Gus was up early, just as his dad had predicted.  He was self-sufficient and could get dressed and make some basic foods for himself. His dad said they would need to leave by 9:30 in order to get to the lab.  It was close to 8:00 now and he thought he should wake his dad so they could go to the diner for breakfast.  Brian really didn't keep much food in his home as Emmett had commented on yesterday.  While he could cook, he didn't find it an especially pleasing activity, as Emmett did. Brian was perfectly fine with carryout.  He started his day with a Guava Juice smoothie, attempting to get a few vitamins.  Even with the smoothie, he found himself at the diner eating breakfast with his makeshift family on most workday mornings.  

Gus always looked forward to spending time with his father.  His father was very different from his moms.  While his mothers always seemed to be running errands, grocery shopping or cleaning the house, his dad rarely had a list of things that he needed to do on the weekend.  Gus wondered when his dad did those things.  His loft was always clean, no random shoe without its mate or newspaper lying around. When he thought about it, his dad had a very specific place for all of his stuff.  When he walked in the door, his mail went on the corner of the kitchen island, his shoes were left on the small rug by the door and his keys and briefcase were placed by his desk in the corner of the room. If his dad had picked him up from his work, the first thing he did was to change into jeans and a wife-beater, but Gus noticed that he always hung up his suit, never just leaving it on the floor like his moms did with their work clothes.  He never saw a stack of mail, like at his home.  He wondered if his dad did not get much mail or did he do something else with it.  

He sat on the sofa in the living area and looked around the loft.  He'd never really thought about spending more time with his dad until his dad mentioned the test this morning and the legal stuff.  It excited him that his dad was taking this step to guarantee he could see him.  He'd heard several of his school friends talk about their parent's divorces and how they often felt like a possession rather than their child.  His friend Tommy said that his parents still argued over whose turn it was to have him for the weekend and who should take him to which activity.  Tommy said sometimes he felt like his parents weren't really arguing about him, but still fighting over the divorce.  With his dad, it was different since he was never married to his mom.  None of his friends' parents would have to go to court to prove who their father was.  He couldn't wait until his dad said he could tell them.  He felt that they would all be jealous that his dad would go to that much effort.  

Emmett had been right when he commented that Brian did not have much food in his home.  His stomach growled as he walked back to the bedroom.  Gently touching his father's shoulder as he whispered, "Dad.  It's close to 8:00.  You need to get up so we can go to the diner for breakfast."  

Brian opened his eyes and said, "Okay.  I'll grab a quick shower and be ready in about 15 minutes."  

Gus said, "Okay." and left the room, returning to the couch.  He picked up the remote and flipped to Cartoon Network and watched Adventure Time.  He and his friends had recently discovered the show and loved watching it.  While his mothers didn't allow him to watch a lot of TV; his dad didn't have a time limit on his tv watching.  Even so, he and his father usually were busy doing other things so TV watching wasn't very frequent.  While his father rarely worked when he was around, occasionally there was a deadline or some emergency that he had to address. During those times, Gus sometimes played a video game or watched tv.  He'd just finished the episode, having started in the middle of it, when his dad came out of the bedroom.  

"Ready?" Brian asked.

Gus turned off the tv and said, "Sure.  I'm hungry and I'm excited about the Incline."

Oftentimes, they walked to the diner, but since they had other places to go and had a strict deadline, they drove.  Brian parked the car just a few spaces away from the diner's entrance.  After all, it was Saturday morning and most of the people who frequented Liberty Avenue were still asleep from their Friday night revelry.  They walked into the diner, the familiar doorbell sounding as they entered. 

Debbie yelled out, "Take a seat." without turning to look at the new customers. She placed two plates on the table of the booth in the back of the diner.  "Here you go," she said, turning around to see who walked in the door.

"Brian, Gus.  You guys are out early today," she said across the diner, not bothering with making the observation in a private manner.  In any other place or with any other waitress, Brian would have taken offense at the lack of etiquette but he ignored her yelling across the diner in stride, and motioned for Gus to sit in the booth toward the middle of the restaurant.  

Debbie walked over to the booth and smiled.  "Gus, you are looking more like Brian every day.  So what brings you two out this early in the morning?"

