DEB

I got to the diner, smiling at the guys who Michael was spending time with since his friends started acting like they were too good for him. Brandon started coming around and let Michael be a part of the group along with Jason and Kevin. Brian is in for a surprise if he thinks he still holds the title for stud.

“Hey guys.” Michael walks over to sit with Brandon.

“What happened to your face?” Brandon asked, drinking his coffee.

“The fucking blond shit Brian used to hang out with thinks he can do whatever he wants because Brian’s sniffing his ass again.” Michael tells him.

“Brian Kinney’s here?” Jason asks.

“Who cares, he treated Michael as if Michael wasn’t his friend.” I tell them, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Hey, the blond, do you mean Justin?” Kiki asks.

“Who’s Justin?” Brandon asks.

“The cutest thing to happen to Liberty Avenue. I remember wishing I had an ass like his, because the guys were big tippers when Justin walked by, but they loved seeing that beautiful smile even more.” Kiki gushes.

“Justin isn’t the sweet kid you all think he is, look what he did to Michael.” I tell her.

“I’m sure he would have done it sooner, with the way Michael treated him.” Kiki tells me.

“Michael tried to help him, but Justin liked making Michael jealous that Brian kept him around.” I tell her.

“Justin didn’t need to do anything, Brian wanted Justin and made sure to keep him. Michael being a jealous child is all on him, not on Justin.” Kiki tells me.

“Brian liked to show off that he could still get the younger guys.” Michael tells her.

“Bullshit, I was around back then, Brian and Justin might have tricked, but Brian was the only one Justin allowed near the ass all of us wanted.” A guy in the booth behind Michael tells us.

“So, Brian isn’t the friend to you that you run around telling everyone he is?” Brandon asks Michael.

“He’ll get rid of Justin sooner or later, and then you’ll all see the friendship I told you about.” Michael tells them.

“Why bother, you have new and better looking friends than Brian.” I tell him, smiling at Brandon.

“I need to get going.” Brandon tells us, pushing Michael out.

“Brandon, where are you going? I wanted to tell you about the collectable I got.” Michael tells him.

“I think I’ve heard more than I ever wanted to about all your collectables.” Brandon tells him, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, I don’t need to be late for work.” Jason tells us, following Brandon out.

“I wanted to invite you all to my house for dinner.” I tell them.

“Why?” Kevin asks, as he gets up.

“I wanted to get to know all of you. I used to do this with Michael’s old friends.” I tell them, following them out.

“Ma makes everything from scratch. It’s like a tradition for my friends.” Michael tells them.

“Maybe.” Brandon tells us, walking out.

They stood in front talking and I decided that they needed to change their minds. I opened the door and stopped when I heard them.

“Jesus, why did you even let some old guy hang out with us?” Jason asks Brandon.

“If he isn’t bad enough, the mother thinking anyone needs to hear her talking about dick, as if she’s seen one in a hundred years, is just annoying.” Kevin laughs.

“I was hoping to meet Brian, I heard he was coming back, and if it gave me a chance to show him my resume, then putting up with the two of them prattling on would have been worth it. I want to learn the ad business from a man who could win any account he wanted. Although I don’t get why he let that loser stay around him.” Brandon tells them.

I walked out there to tell them what I thought of what they were saying. “You’d be lucky to have my son as your friend.” I tell them.

“Deb, the only reason anyone listened to Michael is because Brian was his friend. Without Brian, he’s just a mama’s boy who doesn’t seem to be able to leave comic’s behind, the way any twelve year old would.” Kevin tells me.

“Brandon, Michael will make sure everyone knows who the real stud is.” I tell him.

“Sorry, but losing my hard on because your son thinks talking to me while I’m fucking someone just isn’t my thing. And him hanging out with his mommy just makes it creepier.” He tells me, as the guys all laugh.

“And I have to say, having you show up everywhere Michael went was really pathetic, don’t you have a life?” Jason tells me.

“Don’t come back to this diner if that’s how you feel about my son and me.” I tell them.

“I heard there’s a better place to go anyway. Apparently the waitresses there actually serve food  without having to talk about our dicks.” Brandon tells me and his friends.

