The Acquittal - 23. Chapter 22

A heavy snow blew past the headlights of his car as Kyle struggled to keep his eyes open. The wind would sometimes buffet the car causing him to tighten his grip on the wheel. Instinctively, his eyes would scan the rear view mirror, checking to see if Matthew was still asleep. It was nearly two in the morning and he was only just now driving into town after the longest day of his life. He had gotten a week off before Thanksgiving, giving him a chance to take Matt to his grandfather’s for his birthday in addition to celebrating Thanksgiving there. The only thing he had to do before he left was the deposition with one of the witnesses he planned on calling on during his trial. The case had been progressing and, as Jeff had predicted, Gordon had hired one of the best defense lawyers in the state and the guy was doing his best to drag out everything he can.

The day had started off decently when he went to court to hear the judge’s sentence in the Simpkin’s case. While the judge didn’t feel the full twenty-five years was warranted, she did sentence him to nineteen years. He wasn’t entirely pleased with it but knowing it could have been worse, he took what he could get. After that was paperwork and then a meeting with Gordon’s defense team for the deposition of one of the nurses who worked with Theresa Mayfield.

The deposition had been scheduled for the early afternoon that day and Kyle was confident that they could get it done well before he had to pick up Matt and drive the three and a half hours home and hopefully get there before the snow rolled in that the forecast had predicted. It was important that they go on Friday since Saturday was Matt’s birthday and he wanted to have a party with his grandpa, Jacob and all his friends there. He promised Matt he would get him there and they would have a great day.

Then, things started to fall apart. The defense team wanted to push back the deposition to three o’clock instead of one. After that, what should have been a simple two hour interview with a potential witness turned into a four and a half hour grilling of someone who didn’t deserve it. Kyle knew what the defense was trying to do. They were trying to make the entire process seem so painfully complex and difficult for a layman to handle, a hospital nurse who was only being called to confirm she had overheard a conversation would feel intimidated and frustrated that would end up being less inclined to actually want to appear in court and agree to testify. Kyle lost count after question 150 the defense asked the potential witness but a few minutes later, he finally put his foot down when he caught the asshole attorney asking the same question from two hours earlier. They agreed to break for the week and resume after Thanksgiving but Kyle informed them he would be asking the judge in the case to rule on any and all objections he had raised. It was a few minutes after that they decided to wrap things up.

It wasn’t until nearly eight o’clock when he finally got out of the office and ran over to Stephanie’s to pick up Matt and then back to the townhouse to pick up a couple things, Matt’s present and then back in the car for the long drive home. About an hour into the drive is when the snow started to fall. An hour or so later, there was an accident which prompted Kyle to take a detour. And then another. And another. By midnight he tried to call the house only to discover his phone was dead and the charger in his car had broken at some point making it impossible to be recharged until he got home.

Frustrated and tired, he did his best to keep Matt at ease while he sat in his car seat in the back. At one point he pulled over to get a blanket and put it over Matt when he realized he had fallen asleep. Now, just before two in the morning he was finally driving into town. The streets were covered in five inches of snow as it continued to fall. To make matters worse, he was driving in on the far side of town from the house. Slowly, the car creeped down the nearly deserted streets. The street lamps casting their pale light over the still falling snow. He stifled a yawn as he drove past his old high school, noting that the building seemed to be unchanged from when he was last there. He knew these streets well enough that his heavy eyelids served as his only impairment. He became a little more awake as he drove past what was once the turn he took to the trailer park where Jacob and his father used to live. If it hadn’t been so late, he might have let his curiosity take him down that road just to see if anything had changed. Privately, he hoped the entire thing had been torn down.

One more turn later he was finally coming up to the house. The snow was getting thicker in the air and on the street. Managing to slowly maneuver the car off the street and onto the inclined driveway, the car struggled to gain traction to make it up. Several times he thought he might slide off the drive and into the grass. He managed to slowly coax the machine up and onto the flatter blacktop.

As he got the car parked, he sighed and yawned. A sudden light coming on over the back door caught his attention as a lone figure came out of the door and down the ramp. Even bundled up and in snow boots, he could see those piercing blue eyes as they locked onto him. He managed to get his car door open just as Jacob walked up. As exhausted as he was, he was glad to be home again.

