Month 12

Brian and Cleo sat down at the table in the back of the room as they had been doing for the last 6 months.  They didn't need to look at the menu but each man picked up and quickly glanced at the items, quickly making their decision.  As the waitress came to take their order, she brought a large pot of coffee and placed it in the middle of the table after pouring each man a cup.  Brian took several creamers and packets of sugar and fixed his cup of coffee to his liking.  Cleo watched the methodical way Brian prepared his coffee.

"How was your weekend?"  Cleo asked, not venturing into his sponsor role.  He and Brian had become friends and it was rare that he called him for support regarding his sobriety, yet they still continued their sponsorship relationship. 

"Good.  Justin, Gus, and I went to a food truck event. I cringed when they suggested it but it was fun watching them.  It would have never occurred to me to make an event from eating at a variety of food trucks, but that is what Justin and Gus wanted to do.  There were kids' activities and music.  Gus and Justin had a ball taking pictures," Brian said.

"Sounds like fun.  Food truck events are definitely a thing these days.  Sometimes I find myself looking for the event that a specific food truck will be at so I can grab the food.  It's a lot easier to grab food at a truck event than to go all over town.  It makes it easier too if you're with a bunch of people who want different kinds of food,"  Cleo said.  

"How was your weekend?"  Brian asked, realizing that he was interested to hear about Cleo.  

"Good.  I watched a baseball game on TV and then went to dinner with my wife.  We were celebrating our anniversary.  25 years together,"  Cleo smiled as he thought about all the changes in his life in the last 25 years and was thankful his wife had stood by him during the dark days of his drinking.

"Impressive.  I'm just starting out.  Justin has decided to officially give up his apartment and move in.  We've been doing a trial run these last few months.  It seems to be working out,"  Brian said, informing Cleo of the move.  

"Oh,"  Cleo said as the waitress brought their salads.  Cleo poured a little of the salad dressing on his salad and placed the small cup on the side of the plate in case he wanted more.  "I didn't know that you were thinking about that."

"I didn't really either.  A few months ago I didn't like that he was not there all the time and I asked him to move in.  I decided that was an easy fix for his reasons for keeping his apartment.  I just asked him one night and he said we should try it for a bit before deciding.  His lease was going to be up in a couple of months so it was the perfect time."

"I guess the trial was a success if you guys are officially moving in.  Congratulations,"  Cleo said as he leaned over to clap Brian on the back. 

"We've had our disagreements, but according to Justin, those are expected.  I'm sure we will have more.  At least that is what Justin says.  He is always spouting PSA's and I generally find them true."

"I'm pleased to hear that you have weathered the disagreements without resorting to drinking.  What does Gus think about it?  If you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm sure he will be thrilled.  Before Justin moved in, he was spending every weekend with us.  I don't have Gus during the week so he has no idea that Justin has been living with me during the week.  I know he'll be excited as he is always talking about Justin and me dating and being together like his moms,"  Brian said, thinking back to the various conversations he'd overheard and had with Gus regarding his and Justin's relationship.  "I think he really likes the idea of us together. He's mentioned on many occasions how it would be cool to have two dads like he has two moms."

"When are you going to tell him?"  Cleo said as he stabbed some lettuce and lightly dipped it into the salad dressing on another area of his salad.

"I'll be picking him up on Friday and we'll head to Justin's apartment to help him bring over the rest of his stuff.  Justin has been spending a lot of time packing and going through his stuff this week and we plan on finalizing everything over the weekend."

"Sounds like you have it covered.  I see the excitement in your eyes."

"And..., it is a really big weekend for another reason.  I'm getting my bronze chip on Saturday.  12 months sober!"  Brian grinned, pleased with himself at his accomplishment.

"That is great news.  I knew it was getting close.  What are you going to do to celebrate?"

"Well, I won't be going to the bars,"  Brian laughed at his own joke.  "Justin and I typically go out for a special dinner when I get a chip, but since Gus will be with us, I'm not sure.  Gus and our friend, Emmett, usually cook dinner while we're at AA.  Emmett has been teaching Gus to cook on Saturday nights.  It's worked out really well.  Gus is learning something he enjoys and I didn't have to forgo a meeting on Saturday while I had him."  Brian finished his salad and pushed the plate to the side, signaling that the waitress could remove the plate.  He took a sip of his coffee and poured himself a new cup, preparing it to his liking.  "That gives me a great idea.  I'll call Emmett tomorrow and see if he and Gus can make a special dinner to celebrate.  It will be a special celebration for everyone.  Justin for moving in and me for 12 months of sobriety."  Brian smiled and nodded to himself, pleased with his idea.

"You seem to have everything in control.  What are your plans for your next step, Brian?"

"Next step?  What do you mean?"