"Deb, we're here to eat breakfast.  Isn't that why people come to the diner?" Brian said. 

"Everyone knows that you have no food in your loft.  I guess when you have Gus you have to feed him," Deb said, giving the familiar excuse for Brian eating at the Diner.

"I have food.  In fact, Emmett came over last night and he and Gus made pizza.  He put the leftovers in the fridge," Brian said, tongue in cheek.  He knew that his "family" knew he didn't cook and it was always a source of gentle teasing among them.  

"I'm glad you're not feeding Gus leftover pizza.  He's a growing boy," she said as she eyed the boy sitting opposite his father.  Gus had inherited Brian's eyes and facial structure as well as his athletic abilities.  Lindsay was often telling everyone how adept he was at soccer and in school.  

"My friend, Jonathan eats pizza for breakfast. He says it's really good," Gus said.

"Either way, since you are here, I guess leftover pizza wasn't on your menu for breakfast.  Do you know what you want to order?" Debbie said as she got out her pen and pad of paper from her apron.

"I'll have an egg-white omelet with wheat toast and coffee," said Brian.

"I'll have the pancakes with a sunny side up egg and chocolate milk," Gus said.

"Coming right up," Debbie said as she walked back toward the kitchen and placed the ticket on the clip.

Since the diner wasn't busy, their food was delivered pretty quickly.  Gus poured syrup on his pancakes and cut into the small stack.  "These are great."

They ate in silence, each of them contemplating their upcoming day. Brian was thinking about how Justin and Gus would get along while Gus was thinking about what it would be like to spend more time with his father.

Debbie came over to give them the bill, laying it on the table.  "So what have you guys got planned for today?"

Gus said, "We're going to the Incline."

"The Incline.  Wow.  I haven't been there in years.  I wonder if it has changed.  Pittsburgh has grown a lot since I last went."

"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow at Sunday dinner," Gus said, excited to share his novel experience.  Even if the Incline was boring, it would be something he could talk about.  He liked it when he had something cool to talk about.  Since he and his sister were the only children in the group, they often didn't have much to contribute to the conversation.  Usually, the adults asked about school or sports.  

"I'll look forward to it," Debbie said as the bell rang announcing a new order was ready.  "I better go deliver that food before it gets cold."

Brian picked up the bill, laid a $10.00 bill for a tip on the table, and walked to the front of the diner to pay for the ticket.  They left the diner and drove to the lab.

When they got to the lab, Brian signed in and they sat in the waiting room.  His name was called within 5 minutes.  The receptionist asked him a few questions about Gus and Brian handed her the letter from the lawyer.  

"Will you call with the results or will you send me a letter?"

"Mr. Kinney, we do both.  The letter can be used as a legal document so we send it as well as notify the interested parties.  I noticed that you have requested to be notified.  Is there anyone else that needs the information?"  The receptionist asked.

"No.  I understand that the results are available in 3-4 days.  Is that right?"

"Yes.  You should hear from us by Thursday of next week.  Is the 456-555-5555 number a good one to reach you on?"

"Yes, that number is a good one. If I don't answer, will you leave a message?"

The receptionist picked up the forms that Brian had filled out, scanning them for the permission section.  "You marked that it was okay to leave a message. So, yes, we will leave a message."  She marked that area with a red pen, circling the phone number.  "You and Gus can come back now."

Brian motioned for Gus to come with him and they followed the receptionist to one of the rooms.  Gus sat in one chair and Brian sat in the other.  The receptionist laid the paperwork on the small table in the corner.  "The technician will be with you in a moment." She walked out the door, closing it behind her.

A few minutes later, a man in blue scrubs came into the room.  "Good morning."  He picked up the paperwork and read through it quickly.  "I'm going to do a DNA sample. I'm just going to swab your cheek and put it in a tube."  He opened a drawer with slotted areas and picked up two individually wrapped swabs from the drawer.  He put on sterile gloves and then opened one of the tubes and a swab. Turning to Gus, he said, "Open your mouth and I'll swirl the swab on your cheek and then put it in this tube." He pointed to a tube with a blue cap beside it that he had laid on the table beside him. He swabbed the inside of Gus' cheek and then placed the swab in the tube.  He took off the gloves and used hand sanitizer before repeating the process with Brian.  He checked the label on both tubes, ensuring that they matched.  "Kinney G and Kinney B," he said.  Is that right?

