by Max Vos
“To check out the house,” Matt and J.J. both answered in unison.
“We were going to call—”
“Already called. The realtor will be here in a little over an hour,” J.J. cut in before blowing on his newly refilled mug.
“Cool. That gives me enough time to get a good run in,” Adam grinned as he picked up his coffee.
“Mind if I join you?” Matt asked.
“Nope. I’ll get you some sweats,” Adam said, walking back towards the bedroom.
“Got another pair of shorts?” Matt asked as he followed Adam.
J.J. could hear the two as they headed towards the back part of the house.
“Sure your wittle legs won’t get cold?” Adam teased.
Whack. “Ouch, sonofa—”
“Shorts, smart ass.” Matt chuckled.
“Damn, that hurt.”
“Was meant to. Not giving you no love smacks like J.J. He married you. I didn’t.”
“You’re an ass sometimes,” J.J. heard Adam say.
J.J. continued to drink his coffee and watch the morning news.
“A beloved teacher, Laurence Kramer, met his tragic end late Christmas night, when someone mugged him and then pushed him into the line of an oncoming train—”
J.J. shook his head. He’d only met Laurence Kramer a few times, and he seemed a nice enough guy. “Too bad he ended up splattered like a bug on a windshield,” he said to himself in the empty kitchen.
“You up for about five?” Adam asked his brother, now outfitted in short nylon running shorts and a sweatshirt.
“Yeah, that works.”
“Sure you can hang, old man?” Adam teased.
Matt frowned. “Yeah, I’m a whole two years older than you. I think I can manage.”
J.J. went to the refrigerator and got them both a bottle of water. “Have a good run, guys.”
“You don’t want to go, J.J.?” Adam asked.
“No. I’m going to work on my thesis some more.”
“Okay.” Adam kissed J.J. quickly. “We’ll be back in a little bit.”
J.J. couldn’t help but admire the pair in their skimpy shorts, showing off each of the Suttons’ equally muscular legs.
“Remember, you only have an hour,” he reminded them as they hurried out the door.
J.J. went downstairs into ‘The Man Cave,’ where he’d set up a small office area. He booted up his laptop and stared at it blankly. Kids? He couldn’t help but think of what Adam had said the night before. What would it be like having a little Adam running around the house?
The only thing he could think of was his own nightmarish childhood. Could he do any better than his deadbeat dad who'd ran out on him and his drunk of a mother all those years ago? He’d recently found out his father was still alive, remarried with a new family. He had a half-brother and sister he knew nothing about. Of course, I’d never run out on my kids, so that’s a no brainer.
He looked around the room. A small aluminum Christmas tree stood on the little bar top, bringing a smile to his face. It was decorated with mini football ornaments, football being Adam’s all consuming passion. Adam would make such a great dad.
J.J. could feel his face stiffen as he remembered his own childhood, the many Christmases spent with his alcoholic mother, who was also addicted to prescription medication. Could I do better than her? “Hell, a cat could do better than my mother,” he said to himself.
He looked at the screen on his laptop. It wasn’t going to take much for him to finish his thesis. Once he had started, it was as if it had written itself. The theme was about the great love affairs that had changed the course of history. Smiling to himself, he realized that after meeting Adam, his whole perspective of history had changed.
“Okay, Adam. If you want kids, we’ll have kids.”
With that decision made, he attacked his work with new fervor. He was so engrossed he didn’t hear the Sutton brothers return from their run until Adam called out.
“Hey, babe, we’re back.”
“Down here,” J.J. called up from the basement. “I’ll be up in a minute.”
“Okay. Matt’s gonna jump in the shower.”
J.J. smiled to himself. Should I tell him now or wait?
He closed his laptop and made his way upstairs, where he caught Adam drinking orange juice right from the container.
“Would you at least use a glass?” J.J. admonished, shaking his head. “You’re going to be a bad influence as a father, doing that.”
Adam pulled the jug away from his mouth, spilling some down his already sweat-wet front. He stared at J.J., his eyes getting bigger and bigger before a big smile spread across his face.