"The 12th step in recovery is giving back to the community.  Sharing the message.  Once a person is confident in their recovery and has amassed a certain amount of time sober, they move to the last step, spreading the word of AA."

"I'm sure that not everyone becomes an AA leader.  There aren't enough groups to lead.  I'm not going to buy a billboard either.  I hadn't really thought about it.  Have you got any ideas?"

"The first and most important one is to continue attending AA.  You will always be in recovery and while you don't have to attend daily meetings, it is always good to plan on attending on a regular basis,"  Cleo said as he watched the waitress put down their plates on the table.  

Brian nodded and picked up his knife and fork to cut a piece of his chicken.  Even now, he preferred chicken to a sandwich or beef.  Justin had definitely rubbed off on him regarding his eating habits.

"I'd also continue to keep your journal.  There is no set amount of times you need to write in it.  Not that there was ever a set amount of times I wanted you to write before, but a journal is a good way for you to check in with your feelings."  Cleo picked up his fork and knife and cut into his steak.  Unlike Brian, he ate meat on a regular basis.  He cut open his baked potato and placed a scoop of sour cream and butter inside, allowing the heat to melt the ingredients into the potato.

"I kind of thought I would continue writing in my journal.  I didn't think I would like it at first, but I realized that it has been very helpful in my journey.  I'm glad that you suggested it,"  Brian said as he ate another bite of his chicken and scooped up some rice on his fork.

"You've come a long way, Brian, especially in recognizing your feelings and understanding why you drank, but just because you have reached a year of sobriety, it doesn't all go out the window.  We have talked a lot about your son and his being a key reason why you got sober.  I'm fairly certain that you still have some unresolved issues with his mother and you rarely talk about your family.  I'd encourage you to continue exploring those areas."  Cleo drank some of his coffee and poured himself another cup.  Unlike Brian, he drank his black.  He picked up the fresh cup and blew on it to cool it down before taking another drink from his cup.  

"You're still going to make mistakes in your life.  Now that you are in a relationship and living with Justin, you need to be aware that this may result in arguments and hurt feelings.  It's important to recognize when those occur and to avoid handling those feelings with liquor,"  Cleo added.  He knew how pivotal and important that bronze chip was.  Brian appeared to have taken the 12-step process to heart and had a few major bumps in the road.  While he did not like to be a pessimist, he knew that eventually there would come a time where he would probably be rattled and have to make a conscious decision not to drink.  

"And last but not least, Brian be aware of your friends and family.  You may come across someone else who is struggling with addiction.  Open your heart and hand to them as Justin and I did for you.  No, you do not have to be a sponsor, but a friendly conversation after a meeting or adding comments to a meeting can help your fellow man or woman in recovery with their journey. AA is truly a village."  

"You have a lot of good ideas.  I wasn't really looking to run a group and I'm not comfortable being a sponsor.  Maybe someday, I will want to do that.  But I think you're saying that being involved in AA and helping others with their journey is still spreading the word.  I think I can do that.  I am much more comfortable talking in meetings now than I was in the beginning,"  Brian said as he cut another piece of chicken.  They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes.  

"I expect nothing will change drastically for now.  I still expect to attend meetings most nights.  Maybe 3-4  a week but I think I'll just start with one less a week and see how that goes,"  Brian said, after listening to Cleo's thoughts.  "I've been attending meetings for so long that I haven't even given it a thought.  But I guess with Justin moving in and the two of us spending a lot more time together, we might decide that attending a meeting every night is not needed."

"I'm still here, Brian.  I'll always be here for you until you tell me otherwise.  I expect that you might not attend Monday meetings every week, but I hope you and I still talk a few times a week.  I've seen people who hit their one-year mark and think that they can go back to what they were doing before.  I caution that this is a bad idea.  You've changed but the reason you originally drank is still there.  You have a history of hiding your feelings and not wanting to address them.  You need to be aware that the brain always wants to do what is easy.  It is easier to hide from those feelings than to acknowledge them.  Don't get sucked into your old brain thoughts,"  Cleo said, cautioning Brian from becoming too complacent.

"Okay.  I get it.  Just because I've got a year of sobriety under my belt, doesn't mean that I can revert back to my pre- sobriety behavior.  Honestly, that man is so far removed from the man I am today, I cringe when I think about my life at that time.  It is so much better now,"  Brian said as he finished his dinner.  

"Good to know.  Where is your Saturday meeting?  I'd like to come and see you get your chip,"  Cleo asked.

"It's at the community center by the river.  The meeting starts at 6:00.  You're welcome to come to dinner afterward.  You could meet Gus,"  Brian added, surprised at the request.

"No, but thank you.  It is your celebration.  I just like seeing the people I sponsor when they hit big milestones.  But if Justin is there, I'll let you introduce him to me.  I'd like to meet him as he's had a huge impact on your life this past year,"  Cleo said. He picked up his fork and knife and finished his steak and swirled the last of his baked potato in the sour cream that had fallen out of the inside.  

