June 18, 2000:

"Hey good lookin', what's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?"

"It's my birthday, and I was promised a good time at the circus. I get to go every year for my birthday, but this one is special. It's also a very special Anniversary," the fair-haired man stated, grinning from ear to ear.

"And how old are you today?" asked the tall brunet with the silver running through his hair like streaks of lightning.

"It's not really polite asking a man his age but I'm forty-six, if you must know . But what's really special about today is that it's my twenty-fifth Anniversary."

"That's a big one. What kind of Anniversary are you celebrating, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

"It's the Anniversary of the day I met the love of my life. Wouldn't you call that special?"

"I most emphatically would," the older man declared.

Brian and Justin let out a hearty laugh simultaneously and hugged tightly, Justin raising his lips for the expected kiss Brian always gave him whether they were in public or not. Visitors to the Circus swirled all around them in the big stadium that always hosted such shows nowadays. Neither man paid any attention to them. They were far too lost in each other. They only broke apart when they heard a stadium employee calling out to the crowd, offering to sell Circus programs. Brian raised his hand to get the kid's attention and then purchased a program for Justin to add to his growing collection. He flipped through the colorful pages.

"Not quite as beautiful as the ones you used to create for Debbie," he declared, handing the thick booklet over to his partner with another kiss.

A little over two hours later they left the stadium hand in hand and found their car, a beautiful forest-green 'Vette that was Brian's newest toy. They had a long drive home. The huge Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus show was held in New York City, so the fellas left their comfy country house in Virginia to make the trip. It was now a family tradition to never miss the Circus on Justin's birthday, and had been that way since the year they met. Of course, a number of those early years had been spent as members of Debbie Novotny's Circus. It wasn't until the mid-eighties that all that changed. Little by little, all the smaller family owned circuses had been gobbled up by the huge conglomerate of Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey. Debbie had finally given in to the pressure caused by a lack of visitors that the smaller Circuses pulled in. She had sold her assets and closed down, but only after securing jobs for every single one of her people who still wanted to stay in the business. 

Debbie ended up trying retirement, but it didn't last. She eventually bought a diner in Florida with her brother Vic, who was the chief cook. Her son Michael left the Circus to be with his beloved Professor when he returned to his teaching post in the East. Ben had completed his book and it was successful enough to provide a very comfortable nest egg for the couple. The two men bought a house together and settled in for a pleasant domestic life. Michael purchased a memorabilia store using the money his Mother sent him when she sold the assets and rights to her Circus, having divided the funds three ways for Michael, Vic, and herself. Emmett opened a clothing shop in Greenwich Village with the generous severance package Debbie gave him. Drew joined him and returned to his youthful roots as a star football player in college. He earned his teaching license and took up coaching at a local school. Ted worked briefly as an accountant for the large corporation that had swallowed up Debbie's Circus, but quit to go to work for Brian when he decided not to continue on as a flyer with the newly-merged Company. Instead, Brian opened a training center of his own with Justin's encouragement, having been reminded of what a skilled teacher he had shown himself to be. The business, aptly named Britin's Sports Center, had grown and become wildly successful. It began branching out so that there were now a dozen locations in the sixteen years since the first one opened. 

Justin had found his own happiness over the years doing the one thing he did best and enjoyed most. His reputation followed him during his later Circus days so that when Debbie closed down, he already had a growing clientele of buyers for his artworks. By the time he and Brian had settled down in a home of their own, Justin was bringing in enough to ensure them of a very comfortable retirement someday in the distant future. Life had been very good to all the old friends from their Circus days. Debbie still threw a huge Reunion Party every year for the whole troupe and the couple were looking forward to the next one coming up in a couple of months. They missed the excitement of being a part of their old circus 'family' but they knew that Debbie would never let the memories die out in the same way her business had.

One memory that Brian refused to let die was the day he met Justin for the first time. He honored that day every year with a visit to the Circus no matter how near or far they had to travel to get to a performance. Of course, this one was more important than the others because it was their Silver Anniversary. As they drove down the highway on their way home, Justin's hand lay warmly on Brian's thigh. He looked out his side window at the beautiful scenery they passed through and his mind drifted back...back to the amazing day that was the start of his present life. How could he have known then that the beautiful man in the bright purple, blue, and gold costume who accidentally knocked him to the ground would end up being the very air he breathed...the reason his heart beat every day? It had been their destiny...that Justin knew beyond a doubt. 

