by T. M. Smith
~ Chapter 18 | What about the Baby? ~
Isaac’s parents flew out to New York a few days later to bring their son’s body home for burial. “We have space, Dean, and we’d be honored to bury them side-by-side. Of course, that’s a decision for you and your son to make.”
“Let’s wait to see what the will says,” Dean told LaShonda and Isaac Washington. Apparently, Maggie’s fiancé, Isaac, was the fifth in the Washington family line to carry the name.
William and Beau had picked them up from the airport and driven them out to the big house. When Isaac’s mother mentioned needing to contact the hotel about checking in late, Mattie had intervened and asked that they consider staying with them so they could spend as much time as possible with the baby. LaShonda and Isaac quickly agreed and thanked the three Dimir men profusely.
“Since we’s all here, I tought we could take da time ta discuss Margaret and Isaac’s will.” Beau offered, before ushering Dean and Dusty and their partners as well as Isaac’s parents into the study. He’d already introduced himself when picking the Washingtons up at the airport, but for propriety’s sake, Beau offered his condolences once more. “Please, everyone sit. And let me just take a moment ta say how sorry I am dat you all havin’ ta go trough dis. Tankfully, Margaret and Isaac were dutiful and conscious enuff ta draft a will.”
Dean sat beside Adam, his brain still foggy. The two of them sat on the couch with Dusty and David, while the Washingtons took the two armchairs beside the fireplace, Beau leaning against the large mahogany desk that took up the length of one wall. He held a file in his hands, and what had been spoken finally registered in the chaos that was Dean’s mind.
“Wait.” Dean sat up. “How do you know any of this, Beau?” He knew that Beau was an attorney, but he wasn’t aware of any type of client-attorney relationship between one of his son’s friends and his ex-wife. “When did you, Maggie, and Isaac even have the opportunity to talk about a will? What…how?” His thoughts were muddled again, leaving him unable to put the questions in his mind into words.
“The day you all came to da bar for lunch, Maggie and Isaac gave me a copy of dere will and asked me ta go over it, make sure dat everyting was legal and ironclad.” Beau spoke softly, offering Dean a sad smile. “We can talk more bout dat stuff later, Dean. Right now I need ta go over what’s in here wit you, Dusty, and the Washingtons.”
“A’ight, let’s get started. In da matter of finances any and all accounts previously held by the deceased, one Margaret Anderson, are to be transferred to one account dat will den be divided equally between her two sons, Dusty Anderson and Xander Isaac Washington. Secondly, any and all accounts previously held by da deceased, Isaac Washington, are to be transferred to one account dat will be put into a trust for his son, Xander Isaac Washington. The trustees for this account will be LaShonda and Isaac Washington, parents of the deceased, grandparents of da sole heir.”
Dean closed his eyes and tightened his grip on Adam’s fingers that were threaded between his. Deceased, Jesus! He didn’t think one word held enough power to bring someone to their knees but were he not already sitting, he would have fallen to his. Blinking, he saw Beau’s lips moving but he couldn’t hear anything over the blood rushing in his ears.
“Baby, you okay?” Adam’s voice held a note of concern.
“Huh?” Dean turned toward him, choking back a sob threatening to burst free.
“Do you need a few minutes?” Adam asked.
He shook his head, turning to look at the big man leaning against the desk, dressed in leather and wrapped in ink. “You good?” Beau asked and Dean simply nodded once. “Good. As for da house in Justin Texas, the deed reverts to the secondary owner, Dean Anderson, as do all contents within da home.”
Fuck the house! Dean thought. what was going to happen to baby Xander was the only question that remained, as far as he was concerned. “What about Xander?”
“Well…” Beau crossed his arms over his broad chest, eyes roaming from Dean to Isaac’s parents, then back to Dean. “The will states dat custody of the minor child, Xander Isaac Washington, will go to da grandparents, LaShonda and Isaac Washington the fourth. Unless…” Beau let the word hang in the air.
“Unless, what?” Adam asked. Dean turned to look at LaShonda, trying to decipher the pained expression she wore.
Clearing his throat before speaking again, Beau explained. “Unless da Washingtons are unable ta care for da child, either by cause or voluntarily, in which case custody of da child would be awarded to Dean Anderson.”
Beau fixed him in place with a hard stare that held far too long for Dean’s liking. “I’ll give you all a few minutes ta discuss dis amongst each other.” The big man stood and quietly left the room.
No one spoke for so long that the silence became uncomfortable, Dusty finally being the one to break the awkward silence. “Mr. and Mrs. Washington.”
Isaac Senior cut Dusty off with a wave of his hand. “None of that, LaShonda and Isaac will do just fine, young man.”
Dean was so proud of his son when he smiled and nodded, leaning closer to LaShonda and taking her hands in his. “Could we possibly discuss shared custody between you two and my dad? I don’t know what’s going to happen, what’s supposed to happen now, but I do know that I don’t want to lose the only link I have to my mother.” The word mother was spoken softly, wrapped in so much emotion that it pained Dean.
