After Drew left with Sean, the movie continued.

“-a sex swing, he had no idea what was happening to him. They started trying to take my pants off, but I wasn’t that far gone yet. I knew I didn’t want them touching me, I was able to break Gary’s nose, pure luck. I was about to run out and call a cab. It’s a miracle that I was able to make it home as drugged as I was.”

“Justin, are you alright?” Blake asked off screen.

“Yes, at the time I was able to just push it away. But I think now, having the kids, I would lose my mind if anything like that happened to them. Thankfully, they’ll never have their college funds taken away from them. It won’t matter if one of them turns around and tells us to fuck off. It’s their money, and they will always have access to it. Brian made sure of it.”

“Do you think Brian will be angry with you when he finds out?”

“Angry with the Sap, not with me. He might throw himself a party for finally finding out how right he was. “

“What’s the other thing you’d change?”

“Ethan Fucking Gold,” he said bitterly.

Brian heard a gasp from one of the couches. He turned enough to see Reece’s face slack with surprise. Guess he did know the man he kissed in the hotel’s name.

“Who is Ethan Gold?”

“A mistake.”

The video appeared, someone had Justin and Ethan kissing in the street. Brian’s stomach rebelled just like it had when Michael told him about it, and when he finally saw it for himself. A picture appeared, it was of Justin and Ethan at the RAGE party. Someone had captured the moment Ethan started pulling Justin out of his own fucking party like a possessive little weasel. Brian heard a low snarl from behind him, he ignored it.

“What happened?”

Justin’s face appeared on screen.

“Lindsay and Melanie wanted do to something nice for me since Brian didn’t celebrate birthdays, at least the way they wanted. They took me to a violin recital at PIFA. That’s where I saw Ethan for the first time. Then he came to my exhibit. After that we became friends but there was some undercurrent to it all, but I had Brian and I was in love with him.”

“What changed?”

“One night, I just wanted one night just us. No Babylon. No Woody’s. Just us, I even made a picnic on the floor of the loft. Brian left when he couldn’t get me to join him at Babylon. He had a lot of stuff going on, but at the time I just felt like he was picking nameless tricks over me.”

“So, the next night I went to Ethan’s apartment and we had sex.”

Brian’s face appeared on screen. It was clear to anyone watching he was only doing the video for Justin.

“When did you find out Justin was having sex with someone else?”

“We weren’t monogamous, we were both free to fuck who we wanted,” Brian said stubbornly.

“But this was different, he crossed a line. Right?”

“He may have broken the rules that he set out for us to follow,” he conceded.  

“Did you break them?”

“No. But I never wanted to break them.”

“What were the rules?”

“That’s none of your fucking business.”

Justin’s face appeared again.

“Home by three. No kissing on the lips. No repeats, no names and no numbers.

“Did Brian break any of the rules?”

“No. Well…he did come home after sun up one morning, but he was in jail, so that really shouldn’t count.”

“What about you, did you break them?”

“Several times. First with a guy I felt sorry for, it was then I realized why Brian acts the way he does sometimes. But most of the other rules I broke for Ethan.”

“Did you love Ethan?”

“I thought I did. Turns out, I just wanted to hear someone say they loved me.”

“And that wasn’t Brian?”

“An ‘I love you’ from Brian is worth more than anything Ethan ever said. Ethan’s love was empty, Brian’s is real. It took me much too long to figure that out.”

“What happened to Ethan?”

“He cheated on me and I left. He called more times than I was comfortable with but I didn’t answer. Over the years, he would turn up at odd times.”

“Did you want to take Justin back?”

Brian on screen again.

“He is here, isn’t he?” Brian’s snapped the words.

Footage of Liberty Avenue in the age of Stockwell was shown. Cops on every corner, but so were the anti-Stockwell posters. Both in this video and his own with Ted; Ted’s arrest, downfall and addiction weren’t shown. Blake knew about that, of course, just like his own addiction wasn’t on a giant screen. But all the kids knew about it, Ted wanted to live his life as honestly as possible. Maybe they should have taken a page from his book.

Candid pictures of Justin and Brian taken at Woody’s, Babylon, Liberty Diner. Media reports on Stockwell closing down bars and clubs that catered to homosexuals. Debbie yelling on WFGF in the freezing snow.