"Yes," Brian said.  

"Okay, you're done.  You'll have the results in a few days.  Have a great day."  He left the room with the tubes and left the door open.

"They can tell if you're my dad just from a swab on the inside of my cheek? That is really cool.  How do they do that, Dad?"

"Let's go to the car and I'll explain.  I'm sure they need the room for the next patient," Brian said as he motioned for Gus to follow him.

When they were walking to the car, Brian was pleased that he had done a little research before the visit this morning. Science was not a particular interest for him; although he did remember fondly the incident in high school where he managed to put glue on the teacher's seat in the chemistry lab.  

"Gus, do you know what DNA is?"

"No."

Brian blew out a breath realizing the conversation was a little more complicated than he had anticipated. Gus was at an age where he wanted to understand why things were the way there and how things worked.  He was glad he had the forethought to do a little reading before now.  

The appointment hadn't taken longer than 10 minutes and they weren't supposed to meet Justin until after 11:00, so they had a lot of time to kill.  When they were driving to the appointment this morning, Brian had spotted a park with a pond a few blocks away. It was a nice day, the sun was shining, and it wasn't too hot; so he started walking toward the park.  He could show Gus how to skip stones in the pond. 

"You know how people tell you that you look like me, that's because you're my son.  Every kid has a part of their mother and their father in their body, " Brian said as he tried to compose his next sentence.  He had not intended to give Gus the "sex talk" but he realized that he might have to do just that.  He took a deep breath and tried to start his explanation again.

"We learned about sex in school, dad.  I know how babies get here," Gus said, trying to make his father less uncomfortable.  He could hear in his voice that Brian was a little uneasy with the topic.

"Okay. Great.  Every body is made up of cells and the cells have information in them about the person.  When babies are made, the information from the mom and the information from the dad merge to make a person.  That is why you look like me but have wavier hair like your mom.  You got some of the information from both of us.  The information is called DNA.  Since it takes a man's sperm and a woman's egg to make a baby, the baby has parts of both parents in them.  When the technician swabbed our cheeks, they do a test to see if both of us share the same information."

Gus thought for a moment, trying to digest the information.  "So, every part of me is a part of you?  That is so cool"

"That's how it works.  But you are also a part of Lindsay.  Her DNA is just as much a part of you as mine is."  Brian knew he had given Gus a very watered-down version of the test, but he was not going into the science of it all.  "If you want to learn more about it, we can do some research on the computer."

"That would be so great.  I knew I looked like you and I always wondered why I didn't look like Mama Mel, but now I know."

They walked toward the pond and Brian looked on the ground for a stone.  "Have you ever skipped stones?"  Brian asked, glad that his explanation seemed to pass muster with Gus.  While he had taken biology in school and understood about reproduction and cells, he hadn't paid a lot of attention to the topic since he already knew he was gay and at that time, had no intention of ever reproducing. He liked men; and he only paid enough attention to the information to pass the test.  He couldn't remember if he'd met Lindsay by the time he took Biology in college, but even if he had, the notion of having a child with her never crossed his mind.  

"What is skipping stones?" Gus asked as he followed his father to the small lake.

Brian leaned down and picked up a small stone from the edge of the lake and gently threw it so it skipped across the water.  The stone skipped several times.  "I used to be able to skip 5 or 6 times before the stone would sink." He looked around the ground for a suitable stone and then gave it to Gus.  "Here, hold the stone-like so and gently cock your wrist back, then give your wrist a quick flip."  Brian demonstrated the correct hold and move to Gus. After placing the rock in his hand he said, "Practice holding it and pretending to throw it."  After several trials, Brian said, "Great.  Now throw it toward the water and pitch it down as you throw."  Gus threw the stone and it skipped once and then fell into the lake.

"That was cool.  Can we try again?" Gus said.

"Sure.  Why don't you look for 2 or 3 stones and I'll do the same."

They located the stones fairly quickly and practiced their skipping.  "Where did you learn to do that, Dad?  It doesn't seem like something you would do."

