By the time September rolled by, we had a nice routine.

Brian made a personal effort to spend every weekend with me, either at home, or at the White House. If I had to go there, it wasn’t much fun because he was closer to his job which held him busy until late at night.

Sometimes, he spent a few days at home during the week, too. It all depended on his schedule and if he could solve whatever problem from a computer or his phone.

I had turned the garage into my painting studio. Brian had tried to help me find a spot somewhere in the city, but I liked Matt’s suggestion. Because it had been his bright idea to convert the unused garage into my studio.

Between Matt and me, it took only two weeks to have the place just the way I wanted it. Ever since then, I had more or less lived in my studio.

Ideas came constantly and sometimes I had to stop my current work to outline a new one. I wanted to have everything ready for my show in November.

I had attended the one in August to see what it entitled, and it had been breathtaking. I couldn’t wait to be one of the artists displayed in Artful Work.

Brian was currently traveling for his presidential campaign.

I was staring at the painting on the easel in front of me, wondering if a tint of orange would ruin the blue hues or not, when my phone buzzed from the working table.

I wiped my fingers on my overalls's pants leg, accepting Brian’s call.

“Hey, stranger!”

“Justin, it’s a long story but you have to go get Gus from school.”

“Shit. Are the girls okay?” I hadn’t seen them often, only a handful of times since I had moved here.

“Lindsay was hysterical when she called earlier, but Ben answered because I was in a meeting. The thing is you have to get Gus and keep him home until I find out what the fuck happened.” He groaned loudly. “Just two fucking minutes, Will,” he snapped. “Right, I have to go. Remind me why I put myself through this hell again.”

“Because you like being the President?”

He snorted, hanging up.

Brian’s phone call left me feeling uneasy. Something must have happened to one of the girls for them to not be able to get their son from school. I tried not to panic when I realized I didn’t even know where his school was, but after a look at the phone, I knew I had to get a move. It was a little after two in the afternoon.

Instead of calling Matt, I rushed out of my studio and crossed the street to the little house our security lived in.

I knocked on the door, rocking on the balls of my feet.

Hank answered mildly surprised. He was dressed in a tracksuit, like he was planning to go for a jog.

“Mr. Taylor.”

“Hey, uh I just got off the phone with Brian. He told me to get Gus from school. The thing is…I don’t even know where the school is. I was hoping you guys could point me in the right direction.”

“School lets out around three of my knowledge. Here’s what we’re going to do. You go back home and change.” At that he gave me an once-over, scrunching his nose. “And I find out the kid’s school.”

I nodded. “Sure.”

“See you at the car in five minutes, sir.”

No matter how often I told them to stop calling me ‘sir’ or ‘Mr. Taylor’, they never listened.

In our bedroom, I tugged at my dirty clothes, putting on a pair of khakis and the first clean t-shirt I found. I stepped into my sports shoes, and sprinted downstairs and out the door. I locked up, and turned to find Matt at the backdoor of the Merc with the door open.

“Hey! Where’s Hank?”

“At home. I know where Gus’s school is. I used to drive him not that long ago, but things changed after our trip to Europe.”

“Oh.” Now I felt terrible. I had stolen Gus’s driver.

“Don’t worry. His moms are doing an amazing job with him.”

“Don’t they have security too?” I asked, curiously.

“Ms. Peterson doesn’t agree to it. It had taken a lot of convincing from Mr. Kinney to have me as Gus’s driver.”

“So now they drive him to school and back? No tail?”

Matt laughed, probably for the first time since our time in Paris. “Everyone Mr. Kinney knows and is close to has some sort of tail. Most of them have invisible tail which is better for their own good.”

“I wish I had invisible tail, too,” I mumbled.

“You’re too important to Mr. Kinney.”

I blushed furiously, keeping my eyes out the window.

When we parked in the school lot, I noticed there were teachers with children outside. They were probably waiting for parents to come get their kids.

Matt led the way to the right side. That’s when I noticed a forlorn Gus. Hopefully, he hadn’t thought he was being abandoned.

“Matt,” Gus exclaimed when he noticed my security.

Matt smiled brightly, crouching down so he could hug Gus. Over Matt’s shoulder, Gus saw me. His eyes widened, then he ripped away from Matt and wrapped his arms around my legs.

“Jus!”

“Hey, little guy.” I picked him up, despite how heavier he had gotten. “I have orders to steal you.”

“Awesome!” He fist-pumped the air.

I noticed Matt exchanging a few words with Gus’s teacher, who was openly gaping at me. That was something I would never get used to.

“We’ll be in the car,” I called to Matt.

“Is Daddy in the car too?”

“Sorry, kiddo. He’ll be back this weekend. He’s in Austin at the moment,” I explained.

