Child Services’ Visit

“Mrs. Button” (not her real name), the woman from Child Services, came late this morning and Ian and I spent close to an hour and a half talking with her over coffee and fresh, home-made cookies (what can I say, when I’m nervous, I bake).  She asked both me and Ian a lot of questions – What was my childhood like? What was it like growing up without a father?  What was my Grandmother like?  How did I do in school?  When did I first realize I was gay?  How long have Ian and I been together?  Do I or Ian engage in promiscuous activity like bringing strangers home for the purpose of having sex?  What would either of us do if we caught Thomas drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, doing hard drugs or having sex?

I had anticipated a lot of those questions, but it was still difficult and a little embarrassing to answer a few of them.  I think I surprised her when she asked me how I would feel as a gay man if I learned Tommy was into girls and not boys.

“I’d be relieved,” I said.

“You wouldn’t be disappointed that he wasn’t gay like yourself?”

“Heck, no,” I said, trying to be polite.  “Why would I want him to be gay; it’s not like it’s my choice after all.  Besides, if he’s straight then he won’t have to put up with the insults and the comments and the name-calling.  He won’t be victimized by school bullies or get a beat-down in the locker room because the straight jock he’s standing near is in his underwear or jockstrap and thinks that Tommy might be looking at his ass or something.  It’s gonna be hard enough for him leaving his old school, all his friends, and starting Junior year in a new school, not knowing anyone and trying to fit in, especially if he’s able to move in here with me and Ian.  Just being a teenager is hard enough; it won’t be easy for him living with two openly gay men.  I may not be able to tell him what kind of things a teenage girl likes or expects from a boy, but if he treats his dates with respect and doesn’t pressure her, or him, I guess he’ll get through the rest of high school just fine.  And, if he is gay, then he’ll have two people he can go to when he has questions, me and Ian.”

After a few more questions I gave the woman from Child Services a tour of the house, upstairs and down, showing her the freshly-painted, but unfurnished bedroom that would be Tommy’s.  She was impressed with the general cleanliness of the house, but when we got to the basement, she asked about the lock on one of the doors.  I was frank about it and told her that Ian and I like to indulge in a little leather and bondage sex play once in a while and that was where he did it.  We assured her there were only two keys; I had one and Ian had the other.  And while she seemed a little taken aback with the idea, she was impressed that we had the foresight to put a lock on the door.

Back upstairs, she commented that she had seen what she needed to see and that her report would speak highly of me and Ian and, although it was not the typical household, it was clear that the two of us had Tommy’s best interests in mind and that she would recommend Tommy be placed with us as quickly as possible as the school year had already started. 

When I asked her how quickly that might be, she said she would call me by the end of the week and, if everything went well, we would be able to pick Tommy up as early as a week from Monday.

I thanked her and walked her to the front door.

Now we wait.