Aftermath

Chapter 6

“Richie, what are you doing home?” Emmett asked as he heard the loft door slide back and saw his newly adopted son step inside the apartment.

“I…um…wasn’t feeling so good,” Richie explained hesitantly.

Emmett immediately was beside his son feeling the young man’s forehead. “What’s wrong? Is it your stomach? Your head doesn’t feel warm. I should take you to the doctor or the walk-in clinic. I should call Drew. He’ll know what to do.”

“Emmett, Emmett, Emmett,” Richie said as he tried to interrupt all to no avail.

“I could call Debbie. She usually knows what to do if someone’s sick. She’ll make chicken soup. Her chicken soup is the best. It’ll make you better…”

“Emmett!” Richie managed to shout over Emmett’s babblings.

“Wha…what?” Emmett stammered.

“I’m not sick. I just don’t feel good.”

“What does that mean? What do I need to do? I better call Drew.”

“Emmett, I’m okay … sort of.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Could we just sit down? I need something to drink.”

“Milk, juice, water, bourbon? What the fuck am I saying?” Emmett asked the loft.

“I don’t know if you don’t,” Richie replied, chuckling in spite of himself. “And some juice would be really good.”

“Okay, juice it is. Sit down and I’ll get you some.”

Richie dropped his backpack beside the couch and sat down. He leaned forward on his knees wondering how he was going to explain all this to Emmett. It didn’t even make sense to him.

“Here you go,” Emmett said cheerfully handing Richie a large glass of orange juice. “Now kindly tell me what you’re doing home. School won’t be over for another hour or two.”

“I just had to get out of there,” Richie said sadly.

“Did…did someone call you names or beat you up? Are you hurt? Is school too hard and you’re failing? You can tell me anything. I can deal with it.”

“Emmett, it’s nothing like that.”

“Then what is it like? I need to know or I’m going to go crazy.”

“Or you already have,” Richie joked.

“Hey!”

“Sorry, but you keep asking me what’s wrong and then you won’t let me get a word in so I can explain.”

“Oh, sorry,” Emmett said. “Does the school know you left? We should call them. I don’t want you getting into trouble. Drew won’t like that.”

“No, the school doesn’t know I’m gone,” Richie admitted. “You could call and tell them I’m … not feeling well.” Richie knew that would make things easier when he returned to school.

“I’ll call right now and then you have to tell me what’s going on. I can’t stand not knowing for one more minute.”

“Okay,” Richie said deciding he needed to talk about what was happening. Emmett could be a good listener once you could get him to calm down and shut up.

Quickly Emmett returned from making things right with the school. He sat down beside Richie and waited, finally deciding that it was time to close his mouth and listen to what his son had to say.

“You know Grandma Joan died,” Richie began.

Emmett nodded. “But I didn’t know you called her Grandma Joan,” he added.

“She called me after my adoption party,” Richie continued. “She was sorry she couldn’t be there.”

“We were all sorry she didn’t feel up to attending. I think she must have known something was wrong.”

Richie nodded. “She said she wanted to welcome me to the family, and she also said…” Richie hesitated swallowing hard. Tears were very close.

“What did she say, sweetie?” Emmett encouraged him.

“She said … that a person could never have too many grandmothers. She wanted me to have one too.”

“Oh my!” Emmett squeaked, tears forming in his eyes too. He pulled his son into a fierce hug. “That was so sweet of her, and she’s right, you can never have too many grandmothers.”

“But now she’s gone,” Richie sniffled against Emmett’s chest. “And I never even got to call her Grandma Joan to her face. She said I could on the phone.”

“Oh sweetie, she was a wonderful old broad. I’m glad she called you and told you that you had a grandma.”

“But now I don’t,” Richie sniffled.

“You know what?” Emmett said as a thought struck him. “You do have a grandma. You just don’t know it.”

“What do you mean?” Richie asked pushing back from Emmett so that he could look into the kind eyes of his new father.

“Drink your juice,” Emmett said. “I’ll be right back.”

“What are you doing?” Richie asked but Emmett had already disappeared into his bedroom. Richie could hear him talking on the phone, but couldn’t make out the words he was saying.

When Emmett returned, he had a smug look on his face. “More juice?” he asked.

“No, that was good. Emmett, what did you mean that I have a grandmother that I don’t know about?”

“You’ll find out in a few minutes,” Emmett replied enigmatically.

“I don’t understand.”

