“Uncle Vic?”

 Vic looked up from his paper to his nephew standing in the door way. Michael looked much younger than his sixteen years he thought, his clothes always seemingly a size too large for him. He knew Deb bought them that way, wanting Michael to get as much wear from them as possible. Money was tight in the household and scrimping had been his sister’s way of life ever since he could remember.

 “Hey Michael.” He replied, laying down his paper. He could tell something was on Michael’s mind but waited as always for Michael to make the first move.

 “You busy?” Michael asked, shuffling further into the room.

 “Never for you Michael.” Vic replied with a smile. He loved Michael as if he was his own, the closest he would ever come to having a kid. As far as he was concerned Michael was everything a parent could wish for in a child.

 He just wished Debbie could see that. He was the buffer between them so often, Deb loud and over bearing, never letting up on what she expected from her son. Michael arguing back, getting a smack around the head when he over stepped the boundaries that Deb had set. And what exacting boundaries they were for an insecure and shy sixteen year old.

 Michael gave his uncle a quick smile before settling on the sofa next to him, for once unsure how to say what was on his mind.

 “What’s she done now?” Vic asked, seeing Michael’s hesitation.

 “How did you know?” Michael asked, surprise coming through in his voice.

 “Because I know my sister.” Vic answered.

 “We were in the market and she started talking to this woman, she didn’t even fucking know her, about me!”

 “What about you?” Vic asked.

 “She was telling her that her son was gay, and that he was going to march in the Pride parade this year, which for the record I’m not!” Michael stated firmly. “She kept going on and on about how she couldn’t wait till I got a boyfriend and maybe one day I’d get married…for fuck sake I’m sixteen years old, I’ve never even been with a guy….well except for that blow job…..” Michael’s voice trailed off.

 “And?” Vic asked, knowing there was more to come.

 “And what?” Michael’s voice rose. “Isn’t that enough! She does it all the fucking time, talks to strangers about me when I’m standing next to her. I just wanted the ground to swallow me up. It’s so fucking embarrassing and I’m sick of it.”

 “She loves you Michael and is proud of you.” Vic answered.

 “Well she’s got a fucking strange way of showing it. Christ Uncle Vic can’t you do something. I mean you’re gay but I’m sure she didn’t pull this shit on you.”

 “Want a bet?” Vic stated.

 “You mean she….”

 “Yes.” Vic laughed, memories of himself as a sixteen year old coming back to him. “She was the same with me Michael. Probably worse now I think about it.”

 “What did you do?” Michael asked, trying to imagine his beloved Uncle at sixteen, maybe like him, still trying to find his place in the world.

 “I left.” Vic said, holding up his hand, seeing Michael’s eyes light up with excitement. “Which you’re not going to do!”

 “But I could Uncle Vic.” Michael replied. “I could get a job…..”

 “Doing what?” Vic asked. “It’s different now Michael. You need a good education, back then things were easier.”

 “I hate school!” Michael said vehemently.

 “I know you do but leaving is not the answer.” Vic said. “And where would you live”

 “I don’t know….” Michael replied, but Vic could hear the doubt in this voice.

 “Michael listen to me. Your Mother loves you more than anything in the world. She works two jobs so that she can give you a better life. The fact that you’re gay doesn’t make a difference. She’d be the same if you were straight. You’re all she’s got and she would kill anyone who hurt you.”

 “I know….” Michael mumbled, feeling a twinge of guilt for his thoughts about leaving. “I just want her to stop talking about me to strangers, as if I wasn’t there. It’s embarrassing.”

 “I know it is Michael, and I’ll talk to her, I promise, but honestly I don’t think it will make any difference.”

 “But you’ll try?” Michael asked tentatively. “She listens to you.”

 “Since when?” Vic laughed. “She hasn’t listened to a word I’ve said for the last thirty years.”

 “We’re pretty much doomed to a life with her always having the last word then aren’t we?” Michael giggled.

 “Afraid so Michael.” Vic answered. “But we do have one thing in our favor.”

“What’s that?” Michael questioned.

 “There’s two of us and one day we’ll wear her down and get that last word.”