Johnny Breeze & Me - 17. The End of Summer

I have never been so excited about a show featuring children. It was the final number of the final presentation of the final week of summer camps. The piece was being presented by JJ and Zach’s advanced triple threat class. It was a hand-picked group of the four most talented boys and four most talented girls from the entire summer. JJ had picked Cade to be a part of it. Funny, I have no idea if it was due to talent level or nepotism—or a little of both. You see, I was not allowed to see a single minute of their classes. I was sitting in the booth with Johnny as he ran the lights. The entire program, to this point, had been enjoyable. I was incredibly proud of the work our teachers and counselors had done with the kids. JJ took the stage to introduce the final number.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. Ten years ago, I was one of the eight lucky kids selected to participate in the Advanced Triple Threat camp. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be teaching this amazing group of kids. For the grand finale of this afternoon’s show, I present Lily, Heather, Sara, Tiffany, Joshua, Conner, Cade, and Danny. From the musical Fosse, here is ‘Bye Bye Blackbird!’”

The audience roared and applauded as the stage went dark, and a single spotlight lit up on Cade’s adorable face. Now I had heard him sing around the house and thought he had a lot of potential, but I was blown away when I heard him begin singing in the same style as Ben Vereen. He appeared to make eye contact with the audience and totally captivated all of us.

JJ and Zach had prepared the kids in an exact recreation of the number as it was performed on Broadway. The only difference was that these were kids performing—with the artistry and professionalism of Broadway adults. The voices were perfect. The dancing was flawless and very “Fosse.” At first, I was concerned that Cade had been given the lead because of his connection to Zach and JJ, but as he performed, I was amazed at how truly gifted our boy was. I looked over at a beaming Johnny and smiled as I realized I wasn’t the only one with eyes brimming with tears.

When the number ended, the crowd leaped to their feet and cheered the talented group of kids. After their group bow, JJ and Zach walked out on stage and gave each of them a bouquet. The kids walked offstage, and Johnny brought up the house lights. I walked over and stood behind him and wrapped my arms around him. “Jesus, Johnny! I had no idea our boy was that good!”

“I was surprised too! Do you know how hard it was to keep quiet and not let you in on the surprise? Cade kept telling me not to tell `other Dad’ about the number—he wanted to surprise you.”

Johnny stood up from the lighting console and wrapped his arms around me. We kissed lightly. Kyle stood up from the soundboard, and as he was leaving the booth laughing, he just said, “Get a room!”

I kissed Johnny again. “I think we need to head down to the dressing room and lavish some praise on our very talented son.”

We left the booth and began walking down the side aisle of the theatre when a beaming woman stopped me. “Mr. Richardson! I was hoping to see you again.” She looked familiar, but I just couldn't place her with all the excitement of the moment.

“I’m Beth Davies. Conner is my son.”

“Oh! Congratulations, Mrs. Davies. Conner was great!”

“We met at the Khabele School. I’m the admissions director.”

“Oh yes!” Now it all clicked!

“I left you a voice mail as I was leaving the office this afternoon, but I’m sure you’ve been more than a little busy to hear it yet.”

“Exactly, I haven’t had a chance to check my phone all afternoon.”

“Well, we had a last-minute cancellation at the school, and since Conner and Cade have become so close over the last few weeks, I got permission to cheat a little and move Cade up to the top of the waitlist. Cade has done wonders for Conner, and I would like to help that friendship out if I can.”

Beth reached out and shook Johnny’s hand. “You must be Mr. Breeze. I’ve heard so much about you from Conner. As much as he enjoys performing, Conner couldn’t stop talking about your tech camp. I think he might prefer continuing in that direction eventually.”

Johnny beamed and replied, “Conner’s a great kid. He was like a sponge. He couldn’t learn fast enough! I might have an assistant in a few years!”

“So before I leave, I just wanted to let you know to call me first thing Monday morning, and we’ll get Cade enrolled and ready to start in a few weeks!” She headed out to the lobby to wait for her son as Johnny and I headed backstage.

When we got backstage, JJ and Zach were hugging the kids and congratulating them. Conner and Cade must still be in the dressing room as we didn’t see them with the other kids. The kids began to surround Johnny and thank him for his help. I told him to enjoy the adulation and that I would go back to check on Cade.

I walked into the dressing room and stopped in my tracks when I heard Cade sniffling and talking to Conner. “I’m going to miss you so much, Conner. I know I’m just a kid, but now I know how my dads feel. I love you.”

“I love you too, Cade. I’ve never been happy until I met you. You’ve made me the happiest boy in the world.”

The conversation stopped, and I heard a muffled sigh from one of the boys. I knew they were kissing. I didn’t want to embarrass them completely, so I made a little noise and called out, “Cade, are you boys about ready?”

I walked around the corner, and Cade jumped into my arms. “Did you like the show, Dad?”

“Like it? I thought you were amazing, kiddo! I never heard you sing like that at home!”

“I didn’t know I could do it like that until they taught me how to do it!” I looked over to an embarrassed Conner who was looking down at the floor.

“Conner, you did a great job too. I’m so proud of all you guys.”

