Walls - 2. September 2014

CJ had learned life tends to interfere with people’s plans and it was no different in the Abelló-Davenport household. He’d learned to adapt and make changes when needed. No longer the scared and lonely young kid Brett and César had dealt with when he’d moved to Washington the previous year, he was actively involved in making decisions for the family. Twelve months ago they’d decided to do something together as a family every Friday night, but his time at the dojo during the early evenings on those days, and his growing circle of friends had become a distraction. In spite of CJ’s mounting independence, and his increasing commitments, the fathers continued to include their son in as many of their activities as possible. And the three had dinner together most nights.

“Dads, can I skip school Friday afternoon?” It was Monday and Brett had grilled chicken breasts for dinner which were chopped and served on a large salad of mixed greens and vegetables.

“Why?” Brett asked, licking his finger to taste the dressing CJ had mixed from scratch.

“I wanna go to Boston for a couple of days.”

“I’m going to assume this has something to do with the Kennedy boys, correct?” César poured himself a glass of wine and passed the bottle to his husband. “What’s up?”

“Ummm, it’s their mom’s birthday on Saturday. They’re going up and surprising her and they invited me to come along. They were planning on either the train or a plane, but I thought we could turn it into a road trip with Defiant.”

César looked at Brett while sipping from his wine. “You guys have restrictions on your licenses about passengers and driving at night. You’d have issues with that.”

“Ozzie would be coming with. He’s over twenty-one.”

“A little getaway with the boyfriend?” Brett smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, causing CJ to roll his eyes.

“He ain’t my boyfriend, Papa.” CJ sounded defensive. “We’ve gone out on dates a couple of times since he moved, but we’re not just seeing each other.”

“Oh, really? Who else have you gone on dates with?”

“Stop it, Jarhead. Leave him alone.” César’s chiding earned him a growl from his husband. “Tom and JP okay with the idea of you four driving up?”

“Yeah, they said if you guys were okay with it they would be too and we could go.”

“I thought that was the line mothers and fathers used. Telling the kid they had to get the other parent’s approval. Now we have it happening between different households?” Brett raised his hands in surrender when César gave him a withering stare. “Fine, I’ll shut up now. The dressing’s fucking delicious, CJ.”

“As long as Brett agrees, how about I lend you my car instead? I’d feel safer with you in the Caddy. Massachusetts’ known for having the worst drivers in the country.”

“Really?” CJ had to control himself; his first instinct was to text the neighbors to let them know the trip was on. He had been drilled on the consequences of using a phone at the dinner table and knew he had to wait.

• • •

CJ drove the first two hours after leaving Washington, steering the large, black SUV through Maryland and the northern tip of Delaware. After crossing the state’s namesake river, they stopped outside Pennsville, New Jersey to stretch their legs, use the restroom, and get something to drink. They’d agreed Owen would drive the second segment of the trip before CJ had another go at it. Bradley would navigate them through the final portion since he was familiar with the Boston area.

“So I’ve been in America for a little over a month and I’ve already visited five states.” Owen sounded as excited as a little kid while merging into the early afternoon traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike.

“Nah.” Bradley’s dismissive tone made them all look at the redhead. “Forget it, Ozzie, Delaware didn’t count. We didn’t stop there at all. The rule’s you have to set foot on a state before you can add it to the list.”

“Oh, yeah? Who wrote that fucking rule?” CJ sat next to the redhead in the back seat to allow Patrick a chance in front.

Bradley waved his hand disdaining the question before answering it. “Everybody knows that.”

“Ignore my brother. Brad likes to make rules for everything.” Patrick thumbed through the book Owen had been reading during the first part of the trip. “What’s this about, Owen? Are you reading it for school?”

Owen glanced sideways and smiled at the younger boy while nodding. “Yeah, it’s for my constitutional law class. The Federalist’s a collection of articles written by three of the founding fathers of the US in support of the constitution. They were trying to convince the public to approve it. By the way, Patrick, you can call me Ozzie, you know?”

“I thought you didn’t like the nickname.”

