My life began in a New York alley, beyond that I couldn't tell you anything about myself. All I know is that either my first or last name starts with a J. At least I figure they do because that’s what was on my belt buckle. So I’ll just call myself Jay. I kept hoping that if I was missing, someone would be looking for me, but I stopped hoping after a month and continued to do what I could to survive. The problem is no one hires you if you don’t know your full name and have an address. The only thing I could find were people willing to pay me to clean dishes and they were paying under the table so the money wasn’t much, but it was better than the alternative. I learned to stretch every dollar. I was living off ramen noodles and sleeping anywhere there were walls around me. I was on the streets for over a month, when I went to give blood for a ten dollar gift certificate and found out I was pregnant. The lady told me to go to the health center and they would at least tell me how far along I was. I left the health center with a gift bag of food and a new worry, I was going to be a father in six months, and I didn’t have a clue who the other father was or have a last name for us.

I got a job cleaning at a gallery, and one night I met Max, the owner. I’d been borrowing paper and pencils off his desk to draw with on my breaks, I found it easier to forget my life when I drew. He walked into his office thinking I was stealing, so I made him a self portrait, after that he didn’t seem to mind me borrowing them. Max later confessed to me that he was hiding out most nights because his ex was stalking him. Max attracts guys who stalk him when he breaks up with them. We became friends and I told him about the baby and my amnesia. He asked if I ever went to the police to see if they could help. I told him no one cares about the homeless, and if I was missing and anyone cared, I would think someone would have found me after all this time.

I remember coming into work one day and Max told me that he left something for me to use in his office. I walked in to see an easel and paints, I just started painting, it was like I was born to do it. When I finished, I realized Max had been watching me paint.

“Can I see?” He he begged me.

I stepped away from the canvas, and waited to see disappointment in Max’s eyes.

“You must have had talent before, do you want to know what I think?” He asks me.

“It’s the worst you’ve ever seen.” I tell him.

“No, I want to know what the man is looking for.” He tells me.

“What do you mean?” I ask him.  

“Jay, the reason people want a painting is because it speaks to them. This painting makes me wonder if the man ever finds what he was looking for, you told a story with your art. If you'd let me help you, like I keep asking, you could make a living at this. Do you really want to try to raise the baby cleaning my Gallery, or would you rather be showing your work here? Think of the baby, a shelter is not where you want the baby to be raised.” Max tells me.

We'd been arguing about this for months. He wanted me to explore my talent, I wanted to be able to afford a place on my own, to prove I could take care of my baby. Max didn’t understand why I wouldn’t let him help me. To me it felt like I was taking advantage of him. In the end I accepted his offer, because the minute I held Aidan, I knew my pride didn’t matter, he did.

Max came to the hospital and took Aidan and me home with him. Max wanted children but couldn’t find someone he trusted to have one with him, so he settled for being Uncle Max. When I was ready to return to work, Max fired me and told me to paint, because he wanted to be the one to discover me.

I was glad I’d listened to Max because in two years, people were asking Max for my work. I still remember my first show, I hung my first painting called Haunted with four others, praying to sell something. I almost ran back and took them off the wall, because the artist next to me was famous and didn’t deserve to have an Unknown next to him. Max dragged me away to stop me and to meet a reporter. He wanted me to have some exposure by at least having my name in an article. I wandered around to look at other works because I didn’t want to hear if people hated my work. Max came to find me an hour later, he was excited.

“They sold.” He tells me.

“What sold?” I asked him.

“All five of your paintings.” He tells me.

“Your kidding, tell me you're joking. I'm an unknown.” I tell him.

“No, you're an Artist. Now we just need to change your last name to something with flare. Smith isn't going to work.” He tells me.

That is how Jay Thomas was born. I worked for the next year and was finally starting to sell in the double digits. I told Max I wanted to get my son out of New York, he needed a place where being mugged wasn’t a right of passage. Max thought I was nuts to want to move to Pittsburgh. I just felt like I belonged there, I told him if I was wrong Aidan and I could always move back. Max wanted us to stay, because like me, he didn’t have any family either, and Aidan and I were as close as he could get. I also felt like we were the reason his relationship was rocky with his current boyfriend, Kevin. Kevin didn't like that Max and I always wanted to hang out. I couldn’t convince him that we saw each other as brothers, not partners. When I announced Aidan and I were moving, I could see Kevin was happy about it. I didn't really like Kevin, because he always tried to push Aidan aside, if Max paid attention to him. Max seemed happy with Kevin, so I decided Aidan and I needed to move, to allow them to have a relationship, without me knocking Kevin the fuck out.  

I was finally finished unpacking the house and Aidan needed to run off some energy, because I wanted to take a nap. Which isn’t possible with a four year old, who is still full of energy.

