JUSTIN 

I couldn’t sleep, so I pulled out a sketchpad and went out back to draw for a while. I just needed to not have to think for a while. I hear footsteps and see Ben walking over to the table. I wondered if I would see him before I left. It's only been two days, but it seems longer.

“You're really going to marry Brian?” He asks me. 

“Ben, he's who I want.” I tell him. 

“How does he keep this hold on men?” He asks me. 

“Maybe it's that he seems so unattainable. Everyone wanted more but couldn't get him.” I tell him. 

“Except for you.” He tells me. 

“Twelve years ago, I was one of those guys. I wanted the god, not the man. I was chasing a myth along with everyone else. Being away for so long changed the man I saw.” I tell him. 

“Or maybe Brian finally changed.” He tells me. 

“He's no longer trying to prove everyone wants him. I think that just comes with growing up. I know that when I was with him, I liked that men were looking at me and him. I was also a teenager discovering my world at the time. In a way, Michael and Brian were still in their teen years when we all met. I honestly think if we’d stayed together, we would have had a lot of problems.” I tell him.

“Do you ever think ‘if only I had turned left instead of right’?” He asks me.

“I wouldn’t have Jacob if I thought that way. Jacob is one of the best things that Brian and I ever did together.” I tell him.

“You loved Brian all this time didn’t you?” He asks me.

“I never loved anyone else but him.” I tell him.

“Didn’t you ever want to see what loving someone else was like?” Ben asks me.

“Why bother when I’d already found my other half, but trust me, I tried, they just didn’t touch the part of me that Brian did.” I tell him.

“You think he loved you, don’t you?” Ben asks me.

“In Brian’s way he did. I know if I’d never been hurt things would have been different.” I tell him.

“How can you be so sure?” He asks me.

“It’s the look I saw that night, he came to my prom to make me happy. I saw things were changing when I looked in his eyes that night.” I tell him.

“Did you ever talk about it?” He asks me.

“When we could have, I didn’t remember.” I tell him.

“You could be remembering it the way you wanted it to be.” He tells me. 

“Ben, I saw it in his eyes. If we are going to sit here with you trying to convince me to leave Brian, this conversation is over.” I tell him. 

“I came to tell you, if you're happy, that’s all I want for you.” He tells me and gets up to leave.

I  couldn’t let him leave like that, he was hurting. I go to my friend and put my arms around him. Ben stands there then wraps his arms around me and holds me close.

“I think we all fall a little in love with you, but maybe it’s so we can heal.” Ben tells me.

“I hope you find someone who makes you happy.” I tell him.

“I did, but he wanted Brian Kinney, maybe it’s time for me to look for someone who never met Brian.” He tells me.

“Just stay in touch because we still want you around.” I tell him.

“I’m thinking of moving back, I got offered my old position in Pittsburgh.” Ben tells me.

“Jacob would love that. Just make sure you're doing it for you. Please come to the wedding, I want all my friends there.” I tell him.

“I won’t miss it.” He tells me and kisses my head. 

BRIAN

I woke up and noticed Justin wasn’t here. I wandered around the house until I heard the voices outside. I listened to Justin and Ben talking about the past and hear Justin telling Ben he knew I loved him by the look in my eyes the night of the prom. When did Justin remember that? 

It gives me a way to show Justin that everything was changing that night. I go back to the bedroom and grab my phone and start a play list. I wanted it to be just Justin and I so I waited for Ben to leave and go outside. 

“Ben wanted to clear the air.” Justin tells me.

“Good.” I tell him.

Justin looks up at me confused when I put my phone in the middle of the table. I find what I’m looking for on my phone and hit play. As “Save the Last Dance for Me” begins, I pull Justin from his chair. I see the same smile he gave me that night. I want him to see the same look I gave him while we danced the same steps. I watch as Justin seems lost in the memory of that night. We continue to dance until the song ends, when the next song started “I’m going back to the start”. We slow danced to the song that to me says everything that I could never say to him. When the song ends “Stay with me” starts. 

“Always.” Justin tells me.

JUSTIN

I didn’t want to wait to marry Brian. I think I was postponing because I was scared. Last night dancing under the stars made me realize twelve years didn’t mean a lot when you still love each other. 

“What are you thinking about?” Brian asks me.

“I think that being married is more important than where we do it.” I tell him with my head on his chest.

“What are you saying?” He asks me pulling my face to look at him. 