“Goddamnit, Kyle,” Jacob said in a harsh whisper. “You had me worried sick wondering where the fuck you were.”

“I’m sorry,” Kyle mumbled. As he stood up, he realized he didn’t have much strength left and immediately sat back in his seat. “Things went off the rails earlier.”

Jacob could hear him getting more and more fatigued. If he hadn’t been nearly terrified of what happened to him and Matt he’d probably be yelling at him right now. What mattered right now was that they were both safe. “Can you get up,” he asked, losing some of the harshness in his voice.

Kyle nodded but his eyes closed. “I need to get Matt. He’s asleep.”

“No,” Jacob said. “I will get Matt. You get your ass inside. I’ll get the rest later.” Without waiting for an argument, he went around the car to gently release Matt from his seat. He whispered gently to him as he held him close and hurried as fast as he could through the falling snow up into the house.

Kyle watched them disappear inside and slowly managed to get himself out of the car, leaning over to grab his dead cellphone before he finally closed the door and headed slowly up to the door. The short walk seemed tortuous after spending hours sitting in the car and he was freezing, only then realizing he hadn’t changed clothes from when he was at work so he was walking through four inches of snow in a suit and dress shoes which provided no protection. An hour or two ago he might have cared. Right now, he just wanted to lay down.

He got inside and into the kitchen as Jacob was coming back into the room. He saw Kyle and frowned in irritation. “Do I need to pick you up and carry you to bed?”

Kyle giggled softly and managed a smile. “That sounds kind of hot but I think I’m too tired to do anything about it.”

Jacob growled deep in his throat and put his arm around Kyle’s waist and got him moving again towards the stairs. “I’ll get you up there,” he muttered, “you can get undressed while I get your stuff out of your car. Fucking hell, Kyle, you’re freezing!”

“I just wanted to get here,” he said softly, feeling so sleepy. “I promised him we could have his birthday here. And then shit happened at work and that fucking dick of an attorney kept things going on and on and on and I couldn’t get out until after eight. And then there was snow and my phone died…”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Jacob said softly as he helped him into their room. “I’m just glad you’re safe.” Kyle’s eyes couldn’t stay open as he slumped down onto the bed. He leaned down slightly to get his shoes off and just opted to kick them off. Jacob watched him for a moment before sighing and heading back downstairs and outside to grab whatever was still in Kyle’s car. When he returned, Kyle was laying down across the middle of the bed on his back, his feet still on the floor. Shaking his head, a small smile appeared on his lips as he moved forward to start undressing his lover. He sat Kyle up, getting a small grunt from him as he got his suit jacket and tie removed. He kissed Kyle tenderly to keep him a little lucid as he continued undressing him.

“I missed you,” he whispered as he felt Jacob’s gentle hands unbutton his shirt.

“I missed you to,” Jacob replied with a small smile. After a little effort on Kyle’s part, he got him undressed down to his boxer briefs before pulling back the blankets and getting him under them. He collected the discarded clothes, hanging up the suit jacket and the tie before throwing the rest in the hamper for laundering later. He turned back to regard Kyle only to find him peacefully asleep. For a moment, he looked exactly the way he did the day they met. The lines of care and worry on his face were smoothed over and a look of contentment soothed his features. He studied the face closely, wanting to remember it for later when he had a chance to do some drawing.

Undressing himself he finally shut the light in the room off and carefully climbed into bed behind Kyle. Pulling the blankets over them both, he gently put one arm around Kyle and let their bodies cuddle together as they used to. He was himself tired from a long day and an even longer and stressful night but everything seemed to be as it should be. Closing his eyes, he kept a hold on Kyle who sighed once and pressed back against Jacob’s warm, reassuring body before a deep restful sleep claimed them both.

****

As his eyes slowly opened, the first thing Kyle noted was that he was laying in bed alone. The light streaming through the bedroom window was bright enough to let him know it was late morning. He attempted to focus his eyes as he looked over the room, finally seeing the clock on the nearby desk read nearly eleven in the morning. Kyle sat up and groaned as he rubbed his eyes to force himself awake. The first few thoughts going through his head was wondering what Matt had been up to all morning while he was asleep and who was watching him. He also wondered why Jacob didn’t wake him up earlier and what he was doing.

