JUSTIN

I answered my front door and didn’t say a word, just let Mel come into the house. Brian and I agreed that so long as she showed up every night and Gus was happy to see her, she was welcome. In the last three weeks she showed up religiously and spent a few hours with Gus. I honestly didn’t have time to worry about her. I had to finish my last piece for the show and look through my other work to see if I had something that related to my other pieces. I closed the door and started back to my studio.

“Justin, do you think it would be okay if Gus spent time with me at my house? I’d like to be able to spend more time with him. He needs to know that he doesn’t have to compete for attention.” Mel tells me.

“You need to talk to Brian. I have a show this weekend and my mom is taking the kids, but if Gus wants to go with you, I’m sure Brian will be fine with it. For future reference, none of the kids have to compete for attention.” I tell her.

“I wasn’t accusing you of neglecting Gus, it’s just that with the other children, you have to spread yourselves out to give them time. I can devote my time to Gus. You and Brian probably don’t realize that he needs more than the other two kids. If he’s with me, I can spend one on one time with him. I wouldn’t want you to have to take time out of your revenge.” She tells me.

“Why do you care, I thought she ruined your life?” I ask her.

“I’m just trying to make sure you're doing the right thing for Gus and for you.” She tells me.

“Go be Gus’s mom, I have one.” I tell her.

“We were friends at one time. Why can’t you put aside your anger and remember that. I was there for you when you needed a place to stay.” She tells me.

“What are you asking me to do? Let Lindsay continue to fuck with my career and my life?” I ask her. She needs to stop trying to play with me.

“No, I want you to remember the anger you feel right now and not fall for Lindsay’s ‘nurturing mom’ routine. She is going to say things like I just did to you and for a second you’ll feel sorry for her, but don’t fall into that trap with her.” She tells me.

“Mel, your pep talks kind of suck.” I tell her.

“Just don’t fall for her shit.” She tells me.

“You’re right, Lindsay’s more subtle, but in essence that's her way of working people. Only we know what she’s really like, and I know who she is in New York. Trust me, nothing she says or does is going to make me feel bad for her.” I tell her. 

“It seems strange that she never tried to get involved in your career. She wanted to be a part of helping you reach success.” She tells me. 

“By the time Liddy showed up, Max was already in my life. I didn't need someone who isn’t really anything more than a wanna-be to tell me what they thought. She tried, but my bullshit filter saw through her shit, so instead, she set out to undermine my career.” I tell her. 

“Maybe you should teach us how to filter bullshit, because even after the shit she did we all tried to excuse it at first.” She tells me. 

“You mean you, don't you?” I ask her. 

“Yes, me.” She tells me. 

“Mel, you loved her, give yourself a little latitude. Love makes you want to believe the person you love is better than they are. We're only human, we're not infallible. It’s time for you to stop letting her interfere with your life five years later.” I tell her. 

“Are you going to kick my ass if I don’t get it my head on straight?” She smiles at me.

“I think I already did that, no I’m going to let you wallow in your misery. I’ll just remind you once in awhile that life is still out there, waiting for you. Only you can let go and start living again.” I tell her.

“I’m starting to let it go, but watching you forgive Brian for the way he treated you helps me see that it’s about now, not five years ago.” She tells me.

“I didn’t forgive him, we were both screwed up. It wasn’t our time, now is, and I only care about now.” I tell her.

Mel nodded her head and walked to the kitchen to see Gus. I started to go to my studio because I needed to paint the image in my head. I put a new canvas on my easel and started working. I was putting the finishing touches on the painting when I heard a knock on the door. Looking at the clock on the wall, I realized it was three in the morning. I’d been working for nine hours and didn’t even realize it. 

“Come in.” I shouted.

“I left you alone so you could work, but you need to get some sleep if you're going to catch your flight this afternoon.” Brian tells me.

“I was finishing the last painting. I need to find one more piece to hang for the show. This one is staying here.” I tell him.

“Can I look?” He asks me.

I shrug and move aside. I was looking at the painting and can say it turned out how I pictured it. Along the sides were moments in our lives; Brian and I meeting on the street, Brian and I standing in my house meeting again now, Brian holding Gus for the first time, Brian kneeling down to meet Aidan and me meeting Jewel, dancing together at Babylon in both times and in the middle was just a house with three children in the yard playing and silhouettes of Brian and I in all the windows. I painted in translucent paint five hands reaching toward each other towards the middle of the painting. It wasn’t going to take the art world by storm but it was about us.