"Sure.  That sounds like an idea.  Speaking of Justin, I'd like to grab the check so I can get home.  I'm still trying to clean out a few spaces for his stuff,"  Brian said as he waved to the waitress for their check.

"See you Saturday.  Have a good week,"  Cleo said as he picked up the check that the waitress dropped off.  He took his credit card out and laid it on the table with his bill and Brian did the same with his bill.  The waitress picked up the checks and quickly ran their purchases and returned their cards.

Brian drove home and Justin was busy unpacking some of his boxes.  Brian walked into the bedroom and held his tongue when he looked at the mess, understanding that he was unpacking and had to figure out where all of his stuff was going to find a new home.

Justin heard him come in and looked up from his perch on the floor and smiled at him.  " I know it's a mess, but I promise it will be all put away as soon as I figure out where to put things,"  Justin said.  

"I didn't say a word.  I know that moving is a pain and I expected that it would be a mess.  Anything I can help with?"  Brian said as he sat down on the floor next to Justin and the open box.  

"I guess just take the stuff out.  I got to see what all I have before I can figure out where it goes.  I would never have thought I could accumulate so much stuff in 2 years,"  Justin said as he pointed at the box in front of him and the three additional ones by the wall.

They worked together finding places to put Justin's belongings for several hours and Justin was finding it difficult to stifle his yawns.

"Let's go to bed.  You aren't going to finish tonight.  Oh and by the way, Cleo wants to come to the chip ceremony on Saturday.  He said something about meeting you too."

"That's cool.  I'd like that. Since it is Saturday, I guess we're not going to go out to celebrate,"  Justin said, commenting on their usual celebration.

"I'd planned on talking to Emmett and see if he and Gus can make some new dish.  I thought it would be a good time to tell Gus about you moving in too,"  Brian commented, smiling as he thought about Gus' expected reaction.

"I think that would be great.  Are you going to tell anyone else?  Ted, or Debbie?  What about Gus' moms?  I don't think we can ask him to keep that news quiet,"  Justin said, knowing Gus' history of sharing information about his father with his family.

"Sure, I'll tell everybody.  Like you said, it's not fair to ask Gus to be quiet about it. I believe Ted and Emmett and probably Debbie will be happy about it.  Who knows about Gus' moms as they have a weird sense of what is their business?  Either way, I'm excited about being in the open.  I'll have 12 months of sobriety and you are officially moving in,"  Brian said as he leaned down to kiss Justin.  "Come on, let's grab a quick shower and go to bed.  You look exhausted."

They moved the boxes out of the way and grabbed a quick shower, tumbling into bed, and fell asleep very quickly.

The rest of the week went by quickly.  Justin continued to pack up his studio and apartment, bringing the boxes to Brian's and unloading them each night.  Friday came and Brian picked up Gus from school and drove him to Justin's apartment/studio.

"What are we doing here, Dad?  This isn't the grocery and I don't recognize anything,"  Gus asked.  

"We're helping Justin move into his studio.  He's moved all of his stuff into my place and now he just has a few boxes to take to his studio,"  Brian said nonchalantly.

Gus opened his mouth wide and then jumped in his seat, unable to contain his excitement.  "You and Justin are moving in together.  That is so cool.  Are you guys going to get married?  Does that mean he's going to be there every night and not go home?  Wait till I tell Tommy.  He's been asking if I was going to have two Dads.  Is Justin going to be my other Dad?"  Gus asked.

Brian laughed at his enthusiasm.  "Slow down, bud.  Justin is moving in.  No one said anything about marriage.  Justin and you get along really well, but let's hold off on the second dad thing.  Give him time to get used to living with me all the time before we spring that on him.  Besides, you have to ask him if he wants that.  Just because he's living with me doesn't mean he wants that." Brian said, wondering what Justin would think of their discussion.  Justin was used to being with Gus as he was there every weekend. They interacted well together but he didn't know how Justin would feel about taking on the role of a second father.  He left all the parenting decisions to Brian and Brian had no idea if he wanted to have Justin making those decisions with him.  Brian shook his head thinking that this was yet another thing that he and Justin would probably need to talk about in the near future.  Justin frequently reminded him that talking was necessary and as usual, Gus' question had proven, yet again, that he was correct.

"Okay.  But I'm so excited.  Thanks, Dad.  Does anyone else know about Justin?  I mean they've all met him, but do they know he's moving in?"

"No one but you and Emmett know right now.  Emmet and you are making a new dish tomorrow to celebrate.  I told him to invite Debbie and Ted over for dessert.  I thought I'd wait to tell your mom on Sunday,"  Brian said as he opened the door for Gus to walk into the building.

