pleasure you with my gentle touch."

             "And perhaps one day when we get engaged, we can go all the way," Carrie whispered back, opening her eyes. Andrew hesitated and Carrie added, "I know you're really scared that you'll hurt me by accident if you got too excited Andrew, but remember that I'm just as nervous as you are: only for a different reason."

           "Yeah Carrie; it will be the first time for both of us," Andrew realized, setting her down on her feet gently. Then he thought of something that made him smile. "That means that our virginity will be the greatest gift we can give each other."

          "Maybe an early Christmas Present before we go off to college next fall?" Carrie asked hopefully.

          "Maybe Carrie, but first, I can now share with you what I realized last night," Andrew said, closing the door to the hallway.

          "Matt and JP are dating just like we are," Carrie said. "There's nothing wrong with that Andrew."

          "Not in our country no; since we've had gay marriage legalized for two years now," Andrew agreed. "But here in America, it's still not legal and they still have Don't Ask Don't Tell."

         "Then we won't tell anyone what we've figured out unless JP and Matt decide to discuss it with us," Carrie decided.

          "I'm glad we agree Carrie," Andrew said, breathing a sigh of relief as he put on his backpack. He reached out his hand and Carrie took hold of it. He squeezed her fingers gently and opened the hall door. "Now, let's go downstairs and meet Mike at my car. Then we can figure out what to do for the rest of the morning before we meet JP and Matt at Burke Lake Park at 1 pm."

           Carrie smiled in anticipation as Andrew locked the hotel room door. Then they went downstairs, looking forward to having a fun day with their new friends.