The Greys Chapter 3: Stranger
#3 of The Greys
The drive from the pastry shop to the Grey Farm took about thirty minutes. It wasn't terribly far, around twenty miles or so, but it was a comfortable distance, just far enough to make family visits rare but close enough to not be too much of a hassle. It was something Gideon needed.
He'd grown up an only child, which wasn't bad in and of itself, but he'd also grown up the only fox in the whole town. Being surrounded by bunnies and other prey species had been intimidating. He had always been husky and he had always been bigger than the other kids. Well, not the older kids, and they'd been the most cruel to him. That had led to a great deal of personal issues, mostly with his confidence, but then again, he'd gotten some of it at home. Since he was an only child, his parents attention had been greatly focused on him, pushing him to succeed. But when he failed he wasn't told that he tried, no. When he failed he was given a lecture about how he didn't try hard enough.
One thing he had learned was that he was really good at cooking, especially cooking pastries. He'd helped his mother bake cookies and pies almost every weekend for the Sunday school and during the bake sales. And every time he had failed at something, he'd go back and do something he knew he was good at over and over again until he entered the Tri-County Pie Contest. He'd gotten second place the first year he entered, but the next year, he won the grand prize. That was when he told his parents he'd be moving out and into town to be a pastry chef.
They had had some genuine concerns, but in the end, gave in. His father, Joshua, had even given him the money to buy the old two story bakery and apartment from the elderly goat couple that had been looking to retire to Zootopia's more temperate areas. After that, things just started to come together. His parents were actually proud and happy, not to mention he was able to make amends with Judy.
But none of that really mattered as the chubby fox pulled into his parent's driveway. He noticed the new car with Zootopia License plate number RB57H. "Huh," the fox muttered to himself as he pulled up to the farmhouse, "Wunder what that plate means."
Ray looked at the two old vixens as he took a sip of Lemonade. His eyes moved from one to the other then back again. It was a fairly strange, not to mention awkward, moment. The tod took one more sip of lemonade before placing the half empty glass down the living room table, but not before making sure there was a coaster under it. No one seemed to want to say a word as Ray started to lean forwards in his seat, hands clasping together. He knew this whole ordeal was going to be odd, but the silence just made everything seem worse. Thankfully, Josephine broke the silence.
"Ya looks like yer daddy," the old vixen said in a low voice as she put down her lemonade. "I know we talked lots on th'emails, but," she paused briefly as she started to tear up, "Jist seein' ya in th'fur..."
Josephine never finished her sentence as she started to break down and cry, tears flowing down her face as her sister-in-law slid out of her chair to head to the bathroom. She returned a few seconds later with a big box of paper tissues. "It's all right, Jo," the other vixen said as Ray's mother, his real mother, grabbed a hand full of tissues to wipe under her eyes.
"Oh lordy, jist look't me, all bawling like a kit," Jo said as her nose quivered trying to regain some semblance of clam as she looked at her son. "I'm jist s'proud'a'ya."
Ray wasn't sure what to say at the sight of his birth mother crying and then her words of pride. His ears splayed against his head as he looked down and away then back up at her. "Thanks mom," he said softly while scooting forwards in his chair. He would have said more, but then someone walked in.
Gideon walked into the living room. It was just like how he remembered. It looked like something out of a movie; everything was old, made out of wood, but expertly crafted to last until judgement day. Even though the outside of the house had seen better days, the inside looked immaculate, just like how his momma like it. But he wasn't greeted with the usual fanfare he got when he came home.
His eyes moved to the four wooden chairs gathered around the living room table. His mother was there, trying to comfort a crying Aunt Jo. Both of the vixens were sitting across from another tod, who looked kind of like himself, though, he didn't have any brown markings or brown hair on the top of his head. His gaze moved between the three other foxes before finally speaking. "Ya'll right Aunt Jo," Gideon asked as he looked at the curvy woman then back over to the tod, "Ya need m't'make'm leave?"
The tod's mother, Jeane, gave her son an icy glare that confused the fox for a second, "Gideon!"
"What ma? 'f he's makin' Aunt Jo cry," he tried to reply but his mother cut him off. "Gideon! Sit yer rump down! We gots 'slaining to do."
The heavy tod just blinked a few times. His mother hadn't talked to him like that since he was a kit. He looked over at the new tod sitting across from his mama and aunt, giving him a little growl as he unceremoniously plopped down into the chair.
Jo sniffled a few more times as she finally gained enough composure to say something. "Gideon, I know yer's lost as last year's Easter egg by all this, but," the old vixen sniffled again and Jeane finished her sentence, "There's lots you don't know."
"Whatchya'll talkin'bout," he asked as he slowly turned his head to look at Ray, "And who's this?"
Jeane just glared at her son, "Gideon! Shut yer trap!"
The tod's tail tucked between his legs as his jaws locked up tight.
Jo let out a long sigh as she looked at Gideon and then over to Ray, "I should probably start at the beginning."