“You mean it, babe? You’ve thought about it, haven’t you?” Adam all but slammed the jug of juice down on the counter. “Yippie!” he yelled, crossing the room in three strides to pick J.J. up, and start twirling him around. “You really do mean it, don’t you?”
“Would you put me down?” J.J. pushed against Adam’s broad shoulders. “Yes, I mean it, but we need to talk about it first.”
Adam kissed him loudly before setting him back down. “Okay, what’cha got?”
“First, I need to finish school.” J.J. sat down on one of the bar stools. “That will be in June.”
“Okay, got it.”
“Second, we need to get your mother settled next door, if that works out.”
Adam nodded his head as he returned to get a glass and fill it with juice. “Great, good idea to have a babysitter right next door.”
“We are not going to automatically assume that your mother is going to want to babysit all the time.” J.J. frowned at Adam.
“Oh, she will. Trust me on that one. She loves kids.”
“Three, I would prefer that you be the biological father.”
That stopped Adam short. “But babe—”
“No buts. Those are my terms.” J.J. waited. “That and we don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to jinx it. Not until it actually happens, okay?”
“Okay, I guess.” Adam seemed confused. “What about adoption?”
“I’m okay with that too,” J.J. said, not having thought about that, but he felt comfortable with such a quick decision.
“Damn, babe. Christmas was yesterday, and I feel like I’ve been given another present.” Adam hugged and then kissed J.J.
“Uhhh, do you guys need some alone time?” Matt was still drying his hair with a towel as he walked in.
“No, we’re fine.” J.J. pushed Adam away. “Want some more coffee, Matt?”
“Yeah, sure.”
They sat around the breakfast bar, talking about the possibilities of the house next door, when Adam saw the realtor drive up.
“Oh, that’s Mary Jo Williamson.” Adam stood, looking over Matt’s shoulder. “Her son was on the team a few years back. Decent kid.”
J.J. turned to look out the window. “Shall we?”
All three men filed out the door and crossed the yard to have a look at what might be Maggie Sutton’s new residence.
After the initial greeting, they took a tour through the house. Not too small, but still smaller than the house Adam and Matt grew up in. Nice size for a couple or single person.
“Well, what do you think, gentlemen?” Mrs. Williamson asked.
The three men looked at each other and each nodded.
“Why don’t you come next door, Mary Jo, and we’ll put a contract on it right now,” Adam said, grinning. “I think this will be perfect for Ma.”
With all the paperwork and necessary forms filled out, Adam wrote out a check to hold the house until the offer was accepted.
“I’m thrilled,” Mary Jo said. “The house hasn’t been on the market all that long and sales during the holidays are pretty rare.”
She departed, saying that she thought the offer was good and that there shouldn’t be a problem.
* * * * *
“Come on, babe. Get a move on,” Adam called down the hall. “I want t
o beat the traffic getting into the city.”
“Hold your horses. Damn, I’m just putting my shoes on.” J.J. grumbled to himself, tying his sneaker. “You know, had you told me about this little surprise of yours yesterday I would have been a bit more prepared.”
“It wouldn’t have been a surprise if I’d told you yesterday, now would it?”
“Actually, yes.” J.J. said as he walked out of the room, carrying an overnight bag over his shoulder. “I would have been just as surprised yesterday as today. It is a very nice surprise, but don’t expect me to be ready to go stay in a hotel overnight and go to a New Year’s Eve party in under an hour.”
“All right, you may have a point. But come on, would ya?” Adam seemed as anxious as a kid at Christmas. “I’ve got the car warming up.”
“The car?”
“Yeah, I thought it would be nice to take the car.”
J.J. shrugged his shoulders. “Sure. I don’t mind driving.”
Adam smiled and kissed J.J. quickly before pushing him out the door.