"What floor is Justin on?"  Gus asked as he walked to the bank of elevators.  

"5th floor,"  Brian said and Gus pushed the button for the elevator.

They went up to the 5th floor and Brian pointed to the right.  Gus followed him, practically bouncing down the hall in his excitement.  Brian stopped at room 514 and knocked.  Justin opened the door a few seconds later.

Gus hugged him tightly and said, "You're moving in.  That is so cool.  We are going to have so much fun."

Justin laughed at Gus' enthusiasm.  "I'm glad you like the idea."  He pointed to the boxes stacked against the wall. "These are the only ones left.  After we load them, I'll give the super the key and we can leave. I'm exhausted so I don't know what we'll do for dinner.  I think there are some leftovers from earlier in the week,"  Justin said.

They quickly loaded the boxes, only taking two trips between the three of them.  After Justin returned the key, he followed Brian and Gus to Brian's apartment.  He parked his car and looked at the back seat, filled with his belongings.  A sense of excitement and calm came over him.

It was a new chapter in his life.  He'd been sober for 18 months, had several successful shows under his belt, and now had been dating a wonderful man for 6 months, and they were now moving in together. He was excited about the possibilities.

Gus and Brian helped him bring in the boxes and he put them in the corner of Brian's bedroom.

"You realize that these,"  Brian said, pointing at the boxes.  "Are to be emptied and broken down before the end of the weekend.  Preferably by Saturday night before Emmett comes over."  He smiled at Justin but Justin knew he was not really joking.  After living with Brian for the last several months, he knew and understood how much mess bothered Brian.

"I know.  Of course, you could help me unpack, and then for sure it would be done,'  Justin said, a knowing grin on his face.  

"Dad?  Why don't we help Justin?  We all know how much you don't like a mess,'  Gus chimed in, going over to the boxes and reading the labels on a few of them.

"Fine.  We can help Justin unpack tonight and then tomorrow, we can grocery shop.  I'll even consent to order in while we unpack, seeing how no one really has time to cook,"  Brian said.

"Cool,"  Gus said.  Can we have pizza?  I want pepperoni and ham."

Brian cringed at the description, "Heart attack on a plate.  How about a veggie pizza and we can add sausage?"  He suggested.

Gus frowned but said, "Sure.  Pizza is always good, no matter what is on it."

Brian ordered pizza and the three of them unpacked Justin's boxes finding a place to put most of his belongings.  Some of the contents that were to go to his studio were mixed in with the stuff they brought so Justin reboxed those items to bring to his studio.  

"I can't wait to tell everybody that you moved in, Justin.  It is so exciting.  I know we're going to do so much fun stuff together,'  Gus said as he walked over to Justin and gave him a big hug.  "I've wished for this... you know you and my Dad.  I can't believe that you're actually moving in.  Are you guys going to get married?"

The look between Justin and Brian was filled with a mixture of amusement and hope.  "We're taking one day at a time, Gus.  No one is talking marriage and I'm not chomping at the bit to change anything right now."

Gus shrugged his shoulders, used to Brian's response to the question about marriage.  Secretly he hoped that Justin moving in was the first step to his Dad and Justin getting married.  But either way, he was excited to have Justin at the loft and his Dad was always happier when Justin was around.

The pizza came and they stopped long enough to eat and then returned to their unpacking.  They managed to unpack all of Justin's boxes by 10:00.  Gus yawned and tried to cover his mouth to hide it, but both Brian and Justin saw it.  

"Time for bed, Sonny Boy.  Justin will still be here when you get up.  Maybe, we'll even go to the diner for pancakes in celebration,"  Brian said, smiling at both Justin and Gus, knowing that both men loved the pancakes at the diner.

"Pancakes, yummy,"  Gus said very loudly.  "We should celebrate Justin moving in every week,"  he said, laughing at his own humor.  Gus turned toward his bedroom and got ready for bed.   A few minutes later he called out to Brian and Brian went into the room to tell him good night.

When Brian came out, Justin was not in the living room but he heard the distinct sound of water running.  Smiling, Brian walked toward the bathroom, unbuttoning his shirt and jeans so he could join Justin.  

They showered, shampooing each other's hair and cleaning each other's bodies.  Brian and Justin got a little sidetracked from getting clean and soon found themselves kissing and caressing each other.  Justin dropped to his knees, engulfing Brian's hard cock in his mouth, and quickly sucked him off.  Brian eagerly returned the favor.  

"Hey, I'm getting wrinkled here.  I think we should take this party to our bed,"  Justin said, enjoying saying the words ‘our bed'."  Officially moving in had changed his mindset to think of the place as theirs, not Brian's.  

"Sounds like a plan,"  Brian said as he shut off the water and grabbed each of them a towel to dry off.  They quickly went to bed and continued their explorations into the early hours of the morning.  

