They Say It's Your Birthday

Chapter 11

Saturday morning of the Memorial Day weekend dawned bright and sunny. Like the Taylor smiles, Brian thought as he turned in bed to look at his husband. He knew deep inside himself how lucky he had been to have met Justin Taylor so many years ago under that streetlamp on Liberty Avenue. The amazing thing was how Justin had been able to put up with his bullshit all these years, no, how Justin had been able to see through his bullshit all these years. If Justin hadn’t been so tenacious and so smart and so understanding, they would not be together now. They would never have got together in the first place. The one night stand would have been just that.

“And how different my life would be,” Brian mumbled to himself.

“Hm,” Justin said as Brian’s soft words woke him.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Brian said kissing Justin’s cheek.

“Is that the birthday boy kissing me?” Justin asked as he tried to pry his eyes open.

“Maybe.”

“Maybe! Am I being assaulted by an unknown gay man?”

“Not while I’m still breathing,” Brian declared.

“My hero,” Justin said with one of those sunny smiles that Brian so loved. Justin opened his eyes and stared up at his husband. “Happy Birthday Party Day.”

Brian made the obligatory face, but Justin could tell that his husband seemed okay with the whole birthday party thing. That was still a surprise to him. He had been really worried that turning fifty would send Brian on a downward spiral. That did not seem to be happening, and for that Justin was eternally grateful.

Brian’s lips softly pressed against Justin’s. His tongue probed the warm lips looking for entry. Justin opened his mouth allowing Brian in, and they kissed slowly for several minutes, letting their emotions build as they grew hard and needy.

Just then a knocking at the door broke the intense concentration that they had been pouring into their kisses.

“Daddy! Dada! Get up. I hafta make my cake,” Bree called as she continued to knock on their door.

“Fuck!” Brian grumbled.

“You told her you wanted a cake,” Justin reminded his husband.

“I told her she could make me a cake. I didn’t say I wanted one.”

“Semantics!” Justin averred. “You know she thinks you want a cake.”

“I guess I’ll have to eat some of it too,” Brian said ruefully.

“You bet your ass you will.”

“Daddy! Dada!” Bree repeated, impatience clear in her voice.

“Coming, sweetheart,” Justin said as he threw back the covers. “Get up, old man.”

“You’re not supposed to remind me about that,” Brian griped before he pulled a pillow over his head.

“I’ll always be around to remind you that you’re growing old gracefully,” Justin said as he unlocked the door and Bree came bounding into the room. She gave her father a hug and then pounced on her other father, jumping on him in the bed.

“Get up, Dada! It’s your birthday party today.”

“I know,” Brian said as he shoved Bree to the side and kissed all over her face until she started giggling uncontrollably. She was doing her best to tickle under her father’s arms.

“Stop it, you two!” Justin ordered. “Before you both throw up.”

“Yes, master,” Brian said rolling to the side and letting Bree get up.

“Yes, master,” Bree parroted before she and her older father burst out laughing.

“You two are incorrigible,” Justin said shaking his head and smiling. “If you want to bake a cake, get your little butt out to the kitchen for some breakfast,” he ordered.

Bree grinned and said contritely, “Yes, Daddy.” She jumped off the bed and headed for the kitchen.

“What about me?” Brian asked.

“Get into the shower then make yourself scarce after breakfast. You don’t see your cake until dinner.”

“Yes, master.”

“Incorrigible!” Justin repeated as he threw on a robe and went to make sure Bree got some breakfast.

*****

“Okay, have you measured two cups of flour?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Pour some of it into the bowl.”

“Some?”

“About half. Can you estimate half of what you have?”

“That would be one cup,” Bree said confidently.

“Excellent.”

Bree beamed at her father and then carefully poured half of the flour into the bowl. Justin gently stirred it into the liquid ingredients.

“Okay, add the rest of the flour,” he instructed.

Bree did as instructed. “Can I stir it, Daddy?” she asked after a minute.

Justin handed her the wooden spoon. “Stir it slowly and gently.”

“’Kay.” Bree took the spoon and moved the mixture around in the bowl. “How do you know when it’s done?”

“Can you see any white specks of flour?” Justin asked. Bree looked into the bowl and shook her head. “Then I’d say it’s done. Now we add the remaining ingredients.” Justin stirred. “And now we pour it into the cake pans that you greased.”

“You better do that, Daddy,” Bree said. “The bowl is heavy.”

“Good idea, sweetheart.” Justin lifted the bowl and poured the batter into the cake tins. “Into the oven,” he said as he placed the tins on the middle rack of the oven. He closed the oven door. “Now we wait.”

“How long?” Bree asked.

“About 45 to 50 minutes.”

“How do you know that?”

“That’s what most cake recipes tell us, but then you can touch the top of the cake and see if it’s firm. If it’s not then it’s not done. You can also stick a toothpick into the middle and see if it comes out clear.”

“Oh,” Bree said with a frown. “How do you know all these things?”