He got out of bed and went to the dresser to pull on a pair of jeans and a heavy shirt. Even in the warmth of the bedroom he could tell it was cold out. Once dressed, he headed out of his room and downstairs, listening for any sounds of activity.

He smiled just as he heard his son’s voice in the front room, obviously in a good mood. He moved to the doorway to peek inside and found him on the floor playing with Lego’s with Blake and Tanner. Their presence let him know that Andy and Brian no doubt were around somewhere in the house. Instead of interrupting their fun Kyle opted to head to the kitchen to see if there was any coffee left over from the morning.

His father was sitting at the table in the kitchen, looking at him as if he was expecting him. David’s face was set in a small, tight frown and Kyle immediately felt like a little kid again about to be chastised for something. “Good morning,” Kyle said to him as he moved over to the empty coffee pot causing a frown of his own to appear.

“What’s left of it,” David muttered, his eyes watching his son intently. “Sit down.” Kyle regarded his dad and realized that it wasn’t a joke. He was in trouble. He slowly sat down, keeping his eyes on his dad and tried to remain calm. For a moment he felt silly being concerned about what his dad was about to say. “What the hell were you thinking last night driving through a snowstorm past midnight,” he demanded in a hushed but obviously worried voice.

Kyle sighed and kept his calmer voice low. “I’m sorry I worried you and Jacob. It obviously wasn’t what I wanted to have happen. By the time I realized how bad it really was I was already too far gone to turn back.”

“The point is you shouldn’t have even tried!” David kept his voice measured but there was a hint of exasperation in it as well. No matter how old a child gets their parent still fears for their safety. “What if you had slid off the road? With no phone and Matt in the back seat? Jesus, Kyle! I don’t even wanna think about what might’ve happened.”

Kyle nodded his head, feeling foolish. “You’re right. And I’ll never do it again, I promise.”

His father sighed and gave him a unconvinced look. “Uh, huh. Just make sure you go out and buy a new phone charger today for your car.”

Kyle chuckled as he raised to his feet. “After I stop and get some coffee since no one thought of leaving any for me.”

“Four hour old coffee?” David gave him a half smirk as the light came back into his brown eyes. “You’d be crazy to even want it. Go into town and get some coffee and get a damn new charger for your car.” The old marine gave him one more playful glare before saying in a slightly harder tone. “Now.”

Kyle was mostly unaffected by his dad’s words but he understood that he had been genuinely afraid for him. Kyle gave him a salute and replied in a slightly mocking tone, “yes, sir,” before walking back out of the kitchen and upstairs to find a coat and proper shoes. David rolled his eyes and suppressed a smile. He was just happy that his boy was home. Getting up from his seat in the kitchen, he went to poke his head into the living room to check on the kids. It would be another couple hours before the birthday party started but he was overjoyed by the notion that he would get to celebrate it with his grandson.

Kyle came down the stairs and glanced at his father before heading out through the kitchen. He didn’t need to worry about Matt since he was safe at home so he just hurried out to get his errands done. It wasn’t long before he was driving through the same streets he had come into town on.

After stopping at a Starbucks to pick up a latte, he took a minute to decide where to go next. The morning was mostly gone at that point, enough that the snowplows had been out to clear the streets making it much easier to get around than it did in the early morning hours. On an impulse, he took the turn into town that lead him past the trailer park where Jacob used to live. As he drove past he saw that the area was completely empty. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. On one hand, it was something of a special memory for him. This was the place he used to pick up Jacob for school or to bring over to his house. It was the place where Jacob told him he loved him too. But it was also the place where Jacob was abused by his father. He drove on, ignoring the mix of emotions going through him, remembering what Jacob had said to him about leaving these things in the past where they belonged.

Parking his car in the lot at Walmart, Kyle sat there for a moment and finished drinking his coffee before heading in to get the new charger he promised his dad he would get and possibly some new clothes for Matt. Making his way through the clothing aisles, he picked up a couple packs of underwear, shirts and a couple new pairs of jeans for Matt that he can grow into. He moved through the store at a casual pace, feeling more relaxed than he had the day before.