“I’m getting used to it, and I think I’m starting to I like it. Plus, Harley’s gonna call me that unless CJ orders him not to.”

“What? What the hell does that mean?” CJ was surprised by the sly comment and the smirk he saw on Owen’s face when the man glanced back at him.

“Oh, come on, mate. Everyone can see the guy worships you. He’d follow you to hell and back. It’s like you’re a magnet and he’s made of iron shavings.”

“You’re nuts, Ozzie. He’s straight.”

“Did I say anything about sex? Harley idolizes you and hangs on your every word. It has nothing to do with his sexual orientation.”

“He’s right, CJ.” Patrick’s observation was accompanied by a smirk.

“You too? How about you, Brad? You gonna join in?”

“Don’t look at me, man. I know Harley’s your best bud, but I don’t know about this worship shit.”

In the silence which followed, CJ stared out the window, looking at the bleak surroundings they traveled through. He’d crossed New Jersey several times in a train, and ridden the bus to Hammonton for Adriano’s wife’s funeral, but this was his first time paying attention to the state’s landscape. He wasn’t impressed. The realization he was enjoying the long drive more than he could have ever imagined was surprising. Unencumbered by the responsibility of driving, CJ’s thoughts wandered aimlessly, finding focus in his relationships with his friends. He’d had his alone time with Chipper early on and it led to them having sex. He’d jumped in bed with Owen right after meeting him. Six months later, he spent two weeks with him, enjoying the opportunity to get to know each other, and not doing anything sexual until the night before flying to Washington. With Harley, it’d been instant buds. And then a year of experiences culminating in time alone on their trip; both opening up to each other in a way only true friends can. With Thiago, it was their time together at the dojo, away from everyone else, which allowed their friendship to develop and strengthen. His standing up for the African-American kid against the co-chair of the Gay Student Alliance had sealed their bond.

With Bradley and Patrick it was different. Spending a weekend together here and there for a few months before their move to DC was fun but he thought superficial. He knew the brothers were right when they said he was instrumental in getting them into Walls, but he’d never admit it. Bragging about doing something nice for others didn’t hold any appeal. And anyway, he’d done it for Uncle Tom as much as for the guys. But now, he was realizing he did know them. Those assorted weekends and the past few weeks seeing each other almost every day had been sufficient to make him realize the brothers were quite different in some ways, but there were strong similarities at the core of their personalities. Both boys were caring, loyal, and totally dedicated to their father. Brad often pointed out CJ was the reason they’d been reunited with Tom and he’d never forget it.

“So, is it tough learning all these new laws?” Patrick broke the silence, questioning Owen again. “Are ours very different from the ones you’re used to?”

“Learning about laws isn’t that tough. And our countries have lots of similarities since they’re both former British colonies. Lots of influence from the Brits in both places. Anyway, I already hooked up with a few other first year students to form a study group so that’ll make it easier for me.”

“Have you met a lot of people already? Any guys you like? You haven’t talked about other students a lot before now.” Patrick’s question made CJ’s ears perk up.

“Well, not really. I haven’t been thinking about that. It’s tough enough getting used to school and a new country. I don’t need the distraction right now.” Owen’s swift glance in the rear view mirror did not go unnoticed by CJ who lowered his gaze and studied the leather grain on the headrest of the seat in front. “But there’s a guy in one of my classes I’m bloody certain is gay. He keeps staring at me all the time.”

“Prolly undressing you with his eyes, cuz. You better wear underwear. No free-balling for you.” Bradley’s uproarious laughter at his own comment preceded him turning in his seat to look at CJ. “Hey, man, what’s that stuff Uncle Brett was talking about? You know, about some movie house he owns?”

CJ had been momentarily distracted, lost in his thoughts about Owen being cruised by some guy. “Ummm, the dads bought the old Georgetown Theater up on Wisconsin Avenue. They plan to renovate it and move Papa’s office in there when his lease at the current place is over in a year.”

“What kind of movies are they going to be showing? Do we get in for free?”

