That Ship Has Sailed

Chapter 6: Same Script, Different Cast

Thanks to his mother, Liam neatly folded his clean clothes and stuffed them inside his gym bag before heading to the dining room table where his father was cooking some pancakes and bacon for breakfast.

"Want some coffee?" Dr. Geyer asked his son, offering him a mug from the Keurig.

"Nah," Liam replied. "Orange juice is fine." He crossed to the fridge, got a carton, and grabbed a glass from the cupboard to pour himself a drink. Then he sat at the table as his father served him some food.

"I take it we're not getting a dowry," Todd Geyer laughed as his son realized the inside joke that he shared between his wife and Liam and the botched dinner of last night.

Liam snickered. "No, I'm sure we'll be getting a refund soon since there was no marriage offer." He dug his fork into his stack of pancakes. "They were a nice lesbian couple though. Too bad their son is dating the wrong person."

"Yeah," his father agreed. "A born-again Christian and LGBT in-laws. That relationship isn't going to last."

"Ah well," Satomi Ito-Geyer giggled as she walked over to the dining table to join her family. "Those camels were going to cost me a fortune anyway." She turned on the flatscreen in the family room to the Cinemascope Kids Network that began to air reruns of Class Dismissed, a one season sitcom that was one of Liam's earlier jobs. "Oh, little apple!" She exclaimed. "You look so cute here!"

Liam cringed. "Mom, I was ten! Of course, I would look cute on that show!"

Satomi frowned as she sat down. "Hey, my little boy is growing up. I miss my baby when you were all pink and chubby cheeked!" She reached over and squeezed his cheek. "You were soooo cute!"

Liam rolled his eyes. "Is that before or after my IED episodes?"

His mother scowled. "Now Liam, let's not joke about that. Those first three years were crucial in getting you diagnosed and getting you the right treatment. It wasn't easy especially with a few violent outbursts here and there, but your father and I stuck it out because you are our son, and we love you. Not once did we have any regrets adopting you and raising you. Don't ever forget that."

A hand squeezed his shoulder. Liam looked up to see his father with a large smile beaming back at him. "Son, I know you bear the weight of some guilt of thinking you burdened us with your mental health but if we were to do it all over again, we would. Remember, when you came out to us when you were fifteen? We told you we loved you. We would support you and we would stand by you, completely proud of the man you are and what you would become. That still has not changed."

Liam stood up and hugged his Dad. "Thanks. I guess I just needed to hear that sometimes." He released him and glanced over to his mom. "Since we're discussing the subject of my adoption, I think it's time you start telling me about my birth mother."

Satomi exhaled and folded her arms. "There isn't much to tell, little apple."

Todd shrugged as well and sat down next to his son. "The truth is we don't know much about her. That night in Detroit, your mother and I were working the ER shift when the paramedics admitted a pregnant woman who was severely seizing to the hospital. She was disheveled, had track marks on her arms and apparently had taken too many drugs that it caused her to go into premature labor. We tried to assist her but the drugs in her system caused her to have a stroke which only complicated your delivery. The only procedure we could do was an emergency C-section to save you but, unfortunately, the shock was too much for her that your birth mother didn't make it. You were eight weeks early, so we admitted you to the neonatal unit to monitor you since you were drug addicted."