J.J. paused a moment to look at what used to be his old jalopy. What he used to see as an old junkyard was now a classic show car in primo condition. Adam had seen its worth, and over the past year he and J.J. had fixed up the old Malibu. J.J. had to admit, it ran better than it ever had, and with the new paint job and new interior, it felt like a new car.
As he backed out of the drive way, Adam asked, “Drive through the park, babe. I want to see the Christmas lights one more time before they take them down. Besides, it’s a great shortcut to the interstate.”
“Sure thing, babe.”
The two listened to the radio, holding hands, as J.J. maneuvered the big car through the park. The lights had just come on and he had to admit, the whole park looked magical. Driving slowly so they could take in the beauty, J.J. reduced the big car’s speed even more. He observed a figure on a park bench, all bundled up, a blanket around their shoulders. Just as he passed, the figure raised his head up and J.J. slammed on the breaks.
“What the—”
“That’s Thad St. George,” J.J. commented. “What’s he doing on a park bench?”
“One of your students?”
“Yeah, one of my best. He’s in all the honors classes,” J.J. answered. “Roll down your window.”
Adam used the hand crank to lower the window.
“Hey, Thad. What are you doing out here? You’ll catch your death of cold in this freezing weather,” J.J. called out across Adam.
“I’m okay, Mr. Jones. Thanks.” The young man quickly put his head back down.
J.J. put the car in park, got out, and walked over to the youngster, who he knew to only be fifteen. Adam followed him.
“Thad, what are you doing out here? It’s supposed to rain and possibly snow tonight.”
Thad St. George’s shoulders heaved as he started to cry. “My folks threw me out of the house. I’ve nowhere to go. My sister is out of town and won’t answer her phone.”
Adam crouched down, looking at Thad closely. “Son, why did your parents put you out?”
Thad looked up and glanced between the two men in front of him. He lowered his head before he answered. “They found out I was gay.”
“What the fuck?” J.J. couldn’t contain himself. He instantly saw red.
“Hold on there, babe,” Adam said, standing up and clasping J.J.’s upper arm. He turned back to the youth. “Come on, kid. Get in the car.” Adam picked up his backpack, not waiting for an answer.
Reluctantly, Thad followed the two to the antique car. Adam opened the passenger side door and pulled the seat up, allowing Thad to crawl into the back seat. Once settled, Thad started crying all over again. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jones. I don’t want to be a bother to anyone. Please don’t take me home. My father will kill me.”
Adam turned around. “Thad?” Thad nodded, began to hiccup. “Thad, we’re taking you home with us until we figure this all out.”
J.J. pulled the gear shift down and drove back home. Once inside, they made Thad a cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of leftover homemade beef stew.
Adam sat next to J.J.’s student while J.J. paced and fumed.
“Who the hell throws their kid out in this weather? They need to be reported for child abuse or something!” J.J. was angry and he made no attempt to hide it.
“Thad, can you excuse us for a few minutes?” Adam asked gently, before getting up, taking J.J. into their bedroom, and closing the door.
“J.J., you’re not helping him by getting mad. We need to be calm about this and get all the facts first. Then we can make a rational decision.”
“It just makes me so angry.”
“I know it does, babe, but we need to keep our heads here.” Adam hugged J.J. to him.
J.J. took a deep breath and exhaled. “Of course, you’re right. I’ll be okay.”
“All right, then. Let’s go see what we can do here.”
They both walked back into the kitchen just as Thad finished up the stew.
“Want some more, Thad?” J.J. asked, taking the bowl.
Thad nodded sheepishly.
“When did you leave home?” Adam asked gently.
Thad looked down at his hands. “The day after Christmas.”
“Would you tell us what happened, please?” Adam’s question was almost a whisper, his big hand rubbing circles on the thin boy’s back.
Tears started to stream down Thad’s face. “I got a Kindle for Christmas. I made the mistake of downloading a young adult book. It… it was gay themed.”
J.J. set a bowl of steaming stew in front of Thad. “Who wrote it?”
“Parker Williams,” he answered, picking up the spoon. “This is really good, Mr. Jones.”