“Don’t be a dork, Bradley. I can’t believe you’re my brother sometimes.” Patrick shook his head in disbelief, something he did often when his brother made remarks the younger kid always called stupid.

“It’s okay, Patrick. We all know your bro’s always looking for freebies. No movies, dude. The place was already converted to offices with a store on the first floor. My cousin Rod looked at it when he was here. He’s studying to be an engineer, you know? Anyway, he made some great suggestions. Papa wants a nice store of some kind in the first floor and on the second one an apartment in front and a large set of offices in the back.”

“Maybe you can move there and have your own place after you’re done in school,” Patrick suggested.

“Fuck that!” Brad exclaimed. “I think you should move to the basement and take over the big room there. Hell, that’s where we always hang out.”

They crossed the Hudson River on the George Washington Bridge, avoiding road repair crews and more pot holes than CJ had ever seen. After they’d entered the Washington Heights neighborhood, he directed Owen to stop at a gas station; it was time to stretch, fill the tank, and switch drivers once again.

“Okay, Ozzie, you can add New York to the list. Not only did you set foot in it, you even peed in Manhattan.” Brad had stayed put in the back while Owen switched seats with CJ.

“Really? This is also Manhattan?”

“Yep. Here, take a look at my phone. I just googled our location. That street was Broadway and I wanted to know if it was the same one all the theatres are on. We’ll cross the Harlem River in a minute and then turn north. Next state up is Connecticut.”

“Tell you what, Ozzie. We’ll stop in New Haven and switch again there. That way you can chalk up another state on the list.” CJ smiled, glanced at Patrick, and winked. “In case y’all are wondering, that’s where Yale University is. I wanna take a quick drive around in case I decide to go to school there. They have a really good architectural program.”

“Are we gonna look at the school?” Patrick sounded interested with the prospect which CJ found surprising since the boy was the youngest one amongst them and quite a few years away from college applications.

“Nah, I don’t want to spend that amount of time today. If I decide to apply, I’ll come up for a visit before I do. Just want to get a feeling for the city.”

Because of rush hour traffic, CJ decided to skip driving around New Haven. Their refuel and restroom stop was brief.

“So, your mum doesn’t know we’re coming?” Owen sat next to Patrick in the backseat when Bradley took over driving duties.

“Nope, complete surprise,” the boy replied. “We have to call Mac when we get near the city. He said he had it all planned.”

“That’s her boyfriend, right?”

“Yeah, he’s a nice guy. I like him.”

“Mac’s awesome,” Bradley interrupted. “When I called him and asked if it would be okay for Patrick and me to come up, he got all excited. He mentioned Mom misses us and sometimes gets a faraway look on her face when she walks by our old bedrooms. But says she’s very logical about it when he asks. She told him it was best for the two of us and Dad deserved to have us with him.”

“Sounds to me like she’s a fair-minded person.” CJ looked up from his phone after texting his dads an update, even though they’d told him it wasn’t necessary. They did want to hear from him when they arrived in Boston, but he’d become accustomed to staying in touch and did it almost by rote. “Is she gonna be okay with Ozzie and I showing up?”

“You kidding me, bro? Mom has been raving about you since you first slapped down Grandfather. One of the things she told us later―after she’d talked to Dad and found out who you were―was that she wanted to meet you. She said you were damn loyal to Dad. You stood up for someone you called an uncle but wasn’t related to you by blood.”

“I know she asked Pops about you and Ozzie when she met him.” Patrick glanced at Owen when he used the nickname, his lips ticking upwards a fraction of an inch.

“Really? What did she ask and what did he tell her?” CJ had twisted around when Patrick first spoke and caught the timid smile on the boy’s face. It made the corners of his mouth bend upwards also. “Oh, and Brad? Family’s not only by blood. Look at your dads and mine.”

Patrick nodded in apparent agreement. “Mom asked about Owen―I mean Ozzie―first. He told her about them being related, about the family in Australia, and talked about the winery. The fact he’d brought half a dozen bottles of Liston wines with him was a nice touch.”

