A lot happened from the day that Gus’s best friend from Canada, Heather Riverside, had paid a surprise visit to Pittsburgh with an offer that had changed everything for Gus and his husband, Jason. The first change came when the couple considered offering to have Heather stay with them in the spare bedroom of their apartment, rather than her hotel room, whenever she paid a visit to Pittsburgh. Jason was grateful when Brian stepped in with a counteroffer, suggesting she would be more comfortable in their large house with a housekeeper, who could cater to her every whim. Despite Heather’s repeated reassurances that she was completely over her feelings for Gus, Jason felt a tiny doubt in the back of his mind, which he kept well hidden. He suspected that Brian, who knew human nature better than most, might have felt the same doubts… thus his offer.
Heather had agreed to stay in Pittsburgh for a few weeks to see if the artificial insemination would work, especially since she was about to be in her fertile period in only a matter of days. Her reassurances that Jerry, her husband, was perfectly okay with this arrangement helped dispel any worries that everyone was feeling about her sacrifices. One evening the phone rang at the couple’s apartment. When Gus answered, he heard an unfamiliar voice saying ‘hello’. The man on the other end of the line introduced himself as Jerry Riverside, Heather’s husband. He had a very pleasant voice and went on to tell Gus that he was proud of his wife for offering to help Gus and Jason. He promised he would hold down the fort at home in her absence, and take extra good care of young Stevie while his Mommy was away. The two men shared a few more pleasantries, then ended their call. Hearing from the husband directly was all that Gus and Jason needed to relax completely with their plans.
Brian and Justin found Heather to be pleasant company and no bother with their usual routine. For the most part she was quite cheerful, always with a smile on her face. It was only on a rare occasion that the smile would seem to slip just a tiny bit, and a sadness appeared in her eyes. But the moment always passed quickly. Brian and Justin put it down to her missing her young son and husband. There were moments when one or the other would hear her talking to someone, presumably on her phone, in JR’s old bedroom. They could not hear anyone else’s voice, or make out what she was saying through the thick door, but again they presumed it was most likely a conversation with her family back home.
The moment that Heather knew she was in her fertile period, the three of them visited the clinic where they had a prearranged appointment set up. They had opted to have the artificial insemination performed medically, rather than the way that Gus and JR’s mother’s had created them. Gus and Jason’s fears of something going wrong once again were stronger than they wanted to admit to themselves or anyone else. They also opted to mix their sperm together so that either one of them could be the biological father of the hoped-for baby. Happily, the process went smoothly and was over much quicker than they had expected. Everyone went home that afternoon with visions of a tiny infant dancing in their heads.
The next week dragged by as if time had stood still. They had agreed to wait ten days before testing to see if a pregnancy had happened, but Heather got a home pregnancy test after only a week and took it. The result was negative. She said nothing to Gus, Jason, or anyone else. A few days later, the boys picked her up from Brian and Justin’s place and took her back to the clinic. There, she had her blood drawn. They were told that the doctor should be calling with the result within two days. Thus, began the longest two days of the trio’s lives.
Two days later, Gus and Jason visited Brian and Justin in order to have lunch with them and Heather. They had just finished eating and retired to the den together when Heather’s cell began ringing. Four faces of anxious men fixated on her, as she checked to see who the caller was. The moment she saw the ID, Heather’s facial expression changed. It could best be described as fear mixed liberally with anticipation. Before anyone could say anything, she clicked the answer button along with the speaker button.
“Mrs. Riverside?” came a strong male voice.
“Yes?” she answered shakily.
“We have the results of your pregnancy test ready. And may I say, congratulations! The test came back positive. You will need to set up appointments with an obstetrician as soon as possible. Do you have someone in mind already, or would you like recommendations?”
There was no response at first. Heather was looking at the two couples close by, who were now hugging each other as if they were greeting a long-lost relative. She could see tears forming on the faces of Gus and Jason. Suddenly, she recognized that the doctor was still talking.
“Mrs. Riverside, did you hear me?”
“Oh yes, yes! I’m sorry, doctor. I’m just stunned that it happened so quickly, and on the first try. We are so happy about this and yes, I’ll take care of finding the right obstetrician as soon as I’m back home. Thank you so much, doctor! You can’t begin to know how important this was to me… to all of us. Bless you!”
“You are more than welcome. It is always satisfying when we have a success story. Would you like to tell the prospective fathers… let’s see, Mr. Marcus/Petersen and Mr. Tyler?”
“That won’t be necessary. They are standing right here in front of me,” she started to say.
Gus and Jason shouted out simultaneously, “Yes! Thank you very much, doctor. We appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”
Obviously they shouted loud enough to be heard. “You are most welcome. And good luck with everything,” came the reply.