BRIAN

Justin and I picked up Hannah to go to breakfast. We invited Jen but she told us to be with our daughter while she took her daughter out for mother daughter time. Molly came down stairs and stopped when she saw me. She cocked her head to the side then thumbed up Justin.

“He really is as handsome as I thought he was.” She tells Justin. “I kept thinking you couldn’t be what I imagined.” She tells me, laughing.

“Aunt Molly told me Daddy was a waste to all girls everywhere. I don’t really understand, but she said I would when I get older.” Hannah tells us.

“Molly Taylor, what have I told you about saying things around Hannah.” Jen admonishes her, trying not to laugh.

“Hannah Kinsey Taylor you got me in trouble.” Molly says, kissing her head.

“Let’s go, before you tell all Aunt Molly’s secrets.” Justin tells Hannah.

“Kinsey?” I ask him.

“Dad wanted me to always have your name in some way.” Hannah tells me.

“Brian…” Justin stops when my phone rings.

“Mel, is there something Lindsay doesn’t understand about what I said to her yesterday?” I ask putting her on speaker..

“I was calling to see if you wanted to take your son out for the day. I just need to talk to you first.” Mel tells me.

“I’ll be over to pick him up, just have him waiting outside.” I tell her.

“We really need to talk, don’t worry, Lindsay isn’t here. She’s too busy licking her wounds.” She tells me.

“We have plans.” I tell her.

“I have a lot you need to know. I just think it would be better to talk somewhere where the kids could go play.” She tells me.

“Call in an order and I’ll take the kids with me to pick it up. It will give you time to tell Brian everything.” Justin tells us.

“Justin, I’m sorry for not being there for you.” Mel tells him.

“I had Emmett and my mom.” He tells her.

MEL

Gus was excited to go somewhere with Hannah, so he didn’t seem to notice Lindsay wasn’t here this morning. I walked out with Gus when they pulled in and got my first look at Hannah. How does Brian create these beautiful children? She smiled and waved at me, but stayed in the car as Brian and Justin switched out. Gus got in and Justin left without saying anything to me.

“I really messed up with Justin.” I tell Brian.

“Give him time, it’s not easy for him to let people back in who ignored him when he needed friends.” He tells me.

“If he never talks to me, I’ll accept it.” I tell him, leading him into the house.

“What did you need?” Brian asks me.

“I need you to tell me that you are really going to fight her for Gus. I want to help you.” I tell him.

“That’s interesting, considering you never wanted me near Gus.” He reminds me.

“I need to tell you about the years you were gone.” I tell him. “After you left, I thought Lindsay and I could finally raise our family without you constantly being in the middle of it. At first I thought things were better, but then I realized that without you around, Lindsay no longer cared how people saw her. She would go to meetings at the GLC to make fun of everyone and the causes we all cared about. Ted would come over and she would make comments like she was kidding, but they were awful things to say to anyone. The only person she still treated the same was Gus, but I think she knows that if Gus got upset, that he’d tell you. I’m not saying she doesn’t love Gus, she does, but it’s not healthy the way she seems to see him as a way to keep you around. I don’t think it was you, so much as her waiting for Justin to reappear.” I tell him.

“I just don’t buy that she did what she did to Justin, out of concern for him.” I tell her.

“Brian, she found a way to keep tabs on Justin, and you. She hired a detective to report to her.” I tell him.

“You’re just now telling me this?” He asks me, pissed.

“I didn’t know until after I made her leave last night. I started taking her things out of the bedroom and a box fell from her closet. She must have started it when he left for college and you left for New York. I will give you the box, but please ask Justin if he wants you to see some of the pictures.” I tell him.

“What happened before that? What made you want out of your relationship with her?” He asks me.