“I'm saying marry me now.” I tell him. 

“We have to get a license.” He tells me. 

“We can do that next week. I just need to say the words now.” I tell him. 

“Why the hurry? I was all for us doing it here, but you didn't seem to want to.” He tells me.

“I was scared that we were moving too fast.” I tell him. 

“What changed your mind?” He asks me. 

“A ridiculously romantic man.” I tell him. 

“Then Justin, I take you to be my everything. I promise to you that nothing will ever be more important to me than you and the kids. That I'll love you for the rest of my life and beyond that.” He tells me. 

“Brian, I take you to be my everything. I promise to you that I'll listen to the things you don't say and say the things we should. I promise that nothing will come before you and the kids. I'll love you till the end of time.” I tell him. 

Brian leans over me to seal our vows with a kiss. I run my hands through his hair and savor my first kiss with my husband. 

We hear a commotion at the door, and Gus, Jacob, and Jenny run in. Brian smirks at me, but in a way this is the life we chose.

“Daddy, are you going to come down for breakfast? The Grandmas are starving us.” Jacob complains.

“They told us we had to come get you if we wanted any.” Gus tells us.

“Grandma Jen cooked the waffles like you do.” Jenny tells me. 

“So get your lazy A S S E S out of bed.” Jacob tells us.

“Deb, if my grandchildren keep repeating you, I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap.” My mother tells Deb from outside the bedroom. 

“He didn’t say it, he spelled it.” Deb tells her.

“He shouldn’t be spelling it either.” She tells her.

“Jacob, Gus, no more cussing, it gets Grandma Deb in trouble.” Jenny tells them.

“I’m almost twelve, not a baby.” Jacob tells them.

“Until you reach the ripe old age of eighteen, no cussing.” Justin tells him.

“Dad that’s a long time, what if I hit my hand with a hammer. I mean you said all sorts of words when you did.” Jacob tells me.

“I’ll give you a free pass if you ever hit your hand with a hammer.” I tell him.

“That does not mean hit yourselves with hammers, boys.” Mom tells them.

Gus and Jacob both look disappointed that she add that. Brian and I wait to see if they have a counter offer. 

“What if we accidently hit ourselves?” Gus asks her.

“Then I want you to tell me how you accidently hit yourselves, before you start cursing.” Mom tells them.

“But it would be an accident and they just kind of happen.” Gus tells her.

“Brian you deal with this, Deb and I are going to finish breakfast.” Mom tells him.

“Just don’t get caught.” Brian tells them.

“But it’s like she hears through walls.” Jacob tells him.

“She does, it’s how she knew when I did something. It comes with being a parent. You don’t know we know, but we do.” I tell them.

“I didn’t mean to cut my Barbie’s hair off this morning.” Jenny tells me.

“Why were you cutting your dolls hair?” I ask her.

“Gus and I kind of painted it blue.” Jacob tells us.

“I thought when it grew back it would be blond again.” Jenny tells us.

“You know that it won’t grow back right?” Gus asks her.

“I don’t want a bald Barbie.” Jenny tells me.

“Get her a wig like Grandma Deb.” Jacob tells her.

“How about we just get a new Barbie.” Brian asks her.

“What do I do with the old one?” She asks Brian.

“Get her a girlfriend.” Gus tells her.

“But then I would have to make her look like the old one.” Jenny tells us.

“Why?” I ask because I’m truly lost.

“Because my old Barbie is a troll now. She can’t date pretty Barbie.” She tells us.

“This is your fault.” I tell Brian.

“She’s right, I mean I picked you because I needed someone as pretty as me.” Brian tells me.

“Dad, aren’t boys supposed to be handsome?” Jacob asks me.

“You’re right, your dad is rather handsome.” Brian tells me.

“I think he’s pretty.” Jenny tells Brian.

“Well if you think so it must be the truth.” Brian tells her.

“Um, can we go eat?” Gus asks us.

“I swear he’s your kid, not mine.” Brian tells me.

I roll my eyes and take my children down to breakfast. Deb cooked like we were having a hundred people over. The boys and I were thrilled. 

“Good morning, Mr. Taylor-Kinney.” Brian whispers in my ear.

“Good morning, Mr. Taylor-Kinney.” I whisper back. 

Brian pulls me towards him and delivers our first kiss as husbands at breakfast. It would have been perfect if Gus and Jacob hadn’t started gagging.