lost and found {stenbrough} COMPLETED

nineteen

everything was going well for stanley for the first time, except for one thing. he hadn't seen his boyfriend since the day he left, exactly nineteen days ago. stanley felt as if a piece of him was missing without bill, and he just felt emptier as each day passed. he didn't think he had a right to feel this way, because everything else was going so well and he should've been thankful for that, but he needed bill. he looked for him everywhere he went, but he knew it was almost impossible to find him. bill was stuck in a group home, the location unknown to stanley, and the fact of not knowing much about bills situation worried him.

does he even miss me? why would he? it'd be so easy for someone as perfect as bill to find someone else, and i'll always be waiting for him. i know i'm young, but i also know i'll never find someone like him again. i need to talk to bill, or at least see him. i need him.

"stanley, it's time to leave!" ms. ellen yelled, interrupting him from his thoughts.

he rubbed his eyes, then sliding his hands into his pockets and making his way down the steps.

ms. ellen took stanley to do different things every saturday, all of which were a surprise. he loved spending days like this with ms. ellen (who he still accidentally called ms. ellen, but was now getting used to calling her mom. this wasn't too hard, as she felt like more of a mother to him than his real mother ever did) because she actually cared about him, and she distracted him for awhile. stanley was truly thankful for this woman, and he always made sure to remind her of that.

stanley smiled at her and she returned the gesture, leading him out to the now familiar car.

once they were pulling out of the driveway, ms. ellen interrupted the comfortable silence.

"stanley?"

"yes ms-" he paused, laughing at himself and sighing. "mom, i'm sorry."

she smiled when he said this, because she loved being referred to as this. not only had she always wanted to be a mother and actually felt like a mother to stanley, this was one of the only ways it was possible for her. he had already been introduced to her partner, rachel, and both women were happy with how excited stanley was to have two moms. stanley knew he wasn't supposed to tell anyone because of how terrible derry was, at least in that way, but he knew he would express this excitement to bill if he ever saw him again.

"i turned my old phone on for you, i'm sorry it's the best i could do. i figured you'd like to have a way to talk to some of your friends." she smiled again, handing him a blue iphone 5c.

a smile spread across stanleys face. his parents never let him have a cell phone before, and he was excited to finally have one, but he had no idea of how to show how thankful he actually was for this.

"oh my gosh! mom, you really didn't have to!"

ellen laughed at the boys excitement, feeling happy with his reaction. being a mother was new territory for her, but she loved it nonetheless. she loved seeing a smile on stanleys face, and she knew why he had been a little distant at times, though she would never bring it up. she did know how to fix it though, and that was her goal. she was excited for the day ahead.

the ride was comfortably silent while stanley was figuring out how to use his new phone, then becoming utterly confused as he opened the contacts.

"um- mom?"

"yes?" she was almost sure of what the question would be, but she decided to let him speak.

"there's you and rachel in the contacts, but who's the yellow heart?"

"i guess you'll have to figure it out, stanley." she was happy with herself because she was making her new son happy, and at the moment, that's all she could wish for.