JUSTIN

I dropped the kids off at their new school and took the day off in case they needed me. I came home and was pleasantly surprised to find Brian sitting in his office. I walked in and leaned on his desk, it was then that I noticed he wasn’t really working, but just staring at a blank screen.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“I wanted to talk about Kayla and Joseph.” He tells me, pulling me in front of him.

“Okay, tell me what seems to be bothering you?” I ask.

“I think we should adopt them, why foster them when they are going to always need a family.” He tells me, and I didn’t push this because I wanted him and I to see if we really wanted this.

“I’m fine with it, but I didn’t want to keep changing our lives without us seeing if this could work.” I tell him.

“Justin, it’s been a month and I think we know we can deal with having them permanently.” He tells me.

“Then we sit them down and explain what we want and make sure they want it too.” I tell him.

“I got the information on what will be required. It really bothered me to see them price giving a child a home.” He tells me.

“It goes back into helping the kids who aren’t adopted.” I tell him, looking at the home visit and background checks.

“Yes, but if you don’t foster the child first like we’ve been doing, it could cost up to forty thousand.” He tells me.

“It’s just the way they finance the older, unadoptable kids.” I tell him.

“It doesn’t bother you?” He asks.

“Of course it does, I don’t understand how people will wait for years to get a healthy baby, yet leave a child in the system because of health issues. Joseph having asthma is a strike against him in the world of adoption.” I tell him.

“I wouldn’t care.” He tells me.

“It’s why I never thought about trying to get a baby. There are enough kids out there who already need a home, yet live in group homes, when foster homes are full.” I tell him.

“I never thought about it at all.” He tells me.

“But now you are?” I ask him.

“They were ours the minute we saw them, so to me it makes it a no brainer. I just didn’t like seeing the costs placed on children. Yes, I know you’ve told me in your way a few times why.” He tells me.

“I didn’t want you to think badly about why you see it.” I tell him.

“So Dad, when do we talk to the kids?” He asks.

“Why not when Gus and the kids get out of school Friday? We could take them out and celebrate.” I tell him leaning down to kiss him.

When the doorbell rings I groan, because we weren’t expecting anyone. Brian got up and went to see who it was. He came in with Grampy, Granny and Auntie D.

“I came under protest.” Grampy tells us, dropping on the couch.

“Warren, Danny’s worried.” Granny tells us.

“Is everything alright?” I ask.

“Brian, I’ve been stopping by to see Michael.” Auntie D tells him.

“Don’t tell me, he’s still blaming everyone for everything.” Brian tells him.

“I will never understand how that friendship got past graduating High School.” Grampy grumbles.

“Warren, can you at least understand that I want to help my son? I can’t be the father he seems to think would have changed everything for him, but I can’t stand by and watch him drown. I wanted to see what Brian thought.” Auntie D tells him.

“Brian’s smart enough to know Michael isn’t going to change.” Grampy argues.

“He quotes Brian as if Brian wrote a rule book you have to follow.” Auntie D tells him.

BRIAN

I sat there and wanted to laugh, Mikey got a Daddy and I guess it didn’t cure all his problems like he thought it would.

“What are you hoping that I could say to help you?” I ask.

“Why does Justin seem to rub him the wrong way? Most people like Justin.” Auntie D asks us.

“He married Brian, really Danny it’s obvious.” Grampy tells him, getting up to look at the drink cart. Justin and Granny drag him in the kitchen to leave Danny and I alone.

“Mikey always thought having a father would have made a big impact on his life. Only you realize that trying to be his father when you never were, isn’t something that can happen in a day, a week, or even a year. Mikey doesn’t like that you were in Justin’s life, when you could have been in his.” I tell him.

“I didn’t even know about him.” He tells me, which means he expects logic to come out of Mikey.

“But when you did, there was no huge reunion, just unzipping you.” I tell him.

“I did what Deb wanted.” He tells me.

“Let me start this by saying, I love Deb as the only real mother I ever had, but it took years for her to really see Mikey for the selfish person he can be. So, what you had was her running around trying to solve his problems and finding a reason it couldn’t be Mikey’s fault. Normally that meant that it was mine. Before you think badly of her for it, she’s his mother, so she was blind to the things he did.” I tell him.

“To some extent weren’t you?” He asks.

“I saw it, but I don’t believe in telling someone how to live their life. Right now it might not seem like I care, but I also know there is nothing I could do for him that won’t have him expecting me to leave Justin.” I tell him.

“Which he blames Justin for.” He tells me.