“You don’t plan to use this?” He asks me.

“It’s too personal for me to show anyone. I have some pieces that I haven’t shown yet so I can use them. This is us, and it belongs in our home.” I tell him.

Brian looks at it one more time and then holds his hand out to me. I take his hand and we leave the studio and head to bed.

MAX

I picked up Jay at the airport and he seemed distracted. Normally when we saw each other we were talking a mile a minute, so quiet Jay was new to me.

“Jay, you gonna act like you're glad to see me?” I ask him. 

“Max, I’m always glad to see you. It’s just the first time I don’t have Aidan with me. He wasn’t happy that he isn’t going to see me for a few days.” He tells me.

“Why did you leave him in Pittsburgh? Shit, tell Brian to bring the family. You know you're going to be calling him every hour checking on all the kids.” I tell him.

“The kids can’t come to the show. I don’t need the kids seeing the subject matter that Sam or I paint.” He tells me.

“Have your mom bring your sister to watch them during the show, shit Jay, it’s not like Sam or your work isn’t abstract enough, the kids would get some of the themes. Well Sam did kind of go all out on the naked women frolicking in one or two, but yours is safe for the kiddies.” I tell him.

“I’ll talk to Brian, if he wants to bring them then he can.” He tells me.

“Emmett can help him if he does.” I tell him.

“How are things with Emmett?” He asks me.

“He’s quite possibly the one. He doesn’t play games and doesn’t have a problem with you and Aidan, so hopefully he’ll be the one.” I tell him. I needed to know that Emmett could love the real person not the persona.

“I noticed you put away the dizzy Max lately.” He tells me.

“Emmett deserves to meet the real me. We can play queens together later if we want.” I tell him.

“How’s everything going with Sam?” He asks me.

“Sam told me that we owe him for making him put up with Liddy this long. He wants you to show with him in Paris next year.” I tell Justin.

“Why not, we both were invited to show there anyway.” I tell him.

“That’s why I agreed with him. You should see how your works compliment each other. Sam can be a skeevy asshole when it comes to women but his art is always good.” I tell him.

“Anything on the agenda for today?” I ask him.

“I would say no but I know you want to see how we are hanging everything.” I tell him.

Jay and I get to the gallery and Elaine runs to Jay and jumps in his arms. As always, he lets her wrap her arms and legs around him, baby monkey style. Jay just carries her around like she’s Aidan. These two are like children around each other. I swear she loves him more than me. 

“Elaine, if I didn’t know you loved women and Jay loved men, I’d be asking when your wedding to Jay is.” I tell her. 

“I have daddy issues, mine never held me enough.” She sticks out her tongue at me.

“What's your reason for letting her hang on you like a monkey?” I ask Jay. 

“She makes the best chocolate silk pie.” He tells me. 

“How come I never knew that?” I ask him. 

“I didn’t want to share.” He tells me. 

“Is it in the refrigerator?” I ask her. 

“I made it as soon as you told me Jay was coming.” She tells me. 

I smile at them and take off running to steal the pie. They both stand there, until Jay realizes his pie is about to be stolen.

“Max, do not touch my pie.” Jay warns, then holds Elaine tighter and starts running after me. I dodge the installers and run into my office. Jay and Elaine are giggling like loons, but he has extra weight to carry while he runs past the workers, who just laugh at us. We get to my office and find Sam sitting at my desk, eating the pie. 

“Coming to the dark side Jay?” Sam looks at Jay holding Elaine. 

“Coming to kick your ass, that was my pie.” Jay tells him. 

“I only ate a piece because you made me deal with Liddy.” He tells us. 

“Like you care where you stick your dick.” I tell him. 

“Even I have some standards. Not many, but uptight, used up pussy makes me want to change teams.” He leers at me.

“Hairy hetero, doesn't do a thing for me.” I tell him. 

“How about you Elaine?” Sam smiles.

“Sorry it's pussy, or Jay.” She tells him. 

“Unfortunately I wouldn’t consider Jay, he might make me rethink the whole hetero thing.” He jokes.