“Why did you get expelled from PIFA?”

Justin’s face appeared. “Well, first, I made posters that put Stockwell in a bad light. I was interning at VanGuard at the time, who were working for Stockwell. I got caught and refused to apologize.”

“How did you lose your job at VanGuard?”

Brian’s face was there again, scowl prominent.

“What does it matter?”

“Just answer,” Blake bit out. Losing his patience trying to get Brian to open up.

“I was fucking the intern that was working on fucking up Stockwell’s election, and I against a client of mine.”

“That intern was Justin, right?”

“Why do you ask questions you know the answers? It’s not like this is going to be played at Cinema Six.”

 “When were you the proudest of Brian? Was it when he started Kinnetik?”

Justin’s face appeared again.

“I was proud then, still am. But that’s not the time I was proudest of him. Brian did something completely unselfish, something for our community.”

“What did he do?”

“I can’t say. Brian doesn’t do things for the pat on the back, not the real things. In fact, it bothers him when people to thank him. Some know, but I know he wouldn’t want me to say.”

Brian’s face appeared.

“How was your relationship with Justin while you were starting your own agency?”

“We both were busy with other things.”

“I understand what you were busy with, what about Justin?”

“Justin had some stuff he had to work through.” Brian was clearly not going to say more.

Justin’s face appeared.

“What kinds of things were you going through while Brian was starting up Kinnetik?”

“The bashing of a friend sent me back to a dark place, let’s leave it at that.” The look on Justin’s face said he wouldn’t be saying more on the subject.

A new clip started, Vic could be heard while the camera moved wildly. Finally, the camera found him, he was seated across the person with the camera.

“Ok, Vic, spill,” Justin said, a little tersely.

“Well, that answers my question if you’ve talked to Deb.”

“Sorry,” Justin said, sounding ashamed.

“Don’t be, I’d expected people to take sides. That’s why I asked you here, I wanted to make a video while everything is fresh. We’ll make up, we always do but I think our last argument brought up a lot that Deb’s kept inside,” Vic said sadly, looking rough.

“This video to Deb?”

“No, this one is just us. I don’t want her to hear it, we’ll make up. All the bad feelings will be forgotten. I just feel I need to get this off my chest. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s because Michael is due later to bring some things over.”

Justin laughed. “Cut open your heart and bleed over the paper or in this case video,” Justin said.

“Is that what you do?”

“Not my heart,” Justin said simply. Brian was sure it was an artist thing to talk in riddles.

“When I was young, I only really had Deb. Our parents and our younger sister wasn’t exactly open to just the idea of homosexuality.  Without Deb, I don’t know what I would have done. I left to make my own life, outside of Pittsburgh and all the hate here. But I left Debbie, single with a baby. I left. I was healthy and whole and I left.”

“She would never have asked you to put your life on hold to help her,” Justin said quietly.

“That’s the thing with my sister, she would never ask for help. Not even if she was on fire. She didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. She would raise her baby and she didn’t need any man. When I was gone, I lived life to the fullest. I got the job I wanted, I had all the men I wanted. Lived the life I wanted. But I didn’t want to settle down. Didn’t want to find one guy to stay with when there were so many around.”

“Sounds a lot like Brian,” Justin said.

“Yeah, that’s why I always made sure never to be hard on him. He has to figure things out on his own, just try and stick out the worst and you’ll get his best.”

“I’m trying.”

“When I got sick, I didn’t have friends to count on. Not because I didn’t have friends and not because I they didn’t care. But it hit our community like a tidal wave, you didn’t know who was going to get hit. There was still so much unknown in those early days. I called Debbie and told her. Do you know what she said to me?”

“No.”

“When my friends were calling their families, asking for help, they were turned away. They were told that they deserved to get sick and die. Debbie sold her jewelry to buy me a plane ticket. She knew I was too sick to ride on the bus. She was there every time I got sick, she never even flinched. Hell, I made her get herself tested. He had cared about me so much she never once gave a thought about her own safety. That’s Debbie, she’s overbearing and loud but would walk into the hell with her head held up high for anyone she loves. We’re lucky, we part of that family. I think that’s where Brian gets it, he’s subtler than she is but he has a huge heart, it’s just wrapped in barbed wire with snipers.”