"When I was about your age I used to go to the park by my house and spend time skipping stones.  I had a good friend named Tommy who used to meet me there and we would have skipping contests.  He moved away in 5th grade and I don't think I've done it since then, until today.  I guess it's like riding a bike, something you never forget."

"Thanks for showing me. I'm sure the moms have never skipped rocks.  Somehow, I can't picture Mom getting her hands dirty, and Momma Mel would probably think it was a waste of time."  Gus tried to imagine his mothers skipping stones and he could not do so.  He had a hard time envisioning them as children much less doing anything like skipping stones.

After all their stones were in the lake, Brian said, "It's time to call Justin and head toward the Incline.  Are you still okay with the plan?"  While Brian really wanted Gus to like Justin, and the two of them to get along, he did not want to force him to spend time with him if he wasn't comfortable.  

"Sure.  I've never been to the Incline and I guess if you think this Justin guy is cool, I'm sure he is."

Brian took out his phone and scrolled down to Justin's name, and then pushed the icon.  

"Brian.  Perfect timing.  I just finished my appointment with my agent.  She is really happy with the new pieces that I showed her. Where are you and your son?  It's 11:00 now and It will take me about half an hour to get to the Incline.  Are we still on for today?"

"I just finished teaching Gus how to skip stones.  We are about a half-hour away too.  Why don't we meet at the Incline, go up and then we'll enjoy the view.  I'm sure it is different during the day time."

"Sounds good.  See you in a bit."  Justin said as he put his phone in his pocket.  He was excited about today.  He was thrilled that Brian was interested in learning about their city and he was looking forward to meeting Brian's son.  His son was the reason Brian decided to stop drinking, and he was eager to meet the young man who had that much influence in Brian's life.

When Brian and Gus arrived, he looked around and did not see Justin. "Justin's not here yet, but I'll go buy the tickets."  Pointing toward the hillside, Brian said, "That's the Incline.  It's a trolley car that goes up the mountain."

"That looks really cool.  I don't know what Justin looks like."

"He's about 5'9" and has blonde hair. I'm not sure how old he is, but I'd say a little younger than me."

Before Gus could respond to Brian's description, he heard someone call out to Brian.

The man looked a little younger than his dad and was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.  

Brian turned toward the shout and smiled when he saw Justin.  While there could have been someone else calling his name, he doubted he would run into any of the "family" here on a Saturday morning.  He raised his hand to wave him over.

Justin walked quickly toward Brian and a young boy that was standing next to him.  As he walked toward them, he realized that it must be Gus, Brian's son as he looked like a miniature version of his father.  When he reached them, he held out his hand to Gus and said, "You must be Gus.  I'm Justin."  

Gus shook Justin's hand as he looked at the man a little closer.  Gus wasn't shy, but he really wasn't sure what to say.

Brian said, "I bought the tickets.  I wasn't sure how busy it would get on a Saturday.  You're the one who might know that information."  Brian grinned at Justin, gently teasing him for his suggestion.

"I come here at all times of the day and night.  As I said the other night, it inspires me. I always see something new every time I come up here."   Turning toward Gus, he asked, "Gus, have you ever been on the Incline?"

"No.  I didn't even know what it was. Dad had to tell me," Gus said.

Justin smiled, thinking of Brian telling his son about the Incline shortly after they went together.  He was glad to see Brian was interested in exploring their city.  "Your Dad and I came here a few days ago and he thought you would enjoy it."

"Is it scary going up the mountain?" Gus asked, wondering if he really would like the adventure.

"No. The only way you really know that you're going up the mountain is to look out the windows.  You don't really feel like your riding up the side of a mountain."

Gus wasn't really scared; he was curious.  He liked that Justin talked to him.  When he went places with his mothers, his mothers talked to their friends and he was often bored. He'd never met a friend of his fathers and was happy that Justin acknowledged him. He had been a little concerned that he would not like his dad's new friend, but Justin seemed okay.  At least he didn't ignore him or pretend he wasn't there.  When he was with his mom, her friends would ask him about school and then turn their attention to his mother.  Justin just called out to his father but started talking to him right away. He liked that he was included.  

"Dad, can we ride the Incline now?  Justin is here."

"Sure.  We go over to that area to ride to the top.  It is getting a little busy, so when we get in, see if you can grab a window seat so you can see better."