“Is there a reason you're here eating my pie?” Jay asks him. 

“I'm trying not to kick the bitch and her cunt mother in the ass. They were in my house trying to redecorate.” He tells us. 

“You left them in your house?” I ask him. 

“No, I told them to go shopping, so I could come here and check on the show. Apparently Liddy thinks she's moving into the house and mommy doesn’t like my decorating ideas.” He tells us. 

“Bordello isn't decorating.” Jay tells him. 

“It is if you want groupies to get naked.” He smirks.

“Just put up with them for two more days.” I tell him. 

“Why do you think I'm here? It's the only way I don't say what I really think of the hags.” He tells us. 

“Let him eat the pie. I need to see Liddy go down.” Elaine begs.     

JUSTIN 

I hated not having Brian here last night. I’ve gotten used to hearing him breathe next to me and the kids pile in bed with us in the morning. It’s how I want to wake up everyday. I think it's time to tell him that, even if he already knows. Last night talking to him on the phone just made me miss him more.

I got up with a purpose this morning, to ask Brian to marry me tonight. I want us to be more than two people sharing a home. So I needed to get everything ready for tonight. I walked into Max’s kitchen and figured I better see why Max looks a bit green this morning. 

“Are you okay?” He looks like he's hung over.

“I'm just feeling off.” He tells me. 

“If you're sick, stay away from me. Brian is coming and I don't want to catch anything.” I tell him. 

“I'll be fine, it's probably the shitty tofu you made me eat last night.” He tells me. 

“Whatever, most likely your body is rebelling against the jelly donut in your hand.” I tell him. 

“Why are you so chipper?” He asks me. 

“I decided to ask Brian to marry me.” I tell him.

“Moving kind of fast, don’t you think?” He shoves the whole donut in his mouth.

“Five years isn't fast.” I tell him. 

“Five years you haven’t been around for.” He tells me. 

“He's my one, Max. If it isn't him, then it's no one.” I tell him. 

“Then we better get to work.” He tells me. 

Max grabbed another donut and we ran out the door. I wanted to find rings and set up dinner, so I could ask him in private. If he wasn’t ready, I didn’t want him to say yes because he had an audience. 

“When we're you thinking of getting married?” Max asks me. 

“As soon as he wants to.” I tell him. 

I found the ring I wanted in the second store. It was platinum with yellow diamonds set around the band. I wanted something that didn’t scream gaudy. Unlike the shit Max kept picking. 

“What do you think of this one?” Max asks me. 

I look at the gold ring with diamonds in every color of the rainbow around it. 

“Brian would say no just to keep that off his hand.” I tell him. 

“I meant for Emmett.” He tells me. 

“You questioned if I'm moving fast.”  I tell him.

“It’s just that he makes me happy. I see my future and he's my one.” He tells me. 

“Then buy the ring and run to your future.” I tell him. 

We both have them engrave the rings and we're going to pick them up after lunch. Max and I argued over where to eat, I wanted to try the new bistro we passed, Max wanted real food. I let him take me to his favorite Italian restaurant and watched him order enough to feed three people. 

“Hungry?” I ask him. 

“Shut up and order your healthy shit, I'm planning on enjoying my lunch.” He tells me. 

We were eating the appetizers when Liddy and company walked in.

“Out of all the places she could pick, why here?” Max asks me. 

“She's showing off, everyone comes here.” I tell him. 

Sam looked like he would rather sit with us, but knew they would just follow him. Liddy of course made the rounds to look important to her parents, nobody really said much to her. I waited for her to stop at our table, because she hadn’t had a chance to fuck with me in over a month.

“Mother, this is Jay Thomas, the artist Sam was kind enough to let show with him.” She puts on her fake smile.

“I own one of your pieces, Mr Thomas. I just love your work, and was hoping to add to my collection.” Mommy tells me. Lindsay wasn't happy to hear that.

“I'm sure once you get to the show, you'll want one of Sam's pieces.” Lindsay tells her.

“He isn't really my style.” She tells Lindsay. 

“Mother, Sam's work is magnificent.” Lindsay snuggles up to poor Sam.

“Mr Thomas…” I interrupt her.

“Please call me Jay.” I tell her. 