“If it wasn’t Justin, it would have been anybody I spent more time with that wasn’t him. It’s why Lindsay and Mikey joining forces is kind of ridiculous. They really only ever tolerated each other, constantly trying convince themselves that I love one more than the other.” I tell him.

“He mentioned to me that you never told anyone you love Justin, just that Justin loves you.” He tells me.

“He never understood how easy it is to say I love you when it’s just words. I love Justin, I can say it, but I think showing him every day is more important than the words.” I tell him.

“Well apparently your words seem to be all Michael can spout, it’s like he never developed his own self.” He tells me.

“His self is dependent on the person he with. Before Ben there was David, who was a chiropractor with money and connections. Mikey went from ratty jeans and tee shirts to designer clothes. He even went as far as to tell Deb she was an embarrassment to his upper class life. When he and David failed, he came home and tried to run around partying the way I did. Ben came as the rest of us were ‘wasting our lives’, while he became a hubby and father. Now with Ben gone, he’s going to be trying to find a new person to be.” I tell him.

“He seems like he’s waiting for you to show up.” He tells me.

“Years ago I would have, but I can’t be his anchor anymore. One step in any direction and he would see it as me choosing him over Justin, and that won’t happen. The best way for me to help Mikey, is not to.” I tell him.

“I want him to have a good life, he’s my son.” He tells me.

“Justin thinks that Mikey needs to figure out why he hates himself, then maybe he can change it.” I tell him.

“Is that why you changed?” He ask me.

“It was time, life couldn’t be one continuous party. Gus needed a father to fight the estrogen overload in the house.” I tell him, getting up to see how they managed to keep Grampy out.

JUSTIN

Deb wanted us to drop by so she could treat the kids to a shake to celebrate their first day at a new school. Joseph, like Gus, didn’t care why they got ice cream, just that they got it. So Kayla sighed dramatically and told us that she would sacrifice for the boys. Brian and I loved that she was comfortable enough to kid around, it was better than the constant wariness she had for the first two weeks.

“Justin and I are adopting you.” Brian just blurts out.

“Okay, but we still get ice cream, right?” Joseph asks us.

“Of course we do, the Dad’s always give us dessert.” Kayla tells him and Gus, who nods enthusiastically.

When they ran in, I stopped Brian. “That’s how you wanted to tell them?” I ask.

“Why did it need to be a huge deal? I want them to know that we already see them as ours, and the adoption is just paperwork.” He tells me.

Kissing him I walked into the diner to hear Deb tell them adoption was just showing what Brian and I already knew, that they were our children.

MICHAEL

I was closing my shop when Lindsay came running in. I pulled her to the backroom when she seemed like she was about to start freaking out.

“They’re going to adopt those kids.” She tells me.

“That’s not a big surprise, it's just Justin trying to make sure he's tied to Brian.” I tell her.

“What about Gus, where does that leave him?” She asks.

“Exactly where you put him, when you forced Brian to hand him over.” I tell her.

“We let him see Gus and be there.” She tells me.

“You would have been better off telling Mel to shove ‘the rights’ bullshit, it would have given you a way to get back at Mel for fucking you and I over with Jenny.” I tell her.

“You're the one who gave up without even trying to fight Mel.” She tells me.

“If you had even bothered to help me, I could have tried to keep Jenny. You were too busy trying to push your bastards off on Brian. Now he isn’t willing to listen to you, but it helps me.” I tell her.

“How could him adopting kids help you?” She asks.

“I can be there for Brian, since I know all about adopting some kid off the street.” I tell her smirking.

“Well, unlike your absent son, I have one that we share.” She tells me sneering.

“You mean Mel and Brian share. All I have to do is make up with Hunter and I have my best friend back.” I tell her, smugly.

“I should have listened, but I really believed you couldn’t be as selfish as everyone thinks. I couldn’t believe that Deb could have a child who isn’t as generous as she is, but I guess Warren was right, I’ve been foolish enough to believe you were worth helping.” My father said, standing outside the back room. “Michael, using your child to benefit yourself is as low as any parent can go. Don’t let Lindsay’s way of dealing with Brian become yours. I’m going to bow out and do what your best friend suggested, to help you by not helping you. I can’t have a relationship with you if it involves hurting my Grandson.” He tells me.

“Justin is not your Grandson.” I tell him.

“No, but he’s always made me proud of who he was, but then Hunter’s on his way to doing that too, and he IS my grandson. So I think I’ll stop wasting my time with you, I had high hopes that we could at least forge a relationship.” My father tells me and leaves my shop.