Saturday morning they were woken early by Gus who was demanding that he was hungry and wanted to go to the diner.  Begrudgingly, the two men got up and grabbed a quick shower before joining Gus in the living room.

"I'm starving and you promised we would go to the diner,"  Gus reminded Brian.

"Yeah.  We can go to the diner,"  Brian said as he grabbed his phone and car keys.  Justin grabbed his phone and they were ready to leave.

They arrived at the diner and sat at the back booth, the one they typically sat when they visited the diner.  They pulled out the menus but both Gus and Justin knew what they wanted and only Brian had to look at the menu.  Although Brian usually ate the same items for breakfast, he still made the gesture to preview the menu. Debbie came over to the table, pen poised to take their orders.

"You're here early.  What are you up to today?" Debbie asked.

"We're celebrating,"  Gus answered.  "Justin moved in and Dad said since we worked hard unloading his boxes, we could have pancakes for breakfast,"  Gus said, forgetting that his Dad said they would tell Debbie later that night.

Brian shook his head slightly at Gus' eagerness to share every little tidbit of his life but did not get upset.  He knew that Gus would want to share the information and he was okay with everyone knowing about Justin.

"Oh, you don't say," said Debbie, trying to keep her tone light.  "I take it you are happy about this?"

"It's great.  Dad has someone he likes to hang out with and Justin will be around all the time.  What's not to like?"  Gus said.  

Debbie smiled and said, "Congratulations.  I understand why Emmett was so cryptic about me coming over tonight for dessert.  Are you making dessert, Gus?"  Debbie asked as she ruffled the boy's hair.

"Yep.  And it's a surprise.  You'll just have to come over so you see what it is,"  Gus laughed and smiled.

"Okay.  I get off after the lunch shift so I'll have plenty of time to get there.  What'll be, gentlemen?  I can't chit-chat all day,"  Debbie said as she took out her pad and pen from her apron.  

"I want pancakes and so does Justin,"  Gus piped up.

" 2 pancakes.  You want bacon or sausage with that?"

"Bacon for me,"  Justin said "And a pot of coffee."

"Bacon  and a chocolate milk,"  Gus said.

"I'll have an egg white omelet with turkey and cheese, whole wheat toast, and no bacon,"  Brian said as he turned over his coffee cup.

"It'll be right up. Congratulations you two.  I'm proud of you Brian,"  Debbie said.

"So what are we doing today?  Can I see your studio, Justin?"

"I really need to swing by there and bring those boxes that I brought to the house.  I guess we could go by for a bit.  I should really get it organized.  Maybe you and your dad could come by and see it and then go do something together while I work on my studio?"

"Dad, can we go?  Maybe we could help Justin and then we could do something together?"

Brian said, "Sure.  I think that would work.  We don't really have anything planned.  Maybe if we help Justin, we might be able to catch a movie or something later."

Their food arrived shortly and they ate while discussing the options for movies. Gus wanted to see the new Spider Man movie while Justin favored the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie based on the amount of animation involved.  Brian didn't have an opinion.  They settled on Spider Man as Justin wanted to really study the animation and would probably see the movie several times.  

They went back to the loft to grab the boxes that Justin had mistakenly taken there and brought them to his studio.  Gus was enamored by all the art supplies.

"Justin, do you think maybe you could teach me to paint or draw?  Maybe sometime we could come here on a Saturday, especially if Dad has to work or something,"  Gus asked as he eyed the paint, brushes, and canvases.

"Sure, we can come here sometimes and we'll work on some art projects.  Your Dad can join us.  Who knows, he might like to get creative too,"  Justin said, smiling at Brian.  He and Brian had discussed that they were both creative people, each used their creativity in different ways.  He thought it would be fun if all of them spent time creating their own projects. 

"Thanks, Justin.  It's going to be so cool that you live with Dad.  Maybe, I could even come over during the week.  In a few weeks, school will be out and I'll be going to art camp.  Remember, Dad signed me up.  I can't wait.  Maybe, after camp, I can come here and we can do art stuff together?"  he asked, suggesting a way for him to spend even more time with Justin.

Brian knew with summer approaching, he was going to have to alter his schedule to accommodate Gus's summer camp.  He had assured his moms that he had it covered and had signed him up for art camp.  If Justin was willing to have Gus after camp was over, that would work out really well.  "Gus, Justin and I will have to talk about the logistics of that.  But, if it can be worked out, that is a possibility."  Brian turned toward Justin and said, "We can talk about it later.  Right now, let's get these boxes sorted, and then on Monday you will be ready to paint."

They spent a few hours helping Justin unpack and set up his studio.  They had broken down the boxes and taken them to the dumpster behind the building. 