“Pops’ a kiss ass. Pops’ a kiss ass. Pops―”

“Shut up, Bradley! Don’t make me hurt you while you’re driving. What did they say about me, Patrick?”

Brad spoke up before his brother could reply. “Pops told her you were violent and swore like a sailor, but that he would protect us from you.”

“Har, har, har… Asshole! You’re going down, Red. As soon as we stop, you’re going down.”

“Fuck! I haven’t cut my hair since I left Australia and it’s a mess. I can’t believe I’m meeting your mother for the first time and I look like crap.” Owen’s comment was followed by a moment of silence before Brad once again piped in.

“Get over it, gay boy. It’s just―”

“That’s it. Pull over, Red. You’re such a twat. I’m beating the crap out of you right now.”

“Just wear a hat,” Patrick suggested. “It’s what I do when my hair’s messy. Tomorrow we can take you to a barbershop near the house if you want.”

“That’d be good, mate. Is that the place where you got yours cut?”

“Nah, Dad took us to his barber in Washington early in the summer and that’s where Brad and I have been going to. Some place in Virginia full of cops and old men.”

“That sounds like the kinda place Papa took me to two summers ago, before I moved to DC. Pretty sure the name was Sneeds, or something like that. Right near the Marine Barracks. A haircut was fifteen bucks, but only seven if you were a jarhead.”

“Is that where you go? Maybe I’ll wait until we’re back in Washington and try to get to know someone.”

“Sorry, Ozzie, it closed down a couple of months before I moved up for real.”

“So where do you go now?”

“House Cuts.”

“Where’s that?”

“The Rayburn House Office Building. It’s the barbershop for both houses of Congress.”

“Jesus Fucking Christ!” Brad exclaimed. “How the hell did you end up there? Don’t you have to be in Congress to use it?”

“I was in Congress when I first went there. I was an intern but I figure that counts.” CJ chuckled, blew on his fingernails, and buffed them on his t-shirt. “You know I spent two weeks working for Senator Rubio. A staff member in his office gave me a tour of the Capitol and some of the stuff in the office buildings. So I discovered House Cuts and found out anybody can use it. Been going there since and I’ll prolly visit the place once more this year. I like it real short during summer but I’m gonna let it grow longer when it gets cold.”

• • •

“Mom, you’re crushing us. I can’t breathe.” Brad’s complaint was negated by his laughter and the fact he made no effort to extricate himself from the embrace Hilary Kennedy had wrapped him and Patrick in.

“Oh, my God, what are you doing here?” Hilary stepped back, looking her sons over while wiping away stray tears from her face.

“We were in the neighborhood and decided to drop in. Kinda late so I hope you don’t mind us spending the night.”

“Hil? How about you let the boys come inside? And I think they have some friends with them.”

CJ caught the wink the man standing behind his friends’ mother gave him. He assumed that was Mac, the boyfriend who’d conspired with the boys to surprise the woman. “Hi Mrs. Kennedy.” He hadn’t wanted to interrupt the family reunion and waited until Hilary disentangled herself from her sons and looked at the two guys standing on the porch behind her kids. “I’m CJ, and this is Owen. I hope you don’t mind us showing up unannounced.”

“Oh, my God, you’re CJ!” She threw her arms around him much the same way she’d done with the brothers. “You’re so handsome. Much better looking than the pictures the boys showed me. And Owen,” she continued, releasing CJ before hugging the tall Aussie. “I heard such great things about you from your cousin. How come―”

“Hil…”

“Okay, okay, come in, boys. Please come in. Do you have any luggage? Did you take a cab here? Did you fly or take the train?”

“Neither, Mom, we drove. That’s CJ’s dad’s car. He lent it to us for the trip,” Patrick pointed at the black SUV parked by the garage.

“You drove? All the way from Washington?”

“Duh, Mom. Where else would we have come from?” Brad’s snarky remark earned him a slap on the arm from his mother. “Hey, Mac, thanks for helping us pull this off,” he added, approaching the man who was still trying to get them all inside.

