Jessie looked at us and then back to Steve. "I have a real home now. They look after me. I have friends at school, I don't get bullied at home. I can have my friends over. They even come to parents' meetings. They care about me."
I could hear his voice choking up, and I put my arm around his shoulder. "We love you Jessie."
"Yes, we do." Isaac stroked his hair.
"I do too. It's the first time I've felt like I have a real home."
Steve turned off his tape recorder and sat, respecting the moment. Once everyone was composed once more, he packed away his equipment and motioned for the photographer and his assistant. "Can I get a few shots of the both of you and several of the three of you?"
I looked at Jessie and he grinned. "Sure. I think the kid wants to be famous for his friends."
After a few shots of Isaac and me in the conference room, Steve asked if we could move the love seat in the lobby into the conference room for the shoot of the three of us. Jessie and Isaac went to grab it while Steve and I moved chairs out of the way of where the photographer said he wanted the love seat to be.
Once the love seat was in place, he had Isaac and me sit, with Jessie standing behind us with his hands on each of our shoulders. The photographer snapped several shots and then had Jessie sit between us for several more. Once we were done Steve thanked us for a fantastic interview and said he would be in touch and send us copies of the photos that would be in the article.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Epilogue - Isaac
Two months later
Sebastian and Andrew took Diego's passing hard, even Patrick and Jessie, with their brief acquaintance with him, did. Paul and Diego's mom, Mrs. Sanchez, split Diego's ashes after the cremation. Paul decided that he could no longer live in the city. He met Diego shortly after moving here and felt everything reminded him of his life with Diego. After the memorial he left for Los Angeles where he had a friend who used to work for him. His hope was he could find work there and start fresh. He left without a word or forwarding address, and no one had heard from him since his departure. Ryan was devastated by Diego's passing, but the pain was worse from Paul's disappearance. Leland was doing his best to keep him distracted. We were a pathetic group right now. If it weren't for Jessie, Andrew, and Patrick, I was worried Sebastian might fall apart as well. He had grown close to Paul and Diego in his own way over the years. Leland and I put on a brave face for both of them to work through this difficult time.
Abby had just returned from another of her extended trips to Santa Cruz and was irritated to see how we were acting. She decided that we needed to get off our asses. Her remedy was an outing to Golden Gate Park the following day. It was a Sunday and none of us had any plans so we agreed. They allowed no cars on the main drive in the park on Sundays, and a long scenic walk sounded good.
After a late breakfast we all piled into Abby's old Bel Air station wagon, which, by some miracle, was still running, and made our way to the park. We found a space near one of the side entrances and left the wagon, hiking to JFK Drive. The peacefulness without traffic gave the park a tranquility missing every other day of the week. The bicyclists, roller skaters, and loads of pedestrians dominated the thoroughfare. As we made our way over to the museum and aquarium, we heard classical music coming from the band shell. There was a small quartet on stage playing, so we sat down and enjoyed Mozart, relaxing in the sun.
Abby was sitting between Sebastian and I, and I watched as she placed her hand over Sebastian's, turning to him. I could just hear what she was saying. "Life is a cycle, Sebastian. The timing is not our choice, nor for our understanding. For those of us left behind, we must mourn and then go on, letting our memories comfort us."
I looked as a single tear drifted down his cheek, thankful for her kind words. The rest of our beautiful family enjoyed the music, unaware of the quiet comfort from our friend. When the quartet took a break, we rose and Abby suggested we head over to see if the rose garden was in bloom.
As we walked, Andrew pointed out the small grove with the portico he liked so much. "Jessie, would you mind sitting on the stone bench for me?" He scrunched his face up at Andrew. "Just for a minute. I promise." Andrew was rarely without his camera.
"You artists are all alike. I don't want another picture of me hanging in our living room." Then he stuck out his tongue and laughed.
After a few minutes of directing a pose, and having Jessie take off his windbreaker, then adjusting his shirt, we were ready to move on. It turned out the rose garden was not ready yet, but the walk was still refreshing. We found a meadow and sat down.
Patrick stretched out his legs and Andrew lay in his lap. Patrick ran his fingers through Andrew's long ginger curls, smiling at his love. "I think this is what we needed today."
It was almost like this meadow was a sanctuary. "So much has changed since I came out. First, our lives were hidden behind closed doors. Then the doors were busted off the hinges, and everything was out in the open with an angry cry for freedom. Then with the freedom came the hatred, and now this…, this disease." I hated sounding so pathetic.
Abby snorted. "I hear a thousand tiny violins while you sit on a pity pot. Yes, there are terrible things in this world, but look at what you have. You have Sebastian, a man that loves you and thinks the world of you. You have a family in Andrew, Jessie, and Patrick that loves you. Even in me, you stupid cocksucker!"
We all looked at her with our jaws dropping. She never used language like that in front of us before.
"Well, it pisses me off. Isaac, the world is filled with good and bad. Just look at all the crap that happened in the past seventy years. The world still survived through it all. It will take time, but somehow, they'll find a cure for this wretched thing. Until then, people need to be smart. Diego, bless his soul, took a risk and he paid the price. With whatever higher power there is we can hope Paul will be all right. Now, enough of this. Let's enjoy the rest of our Sunday. Anyone interested in lying out in the sunshine and enjoying the brownies I brought?"