Brian didn’t really think that was true, but what did he know. He knew Debbie always wanted a big family, and look she got it. Turning around he looked at her. After they lost Vic, Justin had shown her the video, but it had been a while. She was sobbing quietly while Carl rubbed her arm.

“So, you’re not mad at Debbie anymore?” Justin asked.

“Mad? I was never mad, we’re Italian we fight and make up. She’ll be bringing of something around about the time I’ll be making her favorite chocolate cake.”

“What was with all the urgency that I needed to come now with the camera?”

“The day is growing old, I guess.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, go on now, I want to have a nap before Michael gets here.”

Emmett could be heard sniffing loudly in the back, Justin’s cheeks were wet. He wouldn’t even turn around to see how his kids were handling it. Gus was so young when they lost Vic, the other kids never got to meet him.

Pictures of Vic started flashing. Not of his death or his funeral. No, they were of child Vic, smiling Vic at prom, Vic looking dashing in bellbottoms. Vic in a chef’s hat. Vic and Debbie all smiles looking at baby Michael. Picture after picture after picture. Finally, a picture of Debbie and Rodney standing over Vic’s grave, saying goodbye. Then a picture three years later, when Debbie paid out of pocket and buried Rodney next to Vic.

“How did you find out Brian had cancer?”

Brian was glad this was not on of the secrets they had kept from the kids. He wouldn’t be able to handle the betrayal in their eyes. He wanted his sons to make sure to keep a check of themselves, he wasn’t going to lose them. He had even taken Anna to the doctor when she was eighteen had had her explain how to check herself for lumps that could be breast cancer. He waited in the waiting room and read Family Circle.

“His doctor called the loft.”

“He didn’t tell you himself?”

“No, and that was only after he had the surgery. Brian didn’t want anyone to know. When someone told him I knew, he kicked me out.”

“That must have been hard to deal with.”

“It was what it was. He couldn’t handle that he wasn’t perfect to me anymore.”

“Was that true?”

“Brian has never been perfect. Beautiful, brilliant, sexy but never perfect. No one is perfect, once he stopped trying to live up to an unattainable standard he seemed to be okay with me again. Not that I didn’t have to fight him on it.”

Photos and videos of the Liberty ride flashed over the screen. There was a video of Brian and Michael crossing the finishing line, Brian barely making it over.

“That was the day Jenny was born,” Lindsay said a little sadly.

“It was a good day,” Mel added, sending her ex a kind smile. It had taken her a while to forgive Lindsay but she had. It was Lindsay’s husband that was the only reason there wasn’t peace between the two now.

When Jenny invited Lindsay and her husband to her wedding, the asshole told Lindsay he wouldn’t be going and she couldn’t either. Told Lindsay that Jenny wasn’t her real daughter.

“What do you regret in your relationship with Justin?”

Brian was on screen.

“Regrets are bullshit.”

“Yes, I know everything is bullshit. Please, if you could change anything, what would it be?”

“I can’t change anything, what would it matter.”

“Goddamnit, Brian just answer the fucking question,” Blake roared.

Justin laughed against his chest, much like he did the first time they saw the movie. Brian kind of liked to hear Blake lose it for a minute. Maybe his and Ted’s sex life wasn’t so dull.

“No need to queen out. Fine. I guess the whole Stud of Liberty Avenue bet.”

“Explain.”

“I bet this twerp who thought he was me that I could fuck more of the hottest guys in Pittsburgh, faster. I won but it cost me.”

“What did it cost you?”

“Justin.”

“He broke up with you?”

“He moved out.”

A picture flashed. It was Justin’s mugshot.

“Why did you get arrested?”

Justin’s face appeared.

“I was protesting my father’s store. He was supporting Prop 14, I wanted people to know what kind of man he was. Someone who wants rights taken away from his own son and a whole community. He had the cops arrest me.”

“That must have been tough.”

“It’s the reason why, no matter what my kids do or how they treat me, I will never turn my back on them. They could be serial killers and I would make sure to be there every visiting day.”

“How did you and Brian get back together?”

“The world exploded around me.”

A video started up, it was from a camera crew reporting on the bombing at Babylon.

