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GUS

 

When we all got to the beach house my dads went for a walk. Jus was letting my dad lean on him, while making it look like he wasn’t. We were all just happy the chemo was over, but knew it would be years before Dad was all clear. The prognosis was good, according to the doctor, but not a hundred percent. While everyone unpacked and unwound from the flight here, I sat at the window watching Jus and Dad. They were closer than they were before, and it was different than the way my moms were. They didn’t sling the past at each other, but were able to move on from it. I mentioned it to Mama, and she said it was because their love for each other eclipsed the bullshit. She smiled and said hopefully one day she and I would get the same thing.

 

I think that was really why Justin waited so long, because loving my dad was something he couldn’t stop doing. I asked my dad again why he let Michael cause him to almost lose Justin. 

 

“Michael didn’t cause it, I did. I made the choices that caused what happened between Justin and me. It’s a lesson I learned late in life, but one you need to carry with you through your life. Our choices, good or bad, are what cause the things that happen, and blaming other people is why your mom and Michael are in the trouble they’re in.” He tells me.

 

The Petersons tried to sweep what Mom did away, but no one was going to go against Jus or the mountains of information that was delivered to the DA. Al told me about what Justin did, and apparently the people he had worked for still looked out for him, even though he didn’t do anything for them now. Mom was given probation, but with the condition that she didn’t have any contact with Justin. Nana told me that while it seemed like she got off easy, having the art world closed her out was like a prison sentence for her. I agreed, since it was the reason all this started. She called me, wanting to have lunch together, only I told her it was too soon for me and I’d call her, not really sure I would. 

 

Michael got hit with the arson first, and the rest was coming. Hunter went to Deb when Ryan told him Deb wouldn’t talk to anyone. He found Deb watching QVC, crying that she was alone. Hunter didn’t coddle her, just told her to get off her ass and stop the pity party. That it was time to see what life was like without having to clean up after her son. She of course got defensive, trying to say if Michael had a father, it might have changed things. Hunter pointed out that he grew up with a mother who tried to sell his ass, and who the fuck knew who his father was, but he didn’t do the shit Michael did, so she could sit here alone or get her ass out there and see that there were people willing to be friends with her. She showed up at work and managed to get through a couple hours without saying something about Michael, then a day, and slowly longer. Ryan and his wife started inviting her out with them, and Deb was starting to get that she left her life waiting. Mama and Jenny visited too, and were trying to work on a relationship with her. Mama told me it was my dad who convinced her to at least try. Mama made it clear to Deb that Jenny needed to be loved because she was Jenny, not because she was Michael’s daughter. 

 

Emmett yelled for me to get my fanny to the kitchen, making me realize I’d been standing here for a while. I looked one more time at my dads, who really needed to stop trying to prove they had no problem with people watching them make out. Emmett had food everywhere, which was more about my dad, since he needed to gain weight. When they told me about this party I agreed, because everyone needed a reason to celebrate. Luke and Terry were coming tomorrow, saying they had something to do first, not telling me what. Drew mentioned that the family wanted to have a night together first. Nick and Daphne, who was really cranky since it was twins for her, came with us. I tried to hide my disappointment, not well apparently, since Nick told me his team was on drills, and he had used Daphne to get here. 

 

Al did send me an letter that I wasn’t allowed to open until tonight, not that it didn’t drive me insane to wait. He and I were skyping when he could, and it made it so we were learning about each other. Dr Turner and I talked about Al a lot. She questioned why I believed he was it for me. 

 

“If I’d never talked to him, I’d tell you it’s because he’s gorgeous. But after talking to him, he could be ugly and I wouldn’t care. The minute he walked into the house, it was like I no longer wanted to look at other people, just him. All the things that bothered me about my parents didn’t matter anymore, because the things that confused me stopped when he smiled at me. When we talked, he didn’t say my issues were insignificant. He risks his life and doesn’t see it as anything but his job. He reminds me of Jus in some ways.” I tell her.

 

“I’d normally tell you to be cautious given your age.” She tells me.  

 

“But?” I ask.

 

“You’ve matured through experience, and anytime I ask you to explain why or what, your answers show me you don’t jump into anything without thinking it through.” She tells me.

 

Jenny waved her hand in my face, when everyone was looking at me. I blew out the giant cupcake Emmett put in front of me. Turning red when everyone clapped and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ way off key. It felt like I was five all over again, but it was good to see everyone enjoying themselves, forgetting everything else.

 

“Sonny Boy, Jus, Mel, and I argued over this, but once again they agreed to my genius.” Dad tells me handing me an envelope.

 

“Since you decided to stay in Pittsburgh for college, we wanted to give you the option of where you live. If you want the whole living at the dorms, you can.” Mama tells me.

 

I opened up the envelope and in it was the deed to my dad’s loft, only it was in my name. “College dorms mean idiot roommates.” Dad tells me.

 

Before I could say anything or jump up and down over the idea of my own place, Nick handed me the letter I’d been saving for last.

 

“Open the letter.” Nick tells me, stopping me from following everyone out to the beach.

 

I tore it open. 

 

“Happy Birthday, your present from me is outside. Al”

 

Not really sure what could possibly be outside, I gave up and walked out, wishing my family wasn’t blocking the way. Then, wishing they were inside, or anywhere but here. Al was standing there, wearing fatigues and looking like he needed sleep. And the loft was now my second best present.

 

BRIAN

 

Justin and I got everyone to let Gus and Al have time alone. Granted, after a little time I sent Cameron out covered in the cupcake someone gave him. After coming in looking a little more rumpled than Al, Gus fussed over Al the way Justin does me. Justin dragged me away when Al and I tried to out snark each other, making everyone laugh.

 

With everything settling down, I wanted to talk to Justin about planning our future. A future that had looked bleak, but we managed to find a way not back, but forward. We were celebrating more than Gus this week. We were mending. Not ending our sessions with Alex to fix our problems, but using them to strengthen the love that was always there between us. 

 

I was glad the baby wasn’t ours, because while we’d never let a baby feel unwanted, eventually the truth would have come out. Too many people knew about what Michael and Lindsay had done. With Drew and Emmett adopting the baby privately, the only people who knew the truth couldn’t talk about it. My sister and John mistakenly believed that Ethan was adopting the baby, and since he didn’t live here, Claire and John would never know the truth. 

 

“What are you thinking about?” Justin asks, half asleep.

 

“Having a daughter.” I tell him.

 

“With your eyes, hopefully.” He tells me, pretty much agreeing to it.

 


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