*****
We needed that Sunday, and when we went into the foundation office Monday it was with the attitude of acceptance. Wherever Paul was, Sebastian accepted he needed the space, and we would proceed with our lives. We missed Diego, but we all had good memories of what we shared.
It had taken time for Arthur to gather all the information but he sent over a packet with all the requirements from the city and state that we would need to meet, as well as information on staff and equipment essential to running a hospice center.
We were sitting in our small conference room while I went through the packet and Sebastian read the cover letter. Sebastian got excited and waved his hand at me. "Isaac, he says there are copies of properties we may be interested in. Have you seen it?"
"Just a minute." I went through the stack faster until I found a packet with a sticky note attached. He wrote something in red. The note said 'Take a look at these'.
"Here! I found it. Scoot over here and let's see what it is." On each page was a photo of a building, an address, and a general description of the property. It also listed the back taxes owed. There was no condition listed, with the caveat that the property was to be sold as is.
Sebastian read Arthur's letter twice. He had enclosed copies of properties that were foreclosed by the state for unpaid taxes. These properties were being considered for community redevelopment projects. Arthur believed the hospice may qualify as a community redevelopment project, and that the city would approve of it.
There was one sheet showing a sprawling old home in the Western Addition. It had seven bedrooms, if you counted the two servants' quarters on the first floor, as well as a den that could serve as an office. There was a large living room, a family room, and a large back yard. The building looked like it needed a lot of work, but we would only need to pay for several years back taxes and interest. If we could work with the city to get approval, the state might allow us to purchase it. Sebastian called Arthu
r and told him to arrange for David Price, our Realtor, to check out the building and see if it was worth the investment. He was excellent in selecting the clinic site since he also had a construction background.
It took two weeks before we could inspect the building. David said the structure was sound, but there would need to be major electrical upgrades and plumbing improvements to meet our needs. Then there were a few calls to City Hall before the Mayor's office put in a request to the state asking that they look at the foundation's request for acquiring the building as a hospice to ease the city's resources for the care of AIDS patients. They also cited in the letter how beneficial it would be for the state to be working with the community and local government during this health crisis.
The quick turnaround for the approval of our purchasing the property pleased Arthur. Now we had the ball rolling, and Isaac placed the announcement in the local papers, including the local gay news. We had a family meeting to discuss the hospice, and I proposed it be named after Diego. We all agreed. It would be called the Diego Sanchez Hospice. We contacted Diego's mother for approval and the thought delighted her. Mrs. Sanchez only had one request. She wanted to attend the dedication. We hadn't heard from Paul, but hoped that the news about the hospice would reach him.
*****
The August issue of Out Now was to hit the stands in two weeks but we received a package from the magazine early. Steve called to tell us he was sending copies of the photos and several copies of the magazine as well as what would be a nice surprise. When the package arrived Saturday morning, I called Andrew and Patrick to come over, and then Abby. Sebastian, Jessie and I were sitting at the dining table waiting when we heard the knock on the door.
Sebastian was his ever-patient self. "For heaven's sake. It's open so get in here!"
The three of them piled in and sat down.
Sebastian was drumming his fingers on the table. "Everyone's here now so will you please open it!"
I was being a bitch about it and began to hand the letter opener to Sebastian as he reached across the table, but stopped. "You prick!"
I smiled at him. "All right. I'll open it." I took my time sliding the letter opener through the edge of the package as Andrew and the rest laughed while Sebastian steamed.
Abby laughed. "I don't want to be you later, darling."
Sliding the slender box out, I removed the cover and protective sheets of paper and gasped. We never had professional photos done, and these were unbelievable. I lifted them out of the box and was about to pass them out, sitting there stunned as I once again looked in the box.
"Isaac, what is it?" Sebastian got up from his seat and came around to look in the box. "Oh my God!"
"What is it guys?" Jessie was freaking out and everybody was getting up from their chairs.
I looked up and waived them to stay where they were. I needed to say something. "We're on the cover!" I was still holding the photos. When I set them down on the table, I lifted a copy of the magazine for everyone to see.
On the cover was a picture of Sebastian and me sitting on the love seat with Jessie standing behind us, his hands on our shoulders. We were all smiling in a traditional family pose. The caption was "Family Values".
"Holy crap!" Jessie fell back in his chair laughing. Everyone else was speechless.
"If I remember correctly, your family was rather pissed the last time you were in the news." Abby handed Sebastian a brownie after taking a bite. He took a huge bite and passed it to me.
After swallowing, he grinned. "This will send them into orbit." He broke into a hysterical fit of laughter. "My brother will be absolutely incensed. This could even cost them their membership at the club." His family was riding on the publicity of all of Sebastian's charity work once the main scandal of his being gay died down. Now he would be on the cover of a major gay publication sold coast to coast and it could torpedo any goodwill generated for the family among the conservative circles.
"Well, I say fuck'em!" Andrew stood, looked around the table, then nodded to Abby. Any more brownies?"
