CHAPTER 5

“Don’t tell me it’s already lunchtime.” Brian stared incredulously at the newcomer, none other than his husband, and at the big, brown paper bag he was carrying.

“Don’t tell me you’d have skipped your meal again, if it wasn’t for me bringing it.” Bart’s reply was accompanied by a shake of his head. “Although, in this case, the charming company would have made for a good excuse,” the man added with a grin when he saw Bianca.His facial expression changed to surprise, almost shock, as he stared at Albert. “Is this guy who I think he is?”

It was Brian’s turn to grin.“Yes, smol bean, you are looking at my childhood friend, Albert, aka Light.” He turned to the other man, who, smiling shyly, extended the hand in Bart’s direction. “Light, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to the man who brought light, hope, and love into my life, Bart, my beloved husband.”

“I’m very happy to meet you.” A friendly smile on his face, Bart took Albert’s hand and shook it vigorously. He studied the man in front of him for a few seconds, then huffed a laugh. “Wanna know something funny? A few days ago, my dear husband here started talking about you out of the blue, and I had this gut feeling you’d come back into his life sooner rather than later.”

Bianca checked her watch, then discreetly coughed.“Well, I better go to the dining hall, my poor sister waits for me so we can have lunch together, and I don’t want her to starve to death.” She gave Albert a warm smile. “Get settled and then we’ll talk more in detail.”

A few seconds of silence followed after the woman left, then Bart was the first who spoke. “Get settled? What was Bianca talking about? Are you here to stay?”

“Yes, and I plan to bring my children to live with me, too. Which reminds me, who should I talk to for a job and a house? The person who directed me here gave me a list of names, but I was hoping you could help me, since you know them better.” Albert raised his hands. “Not to get a house for us, just to point me in the right direction.”

“Of course my husband can help you, and he will,” Bart said enthusiastically. “The bosses, the principal, and all the others will be happy to help get you settled and start your new life. However, for the time being, you’ll be staying with us.” He shook his finger “Don’t even think about saying no.”

“Bart is right, I’d be very happy if you’d accept our invitation; of course it extends to your children, we have a huge house, and our kids would be thrilled to have company.” Brian took his friend’s hands in his. “Please, Light?”

Albert nodded with a sigh. “Okay, but only for today, and only if you promise to give me a ride tomorrow. That will be after you’ll take me to whoever can help me with a house.” He looked into the librarian’s eyes. “I don’t want to overstay my welcome and besides, my children and I need to spend as much time together as we can get .”

Bart sensed the tinge of sadness in the man’s voice and gave him a sympathetic look. As a father himself, he totally understood him, so he changed the subject to avoid his husband’s friend from getting even more melancholic. “So…Bianca. What is she up to now? Or was it about the end of the summer fair?”

“The fair. She is a happy girl now, because someone, a professional baker, volunteered to help with supervising the kids decorating the cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and the other baked products for the fair, and showing them how to do it right.”

“But this is great news!” Bart exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in excitement. “And who is that providential person, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Of course not, my love,” Brian answered with a grin. “He’s standing in front of you,” he discreetly pointed in Albert’s direction.

“Even greater,” Bart continued to show his enthusiasm. “Once you get settled, there’s this financing program for those who want to open small businesses, I think you should talk to Mister Fergus about it.”

“Thank you, but I have my own money.”Albert swallowed hard a few times before continuing. “When I sold the bakery and cake shop, I opened a separate account and didn’t spend a single cent from what I put there. I always hoped to open another one, but…”

Another subject he’s not ready to talk about, Brian thought, seeing the sadness creeping back into his best friend’s eyes. “I’m hungry like a wolf, and I bet the two of you are, too, the food is getting cold, and the lunch break is almost over, so…” He gestured to the paper bag Bart put on the counter.

His words were met with enthusiasm by both men, with Albert only realizing how hungry he was when the recipients were opened and the delicious aromas tickled his nostrils. He expressed his appreciation through words of praise and soft moans, much to the librarian’s and his husband’s satisfaction.

Bart approved with a nod, saying that Winter, the cook, put passion and a bit of his kind soul in every dish he prepared. He also offered Albert a short version of the guy’s story, then fell silent and looked at Brian, a wide grin spreading on his face while he was finishing his meal, with his husband smiling and shaking his head.

There must be something just the two of them know, Albert said to himself, watching Bart blushing a deep shade of pink under the librarian’s stare. He wasn’t wrong, because, once they all finished eating, Bart recalled how, on his first day at The Base, Elias, the big bad boss, assigned him to kitchen duty for dropping too many F-bombs for his taste.

Then, Bart continued his story, he ended up at the library, and met the one who stole his heart and changed the course of his life forever. Albert was shocked to find out the two started off on the wrong foot, especially since he witnessed how they didn’t need words to communicate, their eyes speaking volumes every time they looked at each other.

