NICHOLAS

I got why Brian sometimes worried about Justin’s tendency to do things on the fly. Watching him writing down his plans for opening a new business, nothing really distracted him, except his stomach. I’d been ambivalent about meeting all the people in Justin’s life. I really only wanted to get to know him. Brian and Gus came as part of the package, and I’d always loved children, so Gus was a bonus as far as I was concerned. Brian explained how Justin took it into his head that Brian and Gus should be together and took off without telling Brian what he was doing. Brian didn’t seem to mind, but he didn’t want Justin to take on too much until the baby was born. I didn’t get how they didn’t want to know what they were having since it would kill me to wait. 

After checking out the building I thought could work, since it was a warehouse that at one time someone had wanted to turn into executive offices but abandoned the project when they ran out of funds, Justin called Ted and told him to buy it. While Lindsay looked lost at the speed Justin was going with just the idea they had discussed. I wanted to talk to Justin after Lindsay left, because I wondered if he really meant she’d be part owner, when he would be putting up all the capital. And while expertise was sometimes better than the money Justin would put in, Justin had that too.

Lindsay left to go home, and I took Justin to ‘feed the beast’ as Brian called it. I wasn’t sure how to approach my concern. We were just starting to get to know each other and maybe he wouldn’t appreciate my opinion.

“I can hear you thinking,” Justin joked as we ordered.

“It’s really not my business, but are you really thinking of making Lindsay a partner?” I asked.

“If she earns it, yes. She has a passion for art, but it will also be a business. She will have to learn that side as well because it’s just as important. At first, I thought about letting her be my assistant, but Brian wouldn’t be happy with the access that would give her to our house and my life,” Justin told me.

“I’m surprised you don’t already have an assistant by now,” I told him.

“Most of the time, Molly would help, before all the other shit happened. As with Lindsay, I don’t trust Molly with that much access right now. She’s trying to rebuild my trust, and hopefully, it will happen, but I also think she needs to build her own career, not have me hand it to her,” Justin told me.

“That’s half the problem with Chris. Everything was handed to him, except an office on the executive floor. He’s never had to work for anything and most likely never will, because he knows Samuel will eventually leave him everything,” I told him.

“How long are you supposed to keep me company before Brian wants me?” Justin asked, since he was curious about what Brian planned.

“First tell me why you cringed at the idea that he would do something?” I asked.

“After the time my father told me we’d be celebrating my birthday by introducing me to someone he expected me to welcome and make friends with, which turned out to be a man old enough to be my grandfather, and a complete pervert, it made me want to forget the day I was born. Pop and Nana both know how I feel and just acknowledge the day like I ask them to. When Brian and I started seeing each other, he felt the same way I did, so I didn’t think we’d do anything,” Justin answered me.

“That’s one thing we have in common. It wasn’t exactly a banner day in the Hobb’s household when mine rolled around either,” I told him.

“What did you do?” Justin asked.

“Mom always took me out to lunch and we celebrated by ourselves, which Samuel didn’t really like. When I was old enough to take off alone, I’d go to the vacation house my mom had in North Carolina,” I told him.

“With your friends?” Justin asked, since I hadn’t mentioned any.

“I never fit in with everyone else. And in a way, going alone let me forget everything screwed up in my life for a while,” I shrugged.

“Now will you tell me when whatever Brian has planned is going to happen?” Justin asked, as my phone rings.

“On our way,” I told Brian, waving for the check.

Justin went to pay for it, but I beat him to it. “Consider it one of my presents,” 

“One?” Justin asked me.

“When you decide how you want the gallery redone, that’s my other present,” I told him.

BRIAN

When Gus asked about Justin’s birthday, a week ago, I realized it was coming. Neither of us were really big on birthdays, but we couldn’t continue that way since we were going to be doing this for Gus and the new baby. Gus wanted to get Justin something, but neither of us could really come up with anything. Just like me, Justin didn’t wait for special occasions, just got things when he wanted them. He’d mentioned to me once that he didn’t get why people thought a present was special to them, when all they did was shop for it and wrap it. I knew if Gus did buy him something, Justin would appreciate it because it came from Gus. But it was important to Gus to get the right present for Justin, and so I spent the next few days trying to figure out something for Gus to do. I invited Nicholas to be here with us tonight, since the rest of Justin’s family was away. Justin and I could celebrate after Gus was in bed, the way we did last year.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” Gus asked me.

I looked at the album we put together with each moment in our lives together with Justin. Gus helped to decorate the cover and then labeled all the pictures we put in. The album was nowhere near full, with the last picture, Justin, Gus, and me, the day we got married.

“I think he’s going to love it because you put thought into it,” I told him.

Justin came in the door with Nicholas behind him. He looked relieved to find just Gus and me in the house. Gus and I picked up dinner for later, since Nicholas planned to take Justin to lunch before coming home. I looked to Gus since this was his show.

“Follow me,” Gus told Justin, taking him into the living room, where everything was set up for a movie, with popcorn and drinks.

“What are we watching?” Justin asked happily.

“Aunt Daphne told me you like this but hadn’t watched it in a while. I figured since it was your day we could watch it with you,” Gus told him, handing him the copy of Yellow Submarine we bought while picking up a cake.

“I’d love to share it with you,” Justin told him.

Gus settled next to Justin, not sure what to think about an animated movie since he swore he was over cartoons. He’d told me that when we got the movie. 

“I like this one too,” Nicholas told them, handing everyone drinks and settling in to watch.

Justin sat leaning into me, grabbing my hand to put on his stomach at one point. “Do you feel that?” He whispered.

“Maybe the baby likes the music,” I told him, since the baby seems to be moving more than usual.

Gus put his hand under mine, smiling when he felt the same thing. We all stayed that way until the movie ended. Justin didn’t have any problem eating, while Nicholas refrained from mentioning they’d only eaten three hours earlier. Gus brought out the cake that looked like it was set on fire since he lined the outside of the cake with a candle for every year. Nicholas snickered as he helped light the fucker up. Justin rolled his eyes at his brother blowing out the candles. Gus was still nervous about his present, but he really didn’t need to be.

“I love it. When the baby’s born you and I can fill up the rest of the pages with the pictures we take,” Justin told him as he looked through the album.

“I’m not really good with taking them, they end up blurry,” Gus told him.

“I’ll teach you,” Nicholas told him.

“You might need to make more of these albums for my next birthday,” Justin told him.

“Dad said you’d rather have something with thought,” Gus commented.

“It means more, at least to me,” Justin told him.

“Even if it’s just words?” Gus asked, confusing me where he was going with this.

“Words can sometimes mean more than people appreciate,” Justin told him.

“Like when I call you Papa? So I can help you get used to it before the baby comes?” Gus asked quickly, waiting to see what Justin would think.

“I think you just gave my brother the best present anyone could get,” Nicholas said as Justin teared up.

“Then why is he crying?” Gus asked us.

“Allergies.” I joked.

“Because you gave me the best presents I’ve ever been given,” Justin told Gus.

“What?” Gus asked.

“You for my son and an album of our life together that we can fill with more love,” Justin told him, making me love my husband even more.