Changes

Chapter 3





“Hellooo!” Emmett called as he entered Edna’s Treasures through the sun porch door.

Beau raised his head and gave a little woof, before dropping his head back down. He fell back asleep almost immediately, as soon as he knew who had invaded his territory.

“Wha…” came from the big brass bed. “What the fuck are you doing, Honeycutt?” Melanie demanded as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“I brought breakfast, and don’t call me Honeycutt.”

“What the fuck time is it?”

“Mel…” Lindsay interjected.

“It’s quarter to eight,” Emmett supplied. “I have muffins and popovers.”

“Did I hear popovers?” Brian’s voice boomed from his bedroom.

“Yes, sire, popovers.”

“Save me one,” Brian commanded. “I’m hitting the shower.”

“Yes, oh great adman,” Emmett laughed.

“Mel, let’s help Emmett make breakfast. It’s the least we can do,” Lindsay suggested.

Emmett looked at the two women in the big brass bed. “I can make breakfast without any help,” he said quickly. Lesbian eggs sounded completely wrong somehow.

“We’re helping,” Melanie said throwing back the sheet that lay over them.

“Ooohh!” Emmett shrieked covering his eyes and running for the kitchen.

“You may have scarred him for life,” Lindsay laughed.

“Serves him right,” Melanie retorted as she swung her legs out of the bed and hunted for some clothes.



*****



When Brian came out of the bedroom a few minutes later, breakfast was well under way. He assessed the situation, poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. “Good work, staff,” he said with a smirk.

“Asshole,” Melanie replied, earning a poke in the ribs from Lindsay.

“Where’s Justin?” Lindsay asked.

“In the shower.”

“You mean you didn’t shower together?”

“Contrary to popular belief, we do take part in some independent activities,” Brian replied.

“Yeah, right!” Melanie snarked. She was whipping the eggs before scrambling them.

“Where are the kids?” Brian asked.

“Nobody’s put in an appearance yet, probably because darling Emmett woke us up so early.”

“It wasn’t that early,” Emmett protested.

“I guess I’ll check on the kids,” Brian said standing up. “There will be something edible shortly, won’t there?”

“Yes, asshole.”

“Ah, my quota of assholes has been reached for this morning,” Brian said with a satisfied smirk on his face. He headed for the kids’ bedrooms.

“Mel, you should be nicer to Brian,” Lindsay chastised her husband. “You know what he’s doing for us.”

“He wouldn’t know what to make of me if I wasn’t snarking at him all the time.”

“That’s true,” Emmett said cheerfully. “Me either.”

“Can it, Honeycutt,” Melanie warned. Emmett merely smiled.



*****



Brian reached the bedroom doors. There was no sound from either room. He carefully opened the door to Gus’ room.

“Hi, Uncle Brian,” JR said. She was lying in the upper bunk bed reading a book.

“Hey, kid, where’s your brother?”

“I think he must have slept in Bree’s room. He never came in here last night.”

“Oh?” Brian replied with a frown. He turned to go check Bree’s room.

“Uncle Brian, can I talk to you?” JR asked, closing her book and setting it down beside her on the bed.

“Sure,” Brian replied. He closed the door behind him and joined JR as she climbed down from the upper bunk and sat on the lower one. “What do you want to talk about?” Brian asked with some trepidation. It must have shown on his face.

“It’s okay, Uncle Brian. It’s not about the birds and the bees.”

“Good.”

“It’s about the moms.”

“What about the moms?”

“I … I know they haven’t been getting along lately.”

“You do, huh?”

“I see a lot of stuff. More than Gus.”

“I bet you do.”

“Are they going to get a divorce?” JR asked with a worried look on her face.

“No one can answer that, but I’m hoping they can work things out.”

“Me too,” JR sighed. “Do you think the weekend at the Plaza will help?”

“I’m hoping it will.”

“Thank you for giving them that,” JR said wrapping her arms around her uncle’s neck and kissing his cheek.

“You’re welcome. I just hope it does the trick.”

“Me too.”

“Are you okay?”

“I … I start high school on Tuesday. It’s kind of scary,” JR admitted.

“You’ll do great. You’re very smart,” Brian told the girl.

"You think I’m smart?”

“I know you are.”

JR’s smile was radiant. “I think I am too … sometimes.”

“And you’d be right,” Brian chuckled. “Get some clothes on because breakfast will be ready soon.”

“Okay, and thanks, Uncle Brian.”

Brian smiled at JR and went out the door. He walked across the hall and pushed open the door to Bree’s room. He drew in a breath at the sight before him. Gus was stretched out on Bree’s bed, the book he’d been reading to her lay beside him. Bree had crawled over against her brother and her head lay on the same pillow as Gus’. Brian noted that Gus’ hand held Bree’s little one. He just stared.

