When Memory Fails
Page 20
And so was his mother. She’d invited him and Scott for the weekend to celebrate. The three of them had been seeing quite a bit of each other since the funeral. Scott would surprise him by going and picking up Rose while Hank was working. Rose would surprise them with invitations to stay for a weekend of Mahjong.
The first time that had happened was also the weekend when Hank had met Frank. Frank was a widower who lived down the street from his parents’ house. After Frank had returned to his own house later that first evening, Scott had been his usual irrepressible self and had launched into a fact-finding mission, shooting questions at Rose like a machine gun. There was nothing going on, she’d assured them both, but Hank was glad to see his mother socializing and making friends. And if it turned into something more, Hank was okay with that too.
But before he returned home to Scott for an evening of intimate celebration of their own, Brian had wanted to show him something out at the front of the building. They had signed all of the necessary papers, had shaken hands when that was done, and then Brian had escorted him to the front of the building, to the entrance that neither of them ever used. Brian had jerry-rigged some sort of tarp over the company’s sign, and when he was sure he had Hank’s attention, he pulled a cord, and then Hank saw it. There, in black and blue and white, was the proof that Hank had made good on his promise to his boss two years ago. Hank was staring up at a sign that had his name on it: Alan & Ballam Logging, Inc. He wondered if this would have made his father proud of him. He’d made his peace with his father as he’d stood beside the coffin, asking his father’s forgiveness for not trying harder. But still, at times like this, Hank’s mind drifted to the thought of his father clapping him on the shoulder again, as he’d done after Hank had done especially well in one of his games, and telling him how proud he was.
“It’s official,” Brian said. “You now own forty-nine percent of the worry.”
Hank’s attention came back to the present. He laughed, not really seeing any of this as being any worry. Not when he had his Scrappy at home and Brian and Kari and Matthew as his adopted family. On an impulse, he reached out and pulled Brian into a quick hug, not allowing it to linger so that he didn’t take a chance on making his partner feel uncomfortable. When he pulled away, Hank let his hand rest on Brian’s shoulder. “You don’t know what this means to me, Brian.”
“I think I have a good idea.” Brian moved to pass Hank, patting his stomach as he did so. “And I do believe… yup, right on time.” Brian turned to look at the approaching car. It was Scott’s car, and Kari and Matthew were with him.
“Sorry,” Kari said as she got out of the car. “Scott couldn’t figure out how to attach the car seat.”
“I’m sorry,” Scott trumpeted as he reached into the backseat to unbuckle Matthew and bring him over to Hank. “Figures,” Scott groused when he saw Matthew’s arms and legs go from zero to ninety as soon as his bright blue eyes saw Uncle Hank. Scott gave a quick kiss to his husband, leaving Hank chuckling at how frustrated Scott still was that Matthew didn’t act around him as he did around Hank.
“Hey, little man,” Hank cooed as he cradled the writhing little body in his big arms. “Did you come just to see me?”
“I got him up after his nap this afternoon and told him we were going to see Daddy and Uncle Hank, and he just started babbling a mile a minute.” Kari walked into her husband’s open arms and gave him a kiss. They exchanged a look, and Hank wondered if they were up to something more than just a new sign. She looked back at Hank and Scott, who was now trying to get his nephew’s attention with a stuffed monkey as big as Matthew.
“Ahhh, there, there, little man,” Hank soothed and turned away from Scott when Matthew started to cry. “For Pete’s sake, Scrappy, the thing is bigger than he is.”
“That’s it,” Scott said as he threw up his hands in defeat. “I officially give up. My nephew hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you,” Kari said, trying not to laugh.
“He may not like you now, but just wait until he’s older and he learns what a bank account is.”
Hank looked over at Brian and laughed, bouncing Matthew in his arms and holding his face close enough so that Matthew could pat his cheeks. “The kid’s already got a university account and an account for his first car and his first house and his first—”
“Stop it,” Scott commanded. “He does not. I just opened up an education account for him.” Scott walked over to stand beside his husband, looking down at their nephew. “Be nice to me and I may even help you buy your first car.”
Hank was amused to hear Scott speak the words as he’d instructed him to, softly and soothingly. Hank’s eyes grew wide when he realized that Matthew was actually smiling at Scott, reaching out a hand to squeeze the pinky finger that Scott was holding up near the little guy’s face.
“See?” Scott groused some more when Matthew let go of his finger. “He only likes me because of my money.”
