Should Old Acquaintance

Chapter 15

<><><><><><><><><><><>

Brian was barbecuing steaks. They smelled wonderful. Justin was in the kitchen making a salad. Bree was playing with her dolly in the sun porch. John, Bobby and Patrick were having dinner over at Claire and Steve's. It was kind of nice to have the place to themselves for a while.

"Salad's ready," Justin called. "How long for the steaks?"

"Another few minutes for yours. Mine hasn't even sailed across the flames yet," Brian laughed. He loved his steak very rare.

"I don't know how you eat raw meat," Justin said coming over to the barbeque.

"It's not raw. It's rare."

"I don't care what they call it. It's still raw."

"Sissy," Brian laughed.

Justin elbowed his husband good-naturedly. This was an ongoing battle that neither of them would ever win, and they didn't really care.

"How was your visit with Father Tom?" Justin asked out of the blue.

Brian frowned and tried to keep the emotions off his face.

"What happened?" Justin asked. He had learned a long time ago how to read that Kinney face.

"What makes you think something happened?" Brian asked. Justin stared at his husband just waiting. "Okay, okay. Claire and I ran into Joan at the church."

"Does she live there now?" Justin asked.

"Seems that way," Brian chuckled. "Every time one of us goes near the place, she's there to observe and comment.

Justin understood the Kinney shorthand. "And what was her comment?"

"She was aghast that her two children were in her church together."

"When did it become her church? And why was she aghast?"

"I guess I took her look to be aghast. She was certainly surprised."

"Not half as much as you were, I bet," Justin chuckled.

"You got that right."

"What did you tell her about why you were there?" Justin wondered what kind of a story the two Kinney children had come up with.

"The truth," Brian replied looking into Justin's blue eyes.

"About the baptism?" Justin asked in surprise.

"Your face looks a lot like Joan's when we laid that one on her."

"Asshole," Justin said giving Brian another shot to the ribs.

"I asked her to come."

"You didn't?" Justin's eyes were very big.

Brian nodded. "And then you should have seen my face when she said yes."

"Holy fuck!"

"There was nothing holy about it. I'm still not sure why I asked her, and I'm even more unsure about why she said she'd come," Brian admitted.

"She saw Bree the other day. I bet she wants to hold her granddaughter." Brian's face got a very strange look on it. "What?" Justin asked, worried.

"She said Briana had a beautiful name," Brian said almost in a whisper. He threw his steak on the barbecue so he could avoid Justin's gaze.

"She does have a beautiful name. Why does Joan acknowledging that fact upset you?"

"That's the first nice thing she's said to me in … as long as I can remember."

"Oh, Brian…" Justin said as he pulled Brian into a hug.

Brian held on for a minute, tugging possessively on Justin's hair. After a deep breath, he let go. "You're going to make me burn my steak," He said flipping the still raw hunk of meat. "Get Bree. This is ready."

Justin walked away knowing that Brian had said as much as he could about the encounter with his mother. It was better to just leave it alone now. But Joan Kinney better not fucking upset Brian on what should be one of the happiest days of his life.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

As July was coming to an end, the work on John and Bobby's cottage was beginning to wane. With the new roof and attic, Gordon had the opportunity to drop new electrical cable to bring the one hundred-year-old cottage into the 21st century. That made Gordon feel a whole lot happier. And then there was the new heating system. He and his men did it all and preserved the quaintness of the old home. John and Bobby were very pleased. They were especially happy that their home was now in a habitable state. Patrick had his room back and all of his things and they were all now able to sleep in their own beds.

Brian split his time between the two offices, taking Bree with him when he could so that Justin had the peace and quiet he needed to complete the artwork for the Rage show and his work on the Patrick/Katherine portrait. If the painting turned out well, Justin wanted to present it to his mother as a gift on the day of the christening. Justin realized that Jennifer didn't always get the chance to spend as much time as she'd like with her granddaughter. And that was partly their fault. Bobby had once called Brian and Justin selfish in the way that they were raising Briana all by themselves, with little help from the family. It suited Brian and Justin just fine and of course, Jennifer was at least an hour and a half away. Justin thought his mother would love the painting. That is if he could get it finished. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping in the trees again since the noise of the construction was now gone. Justin had no excuses not to paint. And that's how Sidney Bloom found Justin, painting away in the sun porch.

"Hello, my boy!" Sidney called out in his flourished style.

"Sidney! What are you doing here?" Justin called back. Sidney and a few burly bears were standing in the doorway leading from the porch into the garden.

"My dear boy, if Mohammed will not come to the mountain..."

"Then the mountain comes to Mohammed. I get it. I'm sorry Sidney but so much has been going on here. I just haven't had the time."

"No need to apologize. You're not the first artist who likes to stick close to his studio and this is a perfect place for you to work. And I see you've made wonderful progress." Sidney looked around and saw all the large life-sized posters of Rage and the other characters. And he couldn't help but notice the Patrick/Katherine painting.

"What do you think?" Justin nodded toward the portrait.

"I think it's beautiful. Will you allow me to display it at the gallery? We never discussed what you wanted to do with Edna's treasure once we restored them all."

"I guess a show wouldn't hurt. You could do it along with the other Kinney's, maybe some of my other work too."