"Dad, this is really cool.  I recognize stuff, but I never realized that it was here in the Pitts," Gus said as he looked at the window.  Their ride was only 10 minutes.  Brian was happy to see Gus was so interested in the view and that he recognized some of the landmarks.  While Brian did not have any particular love for the Pitts, he did think the view from the Incline was definitely worth the trip up the mountain.  

When they got to the top, the three of them walked around to the observation area.  Brian pointed out several bridges and landmarks.  

"So what did you think, Gus?  Was that fun?" Justin asked him.  He wanted to engage him in conversation.  He thought that Brian would enjoy exploring the city with Gus. If he got to know Gus a little better, he'd be able to suggest activities that the two of them could do together.  "I wish I had my camera.  I could show the kids at school.  What are we going to do now, Dad?"

Brian took out his phone, handing it to Gus.  "Here, take some pictures with my phone.  We can print them out if you want." Brian said.

"I often take pictures of things that I might want to paint later.  Sometimes I just look at them for inspiration," Justin said.  He watched Gus swipe to the camera on Brian's phone.  "Would you like some pointers?  Different perspectives make unique photos."

Gus looked at his dad for his approval, not wanting to offend him by accepting Justin's offer.

Brian nodded at his son and smiled at Justin for his suggestion.  Justin did not know that Gus loved photography and was currently taking a class at the GLC.  He thought this was the perfect way for Justin to gain Gus' approval. 

"Gus, can you hand me the phone so I can look at the options on the camera.  Then I can make some suggestions."

Gus handed Justin the phone and he opened the camera icon, reviewing the different options that the phone offered.  It was a very sunny day so they had to keep that in mind when they were taking pictures. Justin handed the phone back to Gus. 

Justin squatted down so he was the same height as Gus and opened the camera app.  "So, if I push this icon it makes the pictures black and white and this one you can use to change the lens to focus in on an object," Justin took the phone and shot a few shots of Gus and opened the galley to show him the difference.

"My camera doesn't do half that stuff.  Can I get a phone so I can take pictures anywhere?  That would be so cool." Gus asked Brian as he flipped back and forth to the pictures Justin had taken. 

Brian said, "Maybe.  Your mothers would not be very happy that I bought you a phone."  He could hear Lindsay in his head telling him that he was spoiling Gus and that 10 year- olds didn't need a phone.   "Perhaps, we can buy one for you to use when you are staying with me. We can take it with us as we explore Pittsburgh"  The idea of the three of them exploring Pittsburgh together made Brian smile.  With Gus' love of photography and Justin's knowledge of the city, it would take months to exhaust all there was to see.  Perhaps, he would discover his own hobby as they explored the city.

"Justin has offered to be my tour guide of Pittsburgh.  When you are staying with me, the three of us can explore together.  Perhaps Justin would be willing to give you more pointers on photography.  He's an artist and has a good eye for looking at things."

Gus smiled and gave Brian a hug.  "That would be so cool.  The moms never have time to take me places so I can practice.  Can we go look for a phone today?"  

Brian shook his head.  "No.  I want some time to do a little research. When we get back to the loft, we'll research it together.  While all phones have cameras today, there are some that are much better than others."

"Okay," Gus said, accepting his father's logic, even if he didn't like the answer.  His father always explained why he made the decisions he did.  Unlike his mothers who usually just told him to do something because they said so.  

"But you are welcome to use my camera today.  It sounds like Justin is willing to give you a few lessons now."

"Can you show me a few things now, Justin?" Gus asked, bolstered by his dad's suggestion.

"Sure.  Let's practice taking a picture of the tree,"  Justin said pointing to a large Oak tree a few feet from them.

"A tree?  That is really boring. Everyone knows what a tree looks like," Gus said, a little disappointed at his lesson.  

Justin said, "Every picture has a story to tell.  Open up the camera app and choose black and white. Then take a picture of the tops of the tree.  Then do it again in normal light."

Gus did as he was instructed and then opened the pictures in the gallery.  "Wow.  It doesn't even look like the same tree.  The black and white make it so different."

