Gabriel realized that in the midst of it all, he had been forgetting to breathe, and panted heavily, seizing the king’s arms for support, since he couldn’t reach his shoulders. But I could never happily remove a father from a household. Beeg Gabriel closed his eyes, and allowed himself to sink into his agonizing past. The King took Gabriel to bed almost every night, drunk but loving, astoundingly attentive to the boy’s every want or need. King Ansell’s smile broadened, lighting the man’s entire face. Gabriel’s mother had seen her son looking at the King, and had pointedly stepped on his foot, releasing him from the monarch’s gaze.
Actors:
Annie Cruz / Herschel Savage