“By cooking with my mother just like you’re cooking with me right now.”

“Grandma Jenn taught you?”

“That’s right.”

“I like cooking with you, Daddy.”

“Me too,” Justin replied with a Taylor smile.

“Is the cake done?” Bree asked.

“It’s only been five minutes.”

“Cakes sure take a long time.”

“Patience is a virtue.”

Bree heaved a sigh and waited.

*****

“Ooh, it looks good, Daddy. Can I taste it?” Bree asked as she watched her father turn the two layers of cake out of their pans.

“Not yet,” Justin said. “You don’t want a big hole in Dada’s cake, do you?”

Bree frowned. “But how do we know if it tastes good if we don’t taste it?”

Justin scraped a little bit of the cake off the side of the pan. “Here,” he said holding it out to her on a spoon.

Bree picked the morsel off the spoon and popped it in her mouth. “Yum,” she said.

“So do we know it tastes good now?”

“Yep,” Bree said nodding her head up and down. “I want a big piece when Dada cuts it.”

“Me too,” Justin said with a chuckle.

“Dada gets the biggest piece of all.”

“He’ll love that,” Justin said.

“It’s his birthday party, so he gets the biggest piece,” Bree averred.

“You bet,” Justin said stifling a laugh as he thought about Brian’s reaction to a huge piece of cake.

“Can a man get some water before he dies of thirst?” a sorrowful voice called from the sun porch.

“You’re supposed to be somewhere else,” Justin called back.

“I’ve been gardening all morning,” Brian said. “I’m thirsty.”

“John and Bobby have water.”

“I want my own water.”

“You just want to see what we’re doing.”

“I know what you’re doing. I want water,” Brian griped.

“Bree, take your nosy father a bottle of water from the fridge.”

“’Kay, Daddy,” Bree said. She hopped down off her chair at the counter and retrieved a bottle of cold water from the fridge. She carried it to the sun porch. “Dada, you’re not allowed in the kitchen,” Bree informed her father.

“I didn’t come into the kitchen.”

“But you wanted to.”

“Did not.”

“I could tell you did.”

Brian glared at his daughter. It was childish to argue with her, but he really wanted to. “Are you guys almost done?” he asked instead.

“Not yet, Dada.”

“When?”

“We have to put icing on the cake.”

“Okay,” Brian said slowly. “But you better hurry up before I get sunstroke.”

“Wear a hat,” Justin called.

“Fucking cake,” Brian muttered as he headed back outside.

“We better hurry up, Daddy,” Bree said as she returned to the kitchen. “You know how impatient he gets.”

“Yeah, I do,” Justin agreed with a chuckle. “Let’s get the icing on this baby. What color do you want?”

“Hm,” Bree said, “I think we should…”

“Anybody home?” Gus called as he stepped through the front door.

“GUUUSSSSS!!!!!” Bree screeched as she bolted for the door to find her brother. “You came,” she yelled as she threw herself into his waiting arms.

“Of course I came, short stuff,” Gus whispered as he hugged her hard and buried his face in her fine hair. “I always come when I say I will.”

“I love you, Gus.”

“Love you too. Where is everybody?”

“Me and Daddy are baking a cake for Dada’s party, and Dada’s been out gardening all day, and he’s getting cranky, and he keeps trying to see what we’re doing but we won’t let him. He’s very impatient,” Bree said as she finally took a breath giving Gus a chance to respond.

“Is that right?” Gus laughed. “Maybe I should go keep Pop company, so he doesn’t get any crankier before his party.”

“That’s a good idea,” Bree said.

“Great idea, Gus,” Justin agreed as Gus carried Bree into the kitchen. She was still clinging to his neck. “It’s good to have you home.”

“Great to be here. I can’t wait for the party.”

“Me either,” Justin said with a chuckle.

“I’m off to cheer up Pop,” Gus said as he set Bree down. “Make that cake really special.”

“We will, Gus,” Bree said solemnly.

“Let’s get to work,” Justin told his daughter as Gus disappeared into the sun porch.

*****

Gus decided to take his father into Harrisburg for coffee and some father/son time together. That got Brian out of Bree and Justin’s hair for the afternoon. They could finish the cake and get the sun porch set up for the birthday dinner.

Justin and Bree had fun decorating the cake. Following Bree’s suggestions, Justin used the colors she chose. He thought he knew why she had chosen them. However, he insisted on writing his own words on top. Bree didn’t really understand them, but she could see that her father wanted to say the birthday wishes in that way, so she didn’t protest. Finally the cake was finished and they set it aside for later.

They spent quite a bit of time getting the dinner table ready in the sun porch. Bree wanted it to be a grown up type of dinner, like her Grandparents Birthday dinner had been, so they used the good china and wine glasses, as well as linen napkins and tablecloth, and tall candles. Bree thought the table looked perfect as her uncles and Patrick came into the sun porch.

“How’s it going?” Bobby asked.

“We’re almost done. I hope Gus remembers to bring Brian back here at the time I told him to,” Justin said.