Brian and Justin had had their ups and downs like all couples, but they always worked out things together. They never let a disagreement fester until it could poison their relationship. The biggest bone of contention had been Justin's strong urge to be a parent. Brian had been perfectly content with just the two of them as family, but Justin was nothing if not persistent. It took almost a decade for Justin to finally wear Brian's resolve down. It helped that they had become friends with a lesbian couple named Melanie and Lindsay when one of the two, who was a corporate lawyer, was hired to handle Brian's business affairs and her partner turned out to be an art teacher. What started out as a casual friendship, grew over the years. When the girls turned to the boys for a sperm donation so that they could have a child, Brian saw an opportunity to give Justin his greatest wish at last. He agreed to help the girls only if one of them would serve as a surrogate Mom so that Justin could have his child to raise. Everyone agreed and a year later both women gave birth to children within a few weeks of each other. 

Brian and Justin's sperm had been mixed so there was no way to know who fathered which child without tests. No one cared. Both babies, a girl and a boy, were wanted by all four adults. The women decided to raise the girl who had been named Jenny Rebecca. The boy baby was put into Justin's arms and became the son of Brian and Justin. He was given the name of Gus, although no one could explain why. As the years went by, the two couples stayed closely in each other's lives and shared their love for the kids. In a few years, JR and Gus would graduate from high school and leave their doting parents. Justin reflected on what the future might bring for Brian and himself as they got closer to home. They finally saw the lights ahead that outlined the long drive up to their estate. Gus was still away at Summer Camp so the house was dark except for a single light in the front hallway that their maid always left on when she left for home, aware that they would be out after dark.

Brian pulled up to the front door of the house and parked. He pulled Justin closer to him. The couple kissed, their lips melding perfectly together. When Brian released Justin, he turned to get out of the car. Brian restrained him. Justin turned and gave Brian a questioning look. Brian grinned like a little boy who knew a big secret.

"What's up Bri? I don't know about you but that was a long drive and I'm not that young anymore. Our nice big bed is calling to me.'

Brian smiled and raised an eyebrow in that endearing way he had that always melted Justin's heart.

"The bed can wait," Brian declared.

"What? Who are you and what have you done to my boyfriend?"

"Now that is what I want to talk to you about," Brian answered. 

Justin looked puzzled.

"That word, boyfriend. We are a hell of a lot more than boyfriends after twenty-five years together, wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course we are," Justin responded, still sounding puzzled. "But what can we do about it? We've already gotten all our affairs in order legally to protect Gus and ourselves as much as we can in this State. We certainly can't marry anywhere in the United States, at least not yet. Hopefully that will change someday, but who knows when?" 

"All that's true, Sunshine, but I'm not willing to wait for our fellow citizens to get around to giving us our equal rights. Almost everyone we know has gone through a committment ceremony of one kind or another and I think it's about time we jumped on that same bandwagon. Don't you? Even that old weasly ex-boyfriend of yours has done it at least three times according to the fan magazines. All that fame as a top concert violinist has made his private life fodder for the gossip columns. If he can do it repeatedly, don't you think we should have the right to indulge ourselves just once?"

"But I'm confused, Brian. I never bothered you about wanting that kind of committment because you always said that it was a meaningless heterosexual ritual that didn't prove a thing. I agree with you, that going through a ceremony doesn't prove your love for someone. You prove you love me every single day just by standing by me and showing you care about me in every way that counts. I try to do the same thing for you so you'll always know how important you are to me and how much I love you too. Why this sudden urge to make a public declaration?"

"It isn't so sudden. I've been thinking about it for some time, but then I decided...what better Anniversary gift can I give to the only man I will ever love this way than to declare my feelings in front of the whole world and give him the chance to do the same. Of course it all depends on whether you want to make such a declaration for all to see. I may be presuming too much here," Brian closed, with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek and a wicked grin on his face.

Before Justin could answer, Brian reached over Justin and opened the glove box. He immediately pulled out a small velvet-covered box. He sat back and handed the box over to Justin, who stared at it in wonderment. 