Justin looked over the studio and said, "This is perfect but I know in a few weeks there will be half-painted canvases, tubes of paint on multiple surfaces, and paint on the now pristine tables. Of course, it wouldn't be a studio without all the added colors."

"I can't wait to start art camp.  It's going to be really fun to do art stuff every day.  Do you think the art teachers will know you, Justin?  That would be so cool. I mean maybe they even have some of your stuff,"  Gus asked, thinking it would be fun to live with a celebrity.

Justin laughed at Gus' enthusiasm and said, "I don't know.  Your art teachers may have heard of me, but there are a lot of artists in Pittsburgh."

"Maybe, you could be a student teacher.  You know, come and teach a class.  They have those at my school.  I had one last year.  It was fun."

"You have to go to school to be a teacher, Gus.  I don't mind teaching you but I really don't think I want to be an art teacher.  But thank you for thinking I'm famous.  Maybe one day I'll be famous."

"You're famous to me.  I don't know anyone who has had an art show and sold all their stuff.  That's pretty famous in my book,"  Gus said and gave him a hug.

"Okay, enough Justin adoration here.  I think we said the movie starts at 1:30 and if we intend to see it and have enough time to get Gus back to the loft, we better head out,"  Brian said as he waved his hand toward the door.  

Gus and Justin moved toward the doorway and high-fived each other.  Brian smiled, as he watched his son and Justin, and was happy that they got along so well. 

The three of them went to the movie and returned to the loft where Emmett was waiting for them in the lobby. He had several grocery bags in his hand and smiled when they opened the door to the building.

"I got here a little early, but no one answered the buzzer.  I guess I should have called first.  Anyway,"  He lifted his hand with the grocery bags. "I have all the ingredients for the special dessert, just like you asked.  "Let's get these up to the loft, so you guys can get ready for your meeting and Gus and I can start on dinner."

The four of them took the elevator to the loft and Brian punched in the code, letting them in.  Emmett went to the kitchen, placing the bags on the island. 

"Emmett, Dad and Justin are moving in together.  Isn't that cool.  And, he's been sober for a whole year,"  Gus said, sharing the news with Emmett.  He really liked Emmett and looked forward to their weekly cooking time.  

"I'm so happy for you Brian.  1 year of sobriety is a huge accomplishment.  You're not the same man you were a year ago,"  Emmett said as he gave Brian a hug.  Turning toward Justin he reached out and gave him a hug as well.  "And you, sir, are a big part of the changes.  I'm sure glad that you two met."

"Enough with the hugs and adorations, we have a meeting to attend,"  Brian said as he nodded toward Justin that it was time to leave.

Justin followed Brian to his car and they drove to the meeting.  "I'm so proud of you, Brian.  One year of sobriety is a huge milestone.  We have so much to celebrate; your sobriety, your relationship with Gus, your success at work, and of course, us moving in.  When I started AA and thought about the 12th step, reaching out to another person and sharing the message, I never thought I would end up here."

"I never would have thought it possible either.  Sure, I thought I could get sober.  I can do anything I set my mind to.  But the relationship thing was never on my radar and having someone live with me.... Never would have entered my mind.  But you have infiltrated the Kinney walls and shown me that a relationship is a good thing."  Brian parked the car in the lot and leaned over to give Justin a quick kiss.  "I want to shout to the world that you are mine, but I know we agreed that we keep our relationship away from AA."

"I'm flattered that you want to shout it out to the world, but I agree.  Friends and family only for now.  Guess we should head in."

As they entered the room where the meeting was held, Brian looked around and saw Cleo standing by the coffee station.  "Come on, Cleo's here and I told him I would introduce you," Brian said as he pointed to the coffee area.

When they were standing by the station, Brian said, "Hello, Cleo.  I want to introduce you to my former sponsor, Justin.  Justin, this is Cleo.  Cleo, this is Justin,"  Brian said, trying to keep his voice quiet and somber.

Justin reached out his hand to shake Cleo's hand and Cleo shook it. "Nice to meet you.  I've heard a lot about you.  Congratulations by the way,"  Cleo said referring to their moving in together.

"Thank you.  I've heard a lot about you too.  Well, let me clarify that.  I've heard a lot about your support for Brian,"  Justin said, moving out of the way so other people could get to the coffee pot.  

"Let's go over to the corner so we are out of the way.  It's a little early to sit down,"  Brian suggested.  The three men walked to the corner of the room. The room was nondescript; white tile that had seen many years of wear and beige walls with a few random pictures of flowers interspersed.  It was a meeting room in a community center and there was a pallet of metal folding chairs off to one side.  Next to it were a number of tables that were folded and also on a pallet.  The room appeared large enough for a gathering of 50 people if the tables were set out.  There was an accordion folding door at the edge of the room that could be opened and double the size of the meeting space.  For an AA meeting, the small room was a good size and they could have had a smaller space but it might have appeared crowded.