“Yeah, J.J. here is almost a better cook than my Ma, and she’s the best,” Adam boasted.
“Was the book Pitch by him?” J.J. asked.
Thad froze looking at his history teacher. “You know it?”
“I not only know it, but I know Parker Williams.”
“Whoa. No way!”
“Yes, way.” J.J. grinned then left the room only to return with a book in his hand. He laid a copy of the paperback version of the book on the counter, and turned to the title page where it was autographed with a personal message.
“That is so cool, Mr. Jones. I’ve never met an author before.”
J.J. just smiled. “Now eat up. There’s plenty more if you’re still hungry.”
“So, you’re reading this book and your folks found out?” Adam went back to asking questions.
Thad sat up straight and looked at Adam. “Coach, my parents are super religious. I knew if they ever found out they’d disown me. I should have known better than to download that book. It was my fault, really.”
“I don’t care—” J.J. started before Adam gave him a disparaging look.
“Son, I hate to disagree with you, but no parent has the right to toss out their kid, especially in the middle of winter and during the holidays.” Adam looked Thad right in the eyes. “They were wrong on this one, no disrespect or anything.”
“Coach, it’s all my fault. I’m the sinner here. I’ve tried to change but… I can’t.”
“Eat up, kid.” Adam stood up and stretched, catching J.J.’s eye. “We’ll leave you alone for a bit, okay?”
“Sure, Coach.” Thad went back to wolfing down the stew.
J.J. was already in their bedroom once again, when Adam showed up and closed the door.
“We can’t let him go back out in this weather. I’m going to put him in the guest room and—”
“Babe, he can’t stay here,” Adam interrupted him.
“What the—”
Adam held up his hand, stopping J.J. before he could get started. “Hold up, now. I have an idea.” J.J. clamped his mouth shut, his arms crossed. “Think about it. If we let him stay here, think of what could happen. We’re gay. He’s gay and a minor. This could not only come back on us but him as well. It’s
in his best interest if he doesn’t stay here.”
“Okay. What do you suggest then? Huh? I am not going to put that kid out in this weather. It’s… inhumane!” J.J. was winding up for a fight.
Adam put each of his big hands on J.J.’s shoulders. “Will you just calm down? Please?” He made J.J. look at him. “I’m going to call Ma and see if she won’t let him stay with her until we can work something out. That way he’s safe, and she has someone to look after and not be lonely. It’s a win-win if you ask me.”
J.J. shook his head, smiling. “I’m sorry, Adam. I should have known better than to second guess you. I just lost my head. I’m so damn angry.”
Adam hugged J.J. to him. “It’s okay, babe. You’re so passionate about stuff. Reason why I love you so much.”
J.J. pushed away from Adam. “Think Maggie will be okay with this?”
Adam smiled broadly. “Oh, I think so.”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and called his mother. “Ma? What’cha doin’?”
J.J. went back to the kitchen to check on Thad. He saw the boy had finished the bowl of stew already. “Want some more?”
Thad nodded.
“Want some milk to go with it?”
“Yes, please. That would be great, Mr. Jones.”
J.J. got him more stew and was pouring a tall glass of milk when Adam waltzed back in.
“All settled.” He winked at J.J. “Thad, we’re going to a New Year’s Eve party at my Mom’s, and she’s said you are welcome to come. Also, if you want, she said that you could stay with her until we can figure out where to go from here. How’s that sound?”
Thad froze looking between the two men. “I don’t want to be a bother—”
“You’re not a bother. Now you wanna go or not?”
“Uhh…” Thad looked at J.J. who smiled and nodded. “Sure, I guess so.”
“Finish up your stew there and then grab a shower and get cleaned up.” J.J. gave him the glass of milk. “While you’re doing that, Adam and I will get ready too.”
“I don’t have any nice clothes with me,” Thad admitted. “I’ve only got another pair of jeans and a sweatshirt in my backpack.”
“That’ll be perfect,” Adam said, clasping the kid on the neck, giving him a bit of a shake. “It’s real casual.”