Joey's P.O.V.

All that I can hear is the sound of my foot tapping on the ground as anxiety shoots through my body like a drug. My mom and I had to wait in the waiting room. All I wanted to do was stand there right by Daniel's side the whole time, but the doctors wouldn't let me.

I was furious with Daniel, but I still knocked down his dad. I still carried him. I still care.

It's bizzare how attached you can get to a single person. Someone who you thought you couldn't stand. Well, for the time being. Little did I know this little preacher's boy is someone I can actually stand. Someone I actually love. Love. Love! I love him! Oh I have to tell him. Right now!

"Mom, i'll be right back! I have to go talk to Daniel," I say standing up running towards the OR where he is currently getting fixed up.
"Joseph Stop! You can't go in there," my mom says dragging me back to the hard, cold seats in the waiting room.
"Mom, do you love Daniel's dad?" I say gazing off to my feet not wanting to see her facial expressions.
"That's the thing. You can't love that man. He- he's so cold hearted, so harsh. I've seen him beat Daniel so many times and everytime i've always wanted to do what you have done. But I didn't. I stayed back in the shadows because I knew nothing good would come out of me helping. He would just continue to do it over and over and then eventually, he would do it to me. So, to answer your question, no. I don't love that man," she says letting iut a breath at the end. A huge weight looked like it was lifted off her shoulders and she looked brighter. She looked like, my mom again.
"Why don't you accept me?" I say looking intently into her eyes. I've wanted an answer to this question for so long. But, we haven't really just sat talking, just the two of us. And as the words pour out of my mouth, my chance to finally understand her thinking begins.
"I don't know. I mean, it's hard. Ya know? You raise this boy and you have his whole life planned out. You imagine meeting his first love, the way his smile creases whenever he looks at them. But every parent visualizes them to be heterosexual. I guess the shock factor is what makes you not accept them. The fact that they aren't what you wanted. But I now know that you're everything i've ever wanted in a son and more. I'm so sorry I treated you that way all these years. You're perfect just the way you are," my mom tells me, making me tear up a bit but i'm quick to wipe them away.
"I've waited all my life to hear those words," I say leaning over the arm rests on our chairs and hugging her. This is the mom I once knew as a young boy, pre- coming out. And I have her back.

"Party for Mr. Preda?" Daniel's dad's doctor comes out and says. I look at my mom in fear and she kisses my forehead.
"Stay here. I'm going to go break the news to him that we're over. Daniel can live with us if he wants," my mom says getting walking with the doctor.

I am somewhat happy in this situation. They're breaking up. But, Daniel. How is this whole twisted mess going to hurt him? Is he going to miss his father? His life? But what if he never wakes up?

Hours go by. The clock ticks and ticks and I watch as the seconds hand goes round and round the clock, chasing a time that doesn't really exist. Daniel's dad is fine, I just broke his arm and it all knocked him out. Unfortunatly, I didn't do more damage. But no one has come out to have is see Daniel. I don't know his current state. I- I don't know anything.

"You love him," my mom says with a cute smirk looking at me.
"N-no we aren't dating," I say trying my very best to make my mom believe me, it isn't working too well.
"You think I never snuck upstairs while you guys were sleeping to check on y'all? I saw the way Daniel holds you and the way you clutch to him. You're in love. Have you told him?" She says going back at it with that smirk she likes so much.
"I um. I was going to do it earlier when I said I was going to go tell Daniel something. I've been thinking about telling him for a long time but I just never did it. I'm scared he doesn't love me back," I say visualizing myself telling him and then my heart getting ripped into a million little pieces.
"He loves you alright. You can tell," my mom tells me, pushing me in my chair a bit, laughing. A blush starts to creep all over my cheeks. He loves me and I love him.

"Daniel Preda family?" My heart stops beating. I get tunnel vision. My mind fogs as I stand up, stumbling a bit. My mom doesn't come with me, I guess she wants me to tell him about everything, catch him up.

I walk in his room. He's living. He's breathing. But he has a ton of deep gashes all over him and his head is wrapped up at the top.

I sit on the side of his bed and just watch him sleep. Every breath that goes in, comes right back out. His body looks as if it is in complete harmony. Well, except for all the marks and the possible concusion he has, but hey, look as the bright side. He's alive.
"Joey?" Daniel says. I guess I was starring at him and I didn't notice he woke up.
"Yes, baby?" I say grabbing his hand and putting it to my chest. I want him to feel how hard my heart is beating.
"I want you to know that i'm sorry for being so insensitive about my whole, coming out. I guess I didn't fully understand the fact that we don't need to be hiding our relationship. We need to be out and proud. And um. There's something i've wanted to tell you for a very long time but I haven't gotten the chance to. I love you," he says making my heart beat even harder, if that was even possible at this moment.
"I love you so much Daniel. More than words will ever be able to describe," I say leaning in and giving him the most passionate kiss we've ever had. We pull away and just rest our forheads together.

"There's one more thing I need to do. I need to come out to my dad," He says as all the color drains from his face.
"You don't have to. My mom broke up with your dad and she's kicking him out. But she said you can stay with us. So, i'm not kicked out anymore! Only if you want to," I say seeing a bit of hope leak out of his body.
"I will be delighted to stay with you guys. But I have to come out to him first. I'll never be able to live with myself if I don't," Daniel says paging the nurse.

"Yes, dearium?" She says with a bright smile on her face. Dearium, what a strange word.
"Can I get wheeled over to my dad's room real quick? I need to talk to him," Daniel says with his smile that I love all too much.
"Of course, let me get you a wheelchair!" She says walking out of the room.

She comes back later on with the chair and I help her put Daniel in it. I wheel Daniel to his dads room. My body is pounding from how scared I am. I mean, I am the one who put Mr. Preda in this situation after all. I'm sure he won't be overly delighted to see me.

"Get out!" He shouts as soon as we step foot into the door. I can see him fighting off the restraints holding him to his bed, a failing miserably if I might add.
"Sorry 'bout the arm. Life's a bitch," I spit like venom towards Mr. Preda.
"You listen here you little twi-" but Daniel cuts his dad off mid sentence.
"I didn't come here for you to attack eachother. Dad, i'm gay. And I know you won't support me. I'm moving out. I don't ever want to see you in my life again. Thank you for being the most fucked up person I have ever met. I hope you're never happy," he says releasing a deep breath. Light shines in Daniel's eyes as hell breaks loose through his dad's. I roll him out of his room and back out to the front. We don't need his negativity right now.

His release happened that night and I couldn't be happier to be home, with my boyfriend who I love very much. We cuddle up in bed and hold eachother, whispering how much we loved one another every so often.

"You know what, Joey? You're it," Daniel says. I look at him all confused as he just looks at me with all the knowledge in the world.
"I'm what, Daniel?" I say sitting up. He stands up and I stand up to meet him. We walk over by the open window and he shows me the silver lines of stars twinkling outside the bedroom window.
"Through all of this, we're still here. Together. My father may be a bitch, but your mom came around. I actually did come out, and well, I have you. You taught me how to live when life pulls you down. And Joey, you're it. I did not understand it all at first when you explained it to me when we had just met. But it all makes so much sense now," Daniel tells me grabbing my hands before finishing his whole sentence,
   "You're the Silver Lining."

I'm finding happiness in every granted wish 'cause, life is so sweet when you catch the silver lining.