“You knew about this?” Hilary turned to stare at her boyfriend while he motioned over her head for CJ and Owen to step in the house.

“I may have had an inkling…”

“It was Brad’s idea, Mom.” Patrick gave credit to his brother and revealed the mechanic’s complicity in the project. “He called Mac and set it up. Then we invited CJ and Ozzie to come with us so we talked to him again and he thought it was a great idea. Uncle César offered his car when CJ suggested we turn it into a road trip in his Jeep.”

“So that’s why we stayed home tonight.” Hilary seemed overwhelmed; the tears had stopped but she didn’t seem to know what to do with herself. “I have to bring out extra towels and put them in your bathroom. Where are you guys going to sleep? I think we have a couple of sleeping bags in the garage from when you two were in the Boy Scouts. And what are―”

“Mom, take a chill pill, okay? Patrick and I will share my bed. CJ and Owen can take the one in Patrick’s bedroom. Won’t be the first time those two sleep together.” Bradley’s last sentence was uttered in a whisper and earned him a slap to the back of the head from CJ.

• • •

The pretty young woman leading the tour of Fenway Park kept her attention fixed on Owen while she spoke. CJ watched as the Aussie kept moving away every time the guide accidentally bumped into him. He wasn’t happy about it. The flirting was obvious to all but Bradley; he seemed unaware his attempts to ingratiate himself with the girl were being ignored.

The previous evening had been a blast as far as he was concerned. Mac had ordered pizza and Hilary had been full of questions about life in DC, the new school, and CJ and Owen’s time together in Australia. The boys had stayed up late discussing what they wanted to do the following day after Mac had gone home and Hilary to bed. The Red Sox weren’t playing at home but CJ insisted a tour of the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball was something he wasn’t leaving town without doing. When Owen expressed an interest in seeing his first baseball field, the Kennedy brothers relented.

Their guide was happy to take a picture of the four visitors from Washington in front of the Green Monster―the iconic left field wall rising over 350 feet to compensate for its nearness to home plate. She’d then asked one of the other people taking the tour to take one with her phone while she stood in the middle of the four guys. Flanked by Owen and CJ, the girl was all smiles as they posed for the snapshot.

• • •

“So you’ve never been to a baseball game?” Patrick and Owen walked behind CJ and Bradley towards the entrance to Faneuil Hall. It was the second of the three stops they had planned for the day

“Nah, I’ve seen a bit on the TV, but never a live one. Baseball’s popular in Australia, but I grew up playing cricket and rugby.”

“We’ll take care of that when we get back to Washington.” CJ turned and walked backwards. “We’ll check the schedule for the Nationals and I’ll ask Dad to get us his company’s tickets for a game.”

“Really?” Owen acted excited at the prospect of attending. “How much will it cost? Are games expensive?”

“Not with Uncle César’s seats. Patrick and I went to one while CJ was in Australia with you. His company has these awesome ones behind the home team dugout.”

“And we can use them for free?” Owen sounded surprised.

“Dad’s a partner in the company, brings in a lot of business. And Papa’s a client who pays them a shitload of money every year. We can’t get them all the time, but if they’re available it won’t be a problem. They also have one of those luxury corporate boxes with free food and drinks. But for your first experience, you need to be close to the field.”

“Speaking of food, I’m a little hungry.” Bradley rubbed his stomach in circles while his eyes scanned their surroundings. “There! Let’s get lobster rolls.”

Hilary had made lunch plans with friends from church and her sons insisted she keep them. They wanted to show their visitors around some and promised to be back in plenty of time to shower and change before they all headed out for her birthday dinner.

“Mate, this is bloody delicious!” Owen sipped from his soft drink before taking another bite from the sandwich. He wiped the mayonnaise drips from the corners of his mouth and smiled contently while chewing.

“Lobster rolls are like the best thing in the world!” Bradley’s enthusiastic response caused several nearby diners to nod in agreement. “We need to find a place for them in Washington. They prolly won’t be as good as the ones here in Massachusetts or in Maine. We may have to get some before we leave tomorrow. They can be lunch on the road. What do you think, CJ?”