LaShonda and Isaac shared a look that worried Dean and if the sudden stiffening of Adam’s posture was any indication, it worried him as well. Not wanting to say the wrong thing, Dean considered his words carefully. Would he and Dusty really have to fight them to have a relationship with Xander? They seemed like nice people, not outwardly opposed to homosexuality. After all, they were in a large house full of gay men, couples that didn’t shy away from affection. But still, what if the fact that Dean and Adam were in a relationship was cause enough for the Washingtons to try and prohibit them from being part of Xander’s life?
Before Dean could speak, Isaac Senior wrapped an arm around his wife and sighed, turning to look Dean in the eyes. “My wife and I are old and neither of us is in perfect health. I speak for both of us when I say, we want you to be Xander’s guardian; it would truly be in his best interest.”
His wife sniffled, taking the tissue David offered her with a smile, wiping her nose. “We would still want to be part of his life, but my husband is right, we couldn’t physically take on the full-time care of an infant, even if it is our grandson.” She leaned into her husband and cried softly.
The six of them debated and discussed Xander, Dean accepting guardianship and ironing out a tentative date for them to fly out to Texas to tie up loose ends there and put the house on the market. Dean and Dusty’s lives were in New York now, with the men they loved and the people they called friends, considered family. “We’ll figure this out and make sure that you two get to see Xander as often as possible. Whether that means bringing him to Texas or flying you two out here, he will know who you are, I promise,” Dean assured them.
When Beau came back in a few minutes later, Mattie behind him carrying a tray with cups, a large carafe of coffee, a pot of tea, and a plate of chocolate croissants, they finalized all the details. “I’ll get da paperwork over to de attorney in Texas first ting tomorrow,” Beau promised before leaving the room to make the call to that attorney. David led Isaac’s parents out of the room, Dusty right behind them, closing the door to give Dean and Adam a few minutes alone.
“You okay, babe?” Adam asked, standing and pulling Dean to his feet, wrapping both arms around Dean, whispering words meant to comfort and console. He fought back the tears, closing his eyes tight, refusing to cry again. Adam’s strong arms around him, the steady beat of his heart eased Dean’s scattered mind and body, soothing and calming him as it always did.
“I will be, as long as I’ve got you here to hold me and silence the storm threatening to pull me in,” Dean responded, nestling into Adam
with a contented sigh.
~ Chapter 19 | We Have News ~
Dean and Adam finally left the study a short while later and moved slowly toward the kitchen. It was oddly a joy to see the kitchen and den full of people and noise, the usual cacophony of sounds music to Dean’s ears. Mattie stood beside Andrew next to the stove, barking orders, a baby in each arm. Not for the first time, Dean thought Mattie was far too young to be taking on the role he happily embraced.
Victor sat at the long table with Chris, Linc, and William, the three of them arguing over a deck of cards. Gabe was trying to pry one of the babies out of Mattie’s arms while Tristan and Micah laughed over the situation from the other side of the kitchen island. Kassie was sitting at the far end of the dining table beside Jordan, Colton on his knees beside her, talking to the baby bump while his boyfriend Tony stood beside him, one hand on Colton’s shoulder and a bright smile on his face. It was the icing on the cake for Dean, the scene before him reminding him that life would most definitely go on. A loud knock at the front door, of all places, grabbed everyone’s attention because it was downright odd. No one ever used the front door. Dean turned toward the door when Andrew brushed past him to answer it. A couple of familiar faces greeted them when the door swung open, along with a few unfamiliar ones. Shay Brennan in all his tall, rugged, red-haired glory stood beside his son Jon, two other men in uniform that Dean didn’t know right behind them. He could see Kory’s car pull up on the other side of the yard, his son’s best friend climbing out and literally rolling his eyes at the procession on the Dimirs’ doorstep before Kory headed toward the back porch.
By the time Andrew had ushered the four uniforms into the kitchen, Kory was in the den with his sister and brother-in-law, gushing over the belly, much like everyone else. Victor asked Chris and Linc to please excuse them, the two men heading into the den, before he kissed Mattie and the two babies on the cheek and sent them up to the nursery. One of the officers spoke only to be silenced by nothing more than Victor’s hand while he watched Mattie disappear up the stairs, waiting until the soft click of the door closing filtered down to them.
“I am not having my husband being upset by anything you are coming here to tell us.” He spoke in his oddly endearing broken English.
“Of course,” Shay agreed. “We have news, and I’m afraid it’s…” Shay paused, taking in the faces of everyone in the room before he finished. “…disheartening.”
Victor nodded, standing when Beau walked into the kitchen with Isaac’s parents. “LaShonda, Isaac, may I make introductions to Shay Brennan. He is having news on the…incident.”