“That might be easier said than done,” John replied. “Brian doesn’t always cooperate.”

“He knows how important this is to Bree,” Justin said. “He’ll be here.”

“Dada will be here,” Bree agreed.

“Anything we can do to help?” John asked.

“Nope, everything’s just about ready. Bree and I need to get changed.”

“So do we,” Bobby said. “I have my suit all picked out.”

“Me too,” John agreed.

“Me too,” Patrick chimed in.

Everyone headed to their bedroom to get dressed.

*****

When Gus and Brian returned right on time, they were immediately sent to their rooms to change. Everyone else assembled in the sun porch to wait for them to appear. The smell of roast chicken wafted through the house making everyone’s mouth water.

“Is it safe to come in?” Brian called from the kitchen when he and Gus were ready.

“Entrez!” Justin called.

Brian and Gus stepped into the sun porch as everyone shouted, “Happy Birthday!”

Gus slapped his father on the back as they looked at the elegantly set table. “Looks great, Pop.”

“You guys have outdone yourselves,” Brian said.

“Nothing but the best for my man,” Justin said sincerely.

“The best for my Dada,” Bree added.

Brian smiled and gave each of them a kiss. They all got seated at the table where John poured wine for the adults and fruit juice for the children. Everyone toasted Brian’s continued good health. He accepted their kind wishes gratefully.

Dinner started with a Caesar salad prepared just the way Brian liked it. Justin then served the roast chicken and potatoes with peas and carrots. It was perfectly roasted and very juicy. Everyone declared it delicious.

Conversation revolved around Gus’ plans for the summer. Everyone was happy to have him home for a while, especially Bree. When the main course was finished, John helped Justin clear the dishes. Then Bree and Justin went to the kitchen to bring in the long awaited cake.

Bree and Justin began singing Happy Birthday as they carried the cake with one large candle on it. Everyone else sang too, much to Brian’s chagrin. They were slightly off key and that finally made Brian smile.

“Your cake!” Justin said as he set it down in front of Brian. “Made with lots of care and hard work, and a huge amount of love.”

“It looks like…” Gus began.

“Like the cake from the photo album,” Brian continued Gus’ thought. He stared at the cake covered in yellow icing.

“I wanted to make you a cake like that one in Gamma Joan’s book, Dada,” Bree said.

“And I thought you were asleep while we were looking at that picture of the cake in Joanie’s photo album.”

“I could hear you talking about it, so I looked at the picture after,” Bree informed him.

“Well, it’s a beautiful cake,” Brian said. “And it even says Happy Un-Birthday. Whose idea was that?”

“That would be mine,” Justin said with an affectionate smile. “Oh, this came for you this afternoon while you and Gus were out.”

“What’s this?” Brian asked with a frown.

“Open it and see.”

Brian tore the envelope open. Inside was a folded piece of paper. Brian pulled it out and opened it. He read it slowly to himself and then he looked up at Justin. “It was you.”

“But of course. Who did you think it was?”

“Michael, Ben, Debbie, Gus, John, Bobby…”

“Okay, so I’m really good at concealing what I want … to conceal.”

“Yes you are. Come here,” Brian said pulling Justin onto his lap for a passionate kiss.

“Hey, little brother, save that for later. You need to blow out your candle before it melts the cake. And we all want a piece of this magnificent cake.”

“Yes, sir,” Brian said releasing Justin and blowing out the candle.

“A big piece for me, Dada,” Bree said as she handed her father the knife to cut the cake.

Brian did the carving duties, and shortly everyone had a piece of cake. They all complimented Bree and Justin on the delicious cake.

“This is very good cake,” Brian said as he took a bite.

“It’s my mother’s favorite cake recipe. She used to make it from scratch for each of our birthdays,” Justin said.

“Real good, Daddy,” Bree said with her mouth full.

“I could eat another piece,” Patrick stated as he cleaned his plate.

“Here you go, Little Red,” Brian said slicing his nephew another piece.

“So what was on that paper, Pop?” Gus asked.

Brian read it aloud:

I hope you will use all the little gifts I sent you.  I love you more than you’ll ever know, and I am so happy to be growing into adulthood with you, my prince.

I’ll always be looking out for you as you age gracefully!

“What gifts?” Gus asked.

“For weeks I have been receiving so called un-gifts from some unknown person. At first they were annoying, then they were funny, then they were annoying again,” Brian said.

Justin merely grinned. Finally he said, “I couldn’t let this birthday go by unnoticed, so I decided to make it an un-birthday, just like the un-birthday cake.”

“What kind of presents?” John asked.

“Liniment and a Viagra stress ball and…”

“Not in front of little ears,” John said quickly, fearful of what the list might contain.

The adults were all stifling giggles as Brian recited part of his list of gifts.

“Dada, was this the best un-birthday you ever had?” Bree asked.

“The absolute best!” Brian declared.

That earned a megawatt smile from Bree, and that was the best un-birthday present of all.