CJ was distracted, appraising his surroundings. The Kennedy brothers told him Faneuil Hall dated back to the 1700s and the Marketplace was developed around it in the 1970s, before any of them were born. It reminded him of Bayside Marketplace in Miami, both locations near the water and chockful of retail outlets and eating establishments. “Ummm, oh, yeah, that sounds good.”

“Busy looking at the architecture again, mate?” Owen rolled his eyes when CJ nodded and bit into his roll. “He’s done the same thing both times he’s been in Oz,” Owen added, looking at the two Boston natives sitting across from him. “Show him a new building and he goes off somewhere we can’t follow.”

“Asshole,” CJ replied through a mouthful of lobster.

• • •

“One if by land, two if by sea.” CJ stood with his three friends admiring the Paul Revere statue, posing for a picture a kind fellow tourist agreed to take for them.

“That has something to do with your war against England, doesn’t it?” Owen walked around the sculpture, admiring it from every angle. “I remember reading about it somewhere.”

“Yeah, that was the signal they used to warn the British were coming. They were supposed to light one or two lanterns and place them in the church as a sign of which way the soldiers were approaching.”

Christ Church in the City of Boston―commonly known as the Old North Church―was their third stop of the day. The place of worship's historical nature had drawn CJ to it; he’d insisted he’d rather visit the famous location than anything else the Kennedy brothers suggested. Owen was quick to agree. He was happy to be exploring a place so integral to the story of the United States. After touring the church, the guys stopped at the gift shop where CJ bought a t-shirt and Owen picked up a mug which read: Real Men Drink Tea.

• • •

Mac had made reservations for the six of them at Legal Seafoods, a national chain of restaurants which originated in Boston. A few minutes after they’d been seated, CJ excused himself to use the restroom. He surreptitiously approached their waiter, handed him his credit card, and instructed him to charge the meal to it. When he returned to the table, Brad was in the middle of a story.

“…he owns a place named Rogo’s where Dad, Pops, and all the uncles hang out.”

“His name’s Danno? Like in Hawaii Five-O?” Hilary sounded dubious.

“That’s his nickname,” CJ said as he sat. “His real name is some long almost unpronounceable thing. But since he’s from Hawaii, people just call him Danno. Or they use Wolf, which is his middle name.”

“Anyway, he owns the restaurant and lives next to it in a big warehouse with a loft in it. The place holds a bunch of American muscle cars he’s restored. He does a couple of them a year, tends to keep one for his collection, and sells the other one.” Brad was interrupted when the waiter approached the table to take their order.

“On the way up, Brad and Patrick mentioned you own an auto repair shop. Were you always interested in autos?” Owen looked at Mac while buttering a dinner roll after their server had departed. The man exuded self-confidence and masculinity, something the Aussie had mentioned to CJ as one of the traits he liked about him.

The muscular arms, scruffy face, and almost bald head had led them to agree the previous night Mac fell into the daddy category. A definite DILF. CJ thought he resembled Tom in some ways.

“Since I was a little kid. You put an engine in front of me and I’m happy.”

Patrick sat next to his mother and had been whispering to her but joined the general conversation at that point. “Brad, tell them about Harley.”

“Oh, yeah. There’s this guy we hang out with named Harley―he’s CJ’s best friend―and he’s as nuts about engines and stuff as you are. He works part-time with Danno on his cars. I’m going to take him back one of your Mac the Mechanic ball caps as a present. I don’t think I’ve seen him without a lid except when we’ve been swimming.”

The conversation was animated throughout the meal. Mostly more questions about life in Washington, Walls, and their circle of friends. Hilary smiled the entire time and the delight CJ saw in her eyes when either one of her sons uttered a word spoke volumes about how much she loved Patrick and Bradley. He shook his head to help dissipate the twinge of jealousy he experienced hearing her words.

“Did you boys call your grandparents to let them know you were in town?” Mac asked.

