JUSTIN

Hunter showed up with Gus and Jenny to pick me up. It's always hard when I can see that Gus isn't thrilled that he has to share me with Jenny. It worried me how Gus would handle Brian and I having children together.

“Do we have to stay?” Gus asks.

“I have a few things I need to do before we go back.” I tell him.

“Can I stay with you?” He asks.

“Of course you can, but at least make sure the moms get time with you so they don't miss you.” I tell him.

“Mel wanted to talk to you, she asked if you'd mind seeing her first.” Hunter tells me quietly.

I nodded, not really sure why Mel needed to talk to me. Hunter called her while we were getting in the car and said she would meet us at Kinnetik. When we got there, Cynthia handed me some things Brian needed and asked me to stop and see Murph before I left. Hunter hung out with the kids in reception. I went to Brian’s office to call him while I waited.

“I'm here, I realized we need to talk to Gus about him possibly having more siblings.” I tell him.

“Which I already planned. We knew it wasn't going to be easy for him. He's been our only child all his life. You and I just need him to see that nothing will change his place in our lives.” He tells me.

“It's just, I remember how I felt when Molly was born. My mom had to share her attention with Molly. Gus is going to have to deal with his siblings living with us.” I tell him, as Mel comes in.

“We can't change the way things are, we’ll just make him understand that he's still the same son we love.” He tells me.

“Mel’s here, I'll call you later.” I tell him, hanging up.

I got up, hugging her. Mel and I have always had a better relationship than Lindsay and I. Mel never tried to get involved in my life in any way, except to encourage me to be happy.

“What did you need to talk to me about?” I ask.

“Lindsay and this job offer. She's gone from moping around to walking on air. Which I'm thrilled about, but I don't want you feeling like you had to offer her a job, when she seemed upset that you didn’t offer her the job as your assistant.” She tells me.

“It's a business decision. If I didn't think Lindsay had what I needed to do the job, I wouldn’t bother asking her. When she worked for Sydney, he trusted her decisions on who to invite to show. She can see the potential in an artist. I'm hoping she can use that to spot up-and-comers in other fields. She’s really that good at it.” I tell her.

“She's had a hard time not being able to figure out what would make her happy. I want her to find something she enjoys and gives her that high I get when I win tough cases. She's spent so much time looking for what all of us managed to have, while she sits and hears about it.” She tells me.

“She wasn't a bad artist, her work just didn’t go further than what people had already done. In a lot of ways, it comes from the way college teaches traditional art. They help guide common mistakes, but can't teach an artist how to capture something and make it into their own vision. It's something an artist has to be able to do on their own. Lindsay was always afraid to find her own way of showing the world a different view.” I tell her.

“What makes you think she would be able to do the job you're offering her?” Mel asks.

“I believe she can, why don't you?” I ask.

“I never said she couldn't.” She said defensively.

“Do you want to know why Hunter?” I ask, changing the subject.

“I didn’t want to ask, but I did wonder why him and not someone who's experienced.” She tells me.

“I needed someone who understood what they've being hired to do, is the main reason. It's also that being around him at shows, he saw more than what people write that we artists were trying to convey. He could look at a painting and see himself. He let the work speak to his emotions. It's the greatest compliment any creator can have. It's also something we rarely get. He feeds my need to want to create so I can see it through his eyes. It's something only Brian was ever able to do for me. If Hunter was an artist, we'd see most likely the next Van Gogh. He told me what Lindsay said about having problems with the people he might meet, but Lindsay doesn’t see what I do in Hunter.” I tell her.

“I'm sure she didn’t mean it as an insult to Hunter.” She tells me.

“She doesn’t know the guy all the rest of us were around to see growing up. If I thought Hunter was hurt by what she said, it would have had me here for a different reason, not to offer her a job. Which, as much as I can understand your concerns, it’s really something that you should have discussed with Lindsay, not me.” I tell her.

“I just didn’t want her to think I wasn’t excited for her. I am, but I didn’t want this to be another thing she tried and it disappointed her because she couldn’t do.” She tells me.

