Between Two Loves by Shelter Somerset

Author:Shelter Somerset [Somerset, Shelter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Chapter 14

“MY HAIR!”

Daniel jerked his head toward the sound of Conrad’s wailing. Aiden tossed aside the towel he was using to dry the supper pots and pans and leaped down the hallway. Daniel left his tax work at the dining table and followed after him.

“My hair!” The shouts were coming from the hallway bathroom. “My hair—”

Aiden swung open the door. Daniel pressed closer behind him to get a good look. With tears staining his face, Conrad peered at them from the floor where he sat trembling on his haunches. In his cupped hand, he revealed a mound of strawberry blond hair.

“It’s… it’s falling out. I’m losing my hair. I’m losing my hair.”

Aiden dropped to a squat beside him. “It’s not so bad, Conrad. Really, it isn’t.”

“How can you say that? Look!” He held the hair higher for Aiden and Daniel’s eyes. “It’s clumps of my hair!” Conrad began sobbing and Daniel wanted to leave, embarrassed to witness a grown man fall apart. Already wracked with guilt for having saddled Aiden with the brunt of Conrad’s care, he forced himself to remain by the door and stare.

Aiden lowered Conrad’s hand and helped him to his feet. “Try not to worry too much about things like this, okay? You knew this might happen. It’ll pass. Your hair will grow back.”

“It’s horrible, Aiden. It’s horrible.”

Aiden forced the hair from Conrad’s hand into the sink and eyed Daniel on his way escorting Conrad out of the bathroom. Daniel shook his head in empathy, his mind cluttered with misgivings. He helped by tearing off a few squares of toilet paper and taking the hairs out of the sink and flushing the crumpled ball down the commode. He rinsed the sink and returned to the dining table.

He was never gladder for taxes. The task enabled him to keep his mind focused and away from Conrad, whose condition seemed to go from good to bad, one moment to the next. Several minutes passed and Aiden dropped onto the sofa with a lengthy sigh. Daniel nudged aside the tax forms and sat beside him.

“He’s sleeping,” Aiden said toward the cold, empty fireplace. Ranger was lying on the sofa, and together he and Aiden massaged his scruffy fur.

“That’s good,” Daniel said, staring at the dead fireplace along with Aiden.

Somewhere in Ranger’s fur, Aiden and Daniel found each other’s hands. They locked fingers.

“Are you okay?” Daniel asked.

“Me? I’m fine. It’s Conrad who’s losing his hair.”

“Things might get worse.”

“I figure they will.” Aiden released Daniel’s hand and stood. “I’m going to leave the pans to soak until the morning. Good night.” He lumbered down the hallway and Daniel heard the bedroom door close with a dull thud.

Aiden was fast asleep by the time Daniel spent another hour on the tax forms and crawled under the bedcovers. He hugged him from behind and found himself desperate to absorb Aiden’s warmth. He slumbered like that, a position he normally would dislike for sleep.

The next morning they ate breakfast without discussing Conrad’s episode from the night before.

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