by Smith,T. M.
When David knelt down and placed his hand against his brother’s tombstone, it took every fucking ounce of restraint Dusty possessed not to grab him by the arm and jerk him away. That worthless bag of bones underneath their feet had no right, no right whatsoever to receive his lover’s tears. David would be miserable, withdrawn and despondent for a week or more after this, as he usually was after thinking for too long on either his brother or what his brother had done. But this wasn’t about him and David, this was about David making peace with what had happened, so Dusty took a step back and struggled to keep a tight hold on his emotions.
“Hey Dale, it’s me, David. I bet you thought you’d killed me, hadn’t you? You were always a miserable bastard, but I thought if nothing else, you at least loved me as your brother.” David spoke to his brother as if he were there, face to face. “Joke’s on you asshole, since I’m alive and kicking. But that can’t be said for everyone, Dale.”
David fell silent for so long, Dusty thought he’d said all he had to say and he took a step toward him, halting when David found his voice again. “You don’t even know how many lives you destroyed Dale, how many innocent people you mowed down in your…I don’t even know what it was Dale…a quest for revenge? But revenge against what, or whom? Me for being gay? Jesus Dale, you destroyed so much and it just pisses me off that you aren’t even here to be held accountable, especially for what you did to Jon and Kory.”
Dusty was very proud of the level of restraint he maintained when David lowered his head and his shoulders shook, crying silent tears. Every muscle in his body strained, wanting to go to David and comfort him. Finally, David stood. “I want you to know that you failed, Dale. I’m alive and kicking and I found a man to love that loves me regardless.” David looked over his shoulder, finding Dusty’s eyes and smiling, reaching back for him.
Dusty wrapped both arms around David, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head. “Let’s go home D,” he whispered.
David simply nodded, not moving, staring down at the ground. “This is goodbye Dale, and since you are rotting in hell, God willing, I never have to see your hateful face again.”
Climbing into the truck, the beeping red light on his cell alerted him to a missed call. He fired up the engine, pulling out of the parking spot and onto the main road before he listened to the message. “Dude, can you come out to the house, like now? There’s a baby here and Andrew is madder than a bathtub full of cats.” He laughed at William’s analogy.
Reaching for David’s hand he asked if he wanted to go with him to Mamaroneck, or be dropped off at the apartment with Dean first. “I’m good, let’s go.”
Pulling onto the gravel driveway an hour later, Dusty spotted the black BMW and groaned. “What?” David looked around. “What’s wrong?”
“The doctor is here,” he responded. “Actually, I wonder exactly what Adam is doing here. Come on, let’s go see what has Andrew on a tear.”
Victor, Andrew and Mattie’s house was generally loud. But the level of loudness when they walked in was something entirely different. Andrew was shouting at someone Dusty couldn’t see until they walked further into the kitchen.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? He’s going to get attached and when this doesn’t turn out the way he wants it’s going to fucking kill him. Kill. Him!” Andrew’s face was a picture of volatile anger. His victim…the preacher that had married Victor, Andrew and Mattie several years back.
“Ummm…Andrew…why are you cursing and yelling at the nice preacher man that joined you and your two husbands in holy matrimony?” Dusty asked, hoping to lighten the mood. Before Andrew could answer, a tiny howl had him stopping in his tracks. “Is that…is that a baby?” Dusty had completely forgotten about William’s mention of a baby until he heard it crying.
“Yes it’s a goddamn baby!” Andrew shouted, throwing his hands in the air and stomping into the den. Dusty followed, taking David with him. Sitting on the huge leather couch was Mattie, Victor by his side, and he was holding a baby. What really threw Dusty for another a loop was his dad, sitting in the chair beside the couch.
“Dad? What are you doing here?” Before Dean could answer, the screen door slammed shut. Turning, Dusty saw Adam rushing into the room with a black bag. “Adam?”
The doctor grinned as he rushed past, plopping down onto the couch beside Mattie and opening his bag. “Would someone tell me what the fuck is going on here?” Dusty shouted. When the baby flinched and cried out, Mattie glared up at him.