“Everyone get back!” a cop could be heard yelling at the crowd.

People were still staggering out of the building, some being carried, most dazed.

A far away voice could be heard screaming ‘Justin’.

“We’re reporting on a bombing that has happened here on Liberty Avenue. An hour ago, a bomb when off during a Stop Prop 14 benefit. The police are reporting fatalities. The bombing happened at local gay club, Babylon. We will be reporting more after this break.”

A new video, someone much closer than the news crew. Probably someone who wasn’t worried about another bomb going off. Most of the dust had settled. The camera panned over the destruction, Justin could be seen. He was covered in soot, wearing some paramedics jacket. Suddenly, there was Brian, wrapping him up in a hug before the camera panned away to the next group of people.

The wedding that didn’t happen was shown with pictures of them in tuxes with flowers. A picture of the very house they were at, the house he had bought for Justin.

“Why did you cancel the wedding?”

Justin’s face appeared.

“I didn’t want Brian to change for me. I always thought that’s all I wanted, but it was getting so I didn’t recognize him. I couldn’t have him living to regret his decision. I didn’t want to go to New York, but we both realized I needed it.”

“Did you know Justin would come back to you less than a year later?”

Brian was on screen.

“No, I thought he was gone for good. I wouldn’t blame him.”

“Why did you come back?”

Justin on screen.

“That’s a silly question. That’s like asking why I chose to breath. I came back because he is my life. I just had to do this one thing for us. He had done so much for us, I had to be brave.”

The last was a single video clip. Justin getting off the plane the day he moved back to Pittsburgh. He let his bags dropped and ran full speed to Brian. The whole airport watched as he jumped in to Brian’s arms and wrapped his legs around him. They didn’t part until security came and separated them. The song Save the Last Dance played over the video. It was a fitting ending.

The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Brian knew that had been the easy part. Now was going to be the hard part, answering his children’s’ questions, not Blake’s.

“Anyone have a question they’d like to ask?” Justin said, getting off Brian’s lap. Brian stood up beside him.

When all his children’s hands shot up in the air, he tried not to laugh. They were still young enough to follow the raise your hand for permission to speak thing.

Going with the oldest. “Gus,” he called on his son.

“What happened to your boss?” he asked, looking at Justin.

“Gary?” Justin asked, clarifying. Gus nodded.

“Nothing to do with me. He lost Babylon because he couldn’t pay the taxes so your father bought it for cheap. Last I heard he was in Florida living in assisted care.” Brian agreed by nodding. That was the last he heard too.

“Devon,” calling his next to oldest.

“Why did you forgive dad for cheating with that Ethan guy?” This question was directed at Brian.

“He was younger than you at the time, hell, he was younger than Matt and Anna. He needed to make his own decisions, I couldn’t hold it against him if he wanted someone else. But I’m glad it didn’t work out, if I’m being honest.”

“Then why did Justin kiss that guy six years ago,” Matt snarled.

Justin felt his world tilt on its axis with the venom coming out of Matthew’s mouth. Six years ago, thinking back he had to remember if he had seen Ethan six years ago. It hit him like a brick wall. He had seen him at the convention he took Matthew to when he was only thirteen. It was the first time that his sweet boy had started acting out. Matthew saw Ethan kiss Justin and thought he wanted it.

“Justin?” Brian asked, after he seemed to notice how quiet he was being.  

“Ethan, he showed up at the convention, it was really weird. He started to try and talk about how wonderful his life was. Expecting me to be sad and lonely, I guess. I told him we were married with children and that I wanted him to leave. He forced a kiss on me, I struggled but couldn’t get out of his arms. Thankfully, someone dropped something and his grip loosened. I was going to tell you when you got back from your trip to New York. I knew how tense you were about that meeting. But when you came back you were so angry, I just couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

Something flashed in Brian’s eyes. “Remind me, how long after the convention was my trip? You are talking about the one with Reece, right?”

“A week, I believe. Yes, that one.”

Brian grabbed Justin’s arm, hard. “You told him about our children?”

“That’s what I said. I didn’t tell him names or anything.”

“A fucking internet search would suffice. That motherfucker had it all planned,” Brian roared.

“What was planned?” Justin asked.

Brian let go of Justin and spun around looking a deathly pale Reece. “Do you want to tell him? Or should I?”