Conner looked down at the floor and quietly said, “Thanks, Mr. Richardson. Are we in trouble?”

“Why would you be in trouble, Conner? Did you do something wrong?”

Conner looked up at Cade and blushed. Cade walked over to him and took his hand. “It’s okay, Conner. My Dad’s pretty cool about stuff.” I had the boys sit down on a bench and pulled up a chair to sit across from them.

“Boys, no one is in trouble here. But I want you to remember, even though you might have special feelings for each other—feelings that just might be love—always remember there are many kinds of love. I think you both might be a little young to know the type of love that grownups have, but that doesn’t mean you can’t love someone so much that it makes your heart hurt when you need to go your separate ways.

“But no matter how you feel about each other, you need to be careful about how you show your feelings, especially in a public place where someone who might not understand could see you. I know that kids are growing up faster these days, and for us parents, that worries us sometimes. We want our kids to enjoy being kids. We don’t want them to grow up faster than they should.”

Conner kept looking down at the floor as Cade climbed onto my lap. “Dad, I’m always gonna be your little boy, but I love Conner—and loves me back, too. We’re just sad that we’re going to different schools in a couple of weeks. I was just kissing him goodbye.”

I looked over at Conner. He was wiping tears from his eyes but still wasn’t looking up at us. “Conner, come here.” I held out my free arm, and he slowly made his way over to Cade and me. I wrapped my arm around him. “Boys, what if I told you that you would be going to the same school after all?”

Conner looked up at me with a confused, hopeful look in his moist eyes. Cade looked at me, too. “What are you talking about, Dad?”

“I just spoke with Conner’s mother, and I’m going to register you at Khabele School on Monday. There was an opening for you today!”

Cade hugged me tightly. “Wow, Dad! That’s awesome!”

Conner finally lifted his head and flashed a big smile. The three of us hugged as Johnny walked into the dressing room. “There you are!”

“Papa! I get to go to school with Conner!”

“I heard! Are you excited?”

“Hell, yeah!”

I cleared my throat. “Language, Cade!”

“Sorry, Dad—Heck yeah!”

Johnny looked over to Conner, who was still leaning into me. “How about you, Conner? You happy about the news?”

“Heck yeah, Mr. Johnny.”

“Well, you should probably head on out to the lobby. Your mom is waiting for you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Johnny!” Conner leaned up to my ear and whispered, “Thank you, Mr. Richardson. You really are pretty cool!”

Conner left the dressing room, and Johnny held his arms out to Cade. “Little dude, you were awesome on that stage!”

“Thanks, Papa! It was so much fun!”

“So, what was going on with you and Conner?”

“Nothing really. Dad just talked to us about love and being boyfriends and that we were too young to really know anything. That’s all.”

I looked up at Johnny and smiled. Johnny looked back up at me while he said, “You need to listen to your Dad. He’s a very smart man, you know.”

“I know. But we’re just boyfriends. It’s not like we’re going to do any of that sex stuff. That’s just too gross!”

Johnny and I couldn’t help but laugh. I got up, grabbed Cade’s things, and the three of us made our way out of the dressing room. “I want to stop by the office and check my messages and email before we head out. While I’m in there, Cade gets to decide where we are having dinner!”

I sat down at my desk and noticed several emails that I could take care of on Monday. Suddenly one caught my eye, and I opened it immediately.

From: Sam Jones, Esq.

To: Jason Richardson

Subject: Adoption Hearing

 

Dear Jason,

I just wanted to let you know that after I called in a couple of favors, Judge Marian Alvarez with the Travis County Family Court has agreed to fit your case into her docket on Thursday.

You will be part of the morning session and are required to be at her courtroom by 8:30 A.M. with Cade. Johnny should plan to attend, as well.

She knows of your current living situation, and we are quite fortunate that she is one of the more progressive judges in the county.

Give me a call as soon as you read this so I can confirm you with Judge Alvarez.

Regards, Sam

My eyes began filling with tears as I read the email three more times. I couldn’t believe it! I will be Cade’s legal “other dad” in less than a week.

I powered down my computer and wiped the tears from my eyes before making my way out to the lobby. JJ and Zach were standing with Johnny and Cade, who ran over to me and leaped into my arms. I’m going to miss that when he grows up and gets too big for that type of affection. “Dad! Is it okay if Zach and JJ have dinner with us?”

“I think that would be just perfect!”

“Good thing!” Cade giggled, “I already invited them!”

“So, where are we eating?”

“North!” Cade loves that restaurant.

We headed to The Domain for some wonderful Italian food. Cade rode in the convertible with JJ. Zach rode with us while Johnny drove the SUV. Johnny looked over at me and said, “Are you going to tell me what has you so emotional?”

Damn, that man can read me like a book! I just looked over at him and smiled. “Cade.”

“Yeah, he was pretty damned amazing this afternoon, wasn’t he? I was so proud of our boy!”

That did it! As soon as Johnny said “our” boy, I lost it, and the tears flowed freely. “Babe, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, hon. I’ll be okay.” I looked back at Zach and smiled at him. “Thanks for being so good to Cade. I think he discovered a lot about himself doing the camps this summer.”