Andrew sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The baby was abandoned at the hospital.”
Okay, now things were making sense. Dusty was well aware that Mattie had filled out every application he could get his hands on to adopt or foster a child. “I thought this was what you guys wanted, Andrew. I mean, you moved everything out of the house for this very reason. Why are you upset about this?”
“The mother is HIV positive.”
“Oh…shit,” Dusty muttered.
“Oh shit indeed,” Andrew barked. “I’m going to make some coffee; anyone care for a cup?”
Everything clicked into place then. Adam was Beau’s doctor; he specialized in patients with HIV/AIDs. So that was why he was here. “So the baby…” he let the question dangle.
“Yeah,” Andrew answered as he brushed past him to start a pot of coffee.
Father O’Corvi followed Andrew into the kitchen. “Andrew, I’m confident that she will not be coming back for that baby. From what the nurse told me, the woman had tried on multiple occasions to abort the pregnancy to no avail. I think this is the miracle that you, Matthew and Victor have been praying for.”
Several long minutes passed before Andrew answered him. Dusty thought that perhaps Andrew was waiting until he was no longer flustered before speaking. He wasn’t usually the one to have such outbursts. Andrew was usually the calm one, keeping Victor and Mattie in check. Coffee brewing, Andrew held a cup under the drip until it was full, then pushed the pot back under. He turned and slid the cup toward Father O’Corvi, attempting a smile. “I know Lu, I know. And while I pray you’re right, that baby already has Mattie wrapped around its little finger, and you’ve only been here a couple of hours. If she comes back, the damage it will do to my husband will be irrevocable.”
“Life is full of uncertainties Andrew; you have to have faith.” Well look at the minister taking them to church, and on a Sunday no less.
Dusty inquired as to why and how the baby was brought to Victor, Andrew and Mattie. Father O’Corvi explained that he was contacted by the nuns when the mother simply left the hospital, disappearing without so much as a word, leaving the baby lying in the tiny crib in her room. The minister had spoken with the hospital Chaplain and shared with her that he knew of a family that would wholeheartedly take the baby, no questions asked, regardless of the fact the baby was born HIV positive. Dusty nodded. Anyone that knew the three men knew how badly they wanted a child, especially Mattie. Father O’Corvi could have brought a purple-spotted, green-striped, blind, deaf and dumb child into the house and Mattie would have melted all the same.
The back door opened, William and Beau breezing in, arms loaded down with grocery sacks. “Okay, we got the formula, diapers, wipes, bottles, bibs, the cutest pink blanket I’ve ever seen and a three pack of something called a onesie? The package says newborn, so, that should fit her, right? Oh, go grab the pack n’ play out of the bed of the truck, would ya babe?” Beau nodded at his boyfriend, setting his bags on the table, heading back out to his truck and returning with a big-ass box, a picture on the side showing an adorable black, pink and white crib with butterflies and flowers etched into the fabric.
“Oh shit, it’s a girl?” Dusty laughed.
“Yeah, fuck you very much Dusty. Just for that, no coffee for you,” Andrew lifted the two mugs he’d filled with one hand, grabbing the pot with the other hand, carrying it into the den with him.
“Fine by me,” Dusty went to the fridge and grabbed a
couple of beers.
The back door flew open again and Kassie breezed through the kitchen with Jordan right behind her. “Where is she? Let me see!” Kassie called out, her itty bitty heels tick, tick, ticking on the hard wood floors.
“Jesus, you got another one of those?” Jordan nodded at the beer. Dusty handed it to him and grabbed himself another, he’d barely twisted the cap off when they came in.
“Oh my god, Mattie, she’s perfect.” Kassie leaned over the baby, smiling.
Dusty strained his eyes. “Is that…” he turned to Jordan. “…is she crying?”
“Probably, who the hell knows,” Jordan took another pull from the bottle of beer.