However, if he had to choose between Brian’s and Bart’s love story, which started wrong, but turned out wonderful, and his ill-fated relationship with Rick, that was all milk and honey in the beginning, Albert would have preferred the first one any given day. The name of his still-boyfriend brought back memories of past abuse, but he pushed them back.

The lunch break ended, and Bart went back to school for the afternoon classes, leaving Brian in the company of his friend. However, the two of them didn’t have much time to chat, because the librarian was taking care of the last details for the reading club’s meeting. It was many kids’ favorite activity of the week, he explained with an apologetic smile.

A couple of hours later, Albert could see that Brian didn’t exaggerate; a big group of children, aged five to eight, were sitting in a semicircle around him, listening fascinated to every word he was reading to them. He changed the modulations of his voice, making it sound dramatic, solemn, scared or cheerful, depending on the events the author described or the characters’ reactions. The librarian was doing more than reading from that book, he was acting it.

Albert blinked away the tears appearing in his eyes as he remembered how Brian’s mother, Marisa, used to read to them and little Eddie, a toddler at the time, in the same way, from a bedtime stories book that became his all-time favorite. He cherished it and the memories it evoked so much, that, after adopting Chad and Monica, he bought a copy and read to them from it for many years.

Tiredness started to wrap its tendrils around Albert, making him close his suddenly too heavy eyes and yawn a few times. He fought the sleepiness because, knowing Brian as he did, his friend would have brought the reading session to an early end to drive him to his house. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around, thinking what to do to stay awake and alert.

After a few seconds, Albert decided to take a walk through the rows of bookshelves and examine some of the titles, maybe even grab something to read. The steps carried him to the children’s literature area, where, with fresh, innocent eyes, he rediscovered a universe he thought was lost forever.

All the nursery rhymes collections and fairy tales that delighted him as a child and gave wings to his imagination, all the stories with kids, girls and boys alike, who helped their moms, grandmas, or aunties in the kitchen, were there. And somewhere on a lower shelf, so even the youngest or shortest readers could reach it, he saw that book.

With shaky hands, Albert took it from the shelf, ran his flat palm over the shiny cover, then opened it with the same care and attention an archaeologist would have given to an ancient artifact. The same brightly-colored pictures, the same type of paper, even the fonts were the same with those from the book of his childhood. A sensation of warm familiarity invaded the man’s heart, and he knew The Base was going to be his new home.

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Letting out a soft sigh of contentment, Albert relaxed into the chair. “Excuse my table manners, but I’m full.” He pointed with the fork to his now-empty plate. “This was delicious, thank you so much, Missus Knight, for cooking my favorite dish ever.”

“I second to my friend’s praises,” Brian gave his mother a warm, affectionate smile. “Your steak with baked potatoes and mushroom sauce is to die for.”

Marisa wrapped the young men around the table in a warm, maternal look. “No need to apologize, Albert, we always considered you a part of our family.” She shook her head, the smile becoming brighter. “Imagine my shock when Brian texted me you showed up at the library after all this time. When he asked me to cook your guys’ favorite dish from back when you were kids, I hoped you’d still like it. Well, I guess some things never change.”

Albert nodded. “Some don’t, indeed, but others…” He grinned. “For some very strange reason, even after all these years, I always thought about Eddie as the five-year-old he was when we had to leave. He was a Peter Pan of sorts, who refused to grow past that stage.”

“Bro, he’s twenty-eight years old, married, and father of two very cute children who are older than the age he was when you last saw him.” Bart’s exclamation was followed by a lighthearted burst of laughing.

“Which makes me feel really, really old.” It was Albert’s turn to laugh as he wrapped Edward and Julien in an affectionate gaze. “Little Eddie married and father of two…well, I guess I’ll have to drop the little part from now on.”

“Do you still like to bake?” Marisa turned to Albert, desperately wanting to change the subject, afraid that the conversation could take an unwanted turn, reopening old wounds.“I still remember how much fun the two of us had trying new recipes, combinations, and flavors.”

A smile brightened Albert’s face, making his eyes shine. “Yes, I still do. In fact, backing is more than a hobby for me now; I turned it into my source of income by attending the classes of some prestigious baking schools and becoming a professional with my own business.”

“That’s really great, congratulations!” Marisa lightly patted her sons’ friend’s hand, smiling affectionately. “I’m really happy for you and I bet your mom is, too, in spite of her disapproving your passion for baking back when you were a kid.”

“Mister Albert, do you know how to make peach pie?” Antoinette gave the man a hopeful look, then the questions started to cascade.“What about croissants? What kind of cake is your favorite? What about chocolates, do you know how to make those?”

Albert smiled as the feeling from the library took over him again.