The call ended, but celebrations were only beginning.
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Everyone who loved Gus and Jason were on pins and needles for the first few months of Heather’s pregnancy, but none more so than the couple themselves. They had suffered such terrible setbacks in their quest to be parents in the past, which made them more anxious than they wanted to admit to anyone, even themselves. Their anxiety increased when they learned from an ultrasound that they had created not one, but two babies with Heather. Happily, there had been no signs of problems, and once she was well into her second trimester, they found themselves relaxing a little bit for the first time. It helped that Heather kept in constant contact with them, through phone calls and photos of their growing babies inside her womb.
Everyone had fallen into an accepted routine during this period. Heather returned home to California shortly after being told of the positive pregnancy test. She had returned to Pittsburgh several times, just so that Gus and Jason could see the progress of her pregnancy personally. Once, in the fourth month, Gus and Jason flew to her hometown for a visit. They had spoken with her husband on the phone a few times, but never met him in person. They were also anxious to meet her son, knowing that the little boy would be the biological half-brother to their own children. They had been disappointed when, despite having given her a week’s advance notice of their coming, they found that both her husband and son were not home. They were told that Jerry and little Stevie had to leave town only the day before, when his father became critically ill. Jerry took the boy with him because his father was extremely fond of him, and he hoped seeing the boy would help him heal quicker. Although Gus and Jason were sorry to have missed Heather’s family, they were pleased to see how healthy she looked, and how well she was taking care of herself. They returned home feeling relieved that all was going so smoothly.
Because of their busy work schedules, they were unable to pay another visit out of town, but Heather continued to visit a number of times during the following months. She usually only stayed a couple of days, always with Brian and Justin, who were more than a little solicitous with their welcome guest. She always took the time to visit with everyone who cared about the precious bundles she was carrying, before she returned home. She would also pay a visit to the obstetrician Gus and Jason had found, just so they could feel a sense of connection to the pregnancy. As her due date drew closer and closer, there was a lot of discussion as to whether she should have the babies at home in California, or in Pittsburgh. During her last visit to see the obstetrician Gus and Jason had found, the three of them finally agreed that it would be best for the babies if she had them close to their prospective fathers. Before returning home, she promised to talk it over with her husband and see what they could work out. A few days later, Gus and Jason got a call from Heather. She explained that Jerry had agreed with them that it would be healthier for the babies to be born in Pittsburgh, so that Gus and Jason would not have to travel with them while they were so young. She also explained that Jerry understood that she would have to leave home at least six weeks before her due date, for the sake of her own health, as well as the babies. Travel in the last month or so of pregnancy was ill-advised by her doctors. Once again, her son would remain with Jerry because of his schooling. Finally, it was all settled. Gus and Jason were once again amazed at how understanding Heather’s husband and son were being for their sakes, and how generous the gift was that she was providing for them at considerable sacrifice. They knew they could never thank her enough.
As planned, Heather did arrive at Brian and Justin’s house six weeks before her due date. It often felt as if Gus and Jason spent as much time at their house as they did their own, but Brian and Justin were understanding. They had witnessed first-hand the trauma that their boys suffered in the past, while waiting for the safe delivery of an expected child. They understood how it comforted the couple to be able to see for themselves how well Heather was taking care of herself, and how healthy she and the babies appeared to be. Of course, the couple always accompanied Heather for her visits to the obstetrician. All three of them came away from every appointment, feeling confident that all was progressing exactly as it should. During her stay with Brian and Justin, she was often seen talking on the phone, always explaining how it comforted her to hear her son’s voice, and know that her husband was handling things well at home.
Finally, only four days before her due date, Heather woke from a restless sleep at one in the morning. There had been no warning symptoms of labor pains, but her bed was soaked. She immediately recognized that her water had broken. Within minutes of her discovery, the first sharp pain of labor hit. She got out of bed and quickly made her way down the long hallway to Brian and Justin’s room. A loud knock on their door roused the sleeping couple within seconds. Minutes later, calls were being made. Brian took care of the business end by calling the doctor and hospital. Justin took care of the personal end, calling Gus and Jason first and then JR and Gidget, knowing the girls would inform everyone else who would want to know what was happening. In what felt like an instant, Brian, Justin, and a remarkably calm Heather were roaring their way through the pitch-black moonless night on their way to the hospital. Gus and Jason, who lived several miles closer to the hospital, were already at the entryway, pacing back and forth, occasionally bumping into each other in their anxiety. There was no need for rushing. It was going to be a long night and day… a very long night and day.
To be continued…..