Dusty, David and Jordan sat at the large island in the kitchen, watching as five grown men let a portable crib get the best of them. Frustrated, Kassie handed the sleeping bundle of pink back to Mattie and shoved everyone out of the way.
“It’s not rocket science, boys.” she barked. A couple of tugs and pulls later and the crib looked to be standing on its own as it was pictured on the side of the box. Kassie stood up straight and grinned. “Ta-da!”
Mattie gently laid the baby in the portable crib as everyone in the den moved over and circled the rectangular contraption. They all oohed and aahhed and stood transfixed. The creak of the back door had Dusty turning right as Jon and Kory entered the kitchen. “I hear the stork stopped by for a visit,” Jon joked, the five of them laughing.
“I’m starving, is anyone else hungry?” Jordan asked.
Victor came up behind him, resting a hand on Jordan’s shoulder. “Yes, since everyone is being here and this is special occasion, I will cook.” He headed toward the garage, beckoning Jordan to follow him. “Come, let us get beer and ice.”
“I’ll go with them.” Jon stole a quick kiss from Kory before following Victor and Jordan out to the garage. Victor kept an industrial sized fridge and freezer out in the huge three-car garage that was always stocked for the apocalypse.
“You’re in for a treat David; Victor’s pasta is divine.” Kory hopped onto the swiveling bar stool beside Dusty, turning to face him and David. They still hadn’t had a real conversation since the big secret was revealed. Even at the hospital after David’s attack on campus, he and Kory had only briefly spoken. Dean came into the kitchen with Adam on his heels. Kory grinned and stood, welcoming the hug Dusty’s father offered.
“Kory, it’s good to see you. Have you met Adam yet?” Dean turned, wrapping an arm around the tall blond that stood beside him.
“Nope, nice to meet you Adam.” Kory shook his hand. “You’re Beau’s doctor, right?”
“Yes, I am.” Adam smiled, shaking the offered hand.
Brow furrowed, Kory looked from Adam to Dean. “Dad and Doc are an item, it would seem.” Dusty answered his bestie’s unspoken question.
Kory nodded uncertainly. “Okay, that doesn’t explain why they’re here though.”
Before anyone could respond, Mattie approached them with the baby in his arms and the biggest grin on his face Dusty had ever seen on another human being. “Hey guys, you want to meet our daughter?” Behind Mattie, Dusty saw the pained expression Andrew wore. He remembered the minister’s words when they’d first arrived, that this baby was probably the answer to their prayers and he prayed that the minister was right. Mattie was already completely wrapped up in the tiny baby safely secured in a tightly wound pink blanket.
“Awwwww.” David leaned closer to Mattie, moving the blanket away from the baby’s face with one finger. “Can I…can I hold her?” David asked, his tone barely above a whisper. Mattie grinned, handing his precious cargo over to David. “Hi there, pretty girl,” he cooed to the baby. “Have you named her yet?” David looked up at Mattie briefly, his attention quickly going back to the baby in his arms. Dusty watched in awe as David lifted one of her tiny hands with one finger, the impossibly tiny fingers squeezing David’s bigger digit. It was probably the most precious thing Dusty had ever seen.
“Well, we’ve discussed a few, but we haven’t decided exactly which one fits her yet,” Mattie answered David. “We’ve got it narrowed down to two I think. Victor likes Elena, it’s Romanian and means brightness. I like Astrid; I heard the name in a movie once and I think it’s such a strong, beautiful name.” Mattie turned to face his husband, wrapping his arms around Andrew’s neck, standing on his tip toes to steal a quick kiss. “I think you should choose her name, Andy.”
Dusty watched as Andrew went from brooding and melancholy to smiling down at his husband in an instant. “While I still think it’s too soon for you to think of her as ours until everything is finalized, Astrid is beautiful and unique, which certainly fits the situation.” Andrew’s face was an odd mixture of hesitation and happiness. Mattie turned to look at him, leaning up for a quick kiss.
“Hey, no fair, you buy his vote with kisses, Matthew.” Victor quipped, the mirth in his eyes conveying he was anything but upset.
