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JUSTIN

 

I woke up alone, but knew, like I had for the last month, where to find everyone. We were leaving this afternoon for my family reunion. The last month Brian rarely went home, just showed up here after work with what he needed for the next day. After a week of him carrying a bag back and forth, I suggested leaving stuff here. Slowly Brian’s things were trickling into the house. He seems to like seeing our clothes next to each other. After we get back I plan to ask him if he wants to live here, and was really only stalling, considering the only thing he lacks to truly live here was a change of address. I walked into the kitchen, smiling as Brian, Gus, and Gwen were staring at the pancakes they were making. Brian claimed to not really know how to cook, and his first attempts had us calling out for pizza. 

 

I introduced him to the recipes on the sides of the boxes, which was kind of funny because he seemed disappointed when he made biscuits and said they tasted like Deb’s. Emmett explained later that Deb gave the impression that everything she cooked was made from secret family recipes, then told me it was easier to just pretend not to see the bisquick she hid behind the pots and pans. 

 

In the last month, Deb made it an edict that all her boys showed up and had Sunday dinner. Gwen liked Deb’s rather large personality. Gwen was used to my mom’s more reserved ways, but even I enjoyed Deb’s quips. She hadn’t been happy with Michael, and it took her a few weeks before she let him attend dinners at her house. The guys told me it’s normal that Michael eventually gets in Deb’s good graces. I understand, because in the end he was still her son. 

 

I almost asked Brian, after Jenny’s first check up, if Michael had multiple personality disorder. Michael and Ben brought her when Mel had a meeting she couldn’t get out of. Lindsay told Brian it was time for Michael to take on the responsibility that he bitched and whined that he wanted, according to Mel. He felt if Brian was allowed to do something for Gus, he should be treated the same way when it came to Jenny. He came in and listened while I answered Ben’s questions about things they could do to help Jenny. Ben left for a minute when he got a call, leaving us alone with Jenny. Michael mentioned an event for kids that he and Ben wanted to take Jenny to, and thought it would be something Gwen might enjoy. When they left, he shook my hand and thanked me for taking care of Jenny. So I didn’t get when we were at Deb’s and he tried to dominate every conversation to talk about his past with all the guys. Leaving out Drew, Blake, and me. He didn’t do it in a way that any of us could take offense at, but it was pretty obvious the conversations were to remind the others about their friendships with Michael. It was also interesting watching Ben rein him in, there was a bet that Michael likely had a bald spot. Ben would run his hand around the back of Michael’s head then yank when Michael tales ended with Brian tricking the night away, or the mention of a past exploit of one of the guys. I realized it wasn’t just me that Michael disapproved of, but Blake and Drew also. Apparently Michael didn’t like anything that distracted his friends from what he wanted them to do. 

 

Deb told me that she blames herself for the way Michael acts, because she held on tightly to Michael while he was growing up. Which sort of made sense, since Michael was doing the same thing. Michael had a harder time with Brian than with me. Brian was still giving him the cold shoulder, which seemed to get worse as time went on. I wanted to ask why he seemed to distance himself from Michael more. I knew from the way everyone described them, that eventually they would both let go of what ever caused them to be pissed at each other. I wanted to try and find a way that Brian and Michael could still be friends, because I know if Daphne and I fell out, I’d miss the hell out of her. I didn’t try to interfere or help, because Brian simply asked me to leave it alone. 

 

We’d been spending time around my mom and Tucker, with me begging her not to make a big deal about Brian to my grandmother and great aunts. She agreed because she made that mistake with Tucker. The cackling hens of my family, were prepared when Tucker came, and to this day Tucker said he almost ran screaming when they started asking my mom if Tucker was big all over. To me it’s better they don’t have time to plot, so Brian and Gus were going to be a surprise. 

 

BRIAN

 

It was like finding out that Santa didn’t exist when I started to figure out this cooking thing wasn’t as hard as Deb always made it seem. I spent the dinners we endured to make Deb happy, spying on her. You want to know what I found out, all the pots were just for show. I remember coming to dinner and Deb would be slaving away when we arrived and then order us all out of her kitchen. I snuck back in to see her dumping a jar of Ragu in a pot, then realized I could do that, sort of. It was really just me trying not to have to bring out my inner asshole around the kids. 