Despite his relaxed feeling, his mind would occasionally drift back to his job and the case he was working on. It felt like a dark, ominous cloud stuck in the sky. He wished he knew a way to get through it quickly. In the last month he had only seen Jacob once when he had come to visit. It was great seeing him and Matt was overjoyed each time he got to spend time with Jacob. Their times together were mostly comfortable and fun. But seeing him leave made Kyle wish he could find it in himself to just walk away from his job and not look back. Only his sense of duty to the victim kept him going back to the office rather than running home for good. Eventually, he knew he would close this case and he could put a close to that part of his life. Still, he wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted to do after leaving the DA’s office.

“Kyle? Kyle Howard?” An inquisitive voice sounding somewhat familiar to his ears came from a few feet behind him. He turned to regard who had said his name and much to his surprise, it was Corey, the guy who was running the local gym on Labor Day weekend when Jacob had taken him on his surprise date.

“Oh, hi. How’s it going?” He smiled politely, giving him a cheerful voice.

The younger man chuckled as he replied casually, “I guess it depends on if Jacob is planning on interrupting another weekend for me or not.”

Kyle blinked and looked at him oddly. “Huh?! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Corey seemed unconcerned as he laughed and shrugged. “Well, after that last time he begged me to open the place up for a couple hours for the two of you, I figured if you were back in town he’d be wanting the same thing sometime soon on another of my days off.”

“Wait. The gym was closed that day?”

“Not to you two,” he grinned and patted Kyle’s shoulder. “He didn’t tell you?”

“No,” Kyle was stunned. Jacob had never given him any indication he had gone to such lengths to set that day up for the two of them.

“Oh,” Corey’s smile fading slightly, “well. Fuck. I figured he’d tell you. Are you two…?”

Kyle smirked and held up his hand, displaying the ring there. “Yeah. Getting married next year.”

“That’s awesome, dude.” Corey’s lips split open wide in a happy smile. “Congratulations. I hope I qualify for an invite to the wedding.”

Kyle laughed and nodded, “Definitely.”

“So, what brings you out here a week before Thanksgiving?”

“Oh, today is my son’s birthday and we wanted to come here to celebrate with our friends at my dad’s house,” he said.

“Oh, that’s neat! How old is he today?”

“Four,” he replied with a proud grin.

Corey’s smile nearly reflected Kyle’s own pride as he added, “yeah, I got one of them at home too. And a seven year old.” He snickered, “I guess if you actually lived here, our kids would be going to school together.”

“Well, that’s kind of the plan,” Kyle said simply.

“Oh, well, sounds like there’s a chance then.” He nodded cheerfully and then said, “hate to cut this short, but I gotta get going. My wife is waiting for me to get some stuff here and then head home. Was nice seeing you again, Kyle.”

“Was good to see you too,” he smiled. They gave each other a polite handshake and then went their separate ways, leaving him to ponder what he had just learned. At some point soon he would have to show Jacob his appreciation for going to the lengths he had for a chance for them to reconnect. Kyle kept his stay in the store brief after that but even then a few other people in town greeted him. It was all together an odd but pleasant situation. He never knew that many people in town before he left for college. He also noted that he never got that kind of reaction in Harrisburg unless it was a pack of reporters digging for information. As Kyle paid and made his way back out to his car he was walking out with more than just some clothes and a new car charger in a bag. He discovered he had more here than he ever thought he might have.

****

The party was winding down not long after the last rays of the sun were dipping below the the horizon and everyone, young and old, could safely say they all had a great day together. Kyle and his friends along with Matt and his friends had a good time playing games, laughing and telling old stories. While it was too cold outside to do much of anything, the adults made sure that the boys wanted for nothing and focused only on having a good time and making more memories together.

Kyle stood off to the side with a small grin on his face as he watched Matt and the other boys play with the new toys he had received. David was adamant that the Lego sets stay in the house, not wanting any of them to be lost. It was assumed that by the time Matt turned five they would be living here again full time so David wanted as much of Matt’s toys to remain here. In the back of his mind, he was going through all the things he needed to get done before that finally happened. Only one thing loomed in his mind. He wondered what, if any, miracles could be pulled off to get this job done sooner. Six months ago, this was the last place he thought he would be. Now, he didn’t want to be anywhere else.

“You still in there,” Jacob’s comforting voice asked, coming up behind him.

That was yet another surprise for Kyle. Not only to be back here but to feel this much love again. Never in a million years did he imagine ever getting to hear that voice with that affection directed at him. Of course, even back then, Jacob hadn’t been this confident. The fact that this wasn’t just his Jacob but a totally different Jacob at the same time filled him with a sense of excitement for their future. He leaned back against his lover slightly and said in a low voice, “yeah. Just daydreaming, I guess.”