“Yeah, he learned a lot—especially with Conner. They’re so cute together! They reminded me of JJ and me when we were in the camps.”

“About that—I walked in on them kissing after the show.”

Johnny and Zach both shouted out, “No way!”

“Well, I don’t think it was very sexual. I think it was more of a comforting thing. The boys thought they weren’t going to be seeing much of each other once school started.”

Johnny groaned, “Oh man, I’m not ready to have the sex talk with Cade yet!”

“I don’t think you have to worry about it just yet. I talked to them a little bit about discretion, and when I touched on sex, Cade thought that was gross.”

We all had a good laugh and were soon pulling in to the Domain parking garage. We made our way to the restaurant and had a wonderful Italian feast. Once again, our server fell in love with Cade and lavished him with attention, which he totally loved.

As we were finishing dinner, I cleared my throat. “Guys, I got a very special email today from Sam.” Everyone stopped what they were doing and gave me their undivided attention. “Thursday morning, we need to be at family court to finalize my adoption of Cade.” Tears started flowing from my eyes again as everyone held up their glasses and toasted.

“To Cade! To Jason!” Cade got out of his seat and hopped up in my lap, putting his arms around me.

“Dad, that’s the best news ever! I love you!” He kissed me on the cheek and held me tightly as I looked over at Johnny, who also had eyes brimming with tears.

The next several days were uneventful. I was able to get Cade registered into school. Johnny was working with the set designer on the light plot for Footloose while I made final arrangements for the auditions.

On Wednesday, I got a phone call from Sam. “Jason, is Johnny around? I want to talk to both of you about the court date tomorrow. There’s been an interesting development.”

“What’s going on Sam? Is there a problem?”

“Can you get Johnny on the line in a conference call? I really need to speak with you both.”

I buzzed Johnny’s office and put him through to the call. “Okay, Sam, we’re both here. What’s going on?” I was trying my best not to sound too worried, but my gut told me this wasn’t going to be good news.

“Well, there’s been a bit of a kink in the hearing tomorrow morning. It appears that Cade’s maternal grandparents have petitioned the court for full custody, and they have been added to the docket tomorrow morning.”

“His grandparents??” Johnny was yelling. “That’s pure bullshit! They didn’t want anything to do with him while his mother was alive. And now they want custody??”

“Johnny, I don’t think we have anything to worry about—for two reasons. The first and most important reason is that you are the boy’s biological father. The Supreme Court has already ruled that Grandparent’s rights are determined by the child’s biological or legal parents. The other reason is that Cade will be asked to speak with Judge Alvarez privately in her chambers. She will ask him about his relationship with the grandparents, his mother, and the two of you.”

Knowing her the way I do, I’m positive things will all work out in the end, and you both will have full and legal custody of Cade. I just wanted to give you a head’s up on this so you wouldn’t be blindsided tomorrow morning.”

I was stunned. “What do you suggest we tell Cade?”

“I think it would be best to tell him the truth. We don’t know why they have decided to seek custody of Cade, and we most likely won’t know until they get their chance to speak. Now, if I recall, there was a letter from the boy’s mother that explained the family situation with her parents?”

Johnny answered, “Yes, I have it in the safe at home.”

“Can you please fax me a copy of that letter as soon as possible? I will probably need that information for my cross-examination.”

“Of course, I’ll run to the house and get it right now. You’ll have it within the hour.”

“Thanks, Johnny. Jason, don’t worry about a thing. This is just a little wrinkle in the formalities. It will all work out perfectly for your entire family.”

Johnny was back at the theatre in no time with the letter. We faxed it over to Sam and left early to pick up Cade from JJ and Zach’s. Sam called my cell as we were leaving the theatre to let us know he got the fax. “It’s exactly what we need to put this ridiculous motion away. I was wondering if I could meet with the three of you to go over what is going to happen tomorrow.”

“We’re heading over to JJ and Zach’s to pick him up right now. Would you like us to meet you somewhere?”

“How about I meet you over there. I’m sure JJ wouldn’t mind. I’ll give him a call on my way over and explain what’s happening.”

We pulled into JJ’s, and as soon as we parked, JJ came running out the door. “Hey guys, Sam called and said he would be here in about ten minutes. What’s going on?”

Johnny gave him a quick hug and said, “He just wants to go over the adoption hearing with us. I’m sure everything is going to be just fine.” I couldn’t believe how calm he was. I was a bundle of nerves and filled with insecurity.

Minutes after we got into the house, Sam arrived. We all went upstairs to the guest suite while JJ and Zach started working on dinner. Cade sat between Johnny and me on the sofa, and Sam took a seat opposite us.

“Gentlemen, thank you for seeing me.” He looked over to Cade. “Tomorrow’s a big day, son. Are you excited?”

“Very much, sir.”

“Well, there are a couple of things I want to go over with you, so you’ll know what’s going on when you get to the courthouse. The first thing is that your grandparents have decided to be there.”

“My grandparents?” He looked over to Johnny, then to me. “Your moms are coming?”

“No, Cade. Your mother’s parents have decided to ask Judge Alvarez to have you live with them.

Cade started to cry. “Nooo! I don’t want to live with them! I don’t even know them! They don’t like me!”