“You will,” Emmett promised as he sat down beside his son again. “You know, Joan would be pleased that people are missing her, especially a fine young man like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Joan and Brian didn’t get along for a very long time. It’s only the last few years that they became close. I think Joan would have liked to make up for the strained relationship she had with her own son by having a close relationship with you.”

“I’m sad she won’t be here to do that.”

“My Aunt Lula used to say that it was all right to be sad, but one should never wallow. Every cloud has a silver lining.”

Richie shook his head. “When…” Richie couldn’t find the words to say what was troubling him.

“Go ahead, son,” Emmett said gently. “You can tell me.”

Richie took a deep breath. “When I saw my parents at the judge’s chamber, and my mom was pregnant, it was like they were replacing me. My family died that day, kind of like Grandma Joan died, only even more painful. I guess I just wanted more of a family … not that you and Drew aren’t great, but you know, aunts and uncles and … grandmothers … and things.”

“Everyone at your party considers you family now,” Emmett told him.

“I know, but…”

The doorbell rang at that moment. Emmett got up to answer the door. Richie turned around to see Debbie entering the loft.

“May I present your Grandma Deb,” Emmett said proudly. Debbie grinned from ear to ear.

“Huh?” Richie said.

“That’s right, kiddo,” Debbie said proudly. “I’m your Grandma Deb.”

“You … you don’t have to do that,” Richie said uncertainly. He thought this was something Emmett had cooked up to make him feel better, and he didn’t want pity. He just wanted his Grandma Joan.

“Have to?” Debbie shrieked. “I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do,” she assured Richie. “I’m here because I want to be, and I would be very honored to be your grandma.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely,” Debbie told him. “All my boys, Ted, Brian and Emmett are like my own children, just like Michael, so technically I was your grandmother from the moment you got together with Emm and Drew.”

“But you never said…”

“Honey, I know things have been really hard for you since the problems with your parents. I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes. I didn’t know if you had a grandmother of your own. I thought you might resent me trying to butt in.”

“I wouldn’t resent you, Deb,” Richie said with a little grin. “I think you’re awesome.”

“I think I’m pretty awesome too,” Debbie boasted proudly. “I won’t be a conventional kind of grandmother, but you’re not a conventional kind of kid, so it should work out just fine. I intend to be a fucking good grandmother. Just ask JR or Hunter or Bree or Gus.”

“I don’t have to ask anybody,” Richie stated. “I see how much you care about all of them.”

“And I care just as much about you, sweetheart,” Debbie said. “You can count on that.”

“Thanks, Grandma Deb,” Richie said standing and giving the brazen redhead a big hug.

“I think I’m going to blubber,” Debbie sniffled.

“Me too,” Emmett added. “Group hug!”

And that’s just what they all did, tears of happiness flowing unabated.

A few minutes later while Emmett was distributing tissues to Richie and his “Grandma Deb” the door bell rang again.

“Are we expecting company?” Richie asked as he blew his nose.

“Not that I know of,” Emmett said as he went to get the door. Debbie remained suspiciously quiet as she blew her own nose. “Jennifer?” Emmett addressed the fashionably dressed blonde standing in his doorway.

“Hi, Emmett,” she said as she pushed her way in and strode over to the newest member of the family. “And that’s Grandma Jennifer to you!” Jenn said as she gave Richie her own fierce hug.

Needless to say another group hug ensued along with another bout of happy tears.

*****

Life began to return to normal as life will often do when there are kids that must go to school, business that must be conducted and art shows that must open whether we like it or not. And then there were the holidays that appeared to have crept up on the family when they least expected them. Brian wasn’t looking forward to Thanksgiving without Joan.

“You know we don’t have to do this,” Justin said as they were all sitting around the table at the Anderson-Morrison end of the cottage after dinner. Bobby had a pad and pencil in his hand jotting down notes.

“He’s right, you know,” John began. “No one would think anything of it if we don’t host Thanksgiving this year.”

“I want to,” Brian said. “We can have a quiet Christmas, just for us. I think I need to do this.”

“Affirmation,” Bobby mumbled.

“What, Babe?” John asked his spouse.

“An affirmation of life. I know it sounds hokey but I’d like to do it too. And a quiet Christmas sounds good to me. I know we talked about going away for the holidays this year but I think I’d prefer to stay home. Let’s do a big Thanksgiving. Invite Simon, Ken and the boys, if you think they can get away. With the new B&B and the rest of the cottages, we have plenty of room to put up everyone,” Bobby said. His hand began to scurry across the page making lists of who could go where.