Dean saw the pain in the Washingtons’ eyes as they nodded robotically and took a seat at the table. Jon’s father, ever the gentleman, offered his hand to Isaac and his wife, introducing himself and asking for their first names. “Let me start by saying, I am heartily sorry for your loss, and that goes for you too…Dean, Dusty.” Shay met their eyes, nodding, before giving his full attention to the Washingtons. “We have a suspect in custody that will be formally charged with the murders of Margaret Anderson and Isaac Washington. I have specific details I can share with you if you wish.”
Looking down the length of the long table, Dean couldn’t help but feel Isaac’s parents’ pain, LaShonda leaning into her husband and crying softly, again. He waited for the elder Isaac to meet his gaze and agree before nodding for Shay to continue. “Apparently, Maggie and Isaac were killed as part of a gang initiation. Try as hard as I might, I can’t seem to keep my streets as clean as I’d like.”
“What I need from you, Dean and Isaac, is to identify the victims. Yes, Kory has positively identified them from a photo that Jon showed him, but since he is not immediate family…” Shay let the words hang in the air. Dean had watched countless prime-time shows—Criminal Minds and Law & Order—but this was so very different. Shay Brennan slid a manila folder across the table to him and without hesitation, Dean opened it and his heart broke into a million pieces. Maggie lay on the ground on her side, one arm extended above her head, eyes wide open, a shocked expression on her face, a trickle of blood that had started at the corner of her mouth and run down her chin.
He closed his eyes, inhaling a few deep breaths, fists clenched. The only thing keeping him from falling apart was Adam, by his side steady and unwavering as he had been since the night they met, how many months ago? Focusing on his surroundings was difficult at first when Dean opened his eyes. The mist of unshed tears made it hard to see anything, but thankfully, he could feel Adam’s warmth seeping into his skin. A gasp followed by a soft wail told Adam that the Washingtons had just seen the same photo, their eyes probably honing in on the right side of the image where Isaac lay, his left arm underneath Maggie’s body where they probably fell, still wrapped in each other’s arms. Should that be solace for Dean, his son, Xander, and Isaac’s parents? That they at least had each other in their final moments?
Dusty stood and walked behind his father, his sharp intake of breath making Dean wonder if taking a bullet might be easier than ever hearing that sound from his son again. “Excuse me,” Dusty whispered, his footsteps as he left then the creaking of the back door before it closed the only noises in the kitchen that was only minutes ago filled with sounds of life.
David stood, presumably to follow his boyfriend outside, but Kory stopped him. “Let me.” Dean closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying very hard to hold it together.
“Is this ironclad, Shay? Are there witnesses? Seriously, will this son of a bitch be held accountable for what he’s done, the dozens of lives he’s changed?” Dean didn’t immediately recognize the voice, opening his eyes to see the big guy with Auburn hair that was all attitude and ink, Chris. His boyfriend Linc leaned into him, eyes misty.
Damn. This really is a family here, our family. We are all grieving over this loss. Not only me and my boys and Isaac’s family, Dean thought as he took in the sad faces surrounding them.
Shay nodded. “Yes, Chris. We have eyewitness testimony as well as the personal items being found on the suspect. I’d say this case is pretty much wrapped up. And while I do love it when cases cross my desk wrapped in a bow, I’ll take little pleasure in closing this one.”
***
Dean found himself outside alone a few hours later, nursing a beer and watching as the sun gave way to the moon. There was a moving van down the street cleaning out a house similar in structure to Victor and his family’s, and Dean spent a lot of time watching them instead of concentrating on the vast changes in his life in the blink of an eye. As he sat there, slightly intoxicated and unsupervised, an idea started to form and before he knew it, he was standing on the porch of the soon-to-be vacant home.
“Hi there, can I help you?” A young man with brown, curly hair and glasses approached Dean, hesitantly.
“Sorry, I…sorry,” Dean didn’t know why the hell he was here, much less what to say. “Is the house for sale?” Okay, that was his voice, but who the hell asked that? Had he lost his mind?
The man stared at him for a minute, head cocked to one side, watching Dean like one would stare at a bug. “Babe, I got the last of the boxes from the…. Oh, hello!” A taller man with blond hair and crisp blue eyes wrapped an arm around Glasses, smiling at Dean.
The silence was unnerving. “Fuck, sorry, it’s just…is the house for sale?” Dean sputtered.
“It will be, as soon as we get it cleaned out. I’m sorry, should we know you?” Tall and Blond asked.
“Shit, no, I…I’m Dean and I’m a friend of the Dimirs.” Dean flung his arm in the direction of Victor’s house. “And my ex-wife recently died alongside her soon-to-be husband and they left their newborn baby in the care of myself and my son, who is my ex’s son as well and…holy shit, I’m sorry.…I’m rambling like a crazy person. But, seriously, is the house for sale? ’Cause Xander seems to love Astrid and Mattie and Kassie and I think it’d be good to be close, and…”