I gathered Cade into my arms and whispered to him. “It’s okay, baby boy. Don’t cry. Listen to Sam first.” He eventually stopped crying, but the tears were still flowing.

“Cade, I want you to know that I will do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen. Fortunately, your mother wrote your father a very long letter explaining everything to him, and I will show that letter to Judge Alvarez. Besides, you already live with your birth father. That’s not going to change.”

“But why are they doing this? They never wanted me before!”

“I can’t say, Cade. But we’ll find out in the morning—and I’m prepared to make sure they can’t take you away. I need you to trust me, okay?” Cade sniffled and nodded. “Now, I want to warn you. They might say some things that aren’t true. They might even say some things that are hurtful to your Dad and even to your Mother—and if they do, I need you to be a strong boy and not react in any way at all. I need you to pretend that you don’t hear those things. Can you do that?”

“Yes, sir. I’m an actor now. I’ll just act, okay?”

“That’s a good idea. Now, I suspect the judge will take care of your grandparent’s request first. Then she’ll move on to your adoption. Part of that will take place in the judge’s chambers.”

“Chambers? Like in her bedroom?”

Sam smiled warmly at Cade and explained that chambers were just a fancy word for her office. “Now, you’ll be in there alone with her. She’s a very nice lady, and she’ll ask you a few questions about your father and then how you feel about Jason. Do you understand?” Cade nodded. “Once she talks to you, she’ll send you back out to us and think about everything she’s heard. Then, the judge will come out and tell you what she decided. And I’m willing to bet you she’s going to let Jason adopt you so you’ll have two real dads.”

“I hate my grandparents!”

Johnny took Cade into his arms. “Little man, you can’t hate them if you don’t know them.”

“I guess. But I hate what they did to Mama when she got sick. They made her cry for two days.”

Sam cocked his head and asked, “What did they do to your Mama when she got sick?”

“Mama wrote them a letter about how sick she was, and a few days later, she was crying when I came home from school. I asked her what happened, and she told me that her mom and dad sent the letter back to her. It hurt her feelings real bad!”

Sam nodded. “That good to know, Cade. Do you mind if I share that information with the judge if I need to?”

“No, the judge should know what they did to my Mama.”

“Do you know what happened to that letter?”

“I have it in my Mama box.”

“Do you think you could let me borrow it for the hearing tomorrow?”

“Sure, but it’s still sealed up. Mama made me promise not to read it until I was in high school.”

“Thanks for your help, Cade.” Sam looked at me. “I think things are going to go just as planned once we deal with our surprise guests. If you’ll just bring that other letter with you to court, and please don’t open it. Hopefully, that will be something we won’t need to do, and then we can keep Lindsay’s wishes intact.”

We thanked Sam for taking the time to explain things to us. We left the suite and headed downstairs. JJ invited Sam to have dinner with us, but he declined and went home. We had a nice, quiet dinner of Chicken and Beef fajitas. Finally, around 8:00, Cade was about to fall asleep in his chair, so we gathered him up and headed back home.

I carried a sleeping Cade in my arms and headed up to the loft. He never woke up as we took off his clothes and got him into his bed. Johnny and I headed up to our bedroom. I was exhausted and extremely stressed. Johnny picked up on that. He took me into his arms and kissed me gently. “Why don’t you take your clothes off and lie down on the bed. I think you might need a nice, relaxing massage.

I did just that. I sighed deeply as I felt my lover’s semi-soft cock resting on my lower back as he sat down on my ass. He got some oil and warmed it as he rubbed his hands together. I would breathe deeply as his hands took long, deep strokes from the base of my spine and up to my tight shoulders. As he found tightness, he would lean into the area with his weight. As he worked up and down, his cock would rub up and down my lower back and soon was hard as a rock. After just fifteen minutes, he had miraculously released all the tension in my back and began sliding down to the foot of the bed. The next thing I knew, I felt his hands on the cheeks of my ass as he gently massaged them. It’s amazing how quickly I went from tense to horny!

As he worked the muscles of my ass, I found myself gently humping the mattress. The next thing I knew, my ass was covered with Johnny’s long, flowing hair, and I found his tongue working its magic. I let out a muffled groan into the pillow. I lifted my head and looked back at my lover. “You better massage my insides with that big cock, mister!”

Johnny took a towel, rubbed the remnants of oil from my back, and then flipped me over. He grabbed my throbbing cock and smiled at me just before he swallowed it whole. I put my hands on his head and ran my fingers through his hair as he massaged the head of my cock with his throat muscles. After about five minutes, I felt that familiar feeling deep in my groin. I pulled Johnny’s head up. “Not yet, baby. I want to cum with you deep inside me! Make love to me, Johnny!”

He pulled my legs up to my chest and, once again, placed his tongue on my quivering ass. His fingers were still slick with the massage oil, and he worked one, then two—then three fingers deep inside me. “Now, Johnny! I need you now!” He looked deep into my eyes as he worked his chiseled body up against mine. I sighed as I felt the head of his giant manhood at the entrance to my ass. I moaned as he began to ease into me. Those moans were soon muffled as he lowered himself and kissed me with the same passion we’ve shared since the first time we made love.