“Nope, and I don’t plan on it. I have nothing to say to Grandfather.” Bradley’s reply was forceful, tinted with repugnancy.

“Based on what we’ve heard, you may have to talk to him soon.” Mac’s comment made CJ stop with a forkful of cake halfway to his mouth.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Mac, I don’t think we should discuss―”

“No, Hilary, this could affect the boys and they have a right to know.”

“What’s going on?” Patrick’s gaze shifted back and forth between his mother and Mac. All of a sudden he sounded worried.

“We heard your grandfather’s going to file a lawsuit claiming Hilary and your father aren’t suitable parents. He plans to ask the court for full custody of the two of you.”

“Over my dead body.” Bradley’s words were spat out in such a way CJ had no doubts his friend was not being facetious.

• • •

The reaction from each of the Kennedy brothers was very different when Mac disclosed the possibility of Francis Kennedy instigating a custody fight for them. Patrick was distraught, claiming there was nothing wrong with Hilary and Tom as parents and that they had all agreed on the move to Washington. Bradley was quiet after his initial outburst. He insisted their grandfather would come to his senses and there would be no need to hire attorneys or go to court.

“Where are we going?” Patrick sat in the back with Owen, while Bradley drove and CJ sat in the front passenger spot. “This isn’t the way to the highway.”

“We’re making a little stop before we get on the road back to Washington. I thought I’d take you to our old church. You always did like that place.”

“But, mass’ almost over, Brad. By the time we get there people will already be leaving.”

“I know.” Brad’s smirk and the hard grip he had on the steering wheel made CJ suspicious.

“What are you up to, Red? Won’t your grandparents and some of your other relatives be there? I thought you didn’t want them to know you were in town.”

“Changed my mind.”

Bradley found a parking spot a couple of blocks away from the church Patrick pointed out when they’d driven by it. He asked his brother and his friends to let him do the talking as the four young men exited the Caddy and walked towards the crowd of worshipers now milling outside the doors to the sanctuary.

“Bradley? Paddy?” Patricia Kennedy placed a hand over her mouth, she stared at her grandsons as they approached, and began crying. “Thank you, Lord. Are you okay? I’ve been so worried about you.”

“Hello, Grandmother.” Brad leaned down to accept a kiss from the elderly woman but his eyes were fixed on his grandfather who stood steps away talking to another man. “Why wouldn’t we be okay?”

“I’ve been so worried,” she said while hugging Patrick who returned the warm embrace. “We heard you were no longer at your school―”

“YOU! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING HERE? HOW DARE YOU?” Conversations stopped mid-sentence. All eyes turned towards Francis Kennedy who moved next to his wife pointing at CJ.

“I see you remember CJ, Grandfather. He’s here with us. And that’s Owen next to him. He’s our cousin.” Brad had taken a step and stood face to face with the older man. “They’re here because we invited them to come up with us to surprise Mom for her birthday. You have a problem with that?”

“Don’t you talk to me like that, boy. You think you’re so big I can’t take you down a peg or two?” The man’s words were clipped; he sounded furious. When he clenched his hands into fists, CJ moved closer to Brad and tensed his body.

“I’ll talk to you any damn way I want, Old Man.” Bradley’s dismissive tone seemed to further infuriate his grandfather. The man appeared ready to strike his grandson and CJ readied himself to intervene if the man tried to interfere with the tirade being unleashed on him.

The altercation attracted the attention of the congregation. Conversations stopped and everyone seemed to pay attention to the Kennedy men facing off. Owen looked uncomfortable and stood in silence, slightly rocking side to side. Patrick had an arm draped over his grandmother’s shoulders while she held him around the waist. CJ, surprised at first by the encounter Bradley engineered without telling anyone, was now enjoying himself. He smirked, recalling his own confrontation with Francis Kennedy the previous year, and his antipathy to the man. Whatever Bradley planned to accomplish by coming here, CJ was now a willing participant.

“Please, can we not do this in front of everybody?” Mrs. Kennedy sounded meek and embarrassed, noticing how everyone was staring at them.