“Bri,” Justin’s voice said behind him.

“Sh,” Brian replied placing a finger to his lips. “Look at this.”

Justin looked into the room, a happy smile curling the edges of his mouth. “They look like angels.”

“They are angels.”

“Hey,” Gus said sleepily as his eyes finally opened. “What time is it?”

“Time for breakfast,” Brian said with a smile. “You spent the night with your sister?”

“I guess I fell asleep.”

“I love you, Gus,” a little voice said, as Bree entwined herself around her brother.

“Love you back, short stuff.”

“Time to get up, you two,” Brian said gently. “Auntie Emm and the moms are cooking breakfast.”

“We’ll be out in a minute, won’t we, Bree?” Gus said.

“Yeah.”

“Give us a minute, Pop, Justin.”

“You got it,” Justin replied. He took Brian’s hand and led him down the hall.

“You okay today, Bree?” Gus asked.

“I guess so. Thank you for staying with me.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. Are you sure you have to go away to school?”

“I’m sure, but you can call me, and I’ll be home lots of weekends.”

“Will you come visit me?”

“You can count on it,” Gus said hugging her. “Now, let’s go see what’s for breakfast.”

“’Kay,” Bree agreed.

Brian and Justin found the kitchen full of people and everything set up for breakfast in the sun porch. It would be another happy and companionable morning at Edna’s Treasures.

As Brian and Lindsay were cleaning up the kitchen, Bree and JR went out to the Wendy house to play. Gus took his laptop to Brian’s office so he could work on a project for PIFA. Bobby, John and Patrick convinced the rest of the family to play softball out in the meadow.

“You girls leaving soon?” Brian asked as he was drying glasses.

“You kicking us out?” Lindsay countered.

“Not at all. I thought you might be on a schedule.”

“No, no schedule. Just thought you were in a hurry to get back your quiet cottage.”

“Sometimes it can be too quiet. But what I really want is to give Bree and Gus more time together and more time with JR.”

“It’s funny how Bree and JR get along. There’s quite an age difference.”

“Age isn’t everything or so I’ve been told. More coffee?” Brian offered as they were just about finished with the washing up.

“Yes, please. JR likes that she can have a grownup conversation with Bree while they play with dolls.” Lindsay and Brian chuckled. “JR is at that age where she’s still too young to be considered a woman and too old to be a girl.”

“Then I say she and Bree are evenly matched. Bree may be six but she’s going on thirty. Let’s take these out to the porch,” Brian said as he raised his mug.

“Brian, I wanted to thank you for the use of your suite,” Lindsay began as she settled onto one of the chaises.

“Don’t thank me yet; we don’t know if it’ll help.”

“The trip to Florida helped. I think we just need to get refocused.”

“Lindz, don’t miss that appointment with the counselor. Gus needs to know you’re stable.”

“I know, and Mel and I are committed to doing everything we can to work things out.”

“That’s good to hear,” Brian said softly. They sat quietly sipping their coffee.

“Bri, Justin’s popularity is growing.”

“I know. Sidney mentioned something along those lines when Justin was planting his henge.”

“We’ve gotten requests from a couple of galleries in London. They want his ‘Seasons’ show and some of the ‘Old Masters’ as well.”

“All hail the conquering hero.” Brian sighed loudly.

“Sidney will be taking Justin’s portfolio to London just after the opening of the Emerging Artists show.”

“Peachy. Should I be booking a round trip ticket to London in the name of Sunshine?”

“No. But if we do this right, you might be able to book a family trip to London during the Winter break.”

“Really?” Brian perked up.

“I think so. Sidney doesn’t want to flood the market with Justin’s work even though he’s been very prolific lately. But he does want to keep Justin in the public eye. However, the London galleries will want to meet Justin and his family.”

“Lindz, we won’t hide what we are,” Brian growled.

“Relax, Brian, you won’t have to,” Lindsay reassured him. “Do you think there are any more popovers?” Lindsay asked after a while.

“I think I might be able to oblige,” Brian said as he held out his hand. Lindsay took it and they walked together toward the kitchen.



*****



As their game was winding down, Drew pitched a curve ball to Bobby. Bobby caught the ball just right with his bat, and it flew toward the trees effectively ending the game. Patrick and John cheered loudly as Bobby loped around the bases. Their team had won the game.

“I thought he was just a pitcher,” Drew complained good-naturedly as Bobby rounded third base. “Next time we play football! I don’t know how you can throw such a tiny ball.”

Bobby laughed as he crossed home plate.

“What’s all the shouting about?” Brian asked as he and Lindsay came out to the field. Brian was bouncing a soccer ball.

“Our team just won the game,” Melanie crowed proudly.

“Baseball, football, sissy games,” Brian grumbled with a twinkle in his eye.