I was glad Cade is a sound sleeper as I let out a loud, guttural moan as Johnny’s cock massaged my prostate. My cock was flowing with pre-cum as Johnny’s rhythm picked up speed and depth. My hard, dripping cock was rubbing against the chiseled ridges of his abs, and without warning, it exploded in a massive orgasm. “Oh, God, Johnny! Fuck me hard! Don’t stop! Don’t stop!”

I was covered with cum as it dripped off his chest and abs. Johnny then grabbed my legs and threw his head back as he began to moan and fill me with his hot seed. He never stopped moving in and out of my throbbing hole as he leaned back down and kissed me deeply. “I love you, Jason—with my entire heart and soul.”

Johnny gently eased out of me with a pop, and I immediately missed the fullness of him inside me. He took my hand and led me to the shower, and turned on the water. I reached for the liquid soap, and he moved my hand away. “No, baby. I’m taking care of you tonight.”

He took the soap and gently washed my body. As I was rinsing off, I couldn’t help but admire his incredible body as he washed himself. He rinsed and took me in his arms. We kissed deeply. “I love you, Johnny. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I sure hope I keep doing it!”

“Keep being the wonderful, caring man you are. That’s all.” He kissed me again as he turned off the water and reached for the towels. He dried me from head to toe and then did himself.

We made our way back into the bed. Johnny wrapped his body around mine and held me as we both fell asleep.

How I got any sleep at all is a miracle. I would wake up in a panic, and Johnny would be right there, calming me down, soothing me with his voice, and caressing my chest until I would fall back asleep. The next thing I knew, it was 6:30, and the alarm was ringing on Johnny’s phone.

I got up, threw on my bathrobe, and headed downstairs to Cade’s room. I opened the door and marveled at the beautiful boy sound asleep in the bed. I walked over and sat on the bed and gently rubbed his head. “Wake up, little man. You need to hop in the shower, and I’ll start breakfast.”

“Daddy?”

“I’m here, Cade. Let’s go. Do you want me to start your shower water for you?”

“It’s okay. I can do it.”

Cade sleepily climbed out of bed and made his way to his bathroom as I went into the kitchen, started the coffee, and got things together for spinach and sausage omelets. I started browning the sausage, and Johnny walked in. “Something smells wonderful!”

“Good morning, baby. I’m sorry I kept waking you up last night.”

“Hey, I completely understand. You have a lot on your mind, and Sam’s news didn’t help much!” He leaned in to kiss me, and I sent him off to shower while I finished breakfast.

Before long, Cade walked into the kitchen. I poured him a glass of milk and started his omelet. By the time I got his omelet ready, Johnny had walked in and poured himself a cup of coffee. Johnny’s omelet was ready, and I refilled my coffee as my omelet was cooking. It was a quiet breakfast. Maybe because it was so early, or perhaps because we each had a lot of thoughts going through our minds.

Cade was the first to speak up. “I don’t want to live with those people, Papa. I really don’t.”

“Don’t worry, son. Sam promised us that wouldn’t happen, and I will do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t.”

I looked over at Cade and said, “Just remember, no matter what they say or do—we can’t react. We have to act like we don’t hear it or that it bothers us—even if they tell lies.”

“It’s just not fair! I don’t even know those people, and their mean asses want me to live with them!”

Understanding Cade’s frustration, I didn’t mention his language this time. “We don’t know why either, but we’re all going to know more soon. Now, why don’t you get your new suit on while your Papa and I clean the dishes and get ready? I’ll help you with your tie when we come back down.”

“Thanks, Daddy. I love you.”

Cade got up from the breakfast bar, rinsed his dishes, and put them in the dishwasher. Johnny looked over at me and smiled. “I just love seeing the two of you together. You are an amazing father, and Cade adores you!”

“I love our boy as if he were my own. If those ‘mean asses’ do anything to ruin our family, there will be hell to pay!”

We got up, put the rest of the dishes into the dishwasher, and headed up to get into our suits. On Monday, we had gone to Nordstrom for some suit shopping. Johnny picked out a stunning blue Dolce & Gabbana ensemble, and I fell in love with a dark brown Versace suit. Cade picked out a gray Armani Junior suit. We went downstairs, and Cade was there waiting with his tie in hand. I fixed him up and marveled at how grown up he seemed. I must admit we were one fine-looking family!

We went down to the garage and took the Flex downtown to the courthouse. After walking through the metal detectors, we walked into the large lobby and found Sam waiting for us. “Gentlemen, you look fantastic.”

He extended his hand to Cade and shook it. “Are you ready for your big day?”

“Yes, sir. I’m ready. And here’s that letter from my Mama box. I’m not going to let anyone bother me today!”

“Thank you, Cade! Shall we head up to the courtroom then?”

We took the elevator up to the fourth floor and walked up to the double door of Judge Alvarez’s courtroom. Sam told us that we would be sitting at the table to the left.

As soon as we walked in, I noticed the older couple sitting at the table at the right—apparently, the Mannings. The man looked at us and scowled. The woman looked and smiled as she dabbed her eyes. Cade looked over at them and immediately faced straight ahead as he walked down the aisle between Johnny and me, holding each of our hands.