“Sun went down a while back,” Jacob whispered and snuck a small kiss on Kyle’s neck. “Come be here with me.”

“This last month has been torture not be able to come back here or have you come visit,” he turned his head to look back into those captivating eyes he will never get tired of staring into.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said affectionately. “I’ve been trying to finish up some work before winter settled in. I’m almost done though. Then I can come be with you and Matt for the rest of the winter if you’d like.”

“If I’d like?” Kyle chuckled softly even as he felt Jacob’s arms go around his waist. “I guess I can put up with you for a couple of months.”

“Months? How about forty years,” he replied as his fingers danced over Kyle’s sides causing him to break out of Jacob’s grasp and yelp loud enough to get the attention of a few in the room.

Kyle fixed him with a vengeful glare but Jacob was to busy muffling his laughter under his hand to notice. “I just decided what I want for Christmas this year,” Kyle’s lips twitched up slightly as his glare lost most of its heat. “I want you to make me a big, thick, wooden paddle for me to beat your ass with.”

“What the…?” Liz turned her head to look back at them with an incredulous grin. “Keep your kinky ideas to yourselves, boys. There’s children present.” She nudged her husband who started to laugh softly.

Troy glanced back and said playfully, “I know you guys have a lot of catch up to do, but geez…” Liz giggled as he leaned in to kiss her cheek and loving run his hand over her large protuberance.

“Is that child ever coming out,” Kyle asked her playfully, having decided to just ignore their remarks.

Liz shrugged. “I suppose so at some point. She seems to be pretty content right where she is.”

“You’re still convinced it’s a girl,” Jacob stated as he stepped over to stand next to Kyle.

“That’s what the doctor said,” she replied dismissively, “he also said I have about four or five weeks to go.”

“Have you two settled on a name yet,” Kyle asked.

Troy nodded with a shit-eating grin. “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

“What’s this rumor I hear about you two planning on having another baby,” Liz asked with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous grin.

Jacob grumbled under his breath, “Brian…”

Kyle gave him an annoyed glance before looking back at Troy and Liz. “We’ve been talking about it. It’s not as easy to do for us as it is for you.”

“Yeah,” Liz said with a smirk, “just don’t come asking me. This fetal factory is closing down for good as soon as this one is delivered.”

Jacob and Kyle just chuckled at her response. “I think we want a honeymoon first before we decide on a second kid,” Kyle said. “So, you’re pretty safe for now.”

“Actually,” Jacob looked to Kyle, “I was thinking about… asking Stephanie.”

“Stephanie?! Why?”

Jacob sighed and shrugged. “I dunno. I just figured… if we had two kids, at least they’d have the same mother, even if she wasn’t around.”

Troy and Liz looked back and forth between the two men, curiously. “We’ll discuss this later,” Kyle said. “Let’s focus on the boy we have now, huh?”

As they walked away to join Matt on the floor, Liz said in a low voice to her husband, “you have really weird friends.”

“Yup,” he said, nodding with a satisfied smirk. “And a weird wife, so…”

She laughed and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

****

The radio was playing softly in the truck as Brian sat quietly, staring out the passenger window. He was smiling a little to himself. Once in awhile, Andy would start to hum a little to the music and it gave Brian a little grin. He wasn’t some unknown singing sensation but it showed Brian just how relaxed Andy was. He felt only just a little guilty that they left Tanner and Blake behind at the house after Matt’s birthday party. Andy had sort of hinted at the idea to give them a night to themselves. While their relationship together was pretty well known among their friends and a few others, Brian felt they were still in a sort of “dating phase” where they wanted or really needed to spend quality alone time together.

It seemed a silly notion but he felt bad leaving the kids behind. In the past few months he hadn’t spent more than a day away from his boys. Brian’s mouth pulled down slightly in a frown as he silently asked himself exactly when he started to think of them as “his boys?” He became so involved in turning that puzzle over in his mind that it was a couple minutes before he noticed he wasn’t seeing the usual houses they went past on their way home.

“Where are we going,” Brian looked over to ask his mate.

Andy’s lips tugged up slightly in a smug little smirk as he said in his deep casual voice, “you’ll see in a minute.”