“We’ve been in doom and gloom mode for weeks now and I’m tired of it. I want decorations and the smell of homemade apple pie. I miss my mother’s chocolate cake,” Bobby said wistfully.

Brian and John weren’t the only ones with older parents. Bobby had more than a few thoughts of his parents not being around to celebrate the holidays for much longer. He had begun passing by his parent’s house in Bridgeton on his way home from his office on occasion.

“Then that settles it. We get the party fairy to plan the biggest fucking shindig this lane has ever seen,” Brian added with determination.

“Dada, can we make special invitations like we did for my princess party?” a little voice asked from her chair.

Bree had been watching the adults who had become so serious since her Gamma Joan died. For weeks now everyone seemed so sad. Bree was tired of crying herself to sleep. She found herself taking her grey bunny and sneaking into Patrick’s bed. He always made her feel better even if he didn’t say anything. The first time it happened, Justin was scared out of his mind when he went to wake her up for school and found an empty bed. He went flying into the porch and slammed into Bobby who was coming to get him. Bobby led Justin to Patrick’s room and there was Bree sleeping peacefully next to Patrick, with grey bunny and Beau at the foot of the bed.

“I think that’s an excellent idea. We can work on it this weekend,” Brian replied.

“We can make it a family project,” Justin suggested getting nods from everyone. “I’ll go to the art store and buy plenty of special paper so we can make the right card for everyone in the family.”

“Oh, thank you, Daddy!” Bree exclaimed as she got down from her chair then flew into her daddy’s arms. It was the first time in weeks that Edna’s Treasures had seen a sunshine smile. “And my Patrick will help too, right?”

“Yup!” Patrick confirmed with his own sunny smile. Bree giggled madly, clapping and bouncing gleefully in Justin’s lap.

As if the clouds parted, the men of Edna’s Treasures smiled and laughed.

*****

“Oh! Oh! Oh!” Emmett squeed into the phone after Brian called him about their Thanksgiving plans. Brian held the phone at arms length.

“You through piercing my eardrum?” he snarked.

“Yes, sire,” Emmett replied, getting himself under control. His brain was already in overdrive planning the menu. “Do I have your permission to call in the troops?”

“You have my permission to call anyone you wish, you big fairy,” Brian said. “And decorations. I want all the fucking Fall leaves, turkeys and cornucopias that you can fit into this house. Both houses and the B&B too,” Brian demanded.

“Your wish is my command, General!” Emmett snapped to attention and saluted even though he knew Brian couldn’t see him. Brian smirked, he had an idea what Emmett was doing.

“You just make sure that everyone that shows up is wearing a smile,” Brian demanded.

“Smiles. Check! Anything else?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“Just make sure you turn up the heat,” Emmett said.

“What’s our furnace got to do with anything?” Brian asked puzzled.

“We’re going to be awfully cold just wearing smiles and nothing else,” Emmett teased.

“This is me hanging up,” Brian said as he hung up the phone glaring at the offending instrument. Then he broke out into a fit of giggles.

Emmett put down the phone and laughed.

“Wanna let me in on the joke?” Drew asked as he walked into the kitchen and saw his spouse laughing like a hyena.

“Oh nothing, just teasing our Mr. Kinney,” Emmett said very pleased with himself.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you have one hell of a set of balls? Not many people can get away with teasing Brian Kinney and live to tell about it.” Drew gave his brave spouse a hug.

“It does take a very special kind of person,” Emmett admitted with a smug smile.

“Yes, it does and you are one very special person,” Drew purred then kissed his special person senseless.

*****

It was Saturday morning and the family had just finished waffles and berries in the Anderson-Morrison side of Edna’s Treasures. John and Bobby had decided it was their turn to lay out a feast for breakfast. It was part of the plan to spend the morning making the invitations for Thanksgiving.

Patrick and Bree were very excited to be part of the process. The adults all had ideas about what the invitations should look like, but so did the children.

“Daddy, what color paper did you get for the invitations?” Bree asked, referring to Justin’s trip to the art supply store the day before.

“I chose card stock in autumn colors – orange and brown and gold and red. And then I got a packet of mixed colors so we can have accents.”

“That’s good,” Bree agreed with her great knowledge of art gleaned from her talented father.

“But what are the invitations going to look like?” Patrick asked.

“I think we should make a different one for each person,” Bree stated. “Just like we did for my birthday party.”