"Right.  Let's take a few more pictures using different settings and then give your dad back his phone.  We can take more pictures later," Justin said as he looked at Brian.  He saw Brian was smiling widely, something he didn't think he had ever seen on the man.  He was thrilled with the opportunity to offer Gus some pointers and it appeared that Brian's fears were unfounded.  Gus appeared to like him.  

Gus and Justin took several more pictures of the tree and then Gus brought the phone back to his father.  "See dad," he said pointing to the gallery.  "Justin showed me how just changing the colors, the pictures change a lot.  I can't wait to see if my camera at home has some of these settings. Can I show everybody the pictures tomorrow at Sunday dinner?"

The mention of Sunday dinner sent a chill through Brian.  He knew Gus would want to share that Brian's friend, Justin, had shown him the techniques. However, mention of Justin would send huge red flags to all the "family" including Lindsay.  If Gus mentioned Justin, then the family would want to know who Justin was and that would lead to acknowledging Brian's participation in AA.  Brian wasn't ready to do that until the DNA test was completed.  

Gus had been so excited to have something to share at Sunday dinner and had told Debbie that he would tell her all about it. "Gus you can show everybody your pictures, but remember no mention of the DNA test.  You have to leave Justin out of the conversation too.  If you mention Justin, then everyone will be curious who he is.  I don't want the family to know about my AA meetings until we have the DNA test back."

Gus listened to his dad.  "So I can show the pictures but not mention that your friend Justin helped me take them?  I guess my moms would be just as surprised as I was when you mentioned that we were meeting Justin.  They've known you a lot longer than me and would probably ask a lot of questions about him."

"Right.  So, you can show them the pictures, just keep Justin out of the conversation," Brian said.  He was glad that Gus was 10 and could keep a secret.

"So what are we going to do now?  Is there a place nearby that we can take more cool pictures, Justin?" Gus asked, hoping that Justin knew a place they could go.

Brian hadn't really thought about the remainder of their day.  When he and Justin came here, it was later in the evening, after their meeting, and he had to be at work in the morning.  There hadn't been a lot of time for them to hang out.

Brian turned to Justin, "You're the tour guide.  What do you suggest?"

"That depends on what you like.  There is the Carnegie Science Center or the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. If you like being on the river, there is Riverquest, an educational cruise.  We could hit up the Andy Warhol Museum if you like art.  If it's history you want, the Fort Pitt Museum is close by or we could go to the History Center. Inside the History Center is the Sports Museum.  There is shopping too, but I doubt Gus would like to search the shops down here."

Brian wasn't sure about any of the options Justin suggested as he was not used to being a tourist.  He looked at Gus and said, "What sounds good to you,Sonny boy?"

"I vote for the Science Center.  We went there for a field trip in school last year, but we only got to stay for a little bit.  There were so many cool things in there.  There was this ropes course, but we didn't have time to do it and the teachers said we had to have signed permission from our parents.  That would be really awesome."

"Okay, Science Center it is," Brian said, wondering if he would regret that decision.  A ropes course didn't exactly sound like something he would try.

Gus looked at Justin, "Are you coming too?"  He wanted Justin to come. 

"I've got nothing that I need to do, today.  So, if it is alright with Brian, I'll come.  I haven't been to the Science Center in a really long time.  Where did you park? If I remember correctly, it's a really busy place.  We could catch the T-Plus as the Allegheny Station is right next door."

Brian cringed at the thought of taking the subway but remembered the last time he took a client to a Pirates game and the nightmare parking situation.  "Okay. I'm sure parking is a nightmare.  Sonny boy lets go to the Science Center."  They walked to a bus stop and the three of them arrived a short time later.

"Jesus.  Is it always this busy?  The parking lot is filled," Brian said, thinking how many people would be inside.

"I'm not sure.  I haven't been in years," Justin said.

"Dad, can we grab something to eat before we start.  I'm hungry."

"Sure.  Let's go inside.  With a place this big, I'm sure they have a cafe."

After walking in and paying the entrance fee, Brian grabbed a map and located the RiverView cafe.  "This way," he pointed and the three of them walked toward the cafe.  The menu was posted on the board behind the cashier. As they walked to the cashier, Brian said, "At least it's not all burgers and fries.  I can eat a salad.  Chances are, it's a better salad than I would get at the Liberty Diner."

Gus was in the front and he ordered a burger and fries.  "Can I have a milkshake, Dad?"

