Mama's Boy

♊08♌

Gemini had been a foster child, it was true. She had given him up to an infertile woman as soon as he was born. Loretta had reasons that kept her from keeping the new baby boy. One of those reasons being her age. She'd been just thirteen when Gemini was conceived, and she was fourteen when he was born, while his father was twenty-one. While staying at a friend's place, she thought it'd be best to give the baby away, as she was too young to raise a child, and she didn't want her baby's father to face jail time. Loretta had planned on getting her child back once she was older but changed her mind when she met his foster family. Jerry and Diana Wilde-- despite Gemini's opinion-- were great parents. Better, Loretta admitted, than she could ever be. They loved Gemini and gave him whatever he needed. But they couldn't always afford whatever he wanted.

After realizing that Gemini was better off with his foster parents, Loretta had become acquainted with the couple. She could recall a time when she would give them money around holidays and birthdays so that they could buy Gemini what he wanted. Unlike Knox, Gemini was a spoiled brat. He didn't like working for the things he wanted and had instead expected Jerry and Diana to hand it to him on a silver platter. He hadn't liked following the rules. His grades in school were not the greatest, and he threw tantrums whenever he didn't get what he wanted.

It was a shock to Loretta that he joined the military. Apparently, it hadn't changed him much. By the way he was talking, he was still the same old Gemini.

"Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about Knox or my uncle," Gemini spoke as the waitress came and set their orders on the table.

Loretta took a sip of her iced tea. "Well, what are we here for?"

He shrugged. "I just want the truth."

"About...?" He smirked.

"My father...Henry."

•••

"Knox, my man!" Knox looked from the computer screen to his office door to see Freddy standing with a big, goofy smile on his face.

"White boy Freddy." He stood and hugged his old friend. "What's up?"

"My boner," Freddy said, smiling. "That's one fine assistant you got. Man, I fuckin' love exotic women."

"Yeah, she's gorgeous." Knox studied Freddy, who was wearing all black. Knox hadn't seen Freddy in years, but the white boy hadn't changed all too much. His platinum blond hair, which use to stop below his ear, was now short at the sides with the top slicked back. Freddy had developed a little muscle over time, and the baby face he once had was now rouge-looking and scruffy. He had ear gauges, an eyebrow piercing, a septum piercing and from what Knox could see, Freddy's arms were covered in tattoos. Knox looked for one tattoo, Freddy's first one, out of curiosity. On Freddy's inner forearm, he spotted it, the smooth calligraphic script that read:

RIP ASHLEIGH
"Whatever our two souls were made of, yours and mine were the same."

He'd gotten it to pay homage to his first love, who had passed in a car accident.

"You hit that?" Freddy asked, taking a seat in the one of the chairs in front of Knox's desk.

"Nah," Knox lied. "She's a good girl. Maybe you could get her, though?"

"I just might go for it..." Freddy mused, stroking the hairs on his face.

"You should..." Knox encourage. Please, do, Knox added silently. Veronica was getting clingy. "You bring your portfolio?"

"Right down to business I see." Freddy smiled and handed Knox a black folder. Knox opened it to see pictures. His eyes widened in surprise as he flipped through the pages.

"Sculptures?" He said. Then, after paying more attention to what he was seeing, "Glass sculptures. Nude, glass, sculptures of women-things."

Freddy smirked. "Women-things. I like that term. I'm gonna use that..."

It was a great way to describe what Knox was seeing. Freddy's sculptures were half female and half something else. If not for the emphasized breasts and vaginas on the figures, Knox wouldn't have known what he was supposed to be looking at. However, the pieces were beautiful. They were all, from the looks of it, made of glass, some opaque and clear while others were mixed with red or blue. The poses of the "women-things" were diverse, and the sizes of them ranged from short and wide to tall and slim. Their faces were animal like, along with their legs and other limbs. Some had wings, some had feathers, tails, talons, horns, or hooves. No one sculpture was the same. Even their lady parts were different.

"This shit is sick," Knox complimented, forgetting to use a more professional tone.

"See, I told you, man! I'm good." Freddy grinned. "So, I'm in right? You're gonna sign me?"

"Nah, not yet." Knox told him, and Freddy's face dropped. "You know I'm a fair person, right? So, I've got this thing that I do, called the Rookie Showcase. It's for any new artist that we may sponsor. Basically, you make some pieces, we hang 'em in the gallery, and see if people like it. If they do, you're in, and if not..."

"And that's it?" Knox nodded. "What if they don't like it?"

Knox held up two fingers. "Deuces!" Freddy exhaled. "Don't worry though, man. These sculptures," -Knox pointed to them-"are dope as fuck."

Freddy nodded and grabbed his portfolio as he stood up. "So, what now?"

"Now, you start workin'."

•••

Freddy walked out of Knox's office feeling the same as he did when he walked in. He was still out of a job, and it sucked balls.

His mother's husband had warned him not to expect anything. He hated how the old man was right. But he'd expected for Knox to throw him a bone since they had been close friends once. However, he could respect the fairness of it all. The artists here had worked hard for their reputations. Freddy was aware that he'd have to do the same if he wanted to get somewhere in life.

Upon walking back to the reception desk, Freddy spotted Knox's assistant, Veronica, reading at her post. He smiled, recognizing the cover and stood over her, skimming the current page she was on. Veronica jumped at the sound of his voice.

"'I have for the first time found what I can truly love-I have found you. You are my sympathy-- my better self-- my good angel-- I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you-- and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one.'" He smiled down at her as he quoted the words from memory. "I love that part. That's a great book; the Brontë sisters were amazing writers."

Veronica sighed as she closed the book and sat it to the side. "Maybe. But I can't seem to get into it." She admitted.

"Why not?"

"Because the heros are described as unattractive or basic. And as much as I try to think them otherwise, the book reminds me that they're ugly again."

"Not everyone has the fortune of being beautiful. Not even fictional characters." Freddy sat on the edge of her desk and picked the book up as he studied the cover, which was as plain as its main character. "And yet, when no one could love them and accept them for what they were-- basic and ugly-- they found love in one another. And they were happy, regardless. In the end, that's all that matters. Love and happiness."

Veronica smiled softly.

"Now, you and I, we're not like them. You're no plain Jane, and I'm no Mr. Rochester. But I believe that we could have the same happily ever after. It only takes two things: your time," he pulled out his phone and handed it to her, "and your number."

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