"Ah, I see, perhaps a display of styles across time and genre. Sounds perfect! Now for the reason that I'm here. I have a little something for you. They're not the originals, of course, but I do think you'll be pleased. Gentlemen." The bears brought in several cartons and placed them on the table. Sidney had them step back so that Justin could open the boxes.

"Sidney, what did you do?" Justin asked his agent, friend and mentor as he gingerly opened the first carton. "Holy fucking shit! It's a...."

"A wise man. Three wise men when you open the other boxes." Sidney nodded toward the boxes and his companions opened them, pulled out the statues and set them each on the table.

"How? What are they made of? They're heavy but it's not stone. And I prefer to call them the three gay guys."

"I'll leave what you call them up to you. After the statues were cleaned, we made castings of them, I had these made for you. I thought you might like them."

"Like them! This is so great! I love them. Thank you, Sidney."

"It's the least I could do. I have been pressuring you lately."

"I do my best work under...pressure."

"Be that as it may, do you have any idea where you'd like to display these? Here, in the porch or..."

"Are they waterproof?"

"Waterproof? Why, yes they are. They're made of a hard resin. They will stand the test of time. Better than the originals, I imagine."

"Then if you and your, um, men, wouldn't mind a stroll through the woods, follow me." Each man picked up a heavy statue and along with Sidney, followed Justin's swishing tail on the path to the stream.

Near the great rock in the small clearing by the stream, Justin stood to look around for a special spot to place the statues.

"Here, place them here." Justin picked a spot away from the water's edge, up on a pile of flat boulders. The workmen placed the statues then stepped aside so that Justin could arrange them to his liking. When he was done, it looked as though the three, whatever they were, were standing, engaged in congenial conversation. Justin was very pleased. He crossed back to where Sidney was standing and gave the older man a warm embrace.

"Thank you," Justin whispered into Sidney's lapel.

"You are most welcome, my boy."

Back at the cottage, Sidney had one more surprise for Justin.

"Before we leave, I have one more surprise for you."

"Sidney, you've already done enough."

"Nonsense. And I think you'll agree that this painting belongs here. Whoever planted your garden did a fabulous job. This painting will fit right in."

Sidney removed a large painting of a field of sunflowers from its protective crate. The flowers were huge and were standing against a sky of deep blue. The painting felt at home in its surroundings. Justin was speechless.

"I suggest that back wall, in between those two doorways, away from the direct light. It should be safe there." Justin could only nod. "Then we shall leave you to it." Sidney exclaimed as he shooed the men from the cottage, leaving the still speechless Justin standing, gazing at the wondrous painting.

Several hours later, Brian, John, Bobby along with the children found Justin sitting on the floor in the sun porch staring at the sunflower painting which was leaning up against the back wall. Brian handed Briana to John and knelt on the floor next to Justin.

"Justin?" Brian said gently as he laid his hand on Justin's arm. "What's wrong?" Justin looked up slightly startled; he hadn't heard them come in. All of Justin's attentions were rapt in the painting.

"A name," Justin whispered.

"A name? What name? A name for what?"

"A name for our home. We should have a name for our home."

"I didn't know we needed a name, Sunshine."

"We don't need one but I'd like one." Brian settled on the floor and drew Justin in closer. Even in the summer heat, the stone floor was chilly. Brian had Justin in his lap with his arms wrapped about him. John and Bobby stood quietly and waited. "This cottage, both of them, they look like all those old English cottages I've seen in books and in paintings."

John knelt next to the two men and offered his opinion.

"They should, they were originally built over a hundred years ago. It makes sense for them to have been fashioned like English cottages." Justin and Brian nodded.

"Have you ever noticed how the English have names for everything. Their great estates. Their cottages. Even their fields." Brian and John exchanged worried glances. Brian raised his hand to touch Justin's forehead. "I'm not sick....Sidney brought this for me today." Justin nodded toward the painting.

"I remember. It was part of Edna's treasure that she left for us." Brian smiled at the fond memory of Edna.

"The colors are so bright, now that it's been cleaned. It looks as though Kinney painted it yesterday," Bobby commented. The colors were dazzling, a testament to the artist and the artisan who restored it.

"Justin, what would you like to name our home?" Brian asked.

"You said it yourself, Bri."

"I did? What?"

"Edna's Treasures. On a little plaque, near the front gate or over the main door to the porch. I never want to forget her and what she has done for all of us." The four men smiled. It was a fitting name.

"Then Edna's Treasures it shall be." They sat for a few more moments until Justin's stomach grumbled. He had forgotten all about lunch and hadn't a thought about dinner. Brian groaned; his butt was getting cold. "I think your stomach has signaled the dinner bell and the next time I sit on this floor, remind me to put down a pillow first." Brian struggled to his feet, bringing his spouse with him.

"Hungy, Dada!" Bree declared.

"Good idea, Squirt. Let me change out of this suit and we'll make dinner. So what's on the menu tonight, little lady?" Brian asked his daughter.

"Hot dogs!" Briana said loudly, Patrick agreed with a giggle.

"Then hot dogs it is. I love a well-done wiener, boys and girl!" Brian announced with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek and a twinkle in his eyes as he headed for the bedroom to change.

John, Bobby and Justin burst into belly laughs at Brian's double entendre. The kids, however, wondered what was so funny.