BRIAN

Justin and I had a small ceremony with the family a couple of months later, we wanted everyone there. Edward and Vicky stayed an extra week so they could help with Lily and Gus while Justin and I took a short honeymoon. I loved seeing my sister finally showing, she glowed.

Justin had a show to do along with Sam's, so we both agreed to do a real honeymoon later. When we got back, I left Justin with the kids, who missed us. It was time to give Ted his independence. I talked to Alex, who agreed Ted was in a place where he needed to us to show him he was capable of leading his own life.

I walked into the house we bought to help us heal from our past, thinking of all the things that brought us to making this family we’d created. Michael went home after our talk and apparently threw Deb out of his life for lying to him. Alex said Michael met a doctor and left Pittsburgh when the guy offered him the life he tried to make Ted pay for. Apparently it was wanting to hang out with the A Gay list that had Michael trying to get Ted to come back. When he moved to Portland, it really just made us all happy he'd be on the other side of the continent. Lindsay tried to win Sam over when she and Mel lost everything to me. I pissed her off even more when I gave it all to charity. For me it wasn't about the money, but a way for them to both see I wasn’t playing games with my family. Like a cat, Lindsay landed on her feet, marrying a successful lawyer who was obviously desperate if Lindsay was who she wanted. Mel cleaned up her act and stayed with her family, no longer having any contact with anyone from her old life. Deb, and yes I can call her that now, understood when I told her I didn't see a place in my family's life for her. My parents were getting closer, and Dad wanted to help Mom raise Peter and John. I just didn’t see Deb as someone my mother would want around. I did talk to Vic and found out he and Deb made peace with each other. So she had someone when Michael took off. My life was too full of good things to care. ‘Today is going to be better than yesterday’ as my mom started telling everyone.

I got a surprise when Ted and Emmett didn’t want the house.

“It’s served its purpose, but it's time for all of us to move on,” Ted tells me, smiling at Blake.

“Drew wants me to travel with him, and we agreed that when we're here we’ll live in his house,” Emmett tells me.

“Shelly?” I ask her.

“It's time for me to help the next patient, but not to worry, I'll be living here. Ted and Blake found an apartment we can share,” She tells me.

We agreed to sell the house, because it needed a family. Ours was outgrowing it.

It seems like everything was wine and roses, but there were days when I couldn’t talk, and Justin left me with my phone and took the kids out while I called Alex. Ted was still seeing Alex, but more to keep his problems from drowning out the good things in life. Gus on the other hand no longer remembered anything but the family that showed him he was loved. It was more important to me that my son became the little boy I wanted him to be, happy.

TWO YEARS LATER

Once again I was waiting in the park with everyone. Gus was helping Lily on the slide. Ted was complaining he was starving when Emmett hit his hand for trying to sneak a snack. CJ and Diana were holding their newest child, Oscar, who just told them both they were destined for boys. Vicky cuddled with her daughter Rose. Apparently Gus decided all the girls should be named for flowers and his favorite Aunt Vicky gave in. I saw Justin hurrying into the park, but not towards us. I got up to see where the hell he was going, he shouldn't be running in his condition. I got to him in time to see him at the Sabrett cart, ordering a hotdog.

“I'm going to eat this, unlike the last time,” He tells me, devouring it.

“Emmett made your favorite, why would you want that?” I ask, as he finishes the last bite.

“Because… mother fu… I didn’t get it the last time,” He tells me.

“Goddamn it, you're in labor and you want a fucking hotdog?” I ask, incredulous.

“Which I got, so can we go?” He asks, gripping my arm to stay standing.

The family packed up and once again took Justin to deliver our child. She came out screaming, but beautiful. Gus smiled, saying Iris really had lungs.

In the room, I took Iris first to my father.