Chapter 35 - Being Brave

Lance peered round the door at Albin, his heart hammering in his chest.

He had never been so scared, he felt as if his whole future life would depend on the next few minutes. He tried to remember what he and Evelyn had talked about, but there seemed to be static in his head and he couldn't think.


Nervously he coughed and Albin looked up and smiled.

Lance walked in trying to smile, but only managing a grimace. He decided to plunge in and get it over and done with it.

"I wanted to come and speak to you about something important." started Lance his voice quavering." Albin waited to see what Lance would say next and so he continued,

"The thing is, that erm.. Evelyn and I, we are, well we are together, it happened at the Prom and so we thought you should know."

The words came out at a stampede and Lance then glanced nervously at Albin.

Albin looked visibly taken aback, but taking a deep breath he said "But your her imaginary friend, your not real, this doesn't make sense."

Lance explained "I was her imaginary friend, but now I am real and I can do and feel all that a real boy can."

Albin was having trouble taking it all in, it was soo unexpected, he was fond of Lance, but the idea of Lance and Evelyn as a couple had never occurred to him. He was stunned and also a little cross with himself. Now he thought of it what could be more natural, he should have considered this and taken steps to prevent this situation occurring.

Albin responded "But I wanted a normal life for Evelyn, I mean could you have kids together and if so would they be normal?"

Lance blushed at the unexpected turn to the conversation and replied "I am a normal boy now, I can do anything normal boys can."

Albin looked hard at Lance. He was fond of him, he had found him a hard worker, polite and easy to get on with. There weren't many boys in their little town and none were so pleasant as Lance. "Okay, but we need some new house rules then, I expect you to treat Evelyn with the utmost respect and if I found out you haven't, you will leave."

Albin told Charli about it later and she seemed less surprised.

"Well I did wonder, I mean the way they were looking at each other over the breakfast table the day after the Prom. Lance is a nice young man though and has become so part of the family now."

Albin reflected that Charli was right. Lance was part of the family and he decided to believe that Lance was now a real boy and perhaps one day could make a good husband for his daughter.