We all sat down at our table, and Sam opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder filled with papers. In just a few minutes, the bailiff asked us to rise for the Honorable Miriam Alvarez. We stood, and a charming diminutive, red-haired woman entered the room. She told us to have a seat. She spoke, “We are here this morning for the adoption petition of Jonathan Cade Manning-Breeze by Jason Daniel Richardson. We also have a custody motion by Franklin and Margaret Manning, the maternal grandparents of the child. I will hear the motion first. Mr. Matthews?” She looked over at the Manning’s attorney.

“Your Honor, I represent Franklin and Margaret Manning. My clients have filed for full custody of the juvenile Jonathan Cade Manning-Breeze as they feel that it is in the boy’s best interest to be raised by his grandparents rather than a non-traditional same-sex couple. I would like to call Franklin Manning to the stand.”

“Mr. Manning, please step forward and have a seat.”

The judge pointed to the chair in the witness box. Manning went to the box, and the bailiff told him to place his right hand on the Bible. “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God?”

“I do.”

Matthews took his place at the podium in the center of the floor. “Please state your full name, sir.”

“Franklin Anderson Manning.”

“Thank you, Mr. Manning. May I call you Frank?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Frank, what is your relationship to the young man sitting at the table over there?” He pointed to Cade.

“I’m his grandfather. He is the son of my late daughter.”

“How involved were you in the boy’s life in his early years?”

“Unfortunately, when my daughter became pregnant, she left our home, and we had no contact with her after that.”

“And why was that Mr. Manning?”

“My daughter was always rather independent-minded. When Lindsay told us she was pregnant, she also told us she was going to do this on her own and left. We never heard from her again.”

Cade looked at me and whispered, “That’s a big lie, Daddy!”

“Shhh. Be an actor, okay?” I looked over at Sam, and he had a slight smile on his face.

Mr. Matthews continued. “Were you able to stay in touch with your daughter?”

“No, sir. We never heard from her again. It wasn’t until her pastor contacted us to inform us of her passing that we knew anything.”

My contempt for this lying son-of-a-bitch grew with every lie he spewed. But at the same time, I began to relax. I knew Sam was going to eat his sorry ass alive.

“Mr. Manning, why are you seeking custody of Cade?”

“The boy should have a mother and a father. He should be attending church regularly. We want him to go to a good school and grow up like any normal boy should. Margaret and I can give all that. And, well, he is our flesh and blood.”

“Thank you, Mr. Manning. That’s all I have, for now, Your Honor.”

“Very good, Mr. Matthews. Mr. Jones, do you have any questions for Mr. Manning?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

Sam walked up to the podium. He pulled some papers out of his folder and walked up to the witness stand. “Mr. Manning, do you recognize the handwriting on this page?”

Manning looked at the paper and began reading it. “There’s no need to read it now. I’ll be reading it to the court. Do you recognize the handwriting?”

“No, sir. I don’t.”

“Mr. Manning, might I remind you that you are under oath?” Manning stared at Sam. “Now, I will ask you once again, do you recognize the handwriting on this page?”

Manning looked down to the floor. “It’s my daughter’s handwriting.”

“Thank you, Mr. Manning. Your Honor, I would like to submit a letter written by the late Lindsay Manning to Cade’s biological father, Johnny Breeze.” He went to his folder and distributed copies of the letter to Judge Alvarez and Mr. Matthews.

“Now, Mr. Manning, you stated that Lindsay left your home, determined to, as you say, ‘do this’ on her own. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure about that, sir?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, sir. I want to read from the second paragraph of Lindsay’s letter to Mr. Breeze.”

Sam read from the letter.

“First of all, and probably the most devastating, was my parents. It was bad enough when they found out I had become pregnant, but when I showed my mother a picture I had of you on my phone, the proverbial shit hit the fan. I never knew they had this horrible streak of racism. I also didn’t know that they would actually throw me out of the house and cut me off completely. The saddest part of that situation is that they never got to know their amazing grandson.”

“Mr. Manning, would you like to comment on your daughter’s words?”

“I don’t know what she’s talking about there.”

“Okay, Mr. Manning. Let’s move one to another part of her letter, shall we?” He read another part of the letter.

“When I was diagnosed with my cancer, I wrote a letter to my parents to tell them the news and let them know that I was going to try to find you. About ten days later, that letter came back to me. It was opened, taped shut, and marked ‘Return to Sender.’ Thank God, Cade will never know that set of grandparents!”

“Mr. Manning, I will ask you again. Would you like to comment on your daughter’s words?”

“I don’t remember anything about a letter.”

“Are you sure about that, sir?”

“I told you! I don’t remember!”

Sam went back to his folder and pulled out the envelope Cade had given him. “Your Honor, I would like to submit a letter addressed to Frank and Margaret Manning that has been opened, taped shut, and marked `Return to Sender.’“

He turned back to the witness stand. “Mr. Manning. Does this letter trigger your memory? Did you read this letter and send it back to Lindsay?”

“Objection, Your Honor. Leading the witness!”

“I’ll rephrase, Your Honor. Mr. Manning. Was your deceased daughter’s written statement about this letter true?”