"No.  You had one yesterday.  Water, apple juice, or milk are your options."

"Okay.  Juice please," Gus said.  He then moved aside so Brian could order.  

"Salad with baked chicken.  Dressing on the side and an ice tea."

"That will be $13.00," the cashier said.

Brian took out his credit card and the cashier swiped it.

Justin walked up to the counter and ordered.  "I'll have pepperoni pizza and a Coke."  He handed his credit card over and the cashier swiped it also.

As they moved down the line, they were given a number on a placard and told that their number would be called and then they could get their food.  

Even though the Science Center was packed, they were able to locate a table toward the back.  Brian opened up a map of the center, laying it on the table so everyone could see.  "It's 12:30 now, and they close at 5:00.  It will take us about half an hour to eat.  Gus, we can't do everything, so take a look and decide 3 things you want to see.  We can always come back another time," Brian said as he turned the map towards Gus. 

Gus looked at the map and saw the options.  "Wow, dad. This place is amazing. I want to do it all.  Can we go to the Ropes challenge first and then Spaceplace and the Sun, Earth thing sounds cool too?"  

Their food was brought to the table and Brian folded the map.  "Let's eat and we'll head to the ropes course.  There might be a line, but we'll try that place first."

Gus popped a few fries into his mouth and drank some juice.  "Justin, my dad said he's an alcoholic.  Is that right?"

Justin was not expecting to have Gus ask him about Brian's drinking but he guessed it made sense.  "Gus, what do you think?"

"He's my dad and he never lies to me.  So if he says he is, I guess he is.  It's just that I've never seen him drunk and he only has a few beers at my soccer game or at Sunday dinner.  In the DARE program, they teach us about alcohol, but it's not the same."

Justin could see Gus' struggle with the information.  "What do they tell you at school?"

"They tell us to stay away from alcohol and drugs.  The teachers say that there are good and bad drugs and that you should only take good drugs. They talk about drinking too."

"So you are a little confused?"

"Sort of.  I mean the teachers tell us drinking is bad but I see everybody around me drinking.  No one is ever drunk.  Although I'm not really sure what that looks like.  I mean, no one in the family is going to come up to me and say, 'hey Gus, I'm drunk'."  

"You're wondering what drunk looks like and trying to imagine your dad like that," Justin said, trying to hone in on Gus's questions.

"Yeah, I guess.  When dad and I talked last night, all I could think about was that he was going to court so he could continue to see me.  Then, this morning, I was sitting on the couch and had time to think.  He said he was an alcoholic and that mom would try to use that information to keep me away from him.  That was pretty scary,"  Gus said.  He stopped to take a bite of his burger and ate a few more fries.  He was hungry and the food smelled so good.  

"I started wondering what that meant and what being drunk looked like. I know that my dad would never hurt me, but when he said he wrecked his jeep because he was drinking, I got scared."

Justin nodded and let Gus eat some more of his food before responding.  He remembered having a conversation with his sister, Molly after he got sober. She was older than Gus, but it was her first exposure to the recovery world. It scared her when she found out all the risky things that he had done before he became sober.  He took several bites of his pizza as well and drank some Coke.  The food wasn't too bad for a museum.

"Tell me about being scared," Justin said, encouraging Gus.

Brian listened to the conversation as he ate his salad.  He was glad that Justin was willing to answer Gus's questions.  He didn't realize that Gus needed more time to talk about the subject, but he knew that Gus felt comfortable asking him things, so he felt that Gus would have eventually talked to him about these issues.  

"It made me scared that my dad could have died when he wrecked his jeep and I would have never known the reason."

"It's scary for you to know that your dad could be hurt and you want him safe?"

"Yeah."  Gus turned toward Brian.  "Dad, don't drink and drive again.  I want you around for a long time."

Brian's heart ached when Gus talked.  "Sonny boy.  I decided that I never want to be in that position again.  That is why I started attending AA.  Justin is helping me stay sober."  Brian reached out and ruffled Gus' hair and Gus smiled.

"Justin, I'm glad you are helping my dad.  What do you do to help him?"