Brian gave him a playful glare as he quipped, “I knew it was only a matter of time before you decided to bump me off…”

Andy laughed slightly but said nothing more as he drove down a street on the east side of town. It was a few more minutes before he saw what he was looking for and he turned the wheel slightly as he slowed the truck to a careful stop on the somewhat icy street. Brian looked around curiously. He hadn’t been to this part of town in a long time. Possibly when he was at a party at a classmate’s house with Andy and the others back in school. Andy shut the engine off before wordlessly getting out and hurrying around to the other side of the truck to open Brian’s door. “Come on,” he said with a grin.

Brian got out of the truck and looked around the unfamiliar area as he muttered warily, “what are we doing here?”

“There’s something I want your opinion on,” he replied as he motioned with his head for Brian to follow.

Brian watched for a second as Andy headed up a driveway towards a darkened house. He followed him, warily, keeping his eyes on Andy as he followed him up the concrete steps towards the front door. Curiosity overcame caution when Andy reached in his pocket for a key and slid it into the lock of the front door. Andy stepped inside the house and reached over to turn a light on just as Brian stepped into the doorway. The light revealed an empty front room with the walls in a stark white color. It was much larger than their own living room. Neary as big as the entire house they lived in now.

A sudden thought dawned on Brian as he turned to look at Andy. “What have you done?”

Andy chuckled and looked around the room as he stood next to his best friend. “I haven’t done anything yet. Like I said, I was wanting you opinion.”

“Uh huh.” He looked over at him, letting him know he wasn’t convinced.

“Oh, come on,” Andy said with a little playful exasperation. “Let’s take a look around.”

Brian kept his eyes on Andy, noting the playful gleam in his eyes as he walked past him and further into the house. He took a look at the kitchen which was as big as the Howard’s. The appliances looked old but durable. Between the two rooms there were two short sets of stairs, one going up and the other going down. Reaching for the light switch at the stairs, he turned on the light to the room that went down the small flight of stairs into another room that was just as big as the front room. There was a front window looking out onto the driveway and a door on the other end that lead presumably into the back yard. He took a long look around and did his best to ignore Andy standing on the stairs watching him. As he turned to inspect the room, he noticed yet another set of stairs that went still further down.

Descending those stairs brought him to a small room with a finished basement floor. It was small but functional and could be used for just about anything. There were two additional doors in the basement, one leading to a laundry room with the furnace and a laundry basin along with a newer model washing machine and matching dryer. He glanced back, seeing Andy lurking just in the doorway, wearing that smug little half-smirk of his. If he didn’t love him so much, Brian was tempted to smack it off his face. The mental image made him smile mischievously as he moved out of the laundry room past Andy who helpfully hit a light switch before opening the other door in the basement which lead into a much bigger basement room. Now Brian was impressed. The ceiling was relatively low but the sheer size of the room compensated for it greatly. This room could be anything they wanted it to be and the temperature would stay mostly stable throughout the year. There were small windows at the tops of the walls indicating where ground level was.

They stood there for a moment looking around before Andy finally tapped his shoulder and said in a soft voice, “come upstairs,” before holding out his hand to Brian in invitation.

Brian took his hand, immediately breaking into a smile as Andy retraced their steps back to the kitchen before going up the steps Brian had ignored earlier. “It’s about 1,900 square feet. I figure it might be enough space for all of us.”

“You bought it,” Brian asked him.

Andy nodded. “Two days ago. We’ll close on it at the end of the month and then can start moving in.”

“How are we going to afford it?”

Andy replied casually, “the mortgage payments are less than the rent we’re paying now. It’s not an issue.” He continued leading Brian up to the top floor, pointing out the hallway bathroom and then the two bedrooms that faced the front of the house. Coming to the last door in the hallway, he opened it up and reached in to turn the light on. “This is the master bedroom.”

Brian walked in, amazed at the size of it. Twice the size of the bedroom they were sharing now, it had a closet to one side and two additional doors. Brian looked at Andy curiously who just shrugged and grinned. Brian cast him a baleful frown before going to the first door and opening it to find a second closet big enough to walk into. Satisfied with his find, he moved to the other door and discovered another bathroom big enough for the two of them and one more. The floor was marble tile and the walls looked fresh and new. The tub and shower looked new as well.