 

I knew everyone waited for the usual, Michael and I acting like nothing happened. In the past, it didn’t matter because there was nothing I could lose when Michael did his stupid shit. Even Justin didn’t understand why I wouldn’t let it go. I tried, but every time Michael called or showed up at Kinnetik, he would extend an invitation to his house. Then bring up other guys who were going to be there. I mentioned that we should go out to Babylon, then said that we should leave Ben at home while Michael checked out the guys there. Michael didn’t understand why I would expect him to go out without Ben, which only told me he still didn’t see Justin as my partner. Until he did, I didn’t see the point in staying friends with him. 

 

Michael found out about me going with Justin’s family to the reunion and tried to get the guys and Deb to plan a family get together for the same weekend. Deb warned me what Michael was up to, because she happens to love Justin and I together. When Deb refused to do it, Michael tried to get out of Emmett and Ted where I was going. When that didn’t work, he tried to get it out of Mel and Lindsay, suggesting a vacation where we all take the kids. Ben thought it was a great idea and planned a trip for Michael, Hunter, and Jenny. I almost wanted to suggest they lose Michael in the wilderness while they went camping. At the same time, I missed the friend Michael could be. 

 

The way he treated Justin seemed to change as long as he didn’t see us together. Justin assured me that Michael didn’t do or say anything that I warned him about. Which was the only reason we still went to dinner at Deb’s, because between Ben and Deb, Michael seemed to get that no one was going to let it slide anymore. 

 

The strangest thing that came out of all this was that Mel was on our side. She told me, that to her, all that mattered was that Gus and I were happy with Justin. I think it helped that Lindsay didn’t do what Michael was doing and that their relationship had started to get better, because Lindsay had stopped trying to run my life. Lindsay and Justin got along well, figuring out that they knew some of the same people. Lindsay pulled me aside and told me all about Justin’s father and stepmother. Apparently even Lindsay’s parents, who didn’t like Lindsay being gay, liked even less that Brenda Taylor was admitted to their country club. 

 

I looked at the pancake that didn’t burn and happily slid it on a plate for Gus. Gwen poured hers and it came out perfect. I might not have made it from scratch but as far as I was concerned as long as it was edible, it was a win. Justin came in, grabbing a cup of coffee, kissing me, then the kids before sitting down. I watch the family that I hope to one day make more official. I’d been slowly moving in with Justin, but I wanted it to be more than my clothes in his closet. After this weekend, it was time to talk about taking the next step. I knew Justin had told his mother he wanted to surprise his family with me. Which I didn’t really get, like I have a problem with holding my own with anyone.

 

Every day that I knew Justin’s mother made me love her even more. She made sure Gus was included anytime Gwen was staying with her. She even included Jenny and Poppy on outings. She told me she loved being a grandmother and didn’t really care who’s kid it was. She and Deb met and one of the things that really showed me the woman Justin’s mother was, was that nothing about Deb put her off. They got along from the minute they met, even going out together on occasion when Carl or Tucker couldn’t go. I started to see it wasn’t just about Justin and me, but the idea that all of us were moving on with our lives that was the real problem for Michael. He didn’t see that we all still got together and if something happened we’d all be there for each other. All he saw was that everyone wasn’t circling around him and doing the things he wanted. 

 

All I wanted was my chance at a relationship, that until Justin, had been elusive. Being with Justin made me want things that I spent my life not really wanting. I didn’t miss the life I had before him, because it was empty. Other than Gus, I never thought love was worth letting someone in. Justin made it easy to tell him about my life. He seemed to know talking about my family wasn’t something that came easy to me, and let me do it at my own pace. It helped that he didn’t try to analyze my childhood, but simply let me know that he was fine not meeting them. He didn’t see any reason to include them in our lives, just like he didn’t include his father. It was something that made me love him more. 

 

We got everything cleaned up, and stopped to pick up a present for his sister. Daphne told me Molly is a lot like Justin, and would likely be happy to have the attention off her. I honestly didn’t have a problem with them wanting to marry me off to Justin, because when I see the future, it includes Justin, Gus, and Gwen.

 

“Promise me that you won’t egg my grandmother on,” Justin tells me.

 

“I’m sure it will be fine,” I tell him.

 

“You say that now, but trust me, she is going to try to shock you,” He tells me.

 

“Gran told me she can’t wait to meet him,” Gwen tells us.

 

“What?” Justin asks.

 

“She called while we were at Nana’s and I told her about Gus coming and that we were bringing our Brian too,” Gwen tells him, as Justin groans.

 

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