Reece shook his head. He wasn’t going to say whatever it was.

“What?” Justin asked.

“That weekend I walked into my hotel room only to see our son and Ethan Gold, attached at the mouth.”

Justin shook his head. “No, Matt was only thirteen that meant Reece was only fourteen. Ethan wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t he? I know about the phone calls. I know you went to the police because he was stalking you. Damnit Justin, Reece looks just like you. That was either some fucked up way to relieve the glory days or to get even.”

“I’m dating him now,” Reece said, rather loud for his shaky voice.

Brian looked like he was going to yell, but surprisingly he bit it back. “Are you still going to see him?” he asked calmly.

“After finding out he came in between you and dad. No, I don’t think so. I was kind of thinking about breaking it off anyway. He seems a little off,” Reece said.

Brian nodded. “Any other questions?”

Matt was looking at Justin with horror in his eyes. “You weren’t cheating on Pop?”

“No, I admit I made that mistake a long time ago. But as soon as I knew I had your father’s heart, I’ve never wanted another man.”

Right before their eyes, their big, strong son broke down and sobbed like a baby, running to Justin and hugged him. Justin was lost in their son’s larger body. Once he pulled away Justin’s eyes was red too.

“I’m going to take Matt on a drive, we have some things to talk about. You have some things to talk about with Reece,” Justin said, looking angrily at Brian.

He nodded he knew he had to work this out.

“Reece and I are going to take a walk around the grounds. Your aunts, uncles and Grandma Deb and Grandpa Carl will answer any questions you have. Don’t leave, I’ll be back in about ten minutes.”

Reece followed him out of the of the media room, it led straight outside, because it wasn’t attached to the house. In fact, it was quite a walk away.

“Is that why you hate me? Because of Ethan?” Reece asked quietly. His voice carried in the stillness of the night. Brian could just make out the sound of Justin’s van starting up.

“I don’t hate you. You were fourteen when I walked into that room. I bragged for years about my own older man story but wanted to vomit when my child thought that was alright to do. I felt like I had failed you.”

“Don’t say that Pop, you didn’t tell me about you and the coach. I heard Uncle Mikey and Aunt Lindsay talking about it.”

He grunted, he would be speaking to them later. “The problem is all mine, it’s never been you. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel that way. You know how much you look like your dad. Walking in that room, it was like someone punched me in the gut again. Because for a split fucking second it wasn’t my son sitting on the bed with Ethan, it was your dad. If it was anyone else, I would have threatened jail and that was it. But it was the first time I saw you making the same mistake he did. After that, all I could see was everything bad that happened to him happen to you. Six years, six years of me acting like an ass. I know I don’t deserve it but do you think you can forgive me. I’m so sorry.”

They were walking along the tree line, Reece stopped and looked at him. There was only the light from the overly bright moon to light them. “Sorrys bullshit. I spent the last six years trying everything I could to get you to look at me, love me, pay attention to me. And all this time it was your issues, not mine. You pushed me to date a girl. Do you remember that?”

Brian guiltily nodded. “Yes.”

“Because you thought I would get bashed like Dad?”

“Yes.”

“But never, not fucking once, did you ever say anything like that. I thought I was wrong. I couldn’t figure out how everyone could be attracted to who they wanted but I wasn’t. I felt like a fucking freak. Like I didn’t deserve love,” Reece was screaming now.

“I know, I’m don’t really have an excuse.”

“Good, because I wouldn’t listen. You’ve wanted me gone for six years, guess what, Brian. You got your wish. I’ll be out within the hour.” Reece took off running to the house. Brian thought about chasing him, stopping him. But what right did he have to do that.

He continued his walk around the tree line, when he circled back around he headed to the media room to see what was going on. Walking through he was surprised to see Justin and Matt. He was about to tell him about Reece but noticed Justin’s face.

“What’s going on?” Justin looked like he saw a ghost.

“The man…Matthew…Chris…” Justin was hyperventilating.

Brian talked to him calmly, helped him with his breathing, like he used to do. Just as he was able to breathe again he heard Matt speak.

“Pop, the guy who’s truck I spray painted. I’m like ninety percent sure it’s Chris Hobbs.”

Fuck!