"We attend a special meeting called Alcoholics Anonymous. We go every day.  At the meetings, the people talk about their drinking and how to make their lives better so they don't drink.  After the meetings, I and your Dad talk about how to make his life better."  Justin tried to explain AA in a way that wasn't too technical.  He'd done a lot of reading over the last year regarding how AA works and for him, he felt that the ability to work through his fears and coping mechanisms with a group of people who were experiencing the same issues was effective.  

"So does everybody have someone like you assigned to them?"

"I'm his sponsor.  I volunteered to help him.  It's really common for someone who has been sober for a long time to help others become sober."

"So part of your job is to show him the city?  I want to be a sponsor so I can learn more about the Pitts,"  Gus said, thinking that he could help his dad and explore the city at the same time.  

"No, every sponsor isn't a tour guide."

"I asked Justin to show me the city. I didn't know where to start.  I spend time with you every few weeks, but I'm hoping to spend more time together."  Brian said, entering in the conversation.  He could see that Justin was handling Gus' questions very easily, but as the conversation got more personal as to why Justin was here, Brian decided to chime in.

"I decided if I explored our city, it would give me some places to take you and also it might help me come up with some ideas of things I'd like to explore on my own.  I know you've heard the guys talk about going to Woody's and Babylon.  Remember how Uncle Mikey came over a few weeks ago wanting me to go with him?"

"Yes.  That is the place that all of you go dancing,"  Gus said, having deduced that much from the many Sunday dinners he's attended.

"Yes we go there to dance, but that is where I also went to drink.  Since I'm not drinking anymore, I haven't been to Babylon. Right now, I go to meetings every night and that keeps me busy,  But eventually, I may not attend meetings every night and I'm going to need to figure out what to do with my time."  Brian had finished his salad and saw that Gus and Justin had finished their meals as well.  He gathered up the trays and trash, piling it on one tray.

"Gus, if you want to do any of the activities, I suggest we continue this talk later," Brian said.

"Okay.  I just have one last thing to say.  Justin, I'm glad you are helping my dad.  I don't really get the meeting stuff, so maybe we can talk about it later, but I think it would be great if you could show him the city so he finds new things to do.  I hope you can teach me more photography stuff too."  Gus took the trays from the table and walked them toward the trash can.  

"Thanks for talking to him.  I didn't realize he was scared.  I guess you have Gus' seal of approval.  If you have someplace to go, feel free to leave.  I'll see you tomorrow at the meeting."

"Brian, I'm glad that Gus liked me.  He seems like a great kid and he obviously cares for you a lot.  I don't have anything I need to do so I will hang out with you guys for a while.  I might even try my hand at the ropes course."

"Thanks," Brian said as Gus returned to the table.  "Let's go.  I heard a kid tell his mom that the ropes course already has a 45-minute wait.  Maybe we can get tickets or something so we don't have to stand in line."

They walked to the ropes course and were able to get tickets to return at a predetermined time.  They visited Spaceplace and then returned to the course at the allotted time.  Justin joined Gus on the course while Brian watched.  Afterward, they returned to Spaceplace as there were many activities that Gus had not had an opportunity to try.  Soon, it was 4:45 and time for them to leave.

"Let's go to the station and get back to our cars. We have to grab dinner, Gus.  I texted your mom earlier and told her we would be later than 5:00, but I told her I would have you home before bedtime,"  Brian said

"I'm headed to my studio.  I'll see you tomorrow, Brian."  They walked to the station and the subway was packed so they couldn't really talk.  When they exited and walked toward their cars, Justin said, "It was nice spending the day with you, Gus.  Maybe next time we meet you'll have a phone of your own."  Justin made a fist and fist-bumped with Gus.  

"I can't wait.  Maybe I can come back to Dad's next weekend.  I think I heard my moms talk about something they wanted to go to on Saturday. I'll have Dad see if I can come here instead."

"See you tomorrow, Justin," Brian said as he turned toward their car.

When they were on their way back to Brian's loft, Gus said, "Thanks for taking me to the Incline and Science Center.  I had a lot of fun.  Justin is really cool.  I like him and I'm glad that he is helping you out. We have some leftover pizza.  Can we eat that and look at phones before you take me home?"

"Sounds like a plan," Brian said.  He was pleased with the day and couldn't wait till tomorrow to see Justin again.  

TBC