Manning just sat there and stared at the envelope. Judge Alvarez spoke. “Mr. Manning, please answer the question. And I should warn you. You are dangerously close to being charged with perjury.”

Suddenly, all the air seemed to have been taken out of Franklin Manning. Cade just kept looking straight ahead. He was doing a great job, and I couldn’t be prouder of our little actor.

Sam continued, “Mr. Manning, I will ask you once again. Did you read this letter and return it to your daughter?”

Manning looked down at the floor and murmured, “Yes.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Manning, I didn’t quite hear your answer.”

Manning looked at Sam and shouted, “Yes! Yes, I read that letter and sent it back!”

There was a gasp from the Manning’s table as Margaret shouted out, “You knew? You knew she was sick and didn’t tell me?”

Judge Alvarez pounded her gavel. “Order, please. We can’t have any outbursts in my court.”

Sam walked up to the witness stand. “Very well, Mr. Manning. I’ll ask you myself. When you learned of your daughter’s illness, did you choose to keep that information from your wife?”

Manning just stared angrily at Sam. Judge Alvarez once again told him to answer the question. “Yes, I did.”

“Sir, I’m going to give you one last opportunity to explain your actions to the court.”

Manning looked over to his unhappy attorney, who gave him a nod. “When Lindsay told us she was pregnant, she was happy about it. She told us she was going to keep it. She showed my wife a picture of the father (he pointed to Johnny), and I was shocked to see he was—not one of us. I was furious and threw her out of the house. When we found out she had passed away and that that fag Indian was raising our grandson—”

Sam interrupted. “Objection, your honor!”

“Objection sustained. Mr. Manning. Bigotry and racism are not allowed in this court. You may continue and watch your language, or you will be held in contempt.”

“When we found out that our grandson was being raised by—him—I had to do something. When we found out that his—boyfriend—was going to try to adopt him, I had to put a stop to it. I won’t have my own flesh and blood raised by a couple of fa—homosexuals.”

“Thank you for being honest, Mr. Manning. That is all.” Sam came back to the table and winked at me.

Judge Alvarez spoke next. “Mr. Manning, you may take your seat with your wife.” Manning took a seat, and his wife slid her chair away from him.

“I will now rule on the motion of custody filed by Franklin and Margaret Manning. It is this court’s opinion that uprooting the child from his life with his biological father and into a home filled with racial prejudice and intolerance would be detrimental to the child’s well-being. The motion is denied. Regarding the Grandparental rights, the Supreme Court has ruled that those rights are to be determined by the juvenile’s legal parents or guardians. Mr. Matthews, you may leave this courtroom with your clients.”

Cade looked at a smiling Johnny. “Papa, what did all those big words mean?”

“You’re staying with us, little man. You don’t have to go anywhere!” Family hugs were exchanged, and Judge Alvarez waited for the Manning’s and their attorney to leave.

Once the doors closed, she continued. “Now, gentlemen. I say we move on to something much more enjoyable. My staff has thoroughly vetted all parties involved, and I have already spoken at length with Mr. Jones about this case. From what I’ve seen already this morning, it is evident that what we have here is a loving, caring family. Mr. Richardson, will you please rise?”

I stood and faced the judge.

“Mr. Richardson, is it your intention to legally adopt Jonathan Cade Manning-Breeze and raise him as your own son alongside his biological father, Johnny Breeze?”

“Yes, Your Honor. I love and cherish Cade more than life itself.”

“Fine. Thank you, Mr. Richardson. You may take your seat. Cade, will you come with me into my chambers so we can talk alone for a few minutes?” Cade stood up and said, “Yes, Ma’am—I mean Your Honor.”

Cade gave all of us, including Sam, a big hug and went with the bailiff and the court recorder into her chambers. The bailiff stood outside the door, and the wait began.

********

Cade entered the judge’s chambers and saw her sitting at her desk. The reporter was set up off into the corner. “Cade, why don’t you have a seat here.” She pointed to the chair in front of her desk. He took a seat. “You look very nice, Cade. I hope the first part of the hearing wasn’t too uncomfortable for you.”

“No. I knew that man was lying, and Sam knew the truth.”

“Good boy. So, I want to talk to you a little bit about how you feel about your Dad and his partner, Jason. Do you like living with them?”

Cade let a huge smile fill his face. “I love living with my dads. Papa is teaching me how to be a chef, and Dad takes me to classes at his theatre, where I’m learning to be a singer and a dancer.”

“That sounds very exciting, Cade. Tell me, how do you feel about Jason?”

“He’s my Dad. I love him just as much as Papa. He takes care of me. He holds me in his arms when I’m sad. When I’m sick, he takes care of me. If I do something wrong, he talks to me about it and makes sure I understand. Plus, he helps me make my hair look good!”

“That’s nice to hear. It sounds like Jason loves you very much.”

“Yes, Ma’am—I mean Your Honor.”

“It’s okay, Cade. We’re in private here. You can call me whatever you like. I must say, when I see a family with so much love, it makes my job quite a bit easier. All I have to ask you is one more question. Would you like Jason to adopt you and become your legal parent?”