"Well don't just stare at it. Open it," Brian ordered.

Justin's fingers began to shake. When Michael and Ben...then Ted and Blake...then Emmett and Drew each went through their committment ceremonies some years back, Justin had longed to ask Brian to do the same. It wasn't envy of the other couples. It was the fact that they had the courage to tell the whole world how they felt about each other, whether it was a legal marriage or not. He knew that he and Brian had a relationship that was just as devoted, but Brian had more than once made it clear that he didn't believe in marriage. A committment ceremony was practically the same thing in their GLBT world...at least it would be until America woke up and recognized the inequality of the laws for their fellow citizens and allowed them legal marriages too. In the meantime, Justin kept his feelings to himself and counted himself lucky that he felt totally secure in his relationship with Brian no matter what name it went under. Now, after twenty-five years his secret wish was coming true. 

Justin slowly opened the box. The hinges squeaked slightly as the top popped open. Inside, Justin saw two white-gold bands, one slightly smaller than the other. He carefully lifted the smaller one out. The band was very simple with no stones to mar its smooth shiny surface. His eye caught something in the inside of the ring. He looked carefully and saw that Brian had had the ring inscribed. It read, in tiny letters...For my other half, I love you Justin. Justin lifted out the larger one. It was inscribed...For my other half, I love you Brian. 

"I might have been a little presumptuous by engraving my own ring with your thoughts. You can have it changed if you want," Brian said, interrupting Justin's thoughts. He looked up at Brian, tears dancing at the corners of his eyes. 

"I wouldn't change a thing. You know my heart better than anyone on this earth," Justin choked out. 

Justin threw his arms around Brian and hugged him as tightly as he could in the confines of the sports car. They kissed deeply, sweetly, tenderly. Twenty-five years, and the passion was just as strong as that first time their lips had met...oddly enough, that was also in a vehicle, the old Jeep that Brian still owned and had been retired to the large family garage. The kiss finally ended and they decided quickly to take their celebration somewhere more comfortable. After all, Justin teased, they weren't as limber as they had been twenty-five years ago. That earned him a smack on his behind as he exited the car, but they soon settled into their king-sized bed and proved that the fire hadn't dimmed one tiny bit over the years. 

**************************************************************

The ceremony had been beautiful. Nothing else would have been acceptable for Brian. He and Justin stood in front of the lay preacher who made her reputation joining gay and lesbian couples. She had even performed the ceremony for Mel and Lindsay right after the children were born. The two men scanned the room which was draped in sweet-smelling flowers that Justin had chosen himself. There they were...all their friends and family gathered to witness how far their love had taken them. Debbie sniffled next to Carl and Vic. Emmett sniffled next to Drew. Ted sniffled next to Blake. Daphne sniffled next to her husband, Ricky. Michael beamed with pride as his own love, Ben lay his arm around his shoulder. Mel and Lindsay sat in their chairs next to a sniffling JR and a proud Gus. There were no blood relatives in the room except for the children, but 'family' was there. Many of the other members of their Circus family had been able to come and also many of their current friends and clients. 

The large room was packed. There was no sign of the nasty ghosts from the past. Ethan Gold was off in Europe playing in another large concert hall and could have cared less what was happening with his ex-boyfriend. He had wisely stayed out of their lives since that day outside the Circus tent when Justin had finally gotten through his thick skull and made him realize what a hopeless pursuit it was in trying to get him back. As for pathetic Kip Thompson, he had been killed during his third year of a fifteen-year sentence for attempted murder. Apparently his arrogance had gotten the better of him and he had challenged the wrong man. Challenges were often answered swiftly and painfully in prison. The homemade shank did its deadly job and Kip was never a concern again. 

Today was not a day to think about the storms of the past. Today was all light and joy. As the couple declared their lifelong committment to each other and the preacher told them to kiss, the room burst into applause. Brian and Justin closed their eyes as they kissed. The sound of applause brought back the thrill of Brian flying through the air and Justin putting all his trust in him as he launched himself out from the trapeze bar, only to be caught up by Brian's strong capable hands. Brian would always be there for Justin, and Justin would always trust him. Together, they would conquer all fears. They would live out their destinies...together.

The End