He bounced the soccer ball off the ground then off his ankles then onto one knee then took off chasing and kicking it around his family. He was a one man team, weaving in and out and around the amazed players on the field. Patrick was laughing as his Dad began chasing his uncle trying to take the ball. Finally John took a flying tackle, pinning Brian to the ground.

“Hey, big bro! There is no tackling in soccer!” Brian shouted as he was trying to catch his breath.

“Not bad, John,” Drew complimented. “You could have made a pretty good running back.”

“Yeah, for a cowboy,” Brian managed to say before he found himself being tickled to death.

“Say ‘my big bro’s the man!’” John commanded as he found every tickle spot known on Brian. Brian tried to hold out but couldn’t. He began to laugh uncontrollably.

“My big bro’s the man!” Brian shouted.

Satisfied, John stopped his assault then flopped back onto the ground.

“I’ll save you, Uncle Bri,” Patrick declared as he pounced on his father. Patrick started to tickle his dad while Brian laughed.

“You go, little Red! You’re the man!” Brian laughed.

“I’ll get you, Kinney,” John growled even as Bobby joined in on the tickle assault.

As the Anderson-Morrison family was roughhousing, Justin extended his hand for Brian. Taking it, Brian stood up, brushing the grass and twigs from his clothes. Hand in hand, he, Justin and the family slowly meandered back toward the conjoined cottages.

“Hey, I didn’t see you playing,” Brian said to Emmett.

“Of course not. I’m a cheerleader,” Emmett declared, shaking imaginary pompoms in the air.

“Well, right now you’re the chef. Let’s see if we can rustle up some lunch for these people,” Brian strongly suggested.

“Your wish is my command, sire,” Emmett crowed.

“I’ll help,” Justin said.

“Thank you, sweetie.”

“We’ll help too,” the girls said.

“Oooo, I feel like we’re living in a commune! All for one, one for all. Hmm, sounds more like an orgy,” Emmett said with a wide toothy grin. Emmett’s helpers followed the party planner towards the kitchen like he was a pied piper.

“Bri, while Martha rallies the kitchen detail, can I talk to you about Brandon’s proposal?” Teddy ventured.

“You had to ruin my good mood, didn’t you?”

“That wasn’t my intention.”

“Well, you’ve succeeded anyway.”

“Brian, the sooner you look over his ideas and approve them, the sooner we implement them and then Brandon goes away.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“That was the deal.”

“What about our other branches?”

“It’ll be easy to bring them online.”

“And the security?”

“The best out there. Bri, it makes sense to use one firm to handle Kinnetik and the other branches. And if we expand, the system expands with us.”

“Come up to the office and show me. But I’m warning you, Theodore, if I have to look at his skinny toupeed ass one more time, I’m firing you!”

“Got it, boss! No toupeed ass,” Ted said with a straight face and holding his hand over his heart.

Brian couldn’t help laughing.



*****



“JR! Bree! Lunch!” Mel called out toward the Wendy house. Mel could hear the cheers of delight. In a few minutes the girls came running in. “Did you girls have fun?”

“Yes, Mama!”

“Oh yes, Auntie Mel. I love playing with JR,” Bree gushed.

“Well, I have a little surprise for you. Your fathers have asked us to stay one more night so you can visit longer with Gus and JR.”

“YAY!” Bree, JR and Gus cheered.

The kids helped to set the table as the adults brought in lunch.



*****



The rest of the afternoon was spent quietly. The kids went back outside to enjoy the last weekend of Summer. Emmett, Drew, Ted and Allen went back down the lane until it was time for dinner. Brian decided he had at least one more ‘grilling’ in him, so he went to marinate some steak for later that evening. Justin decided he had to put to canvas the vision of Gus and Bree asleep, as soon as possible.

Justin unhooked one of his easels and carefully lowered it to the sun porch floor. He secured a prepared canvas board to it and began to quickly sketch out his painting.

“How do you do that so fast?” Lindsay asked softly. She had never really seen Justin at work.

“I’m not sure,” he replied as his hand furiously sped across the board. “It’s like the idea is in my head and I can’t stop my hand until it’s on the canvas or the sketchpad.”

“Maybe that’s why you’re so good and I’m just a wannabe. I always over-analyze. If it wasn’t perfect, I couldn’t complete the picture.”

“But life isn’t perfect and my stuff isn’t always perfect either.”

“Oh?”

“Did I ever tell you about when my grape hyacinth wore a hat?” Justin giggled as he took out his palette and paints.



*****



“Hi. Yeah, I got home Friday night. I’m fine, how are you? I miss you. Do you think we can convince the ‘rents to have you come here for my birthday party? I really, really want to see you. Yeah, me too. I’ll call you tonight. Later, Ray.”