“There’s just no pleasing you, is there?” Hank walked over to Kari, and she took Matthew from him, quieting her son’s protests. He walked back to Scott and wrapped his arms around his sulking husband. “So, what do you think?” Hank pointed up to the sign and looked down. Scott was smiling now, a big, broad smile that Hank couldn’t get enough of. It was the smile that said Scott was proud of him, loved him.
“You keep this up and you’ll be the one giving me money.”
Hank leaned down and gave his husband a quick kiss. “Okay, I just have to get some paperwork, and then we can get going to the restaurant.” Hank disappeared into the building, gathered the files and reports, stuffed them in his briefcase, and headed back outside, shutting off lights and locking doors on his way.
“Listen,” Brian said suddenly. “Before we get going, Kari and I wanted to make a little announcement.” Brian had his arm around his wife and looked down into her glowing face.
“Scott,” Kari said with a wry smile, “you’re really going to have to up your game when it comes to kids, because both of you will have your hands full soon.”
Hank watched as it finally dawned on Scott, not wanting to admit he’d figured it out a couple of weeks ago when Brian had put a rush on the lawyers drawing up the partnership agreement. He’d finally realized that Brian wanted to spend more time with not just Kari and Matthew but a growing family.
“Another one?” Scott was practically bouncing. “Is it a girl? Tell me it’s a girl. Is it a girl?”
“We’ll find out in a couple of weeks, but knowing the Alan men,” Kari said, shaking her head, “it’ll probably be another boy.”
Hank reached for Matthew, the little man going willingly to his Uncle Hank, and cradled him in his arms. “You’re going to be an older brother, Matthew. And you’ll be the best big brother ever. Just like your dad was.” Hank looked down into the pink cheeks and the sparkling blue eyes and thought again of the conversations that he and Scott had been having lately. He wasn’t completely convinced that he was winning, but he could definitely see a change in Scott’s attitude about maybe adopting one of their own. Hank figured that by the second baby’s arrival, he would have Scott worn down completely. Wouldn’t that be something, Hank thought as he walked Matthew over to Brian’s truck and placed the little guy gently in the car seat. My very own little family. My beautiful husband and our beautiful baby.
The first night since the funeral that Scott had not refused even to discuss the issue, Hank had wanted to tell everyone he knew: Matthew might have a little cousin to play with soon. But he was enjoying this shared secret with Scott. He didn’t feel like sharing it with anyone else but Scott. Except with his father, perhaps. His mind drifted again, Hank happy with the thought that his father might have eventually come to accept that Hank’s family wasn’t his idea of a perfect family, but that it was more than perfect enough for Hank. It was sad that his father would never get to see Hank’s family, but that was all in the past. Hank was enjoying the possibilities for the future too
much to let himself dwell too long on the past. Maybe if we get a boy, Scott will let me name him John? Hank was certain that his mother would love that idea.
Hank waved to the little guy before walking over to join Scott. He leaned down for a kiss, their lips opening for each other, their tongues touching playfully. When he felt himself reacting, he debated with himself as to whether to unlock the office again so he could ravish his husband or to disengage now, before the need to taste and touch became too much to resist.
Finally, he pulled away. “Okay, I’ll meet you at the restaurant, and then we can drop your car off at home before we head to Mom’s.”
Scott nodded and then hooked his hands in the waistband of Hank’s pants. “Now that we’re going to be uncles again, will you please tell me how you do that with Matthew? What’s your secret?”
Hank furrowed his brow and stole a quick kiss, his hands caressing their way over the frown on his husband’s beautiful face. “I have none left now. You know them all.”
About the Author
When D.W. MARCHWELL is not teaching future generations the wonders of science, he can usually be found hiking, writing, riding horses, trying new recipes, or searching for and lovingly restoring discarded antique furniture. A goofy and incurable romantic, D.W. admits that his stories are inspired by actual events and that he has a soft spot for those where boy not only meets boy but also turns out to be boy’s soul mate. After almost fifteen years of working his way across Canada, D.W. has finally found the perfect place to live at the foot of the Canadian Rockies. He still can’t believe how lucky he is, and, as his grandmother taught him, counts his blessings every day.
Visit his web site at http://www.marchwellbooks.ca/
You can contact him at dwmarchwell@hotmail.com
Read the beginning of Hank and Scott’s story in
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Also by D.W. MARCHWELL
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com