“It’s really hot there, right?”

“I suppose. So how have you been?” I deposited him next to me in the backseat, buckling him up.

While Gus started telling me about his school and his life, Matt returned. Gus stopped abruptly, leaning to tap Matt’s shoulder.

“Maaaaatt?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Can we go do our thing? Jus won’t tell anyone,” Gus whispered.

Matt chuckled. “Sure thing.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded.

“You’ll see.” Matt grinned through the rearview mirror.

“So Mommy is busy? You’re driving me again?”

“Yeah, your mom was busy. And no, this is a one-time thing.”

“I miss you.”

“I’m Justin’s driver now,” Matt supplied when Gus pouted.

“Matt’s cool.” Gus beamed at me. “Way cooler than Ben.”

“Anyone’s cooler than Ben,” I laughed.

Though, I had grown real close to Ben. The Independence Day free days had been spent at Camp David where Brian surprised everyone by bringing Emmett and Michael for me. His security men were more excited than me, in the end.

It was also over those days spent there when I found out the story behind Ben’s Purple Heart. To this day I wished I hadn’t asked. On his first mission in the Middle East, he had lost his best friend in a mine explosion. Ben had explained that it was his turn to explore the perimeter, but Conner had offered to switch knowing Ben hadn’t slept in over thirty hours. Not long after Conner had left their tent, the explosion had taken everyone by surprise. Ben had taken down no less than ten enemies that were closing in alerted by the explosion. He had sustained multiple gunshot injuries, but hadn’t stopped until all the enemies were dead and he retrieved his friend’s body.

After a stop to McDonald’s, we went home. Gus was in awe of the place, exclaiming that he hadn’t known his dad had bought another house.

“It’s for us. Of course, you’re welcome to join me so I don’t get bored while your dad is busy running the country,” I explained.

“Sounds cool.”

We ate in front of the flat screen, watching cartoons.

As the afternoon turned into evening, Gus started fidgeting. He was curious if his moms would take him home soon. So was I, but no one had called with instructions. I suggested Gus to wear one of his daddy’s t-shirts and sleep in the guest bedroom if he was tired.

It was half an hour past nine when my phone rang. Ben.

“Hey,” I answered.

“Hello Justin. I finally managed to get hold of Lindsay,” he said.

“Okay…”

“It turns out she and Melanie forgot their son’s birthday was this weekend. They’re in a frenzy to get everything ready. Brian already talked to Gus’s teacher and she said it’s okay if he stays home tomorrow.”

“Why? It’s Friday. I bet he’d like to go to school.”

“It’s up to you if you want to take him to school. It was a suggestion. Anyway, we’re returning on Saturday. Brian wants to make it for Gus’s party.”

“So where’s the party held?”

“I’ll text you Lindsay’s number so you can talk to her.”

“That’s better. Thanks.”

“Anytime. Goodnight, Justin.”

“Night.”

.

.

.

In the morning, I woke up around nine. There was a note on the table in the kitchen from Matt telling me he had taken Gus to school. I felt horrible.

In my defense, I wasn’t used to children under the roof.

After my coffee was brewed, I went to my studio. Not long later, Matt dropped by. He told me not to worry and that he would get Gus in the afternoon.

I wanted to join him, but I appreciated that he told me he didn’t mind because inspiration stroke around the time we had to leave.

I was working on my latest piece when the garage door flew open, and I jumped startled. Gus barreled to me, squealing.

“Matt told me I’m having another sleepover!”

“Yes. You know I don’t mind.” I ruffled his hair, immediately regretting it when I left blue paint on his brown locks.

“You put paint in my hair,” he said slowly, staring at me horrified. He looked so much like Brian in that moment, it was uncanny.

“Nothing a bath won’t cure.” I took his hand, only to have him wriggle out of my grasp, scowling at his blue hand. “Oh, come on, Gussy. I thought you liked to paint too.”

“You’re too messy.”

I laughed, ushering him inside the house.

After a bath, I had him installed in front of the flat screen with the take-out Matt had left in the kitchen. If I hadn’t been so caught in my paintings, I would have cooked.

While I stood in the living room doorway, looking at Gus wrapped in Brian’s bathrobe, his wet hair sticking in all direction, picking at his food while he stared at the TV, I realized that I didn’t have anything for Gus’s birthday. I wanted him to have something from me, because I knew Brian would buy him something.

I picked my sketchpad and a pen, curling on the love-seat, away from Gus. I drew him in all his adorableness.

When I looked up from my drawing, I noticed Gus fast asleep curled up on the couch. I put the throw over him, knowing that if I moved him, he would wake up. Then I went to the bedroom, getting ready for bed myself.