“Aidan, do you want to go to the park?” I ask him.

Aidan climbs out of the box he was playing in and runs to me.

“Are we going to play or just walk around?” He asks me.

“We can do both.” I tell him.

“Okay, but I don’t want to take a nap.” Of course he doesn’t.

“How about we go and you can decide that after we come home.” I tell him.

“I won’t be tired.” Yes he will, because I plan to run his ass off.

I grab some water and snacks, because I hoped he is going to be too tired to eat when we come home. We were wandering down the street when Aidan ran into a man. The man smiled at Aidan, then looked up at me.

“Oh my God, it is you, where the hell have you been Justin?” He asks me.

“I’m sorry, but who are you, and who’s Justin?” I ask him, although Justin does sound right to me somehow. I normally don’t get recognized, but this guy seems to think he knows me. I grab Aidan in case the guy is some nutty groupie.

“Emmett.. Emmett Honeycutt.” He tells me. He seems to think I should know him, but groupies sometimes do that.

“You know my dad?” Aidan asks him. I grab Aidan tighter because Emmett is really making me nervous.

“Yes, of course I do. Justin, what’s going on?” He asks me.

“You know me?” I ask him. I wanted it to be true, then I could find out who I am.

“Wait, don’t you know who I am?” Em asks me.

“No.” I tell him.

“You really don’t know me?” He asks me.

“Look, if you like my art, that's nice, but I'm with my son.” I tell him, because it’s starting to sound like he doesn’t really know me.

“Son, OH MY GOD, BRIAN IS GOING TO SHIT GOLD BRICKS.” He yells then turns and asks “Are you okay?” I guess the wary look I had finally sunk in.

“Could you let us by, I really don’t want to have to call the police.” I tell him. Yeah I think it’s time to get away from Emmett.

“OH MY GOD, YOUR MOTHER, HOW ARE WE GOING TO TELL HER?” He yells at me. Ignoring my threat to call the police.

“Wait, what are you talking about?” I ask him. That stopped me because, if he isn’t a nut job, but  knows my family he could lead me to my life before.

“Your mother and Brian, how am I going to tell them your back?” He asks me.

“Back?” I ask him.

“Um, why are you acting like you didn’t you used to live here?” Emmett asks me. Like he expects me to say “I'm kidding”.

“Because I don’t, I lost my memory five years ago.” I tell him.

“How and where did you go five years ago? Brian kicked you out and you disappeared.” He asks.

“Can we discuss this without little ears hearing.” I point to Aidan.

“I’ll discuss it with you all day, because you aren’t leaving my sight, not until we figure out how to tell everyone.” He tells me.

I told Emmett we could discuss this after Aidan laid down for a nap. So Emmett followed us and was practically glued to me. I allowed it because I wanted to know who I am. Emmett helped me carry a sleeping Aidan to my house and when we were finally alone I asked him the one thing I needed to know.

“Who am I?” I asked.

“Oh Baby, you're Justin Taylor.” He tells me. I savor the name, it was my name.

“You know my family?” I ask him.

“Yes, and your mother is going to be so happy to see you.” He tells me.

“I don’t remember anything about my life, please tell me something.” I beg him.

“You lived here in Pittsburgh growing up.You came out and your father disowned you but your mother, Jen, stuck by you. You also have a little sister and your best friend Daphne.” He tells me.

“Who is Brian, you mentioned him earlier?” I ask him.

“He’s the guy you were kind of seeing, you lived with him before we lost you.” He tells me.

“Did anyone try to find me?” I ask him.

“Only all of Liberty Avenue, we hoped you would use Brian’s credit card again, but after the airfare there was nothing. It’s like you vanished. What happened?” He asks me.

“I woke up in an alley, with no memory, and ended up on the streets.” I tell him.

“Can I ask about Aidan?” He asks me.

“I was homeless and tried to donate blood to get some money, they test you before you can give and I found out I was pregnant. I was a couple months by then, so I got pregnant before I got to New York. ” I tell him.

“That boy has to be Brian’s, he looks a lot like him.” He tells me.

“Brian, the guy who kicked me out? Did he not want to be a father?” I ask him.

“His loft was burglarized and he lost his shit and kick you out, he thought you didn't set the alarm. When he calmed down you were already gone.” He tells me.

“You said thought, why?” I ask him.

“We found out later that his two best friends were there that day and left it unlocked, they told us it was an accident but I think one of them, Michael, did it on purpose because he wanted you gone. Brian hasn't forgiven Michael because he stood there and let you take the blame.” He tells me. He whispers ‘jewel’ for some reason.

“Why, was I trying to cut him out of Brian’s life?” I ask him.