“Oh yes! I would like that more than anything in the world!”

“Very good then. I think we’re done here. You and Mrs. Rodriguez can go back out into the courtroom.”

Mrs. Rodriguez gathered her equipment and spoke. “Might I say something? Off the record, Mrs. Alvarez?”

“Of course.”

“I just wanted to tell Cade how absolutely wonderful he was in the summer showcase. My daughter was in one of the beginner classes, and I got to see you perform, young man. You have a wonderful future ahead of you!”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

Cade was blushing as Judge Alvarez spoke. “Well, I’ll have to be sure to catch you in a show sometime! Now you go have a seat with your father and Jason. I need to finish up a few things here, and I’ll be right out.”

********

Johnny and I sat silently, just staring at the door to the judge’s chambers when it opened, and a smiling Cade walked out. He ran over to us and gave each of us a hug. “She was so nice! She said she would be out in a minute.”

Sure enough, in just minutes, the bailiff announced the entrance of the judge. We all stood as she took her place.

“Gentlemen, please be seated. First, I would like to thank you for enduring the unpleasantries that took place earlier. However, now that the motion is dealt with, I can honestly say that seeing such a wonderful family stand before me makes my job quite rewarding.

“After reviewing the request and speaking with the child in question, it is my honor to award full and legal parental rights of Jonathan Cade Manning-Breeze to Jason Daniel Richardson, such rights to be shared with the biological father, Johnny Breeze. Will there be a name change for the juvenile?”

Sam stood, “Yes, Your Honor. At the request of the parents, we would like the child’s name to now be Cade Manning Breeze-Richardson. First name Cade, middle name Manning, surname Breeze hyphen Richardson.”

“Very good, gentlemen. Our work is done here. The bailiff has some paperwork for you to sign. And Cade, I promise to come to see you in a show sometime in the future!”

Tears were flowing from my eyes as Cade crawled up in my lap and wrapped his arms around me. “Hi, new Dad! I love you!”

“I love you, too. You are a dear, sweet boy! I’m so proud of you!”

The bailiff had us sign all the paperwork and register Cade’s new name. He reminded us to make sure his school was aware of the name change and told us to contact the Social Security Administration so he could be issued a new card. Sam said he would go over all the paperwork and have it ready for us in a few days. He shook our hands, and we made our way out of the courtroom.

When we walked into the hallway, I was surprised to see a weeping Margaret Manning waiting for us. “Boys, may I have a word with you?” Sam looked at us then up and down the hall. “Where is your husband, Mrs. Manning?”

“My soon-to-be ex-husband is waiting for me down in the truck.”

Cade moved behind Johnny and wrapped his arms around his waist. I looked at Mrs. Manning, and for some unexplained reason, my heart broke. “What do you need, Mrs. Manning?”

“I wanted to apologize to the two of you—and especially to my beautiful grandson for Frank’s behavior. I was helpless when he threw my Lindsay out of the house. I had no idea she had tried to contact us and that he knew of her illness. I will be filing for divorce as soon as we return home, and I was wondering if there was any way in the world I might be able to do whatever it takes to make up for lost time.”

She looked over at Cade. “This beautiful boy is all I have left. I want to get to know him—and his two fathers. You are a beautiful family, and I would do nothing to jeopardize that.”

Sam looked at Johnny, then at me. “Guys, this is something you should work out on your own. Ma’am, my advice is that we take this slowly if Cade and his parents agree to let you into their lives.”

Johnny took Cade and sat on the bench next to Margaret. “Mrs. Manning, Lindsay was a wonderful woman, my best friend in college. She never spoke poorly of you. Your daughter adored you. I must say she didn’t have the kindest words for her father. But this is as much about Lindsay as it is about Cade, Jason, me, or even you. I am more than happy to let you be a part of our lives because I know that’s what Lindsay would have wanted.

“However, it would have to begin after Mr. Manning is no longer a part of the overall picture. Jason?”

“I think a child can never have too many grandparents. I agree with Johnny.” I sat down on the other side of Margaret and took her hand, and looked at Cade. “Cade? What do you think?”

He walked over to Margaret and looked intently at her. “You even look like my Mama. She was always sad that you never got to meet me. But I don’t want anything to do with that mean man who was with you.”

“Thank you, Cade! Thank you all!” She wrapped her arms around Cade and wept. “I love you, Cade. You’re a wonderful young man, and you’ve made me so happy!”

We all got up and made our way to the elevator. On our way down, Margaret spoke, “Boys, I want you to know that I think you make a beautiful family. I have no problem at all with two men who truly love each other raising a son who loves them both. I only hope that someday I will be able to attend a wedding.”

“That would be lovely, Mrs. Manning. I promise you that will happen as soon as we can do it.”

We got to the front door of the courthouse, and the police officer on duty opened it for us. We stepped out into the warm Texas air as a family. The next 10 seconds were a blur, and yet they are forever etched in my memory.

“Faggots!”

Pop! Pop! Pop!

“Frank! Noooooo!”

Pop!

“Nooooooo!”

Margaret and I were the only ones left standing. Among a chorus of screams and panic, I could only wail, “Johnny! Cade! Sam!”