As soon as Victor was close enough to reach, Mattie grabbed him by the shirt, pulling the bigger man down for a kiss. “I love you too Vic, but you have to admit, the name really does fit her.”
David passed the bundle over to Victor when he held out his arms. Dusty stood there watching Victor stare down at the baby with the most gentle and serene gaze he’d ever seen on the big, brooding man’s face. Tiny limbs shot out from the blanket they were wrapped in as the little girl stretched and twisted her body around. A tiny wail was all it took for Victor to pass her back to Mattie. The blanket fell away exposing the tiniest head full of red hair and Dusty chuckled. “Jesus, not only a girl but a redhead, you three are so fucked.”
He flinched when Victor smacked him on the back of the head. “Ouch!” Dusty glared at his father, attempting to stifle a laugh.
Mattie headed back into the den with the baby, everyone following closely behind. Kory reached for Dusty, asking him and David if he could talk to them. “Of course, what’s up?” Dusty climbed back onto the barstool.
Kory looked uneasy and flustered. “Look, I just, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted when you guys told me and Jon everything that night. I was angry and hurt, partly because you kept David a secret, but mostly it was a rush of anxiety when I was forced to relive what happened. I know that you aren’t to blame for what your brother did David, that you aren’t your brother. Angry words in the heat of the moment were said, and I’m sorry.”
“We good, D?” Kory asked, extending his hand. Dusty knocked his hand out of the way, pulling Kory into a bone-crushing hug.
Pulling away from Dusty, Kory turned to David, an unwelcome silence renting the air. One side of David’s mouth turned up forming a half assed grin. He nodded, mirroring Kory and extending his hand. For the briefest moment, Dusty tensed, uncertain how David would react if Kory grabbed him for hug. Thankfully, Kory seemed to know better, he accepted the offered hand and settled for a simple handshake.
“I take it all is well with you two, now?” Jon came up behind Kory, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and pulling him close.
“Yeah, we’re good, babe.” Kory answered, turning his face to the side to steal a quick kiss.
“Good.” Jon clapped his hands together. “Everyone, gather round.” When the baby squealed, Mattie threatened to castrate the next person that yelled and they all laughed.
“Jon…what…” Jon lifted a finger to Kory’s lips to silence him.
“I’ve been trying to find the perfect time, the perfect situation to talk to you. I’ve been holding onto this for a couple of months now.” Jon pulled a small, black box from the pocket of the jacket he was wearing. Kory’s eyes went wide and he gasped. Dusty felt an elbow in his back. Turning, he looked down at Kassie. She’d shoved her way through the mass of bodies to watch as Jon proposed to her brother, a shit-eating grin on her face.
Dropping down to one knee, Jon smiled up at his lover. “Kory White, pain in my ass. I love you more than I can ever possibly convey. And while I’m taking my li
fe into my own hands by proposing to you here, with your side of the family, instead of at my parents’ house…will you marry me?”
Kory stared down at Jon, eyes wide, unmoving. “Ummm…Kory?” Dusty whispered.
Kory shook his head and blinked a couple times, the tears he’d been holding back trailing down his cheeks. “Yes.” He barely got the word out before Jon stood and lifted Kory off his feet, spinning him in a circle, surrounded by a sea of friends and family. Kassie hollered “WooHoo!” and fist pumped the air, wrapping her arms around Jon and Kory, being pulled into their spinning circle.
A soft ruckus had Dusty turning in circles, searching for the cause of the odd noises he was hearing. Jordan stood off to the side holding his phone up in the air. “The Brennans,” Jordan mouthed, pointing at his phone. A litany of Irish pierced the air and Dusty turned just in time to see Jon turn beet read before he heard the familiar voice of Jon’s dad, apologizing for his mother, telling Jon to call him later when he and Kory got home. Dusty had met Gran Brennan a couple of times at the hospital when he went to visit Jon and Kory. She was a spitfire in every sense of the word. The Tasmanian devil as Kory so affectionately called her, only when she wasn’t listening, of course.