“It started with wanting another baby, she wanted us to go to you. I wanted to use Ted. We were barely speaking when she went to Michael and Deb and had them over, saying Michael would be perfect because you and Michael would be parents to our kids. The two daddies taking them everywhere together. Lindsay was implying that it would give our kids something in common. I agreed at first, because I wanted a baby that came from me, but truthfully, I didn’t want a baby that came with Deb and Michael attached. When it was time to get pregnant I called the person I wanted and he came. I had Michael’s sample destroyed and used Ted. Ted and I have kept it from all of them while he helped me untie my life from Lindsay’s. I let them all believe it was Michael’s, because it kept Lindsay unaware that I was working on getting her out of my life. The only thing I need now is for you to want Gus with you.” I tell him.

“Do you think she would hurt Gus?” I ask.

“No, but I know that you wouldn’t use Gus to get back at me for leaving Lindsay. No matter how you feel about me, you would let me be a part of Gus’s life. I don’t want to lose our son.” I tell him.

“You trust me not to do to you what you were doing to me?” He asks.

“Yes, because you are a great father and want Gus to have everything, including his Mama, as long as he wants it.” I tell him.

“I want my children to have everything they dream of and more.” He tells me.

“I want to be a mother, the way you are a father to your kids. I can’t do that with a woman who wants everything to be about her.” I tell him.

“You have my promise that I will always allow Gus to see you.” He tells me.

“That’s why I trust you, you never break a promise.” I tell him.     

LINDSAY

I went to my sister’s house telling her what happened, and put up with her and her asshole husband. My parents already let me know that their house was no longer an option. They wouldn’t keep supporting a grown woman that lived a life they couldn’t accept. Lynnett, on the other hand, likes to show off what her husbands were able give her. I couldn’t sleep, thinking that Mel managed to do things behind my back. I should have had the detective watching her. I drove straight to the bank to close all our accounts together, she won’t leave me struggling when most of the savings came from money Brian sent. I got to the bank and the woman at the window pointed me to the desk for accounts. I sat filling out the information they wanted and when it was my turn, I was smiling inside at my fuck you to Mel.

“I want to close all the accounts I share with my soon to be ex, and have all the funds transferred to an account with only my name on it. ” I tell him.

“In order to close an account we have to have both of you here.” He tells me.

“Then transfer everything but the minimum amount to me. I know that’s possible, since I’m on the account.” I tell him, using everything my mother taught me when dealing with the help.

“I can do that.” He tells me typing away.

I waited while he worked, thinking of the hell Mel will pay when Michael and Deb find out she tricked them. Michael was the perfect way to keep Brian from pulling Justin back into his world. Like me, Michael knew how to keep Brian away from Justin. I remember one day hearing Michael say to Brian that Justin thinks he owns Brian. Then Brian sneered at Justin and fucked someone else, right in front of him. I realized then that any mention that Justin was important to Brian would have Brian proving us wrong. I got what I wanted, Brian without anyone else in his life, and Justin growing dissatisfied with the way Brian treated him. Only Justin wouldn’t give up, then fate stepped in and  Brian left Justin behind for bigger things.

Justin telling me he was pregnant was not part of the plan. How was he going to become the artist I knew he could be with a kid in the way? Then to find out that he let Brian get him pregnant, well that was the last straw. Justin couldn’t have everything, being the artist I wasn’t should have been enough. Having a child with the father of my child wasn’t fair, that was mine, Brian was mine, I should be the only one to give him a child.

“Ms. Peterson, I just need your signature and where you want your card sent.” The guy tells me.

“Just send it to the address I listed. I’ll need three hundred for now.” I tell him.

“Did you have another account to take it from?” He asks me.

“You just opened the account, I want the money from there.” I tell the idiot.

“There was only one hundred dollars in that account, and I could only transfer ninety five into your account.” He tells me.

“I’ll need a print out of the old account with all the transactions, immediately.” I tell him, wondering where all the money went.

“Which I can’t give you since you took your name off that account. I can call and see if the account holder will come here and authorize us to show you.” He tells me.

“I was just on that account, so print me a statement.” I tell him.

“Sorry, the minute you signed to take your name off, you made it so I can no longer give you that information.” He tells me.

“Then close my account if this is how you handle banking.” I sneer.

“Normally you would have to wait, but with such a small amount I don’t see a problem.” He tells me.

Mel is going to wish she didn’t do this to me.