“No, he wanted to be in your place in Brian’s life. Brian never offered him the chance, or anybody else until you.” He tells me.

“Why didn’t the other best friend tell the truth?” I could have had my life.

“Lindsay wanted Brian to pay for Gus, the child he donated sperm for so she and her wife could have a baby. When you came along Brian stopped being as generous towards her, and she felt it was your fault.” He tells me.

“How did he find out the truth?” I ask him.

“Oh shit Baby, there is so much you don’t know. They came to the loft looking for a ‘donation’ to the ‘Michael trapping Brian fund’, you know a sperm sample. Only they didn’t get Brian’s sample, but some one else's” He tells me.

“Whose sample did they get?” I ask him because he seem reluctant to tell me.

“It wasn’t Brian’s because the test came back negative for him being the father. Brian told them it was most likely yours, because you were the only person he’d been with in the loft. Your mother came and had the test run against her DNA to see if there was a match. The test showed the baby was related to her. Um Congrats… you um… have a daughter?” He tells me.

“Where is my child?” I ask him.

“She lives with Brian, he and your mom have joint custody.” He tells me.

This can’t be happening. “What’s her name?” I ask him, because I need to see her.

“Jewel, Brian named her. Wait I have a picture in my phone of her, if you want to see her.” He tells me. He pulls up a picture of a beautiful little girl.

“Is the Michael guy… still involved?” I ask him while looking at my daughter.

“No, if Jewel had been Brian’s, you can bet your ass he would have played proud dad. Brian wasn't going to let Michael trap him with a kid, so he told Michael he wanted proof she was his. The minute the test came back Michael handed her over to your mother, because the baby ruined his plans. It’s funny because if Michael had thought about it, he could have had Brian dancing to his tune, Brian would do anything for Jewel.” Emmett tells me.

“What about the woman, Lindsay?” I ask him.

“She tried to say she didn’t know what Michael was doing that day. Which didn’t fool any of us, including her wife, Mel. When Brian found out the baby wasn’t his, he made Michael tell everyone the truth. The truth was that Michael thought Brian would marry him and he was willing to give Lindsay a paycheck for her help. Mel, Lindsay’s wife, left her and helped Brian to get custody of Gus. Mel didn’t want Gus around someone like Lindsay.” Emmett tells me.

“Was I friends with these people?’’ What kind of people did I know?

“I think she befriended you thinking you would convince Brian he owed it to her, for popping out his baby. The thing she didn’t get about you was that you wouldn’t help anybody to use Brian. That’s when she turned to Michael for help.” He tells me.

“Why didn’t Lindsay get pregnant? Instead of the Michael guy?” I ask him.

“Because it didn't work for her the first time.” He sneered at that, guess he doesn’t like Lindsay.

“So this Michael, I'm guessing didn't like that I lived with Brian?” I ask him.

“He would have been fine if you ended up like any other man Brian tricked with, but Brian never treated you that way, when you lived with him. Michael wanted you gone, because like everyone else, he could tell Brian cared about you.” He tells me.

“I just don’t understand why no one looked for me.” I tell him.

“At first Brian thought you'd call him, but after a week, he went to New York to look for you. He stayed as long as he could and kept going back on weekends, he had to stop when he got custody of the children. He did search for you, but like I said it was like you vanished, there was never even a sighting. I know he still has a detective searching for you.” He tells me.  

“What should I do? I want to meet my daughter but this is going to turn into a mess.” I tell him.

If we were planning a party, I’d be great at this.” He tells me. I must’ve looked confused because he says, “I’m an events planner. If you're willing to trust me, I could call Ted and Blake, they could give us some advice?” He asked me.

“If you think they can help with this mess, call them.” I tell him.

EMMETT

I get up and walk outside because I need to prepare Teddy for this.

“Emmett, where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago.” He tells me.

“I ran into someone…” I start to tell him, but Teddy spoke over me.

“I took the day off so we could plan the launch, Brian is going to kill me if I don’t get this right. He didn’t even want to take a vacation, because he was afraid I’d screw this up. It’s a huge account, I need you to stop hitting on who ever you ran into and get over here.” He tells me.

“Can I say something and you wait till I’m finished.” I tell him.

“As long as it’s not details on the guy’s dick.” He tells me.

“You know what, I was going to break this to you gently, but you deserve this, I just happen to be at the house of one Justin Taylor.” I announce. I wait for Teddy to say something and it’s silent.

“Um Emmett, what did you say to Ted?” Blake comes on.

“I told him that I’m standing in front of the house that Justin Taylor happens to live in.” I tell him.

“Where are you?” Blake asks me.

“A block from your house.” I tell him.

Blake asks for the address and tells me as soon as Ted gets over the shock, they would be on their way.