Brian said, "It's been a busy day. Thanks for coming, Cleo.  Everybody is talking about how big a deal it is.  One year of sobriety.  I guess it is a big deal, but I didn't expect that you would plan on coming."

"I'm your sponsor and I want to celebrate your success.  Of course, I would like to be here.  And while Justin is no longer your sponsor, he was with you for those first 6 months.  Those 6 months and the upcoming 6 months are some of the most critical ones for maintaining sobriety,"  Cleo said.

"What do you mean the next 6 months?  I get the first 6 months, but not the next 6,"  Brian asked.

"Once a person hits 12 months, sometimes they think they have it all figured out. A year is a long time not to have a drink.  Some people start to experiment.  They figure that the alcohol addiction, you know the physical part of things has gone away so they can try drinking again. See how that works.  Other people get tired of working the program.  They don't want to attend meetings anymore as they take up a lot of time.  When you quit attending meetings, the 12 steps sometimes go by the wayside and people revert back to their old behaviors.  There are a lot of things that can happen,"  Cleo explained.  While they had talked about some of this the other night, he wanted to bring it up again.

"Okay.  I get it.  Don't revert back to old behaviors.  Point taken.  I just heard the leader calling the group.  I guess we better join everyone,"  Brian said, waving his hand toward the circle of chairs in the center of the room.  

They found three chairs together and sat down while the other attendees joined the group.  The topic was Ways of Carrying the AA message, a particularly pertinent topic for Brian.  At the end of the meeting, the leader asked if anyone had reached a milestone and Brian raised his hand.

"Hi.  My name is Brian and I'm an alcoholic.  As of today, I've been sober for 12 months.  I will always be an alcoholic, but I know now I can be successful as a recovering alcoholic."

The group members all applauded and the leader took the bag from under his chair, opened it, and gave Brian a Bronze chip.  "Congratulations."

A few others raised their hands and they received their appropriate chips.  

"Thank you all for coming.  Coffee and the donation box are at the back table.  See you next time."

As the meeting broke up, Brian was approached by several members and given handshakes and hugs congratulating him on his milestone. 

"Thank you for coming, Cleo.  I'll see you on Monday,"  Brian said, giving him another hug. 

"Nice meeting you, Cleo,"  Justin said as he shook his hand a second time.

"See you Monday, Brian,"  Cleo said and he walked out of the building, and then searched for his car in the lot.  

They drove home where Emmett and Gus had prepared dinner.  Since Emmett had been asked to make a special dessert to celebrate Brian's 12 months of sobriety, he joined them for dinner.  When they entered the home, Gus greeted them with hugs.

"Dad.  Justin.  Emmett and I made honey garlic chicken and for dessert we made pineapple upside-down cake.  It is the funniest thing.  You make it and then turn it upside down to eat it.  I know it will be yummy,"  Gus said as he waved them toward the table which was already set with four place settings. I'm really hungry. Can we eat?"

"Gus, you and Emmett are getting to be real gourmet cooks.  I can't wait to eat.  Let me wash my hands and then we can sit down,"  Brian said as he made his way to the bathroom.  Justin followed him and washed his hands as well.

Everyone went to the kitchen and brought the platters and bowls to the table.  Brian brought the chicken while Justin brought the salad and Emmett brought the rice.  Gus brought the salad dressing.  After they sat down, they passed their plates to the person in front of the specific food and the person gave them a portion depending on how much they wanted.  Soon, everyone's plate was filled and they started eating.

Justin bit into some chicken.  "This is delicious.  I love honey and garlic together.  Do you know it is a traditional Asian food?  I love Asian and Chinese food too."

Brian ate a bite of chicken as well, and added, "It is very good.  I don't even want to know how much honey is in the sauce.  I'll probably have to get on the treadmill for an extra hour this week just to burn off the calories."

"Brian, you should just enjoy the food and not worry about the calories.  Sometimes I think you miss out on the joy of eating since you are so concerned about the calories and your misguided rules about carbs,"  Emmett said as he bit into the chicken.

"When you get a degree in nutrition, tell me.  Until then, I'm going to keep eating by my rules.  They have served me well.  I still have the same body I did when I was 19,"  Brian said, running his hand down his side.  

"So do I," said Emmett.  "But I eat what I want and exercise occasionally.  I think it has more to do with body type. What about you, Justin?  Do you follow any special diet regime?"

"Oh, not really.  I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.  I limit my eating to those rules and it seems to serve me well,"  Justin said.  He ate another bite of the chicken and some rice.  "There are days when I'm really hungry and there are days when I'm not.  I've learned to listen to my body and eat when I'm hungry and avoid getting too hungry or too full."

"You sound like a PSA again.  I'm dating a walking public encyclopedia,"  Brian said, the teasing evident in his voice.