“You need to stop seeing everything as something that will hurt Lindsay. Brian never told me I couldn’t do what I tried, or stopped me even when he could see that it might not be in my best interest to do what I was doing. He was just there so I could turn to him when I needed him. If he did the things you seem to want to do for Lindsay, I’d be still trying to figure out what to do with my life.” I tell her.

“I don’t think Brian could stop you from anything.” She tells me.

“He could if he wanted to, but then he wouldn’t have stuck around and loved me the way he does. He loves me for never waiting for him to give me the answers, but for me doing what it took to find them out for myself.” I tell her.

“I’m too busy trying to protect Lindsay from everything, is what you’re saying.” She tells me.

“Michael and Ben were doing the same thing to Hunter. They were too busy being worried that Hunter would get hurt. Not seeing that it’s something all of us have to experience so we don’t keep making the same mistakes. It made it easier on Hunter to tell him his worries or fears. If you and Lindsay can’t tell each other those things, then you're missing out on a better relationship.” I tell her.

“Brian tells you those things?” She asked.

“He’s human, and yes we talk when he needs to talk through anything that bothers him. I made the mistake of not talking to him once and found out I was the one believing the wrong thing.” I tell her.

“Justin, Brian wouldn’t have listened to you when Ethan happened.” She tells me.

“I’m not talking about Ethan. Brian and I made peace with what I did. It was during the years I was having to constantly be away from Brian. I stopped calling him for a few weeks and took off, thinking my career would eventually be the reason Brian gave up on me. He had the perfect opportunity to let me give up, but told me that he would be there when I was finished and ready. He made it so I could have both him and my career, because he wanted me to have everything I dreamed I could. If he had said come home, I would have. You need to give Lindsay the chance Brian always gave me, and believe in her while letting her tell you things without feeling like she has to hide her feelings from you.” I tell her.

“When did you advance to the teacher and not the student in this relationship?” She asks.

“I spent years being taught by the best people.” I tell her.

“Gus will be thrilled to have other siblings. He knows it doesn’t change anything for him.” Mel tells me.

“Jenny lives with you, this child or children will be living with us.” I tell her.

“Then we all make sure Gus spends a lot of time with you and Brian. Involve him in everything, it will make the baby or babies more than potential toy stealers and attention takers.” She tells me.

“See, you still have things teach me.” I tell her kissing her.

We walked out to the kids talking to Cynthia, but Hunter not there. Cynthia pointed to the bathroom.

“You might want to check on him. I kept the kids when he looked like he needed space.” She tells me.

I went in to see what happened and saw Hunter staring at himself in the mirror. “What do you see?” I asked him.

“The possibilities of everything.” He tells me.

HUNTER

I was going to check if Justin cared if I took the kids to the diner. They were getting bored sitting here while Mel seemed to want to spend Justin’s entire time here talking. I opened the door and stopped when I heard Justin talking about me. He really saw me that way? I just didn’t know how to handle the overwhelming emotions I felt, hearing him say I feed him when he worked.

I ran in the bathroom and called my Dad.

“Hunter when are you guys getting here?” Ben asks.

“Mel wanted to talk to Justin first.” I tell him, shaking.

“Hunter, what’s wrong?” He asks, worried like always.

“I just heard the way Justin described me, and it was never how I saw myself.” I tell him.

“As someone we all are proud to know and can’t wait to see what great things you do. Son, every day you’ve been with us, you awe me.” He tells me.

“Thank you for loving me no matter what stupid thing I was doing.” I tell him.

“Michael and I love you for giving us a son, one who never stopped showing us what a great person we were raising.” He tells me.

I hung up and sat in a stall, bawling like a baby. I guess knew these things, but it’s different to hear it out loud from someone else than in my head. I was staring at myself, thinking that I’m going to give Van Gogh a run for renaissance man, when Justin walked in and didn’t comment on why my eyes were red, but asked like he had since his first show, ‘What do you see?’, I saw the world, and every possibility to leave my mark on it.