Abby smiled and reached for her purse.
"And I will get us all some champagne so we can celebrate as we read the article. Oh, and a glass of milk for Jessie." Andrew winked as Jessie groaned, and headed to the kitchen.
"And I will help my man." Patrick winked, giving Andrew a pat on the ass as he followed.
The article was very flattering, and we knew it would give a big boost to the foundation and what we were trying to accomplish in the city and the organizations we were affiliated with. One thing we stressed to everyone was to keep it under wraps until the magazine was on the stands. When the evening wound down we curled up in bed, our minds ready to play but our bodies unable to follow. Between the pot, champagne, and spent energy of the night's events, we drifted to sleep in each other's arms.
*****
The tension was palpable over the next two weeks as we waited for the publication to hit the stands. We briefed our staff on the magazine and what to expect from the additional publicity. We also stressed the necessity of secrecy until the release date. There would be negative feedback from some quarters, but we knew overall it would be favorable.
The blow back from the family was expected, but to what extent we didn't know. Sebastian kept saying he wasn't concerned, but I knew he was still worried. He already stood up to his father with the last round in the news over the startup of the foundation. I was now more worried about his brother. His brother was a bully when they were growing up, and that was what worried me. He always dismissed Sebastian as the disappointment in the family, and now if he outshone him because of this, it would be a big blow to his ego. To add insult to injury, it would represent everything he stood against and would rub salt into the wound. This, unlike the start of the foundation, would bring more headlines than the last one and might bring the asshole out of the woodwork.
It was Tuesday and today was the big day as we headed into the office. No matter what his family did, all of us would be there for him. As we walked into the office the phones were ringing off the hook. There were already several dozen messages for us, almost all from the east coast. We forgot that they would have the magazine before us here. The first thing I did was tell Elizabeth that any negative messages were to be set aside for later, and if there were any threatening ones to separate them, and I would look at them. Sebastian looked at me. "Don't worry. Just in case we get any, I'll take care of them. I doubt there will be any. Why don't you go in the office and go through the messages?"
As Sebastian thumbed through the stack, I went around next to Elizabeth and leaned in close so no one else could hear. "If you think there are any dangerous messages, see me right away. Don't mention them to Sebastian."
I told Elizabeth to hold all calls unless it was one of our clients or someone we knew. Wishing everyone a good morning, I strode to Sebastian's office and found him sitting in a chair in front of his desk. We sorted through the messages. He laughed as he handed me a small stack. "These are people I used to hang out with in my New York social circle for clubbing and what not. They are happy I found something useful to do, and that I settled down and had a family. Most of them said I wasn't suited for their kind of life."
I glanced at them and tried to dismiss them for their shallowness, but they seemed to know him. "Well, they were right about you at least. You've come a long way, Sebby."
"Oh, Isaac! There are messages from newspapers and two magazines asking for interviews. One of them is a business magazine!"
"Really?" That was a surprise, and a pleasant one at that. The response to the article was a lot more positive than expected.
Sebastian's intercom buzzed. It was Elizabeth telling him Leland was on the line.
"Leland! Wonderful morning, isn't it!"
He had Leland on the speaker. "Good morning, Leland. We're getting flooded with messages." Sebastian and I filled him in on some highlights, closing with the request for an interview from the business maga
zine.
"They want to interview you guys? That's great news. They're very respected and have an important circulation in the business community. It could be great publicity for your foundation. I called to give you our congratulations. Ryan and I are very proud of you both for what you have accomplished, and Sebastian, I also want to add how proud I am for how far you have come as a person. I'm honored to have you as my friend."
I could see Sebastian was choked up by the compliment. He cleared his throat. "Thank you, Leland. You don't know how much that means. I love you very much. Please give my love to Ryan, and we have to have you over to dinner soon."
"Thanks for the call, Leland. We'll call you soon to set up dinner. Say hi to Ryan for me." I clicked off the phone and glanced at Sebastian, he was wiping his eyes. "That was something, what he said. I know it meant a lot, with how much you respect him."
"Yeah. It sort of took me by surprise." He chuckled as he reached out and took my hand. "It's amazing how a few years can change a person."
I wiped the last remnants of tears from his eyes with the pad of my thumb. "Sebby, it was always there. It just needed to find its way to the surface. I could see it when I first met you."
"Enough schmaltz. Let's try to get through all these messages and see if there is anything important that we need to deal with today."
As we waded our way through the stack, Elizabeth continued to bring more in. The phone kept ringing with clients congratulating us. We found that several notable celebrities, and even a few state representatives, were asking if they could provide their services to assist us.
Elizabeth came into the office and leaned down to say she needed to speak with me outside. I told Sebastian I'd be right back, that it was just a personnel issue. When I got outside his office, I closed the door. Elizabeth looked frightened. "This is the second message I've received this morning. I'm sure it is the same person. I don't know what to do."
Looking at the first message, it was bizarre. "You are preventing a plague from cleansing the city. I will burn down your building so the plague can continue." The second message was more personal. "Your perversion will continue to spread after I destroy your work. I must purify you and your family by fire in your home."
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