Summer, 1983 (I'll call you by mine)

Stan

Stan was waiting for Oliver when they arrived back home from London. He had set up camp in Oliver's study, neither of them came out until it was time for dinner.

"So she just wanted everyone to know she wanted to give up custody? But legally she can't?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, it's a very long process that she didn't want to wait around for but we do have to go back to court. Let the judge know she abandoned the boys that way you get primary custody and somehow have it set up to were if anything happens to you Elio will care for them. Then we will go from there." Stan was a childhood friend, he and Oliver had become friends by default. There was very few Jewish families in New England.

"God damn it Stan! I told the boys she gave up custody!" Oliver slammed his fist down on the desk.

"Why the hell would you do that? I thought Elio stopped you from making stupid decisions now?"

"He tries but sometimes I don't listen. Fuck Stan, did you even see her? Did she come talk to you?"

"No, but from what I understand according to the neighbors when I went to go get Chapman. Madeline's been drinking heavily, they found her in the yard a few too many times passed out. They could hear her and I'm pretty sure Christopher screaming at each other. I think you need to take the boys to counseling, it's going to be the best thing for them." Stan sat on the sofa that had always been in the study.

"I don't know Stan, sending them to therapy. That seems a little much." Oliver sat behind the desk, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No it's not to much. Besides didn't you tell me not to long ago they wanted to come live with you? Are you sure they aren't telling you something?"

"No my boys don't have any reason to keep secrets from me, I've always told them. They can tell me anything, if not me then Elio. They are pretty open boys, Stan." Oliver was confident that his children would tell him anything.

"They're teenage boys, they don't tell you everything. Christ man I thought you told me everything, up until two years ago I thought you didn't keep secrets from me."

"You aren't going to let me live that down are you?" Oliver smiled at him.

"No, I'm not, it hurt like hell to find that out, from her of all people." It always made Stan angry about the way Madeline handled the separation. Stan knew the story, Madeline told Oliver to leave she didn't want a loveless marriage. Stan didn't think she expected him to follow through with it and that's what upset her. What Oliver wanted the world to see and what he kept inside very well hidden was the Oliver, that Stan had grown up with. But when he walked out that door, Stan knew something snapped inside Madeline, she told everyone that would listen. That Oliver had left her for a man, that he abandoned her and the boys moved off to Italy. That he had been cheating on her with this man since they had been dating. Stan knew the truth, no matter how much Oliver loved Elio, Oliver had to perceive a life that was acceptable in his parents eyes. Love letters were the extent of it, even those died out because they both were trying to live their lives.

"I'm sorry but you were my first call, she just beat me too it. I can't thank you enough for turning down being her lawyer. I've heard from Christopher everything she's said, I definitely got none of the friends we made while I was married to her. She made sure of that." Oliver looked off into the room, thinking back.

"But I can honestly say, we all love Elio. Diane loves him, she wants you two and the boys to come out when you get back. She's had the piano tuned and everything so that it's ready for Elio's use." Stan's wife was one of Elio's biggest supporters, she loved the arts. Stan was sure that's were most of his money went to.