Gerard Rousseau’s mother, Jane, died during his birth. She was delivering twins when the amniotic fluid entered her bloodstream, resulting in a pulmonary embolism and cardiac arrest. Gerard’s twin brother died as well. His father, Alex, was inconsolable. To escape the pain of his wife’s death, he disappeared into his work. He hired a full-time nanny to look after his only son, then went on the road. As a building consultant for a large hotel chain, Alex would be gone for weeks at a time. But Gerard was not a lonely child. At age three, he made friends with his next-door neighbor, and together they became inseparable. It was a friendship that would last a lifetime. His neighbor was Michael Shaw.
Without a mother to call his own, Gerard was invited into Michael’s home, where his mother treated Gerard with the same maternal warmth and affection she showed her own children. She loved Gerard without reservation, and he loved her as well. As they grew older, the two boys attended the same schools, elementary through high school. Michael was athletic and popular with Girls. So was Gerard. Michael was a mediocre student. So was Gerard. Michael began collecting baseball cards. Gerard chose coins instead, but they shared the same enthusiasm for their collection. When you saw one boy, you saw the other, except one Saturday when Michael was 13. No one was quite sure how it started, but Michael found himself in a fight with the local bully, Bane Clark. Bane was 16, stood three inches taller than Michael, and outweighed him by thirty pounds. Michael didn’t stand a chance. He lost his two front teeth in the scuffle. Gerard was not at the park that fateful day, but he was incensed. Someone dared to injure his brother. That someone had to pay.
One week later, Gerard caught up with Bane in the same park. A few kids were watching, all of whom thought it was a mistake when Gerard called Bane a “two-bit bastard” who only beat on smaller kids. Bane took the bait. He squared off with Gerard, ready to knock the daylights out of him, completely unaware that Gerard held an advantage. His older cousin, a part-time juvenile delinquent, had given him a pair of brass knuckles. He approached Bane with his right hand in his pocket, concealing his weapon. Bane shoved Gerard with a smug grin and spat on him. That’s when Gerard removed his hand from his pocket, tightened his fist, and swung, catching Bane completely off guard. The knuckles broke the bully’s nose with one punch. Blood showered the front of his shirt. The fight was over. Bane never bullied anyone again. Gerard was the hero of Westwood. A nickname that followed him his entire life. One he was quite proud of.
After high school, Gerard and Michael went their separate ways to college. While Michael attended Emerson, Gerard, at the urging of his grandfather, who lived in Paris, applied to the Catholic Institute in Paris and, much to everyone’s surprise, was accepted. In his second year of school, Gerard invited Michael to visit him in Paris, to see “La Ville Lumière” or The City of Light for himself. Michael took him up on his invitation, and, while not knowing it at the time, set the course for the greatest adventure of his life.
While visiting his friend in Paris, Michael and Gerard spent an evening at Club Queen, a legendary venue on the Champs-Élysées known as the “Hottest club in Paris.” It was the go-to spot for its electric, high-energy party atmosphere. While there, a very inebriated man bumped into Gerard, who took exception to being bumped into. The drunk took a swing at Gerard, connected, and sent Gerard sprawling to the floor. Acting on pure instinct, Michael knocked the man flat with one punch. That was only the beginning. The man’s friends targeted Michael and Gerard with a barrage of curse words, shoves, and kicks. It was three against two. Long story short, when they exited the bar, they left behind three men with two broken noses, a fractured elbow, and a concussion. It was a memorable night.
While in Paris, Gerard quickly learned the language and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient and Medieval History. Graduate school followed with a master’s degree in Ancient Mediterranean Studies, also from the Institute. He excelled in college and received a Rhodes Scholarship to continue his studies at Oxford. He graduated with honors, earning a DPhil (the British equivalent of an American PhD) in Ancient History with an emphasis on Greek and Roman Studies, including a semester of independent study on coins of the Middle East. He published several papers on contextual numismatics and excavation, establishing himself as an expert in correlating archaeological strata and site deposits to determine precise dates for coins from the Middle East. His expertise led to international recognition as one of Europe's leading numismatists.
Upon Graduation from Oxford, Gerard accepted a teaching position at the Catholic Institute. He began dating a fellow teacher at the Institute, Michelle Moreau. They were made for each other. She was an attractive, intelligent woman who taught classes in Media Studies and Political Science. She adored Gerard. He adored her. They planned to marry within the year.
Michael never confessed his love for Shannon until the day after she died. His first call was to his mother and father, then Gerard. When Gerard heard of Michael’s decision to leave the clergy, he arranged for him to join him as a professor at the Institute. It was exactly what Michael needed. It was homecoming of sorts. Michael had spent some of the best years of his life at the Institute and felt certain that the years ahead would be filled with rest, reflection, and healing. As for the reflection and healing, yes, that occurred. As for the rest, it would have to wait.