"You too are something else.  Do you ever agree on anything?  It's a wonder that you too are dating and find some common ground,"  Emmett said, remarking on their relationship.

Neither man responded as they recognized his teasing as well. However, Gus said, "They like a lot of stuff.  Dad and Justin both like museums and art and they like the Incline.  We've gone 4-5 times.  And they are always talking."

"I'm sure that they have many things they enjoy together," Emmett assured him, smiling knowingly at both men.  While he knew that Brian did not go to Babylon anymore, he was pretty certain that the man had not been celibate this last year.  He was sure that they were compatible in the bedroom as well.

They finished eating dinner and cleared the plates as well as put the food away.  

"Should we put out the plates for dessert?  Aunty Emm said that Uncle Ted and Blake and Grandma Debbie are coming to celebrate your 1 year without drinking,"  Gus asked, eager to eat his newest creation.

"Sure.  We can put out the dessert plates,"  Brian said, secretly wondering how their other news would go over.  Debbie seemed to be okay with it and he knew that Ted was always supportive.  He didn't think Blake would be bothered, but he wasn't sure he would approve as Justin had been his sponsor.  

They got out the plates and almost as soon as the forks and serving pieces were placed on the table the buzzer rang.  Gus answered the buzzer and after hearing that it was Ted and Blake, he buzzed them up.  He opened the door to let them in as well.

"We're having pineapple-upside down cake.  Isn't that a funny name for a dessert?  You cook it backwards and turn it upside down to eat it.,"  Gus laughed as he explained the dessert's cooking instructions.

"I love pineapple.  I can't wait to try it,"  Blake said.  He sat down on the couch where Justin and Brian were sitting and picked up a coaster, turning it over and looking at the back.

Ted said, "My mom used to make that dessert.  It was one of my favorites.  I'm sure it will be delicious.  Anything that Emmett makes is always good,"  Ted said, smiling at his friend.  

Emmett was sitting on the chair and Ted had chosen to sit in the second chair.  There was not a lot of room in Brian's living space therefore Gus was sitting on the floor.  He picked up one of the coasters as well and played with it.  He hoped his Grandma would arrive soon so they could have cake.  He wondered what they would do tomorrow.  Justin said something about grocery shopping and he wanted his Dad to buy a new game his friend Tommy had heard about.  There was an art book on the table and he put down the coaster and picked it up to look at, hoping to get inspiration for a future project.  Justin had told him that sometimes looking at other people's work sparked an idea for him.  He couldn't wait to work in Justin's studio with him.

Before he could get very far in the book, the buzzer rang announcing Debbie's arrival.  Gus ran to the door to let her in, his excitement at eating his dessert winning over his patience for all the guests to arrive.

Debbie walked in and gave everyone a hug and a kiss.  With each kiss, she left her infamous lipstick ring and tried to wipe each ring away, but frequently left a red smear on each person's cheek.  "You invited me to some fancy dessert, Emmett.  What is our family coming to that we have a special get-together for dessert?"

"Dad's been sober for 1 year.  We're celebrating.  He said he got a bronze chip and asked Aunty Emm to help me make a special dessert to celebrate."

"Wow, Brian.  A bronze chip.  Today is a special day.  Justin moved in and you got your 1 year chip.  I'm proud of you, son!!!"  She walked over to Brian, engulfing him in a hug that lasts for several moments.  

"Deb, let him go.  He needs to breathe,"  Emmett said.  "Moving in, too.  You are filled with surprises, Brian.  Congratulations on both accounts."  Emmett stood up too and hugged Brian and then Justin.  You two make a cute couple."

Ted followed suit, standing up and giving both of them hugs and their blessings.  "You have a lot to be proud of, Brian.  You are a good man,"  Ted said.  "And Justin, I want to thank you for all you've done for Brian.  He's a changed man and definitely for the better."

Blake high-fived both men and then hugged them.

Gus was tired of all the congratulations and said, "We need to eat dessert.  Remember that is why we came over, to eat dessert."

Everyone laughed and sat down at the table.  Emmett served everyone and as anticipated enjoyed the backwards dessert.

The guests stayed for an hour or so, visiting and talking about their weekend.  First Debbie left stating she had to work tomorrow.  Ted and Blake said they had plans to catch a movie at the retro theater and Emmett excused himself to get ready for a night at Babylon.

"Dad, I'm proud of you too.  I love hanging out with you and Justin and I'm so happy that you two are dating and have moved in together.  I can't wait for Justin to teach me about art and go to summer camp.  Thanks for being you."

Brian went over to hug Gus who had moved to the couch when people had vacated their home.  "I'm proud to be your dad and I did it all for you.  Thanks for being my kid."

Gus beamed at Brian, not realizing the true meaning behind his father's words, but content to know he was loved and everyone's future seemed bright.

The End