“We have a lot more people to make invitations for this time,” Justin cautioned.

“I think we should settle on one design, and then we can each help make them,” Bobby agreed.

“That makes sense,” John contributed. “I’m not much at designing cards.”

“But you’re great at buildings,” Bobby said with a smile for his husband.

John blushed in spite of himself. Bobby’s opinion meant the world to him.

“Are you two finished the mutual admiration society?” Brian asked, but with no malice in his voice. “I think we need to get this creative proposition underway.”

“We could list all the symbols of Thanksgiving, and then we can pick one to use for the invitation,” Justin suggested.

“Good plan,” Brian agreed. John and Bobby nodded their approval.

“I think we should use a turkey,” Patrick suggested.

“Turkey,” Justin said as he wrote that on his list.

“Cornercopia,” Bree threw in.

“Corn-u-copia,” Justin corrected as he added it to the list.

“Autumn leaves,” Bobby said.

“A big cranberry,” John said with a chuckle.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Brian interjected, but Justin ignored him and added it to his list. “I’m good at drawing circles,” John explained, “and we could cut them out of red paper.”

“What about a pumpkin?” Patrick asked.

“Any other suggestions?” Justin asked as he read out the list. Everyone shook their head. “Then I have an idea. What if we make a cornucopia filled with cranberries, squash, autumn leaves, etc.”

“And a turkey leg,” Brian suggested with a wicked look. He could see what Justin was doing incorporating everyone’s suggestions.

“No turkey leg,” Justin stated. “And then we could have a pumpkin that folds out to reveal the information inside.”

“That sounds great,” John said. “Can you design it?”

“Sure,” Justin said. I think we can do most of it on the computer and then we’ll have to cut it out and assemble it.”

“Great work, Sunshine,” Brian said. “So you don’t need me.” Brian stood up.

“Oh yes we do!” Justin replied grabbing Brian’s hand as he tried to escape. “We need a catchy verse inside to get everyone’s attention, and that will be your job, O great adman.”

“What the fuck for?” Brian demanded. “Usually we just make a few phone calls and they all show up.”

“This year is different,” Justin said. “So get to work.”

“Yes sir, O bossy bottom.” Brian saluted and headed for his office to think about his assignment.

Justin headed for his computer to look at the fall symbols he had listed and see if he could make them into a design. John and Bobby began the clean-up from breakfast. Bree and Patrick went to set up pencils, crayons, scissors and glue on the big table in the sun porch.

About a half an hour later they all assembled in the sun porch to see what had been devised. Justin had run off a cornucopia filled with all the things he had listed except the pumpkin and the turkey leg. There was a space in the end of the cornucopia for the message to be placed.

“Where’s the pumpkin?” Patrick asked. That had been his idea and it wasn’t included.

“Don’t worry, Patrick,” Justin assured him. “Your pumpkin is going to be the central thing of this design.” Justin took a piece of orange paper, laid the cornucopia which he had cut out on top of it and then sketched a pumpkin at the end. He folded the pumpkin back and it fit perfectly into the open end of the cornucopia still revealing parts of the other things in the cone. The pumpkin covered the message area so that it would have to be opened to reveal the purpose of the card.

“Pretty, Daddy,” Bree said giving her stamp of approval. Everyone nodded in agreement.

“But what’s the message going to say?” John asked. They all looked at Brian.

“I came up with two that I’m hard pressed to choose between,” Brian said. “So you can decide.” He began reading the first:

I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather invite to share in our food-induced coma than you.

Join us for Thanksgiving at Edna’s Treasures.

“Are you serious?” Justin asked in horror. Brian merely smirked.

“I thought you wanted this to be special,” Bobby said in bewilderment. This was not what he had expected.

“Everything I write is special,” Brian stated.

“Dada, what’s the real message?” Bree asked. She knew her father was putting them all on.

“Ah, the youngest one is the smartest one,” Brian said with a smile of approval to his daughter. “I was just funnin’ ya.” John gave his brother a well placed elbow. “Ow! Okay, okay, here’s what I came up with.” He read once again:

There are few things we are more thankful for than having our family and friends in our lives.

Please celebrate Thanksgiving with us at Edna’s Treasures.

There was silence.

“Well?” Brian asked with a frown. He thought he had done a good job, but the silence said otherwise.

“Sometimes you take my breath away, little brother,” John finally said giving Brian a hug.

“Perfect!” Bobby agreed.

“Let’s get to work,” Justin said with a happy smile.