“Jay’s work is what I like.” She tells Lindsay. 

Lindsay was getting ready to blow a gasket and as much fun as that would be to watch, Max and I had better things to do.

“Liddy, we all know it's an honor for me to show with Sam.” I tell her. 

“Just like to me being able to convince Jay to show with me is an honor. Our table is ready, so we’d better go.” Sam tells us. 

Lindsay realized she needed to stop by the glare Sam sent her way.

“You're right Darling. Mother and I wanted to talk to you about some plans.” She tells Sam. 

Sam managed to hold it together and not dump the tray the waiter walking by was holding on Lindsay. Max grabbed the check and we left Sam with his hags.

We picked up the rings and headed to the airport to pick up everyone. I was so ready to see my children and Brian. Two days seemed like forever. I heard them before I saw them. 

“Dad, you promise Daddy is going to be waiting?” Jewel asks. 

“I want Daddy.” Aidan pouts.

“Dad said Daddy would be here Aidan, and Dad doesn't lie.” Gus tells him. 

“DADDY. “ Jewel yells running to me.

I kneel down to catch my daughter and the boys when they reach me. The empty place I had for two days, filled up more with each hug and kiss my children gave me. My mom, sister and Daphne grabbed the kids so I could greet Brian. 

He pulled me to him and kissed the last two days out of my mind.

“No more days apart, it’s too hard.” He whispers in my ear.

“If one of us goes, we all do.” I tell him. 

“Max, can you not molest Emmett in front of the children.” Mom tells him.

I look to see Max is trying to make up for weeks of not seeing Emmett. I think Max is right, Emmett is his one, but he needs to rein in the floor show.

“Max let go of Emmett before you get arrested.” I tell him. Which he ignored. 

“Emmett you asked me to let you know, so this is me telling you. I love you.” Max tells him. 

“I love you, Maxie” Emmett tells him. 

The boys start gagging with Brian and Jewel awed with the rest of the airport. We got Maxie and Emmett to walk towards the cars, before they started planning their lives. 

Brian and I left the kids with mom later that night to have dinner alone. I was nervous because I was about to ask him to marry me. I didn’t have any doubts, just wanted to ask. 

“Private dining room, candles, and soft lighting, couldn’t have picked a better place myself.” Brian tells me. 

“I wanted us to be able to talk without everyone watching.” I tell him. 

“You achieved that.” He tells me. 

I slide out of my chair and down on my knees in front of him. Brian pulls me up onto his lap.

“Yes, but not on your knees. You'll ruin your pants.” He tells me. 

“Yes what?” I ask him. 

“To anything you want.” He reaches into his jacket pocket.

I pull the ring out of my pocket and see him with one of his own. We each take the rings out of the boxes and he lets me slip his on first. I let him put mine on and stare at the platinum and emerald band. 

“Marry me.” I tell him. 

“Pick the place and I'll be there.” He tells me. 

“Pittsburgh, after all the bullshit is done.” I tell him. 

“Whenever we want, who cares about the rest of the bullshit.” He tells me.

Dinner didn’t seem as important as making love to my soon to be husband. Brian and I walked out of the romantic dinner and went to the room I rented for the night. We got to the room and I can see Max and Emmett left us a present. Brian picked up the bottle of Champagne and popped the cork. We didn’t bother with glasses, just took the open bottle with us to the bedroom. We undressed each other slowly between sips of Champagne. I pushed Brian on the bed and licked and kissed every inch of him, until I reached his cock. I started from the root and licked the head until I felt his legs quiver, then proceeded to swallow all nine and a half inches to the root. I wanted to taste him tonight. As I used my hands and tongue to drive him crazy, I watched his face transform into ecstasy. I tasted the beginning of his climax and swallowed every tasty drop of his offering. Brian laid there catching his breath and then turned me to lay down and returned the favor. We never looked away from each other as he swallowed me and then grabbed a condom and slipped it on himself to join us again. Instead of the fast pace we usually set the first time, we were able to slow down and enjoy each thrust and kiss. When we were both ready to finish again, Brian sped up and waited for me to cum first and then thrust the rest of the way and held himself still, while he finished. Neither one of us wanted to let the other go so we shifted when he pulled out and dumped the condom in the trash, and lay holding each other for the rest of the night.