“Sorry, Grandmother, but this is the perfect place to do this. Right in front of all these people your piece-of-shit husband cares so much about. I’m sick and tired of your bullshit, Old Man.” Bradley stabbed his grandfather’s chest with a finger as he spoke. “I’m tired of you treating my parents like shit and I’m not putting up with it anymore.”

The grandfather raised his hand as if to slap Bradley and CJ grabbed the man’s wrist, pulled hard on it, and twisted the man’s arm around his back. “I wouldn’t do it if I was you, sir. Please don’t make me hurt you.”

“I’d be careful if I were you, Old Man. Did you know CJ here’s a black belt? He could kill you with his hands before you get to scream for help. You can let him go, bud. If he tries anything it’ll be my pleasure to beat the crap out of him. I’ve had it with him thinking he’s the high and mighty Francis Kennedy, expecting everyone to bow to his wishes.” Bradley’s smile earned him a similar one from CJ who let go of the man’s arm and stepped back. “But keep an eye on the assholes walking up. If they try to interfere, you have my permission to take ‘em down.”

The middle aged man now standing behind Mr. Kennedy was definitely a relative. CJ assumed he was one of the uncles based on the resemblance. He noticed the two other guys at his side shared the Kennedy look and guessed those two were cousins. The three seemed surprised at the venom with which Bradley referred to them; they appeared frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

“The three of you can go back to doing whatever you were doing. Or you can stay and watch. I don’t give a shit. But if you interfere, I’m going to fuck you up. Or CJ will on my behalf.” He glanced momentarily at his grandmother, still being held by Patrick, but now sobbing. “Sorry, Grandmother, but you’re gonna have to hear this. You’re just as guilty as this piece of shit. How could you allow him to throw out your son just because he was gay? How could you rob me and my brother of our father? I’m ashamed of the two of you.”

“Easy, bro,” CJ whispered. As much as he was enjoying the drama, he didn’t want Brad to lose all control. “I’ve got your back. Say what you need to say and let’s get the hell out of town.”

Bradley poked his grandfather once again, hard enough to make the man stumble back. The Kennedy family patriarch was visibly rattled. He looked around at the crowd watching the display in silence. Not one person made a move to interfere. “You listen to me, Old Man. You file any lawsuits against either one of my parents, I’m gonna make you regret it. I’ll come back and after I’m done with you they’ll need to take DNA samples to make sure it’s your body. I’m warning you. You interfere in my family’s life again, I’ll fucking cut off your puny dick and stuff it down your throat. STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM US!

“Let’s go, Patrick. My work here’s done. Time for us to head back to Washington. Time for us to go home.”

• • •

“What did Tom have to say?” Brett was staring out the windows at the glow of the streetlights when he felt César standing behind him.

“Oh, not much, we were just shooting the shit.”

Brett turned around and wrapped his arms around his husband’s waist, pulling him into his body. “Yeah, right. If Ozzie, Brad, and Patrick told him the same story CJ recounted, I’m sure he had something to say.”

“He may have mentioned something about it…”

“Don’t make me call him myself. Spill.”

“The stories match. Brad did all the talking. And he credits our boy for having the guts to face down the grandfather. Something about doing what he saw CJ do with that silly girl in school. Anyway, CJ only stepped in and restrained the grandfather when the old man raised his hand to strike Brad. Word got back to Tom’s ex-wife as soon as the boys were done. Hilary called our friendly neighborhood cop this afternoon to let him know what was going on. And how Mr. Kennedy had changed his mind about pursuing legal action. He supposedly told the entire family Brad and Patrick were persona-non-grata around him. Mrs. Kennedy seems to think our boy’s a great influence on her sons and wants to make sure he knows he’s welcome in Boston any time he wants.”

“Damn our kid. How does he get to everyone like that? He casts a spell on people and they turn to putty.”

“You mean like he did with you, Jarhead?” César leaned in, his lips met Brett’s and the tough marine melted.

“Yeah, just about. The same way you got to me too. Must be genetic. Let’s go to bed.”