“I’m really sorry Mr. Kinney but we can’t let you foster Adam. Your history with his father, it’s a risk so we can’t let that happen. If you still want to foster, we would love for you to join the foster care program.”

Brian had listened to the rat-faced man at children services. Seriously? They put Adam with a family that didn’t care to look for him when a four-year old disappeared. He could have been kidnapped and they wouldn’t have known until his dead body washed up out of the Allegheny River.

“I would never hurt Adam because of his father,” Brian said, trying to keep his cool.

“I understand that Mr. Kinney but it’s just our protocol, we don’t let people with conflict foster non-relative children.”

“So, if I was his cousin I’d be less likely to abuse his son?”

“Again, I’m sorry sir but it is our rules. If you would like to take classes to become a foster to other children in the system, it would be appreciated. There are many children in need of loving homes to live while they are waiting for reunification with their parents or adoption.”

Brian was about to tell the man to shove it, but he thought maybe they would change their minds if he did do the classes, background checks and home visits.

“Thank you,” he said before shaking the man’s hand. As he left the office he wiped his hand on his pants because the man’s hands were disgustingly sweaty.

On the drive back to his own office he wondered if he was thinking about what was best for Adam or himself. Michael and Ben were good for an emergency placement, but they weren’t doing well enough to take control of a four-year-old. Jenny Rebecca was living full time with them because she and Mel didn’t get on. JR was like Michael and Mel couldn’t handle that. JR wasn’t an A student; she was a C student at best. She didn’t have the ambition that Mel had but she was a damn good computer hacker, she was the one that he went to any time he had a question about his online security at work. She had taught herself it all and had only just turned thirteen.

Because of the constant fighting with Mel, she went to live with Michael and Ben, something Michael had to go to court for. The two parents were just now getting back to their pre-custody battle relationship. But having a teen girl with some major mommy issues, they couldn’t take a little boy in for long.

He would do the classes and try again. Maybe he should hire a PI to find the boy’s mom. Fostering was just a temporary solution; he needed his mother. Brian had no use for his but couldn’t blame Adam’s from running out, she just should have taken her kid with her. But knowing Chris and his parents she would have lost any custody battle. The boy was only four and had the cards stacked against him.

When Brian got back to the house he found both of Justin’s kids in the living room with the tree. They were lying on their backs under it, looking up from the bottom. He had used to do that as a kid, at least when his dad wasn’t around.

“Enjoying yourselves?” he asked as he sat down, opening his laptop. He was going to start filling out the foster parent paperwork, this was just the beginning, it was a whole big process. He had Ted looking for a PI to hire.

“Yep,” Mark said.

“Have a good day at work?” Emma asked.

Something was fishy in the state of Denmark. “What are you two up to?”

“Us? Nothing.” This from Mark.

“Oh, heavens to Betsy no.”

Sure, he thought to himself. “Where’s your father?”

The two wiggled out from under the tree, sat up and looked at him. Their faces were covered in glitter. Their clothes were covered in glitter. That’s when he noticed his floor was covered in glitter.

“Why does it look like a go-go boy exploded in here?”

“What’s a go-go boy?” Emma asked.

“Ask your father.” Justin was going to kill him for that one. But right now, he didn’t care, his floor was covered.

“We were making art. Dad says it’s good to express yourself,” Mark added.

“As long as it doesn’t express itself all over my floor.” They were just like their father. He thought his art could be done anywhere at his own whim. It took a year before he put down a tarp regularly.

“What is all this yelling about?” Justin asked coming down the stairs. He was dressed like he was going out. He had black pants that hugged his ass just right and a blue button up shirt that brought out his eyes.

“Your children destroyed my floor. Just look at it.”

“It’s glitter, it’ll clean up.”

“It will take ages for it to all be cleaned. Hetty will not think you for this.” Hetty was his cleaning woman.

“The kids will clean it up, just relax. If you’re trying to foster a four-year old you need to get used to a little mess.”

“They won’t let me.”

“Why not?”

Brian hadn’t told him about Adam being Chris’s son. Justin already had so much on his plate. He was gearing up to get Jake completely out of his life. He was still scared the man would show up, after all his friend did. Brian had questions that Justin wouldn’t answer like what he had on the friend.

“I don’t really know. I just hope Michael and Ben are able to keep her a while. I’m going to hire a PI to find the mother.”

“Wow, you really do care about the little guy. You have such a good heart; I wish you’d let more see it.” He then looked at the kids. “When we get back I want you to clean all this up.”

“Yes, Dad,” they both said.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m dropping the kids off at Emmett’s and then I am going on a D.A.T.E.”

“We can spell. Who are you going on a date with?” Emma asked.

“Yeah, who?” Brian asked. He didn’t know Justin was putting himself out there again.

“Calm down. I’m just doing this to get my mom out of my hair. Since I came back she’s been in my ear to meet one of Tucker’s colleagues. A history teacher at the school he works at. He’s even older than you,” Justin teased Brian. Brian didn’t think it was that funny.

“How old is this guy?”

“Forty-eight but Brian, I’m no longer a seventeen-year-old kid. I’m older than you when we met, by more years than I’d like to say. Free dinner and I get to watch my mom squirm. How can I say no?”

“Why would your mom squirm?”

“It’s a double date. She hasn’t see me on a date, so she’s going to need some pearls to clutch.”

“You’re purposely going just to make your mom uncomfortable?”

“Ummm, yeah. Come on kids, get in the car, lets go.”

It was Christmas eve tomorrow, but Justin wasn’t going to make it because if the science teacher or whatever the fuck didn’t kill him his mom would.