JUSTIN 

Michael asked to talk to me alone, I wasn't sure what we had left to say anymore. I don't hate him, I just can’t be as open with him as I was before. 

“I would like to tell you why I said what I said that day. I don't expect you to forgive me. In my mind you had everything I believed I would have wanted. When I saw you kissing Ethan, to me you were throwing away something no one but you could have from Brian, including me. I can lie and say I was protecting Brian, but I've spent a lot of time in therapy and know I was jealous, because no matter what you did, Brian was still in love with you. So saying what I said was my anger at my best friend loving anyone but me.” He tells me. 

“Michael, you honestly think we didn’t know that?” I ask him.

“I wanted to believe that your relationship was how I pictured it in my head. So when you left him, it had to be your fault. It didn’t matter to me what Brian did wrong, because I needed it to be you.” He tells me.

“Michael, life with Brian wasn’t a fairytale, but he never deserved what I did. I think he was taking a lot of blame all the way around. What I’m having a hard time with is that you let everyone blame Brian, and not a single one of us ever questioned why Brian did it. It’s hard for me to understand how you can call him your best friend, then let him take the fall for you. It’s something that Daphne or I could never do to each other, so it leaves me wondering what kind of a person could do that.” I tell him.

“Justin, I’ve been a coward my whole life, at seventeen you had it more together than I did at thirty, so like a coward, I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want anybody to realize what an asshole I really am. I can’t take back the things I did and said, but I’m working on not allowing my life to go in that direction again.” He tells me.

“You know, if things were reversed I would have said it to your face.” I tell him.

“No, you wouldn’t have said anything like that at all.” He tells me.

“I should have been able to talk to Brian and not you, but for all my being an adult, I was really a kid learning my way and making mistakes that should have made Brian never want anything to do with me again. I was lucky that he could still want anything to do with me.” I tell him.

“You thought we were friends, but it wasn’t possible for me to be your friend when I was still hoping for things that I couldn’t have.” He tells me.

“Is it over with Ben?” I ask him.

“I don’t see a way for us to be together. He doesn’t need to wait forever for me to figure out my life, and he’s happy with the guy he’s with. I’m just not in a place where I could have a healthy relationship with anyone. I’m not over Brian the way I acted like I was.” He tells me.

“I doubt there’s a way to get over Brian.” I tell him.

“I wanted to say to you that you and Brian deserve to be happy.” He tells me.

“Hey, you did well, you barely winced when you said it.” I said, laughing.

“You know, people don’t realize you can be an asshole too.” He tells me, laughing.

FIVE MONTHS LATER

BRIAN 

We were sitting in the waiting room, waiting for Mel to have the girls. Justin decided he didn’t want to see anything he would have nightmares about. He watched a birthing video and called to tell Lindsay and Mel he would rather not see it live. Jen had come up a week earlier to help them out until it was time and was pleased when Mel asked if she wanted to watch. I jokingly told Mel I'd wipe her brow, but man I learned not to joke with someone in labor when she told me that I could if I didn't like my balls. 

Mel opted for drugs which I'm sure the hospital was thankful for after the swearing that could be heard throughout the wing. I will never get why women think there's anything great about being in pain. Lindsay went all earth mother with Gus, but Mel at least had the sense to know when they offer you drugs you say ‘Hell Yes’. Of course Justin made the mistake of telling Smelly Melly that he read it was a beautiful experience. He still recovering from Mel telling him she could tie his dick in a knot if he wanted the experience. Did I mention Mel isn't really her happy go lucky self?

Everyone kept phoning to see if the girls had come, which I explained over and over that we'd call when she had them, but it's like they thought if they kept calling she'd squirt them out faster. Poor Justin was dealing with Deb every half hour. 

It was just about into hour eight when Jen came into the waiting room smiling.

“Everyone is doing fine. Justin, they’re beautiful.” She tells us. 

We waited for Mel to get settled, but I wanted Justin to see the babies for the first time alone with me. We went to the nursery, looking for our daughters. Mel arranged for us to have access to the nursery, because I asked her to give us a chance to see them before we had to share with everyone. We were allowed in after they checked to see our bracelets. I didn’t even have to be told which ones were our girls. It was like, since they had Justin’s DNA it was all I needed to know they belonged to me.  

“Do you want to hold them?” The nurse asked us.

Justin nodded, but couldn't take his eyes off of them. Jen was wrong, they weren’t beautiful, because that word seem so small for them. 

“I remember seeing you hold Gus and thinking ‘he loves him’.” He tells me, smiling at the baby in his arms.

“I didn’t expect to.” I tell him, watching baby two wrinkle her nose the way Justin does.

“It's overwhelming how much I love them.” He tells me. 

“I know.” I tell him kissing him.

We stayed with the girls until it was time to go to the room with Mel and the rest of the family. I wanted Justin for one more moment before our lives changed. We stood outside the door and I held him in silence thinking about our life and how every moment led us to where we are. How lucky we are that we are going to see our children grow up and most likely give us gray hair at the antics they'll get up to, but because we never let go of each other we get to have this life together.

JUSTIN

When we went in the room, Lindsay and Mel were holding the girls for Gus and Jenny to see. Mom had her arm around Lindsay beaming as the babies yawned at the same time.

“We have to give them names.” Mel tells me. 

“I want Brian to name them.” I tell him. 

“Justin, you pick names.” Brian tells me. 

“I want our daughters to know they were named by their father.” I tell him. 

Brian walks to the bed and smirks at Mel. Mel and Lindsay agreed that they could pick the middle names but everyone thought I was picking the first names. To me, Brian choosing for me made it special to me. 

“Bella and Jasmine are the names I thought about.” He tells us. 

“They’re beautiful names.” Lindsay tells him. 

“Which I can't even argue with.” Mel tells him. 

“It’s because I know how to pick names that don’t make other kids feel sorry for poor unfortunate Abraham.” Brian tells her. We all laugh when Gus nods in agreement.

When it came time to give the girls their first bottle, Mel let Brian and I do it. Gus and Jenny sat with us and watched their sisters, who apparently didn’t need any help learning how to suck a bottle. Brian of course had to comment that that could only have come from me. The girls had sprinkling of reddish gold hair, the eyes were blue but I knew from reading about it that that could change. I prayed that they got Mel’s skin tone because I burn, not tan. After kissing the babies and standing at the nursery window for a little longer, Brian dragged me behind him so we could get Jenny and Gus home. Lindsay was planning on staying with Mel until she got home. 

I wanted to ask Brian why those names, because he came up with them so easily. I was taking a shower, still seeing Bella and Jasmine’s sleeping faces in my head. It hit me then why he wanted the names he picked. I grabbed a towel and ran to the bedroom. I forgot for a second why I came in here because well, Naked Brian just shuts down all reasonable thought, but then I knew I need to thank him for once again making what I wanted, happen. So, dropping the towel I crawl up the bed. Once I was settled on his lap. I leaned over him and whispered into his ear,“You gave them those names because I wrote I wanted BJ.” I kissed the smirk and then forgot for a little while about anything but Brian.