He stood there for a moment, taking it all in. He figured Andy spent the money his brother gave him on this. He also felt a little disgruntled that Andy would make such a big decision without his input first. The thought made him a little angry as he turned and walked back into the empty bedroom. “Well,” he said a little harsher than usual as his arms crossed over his chest, “I’m not sure what you wanted my opinion on since you already bought it.”

Andy’s smile faltered for a moment as he asked in a hurt voice, “you don’t like it?”

“Yes, I like it,” Brian said, getting frustrated. “I just don’t know why you felt like you needed to not tell me about it. I thought we were going to decide on stuff like this together.”

“Well,” Andy looked down at the floor and kept his voice subdued, “I haven’t signed anything yet. There’s still time to back out if I have too.”

Brian sighed, knowing yelling right now would just make a bad situation worse. “No. I do like it. There’s a lot of potential here and there’s enough space for the boys to run around and not kill themselves or us. It’s great. Really. I just… I just feel like I was left out of it.”

“Brian,” he sighed and took a step towards him, “I wanted to surprise you. That’s all.”

Brian’s chest shook slightly in surprised laughter as he shook his head. “Always one for surprises. You wanted my opinion on it, so that’s my opinion, I guess.”

“Oh, that’s not what I wanted your opinion on.” Andy’s voice changed slightly, sounding more like himself. A little too much like himself. Brian’s eyes narrowed a little as he sensed a trap.

Andy’s head raised to look right into Brian’s eyes and in that instant Brian knew a trap had been sprung on some elaborate scheme Andy had concocted. “Oh, sweet Jesus, what else could there be?” His hands gripped his biceps to control a sense of excitement and fear that his life just changed more than he could have guessed.

“Oh...” Andy shrugged as he stepped up to Brian, looking nonchalant so much that Brian didn’t believe it for a second. “The way I see it, it’ll be me, you, Tanner and Blake all living together in this house. And this is a lot bigger than what we got now. The house I’ve been renting for the past seven years was made mostly for a single person or at best a couple with one kid. And, truth be told, there’s not a lot of good memories up until the last couple months that made me wanna stay there any more than I had too.”

Andy stared into Brian’s eyes who looked like a trapped animal. Andy kept his best face in place as he kept talking. “But, this house? Well, this is a house for a family, really. Two big rooms to watch tv or play video games, a big basement that I have no idea what we’ll do with and that’s not saying anything about the big patio out back or the three big bedrooms which are huge compared to what we have now. So, I think, if we’re going to do this… If we’re going to commit to live here with the four of us, as a family, then I think it should only make sense that we actually are a family.”

Brian suddenly felt his stomach flip as he watched in a mix of shock and amazement as Andy got down on one knee in front of him, still looking up at him. Those green eyes gazing up at him, looking proud but also sad and nervous. He managed to whimper out, “oh, fuck,” before he entirely lost the ability to speak.

“Brian...” Andy paused and gathered his strength. He already felt a wetness creeping into his eyes so he knew he had to be quick. “You have been my best friend for as long as I can remember. You mean more to me than my own life and I would gladly sacrifice it for you if I ever had too.” His voice trembled slightly as he finished, “Brian… I can’t imagine a day of my life without you. So, really, what I’m asking for your opinion is if you would want to marry me?” He bit his lower lip and suddenly remembered to reach into his pocket and pull out the ring he had had in his pocket all day long.

Brian always prided himself on his ability to keep cool in just about any situation. He only ever cried that one time when Andy left for the marine corps and he convinced himself the only reason he had was because he hadn’t been prepared for it. He didn’t cry or weep when his parents kicked him out of their house and their lives. Never once did he cry when he thought he had lost Andy forever when he got married. This time, he was completely unprepared. His hands instantly covered his face as a sudden sob burst out of his mouth. He wanted to speak but he found no breath to speak. All he could think about is how much he loved Andy and how he was never sure if this would ever happen. He blinked back the tears in his eyes and pointedly ignored the ones that had already fallen down his face as he looked down at the most beautiful person in the world and nodded his head as he whispered, “yes.”

Andy instantly sprung to his feet and wrapped his arms around his love and held him as he kissed a trail from his cheek and down to his neck. He had felt confident until he saw Brian’s angry face and had wondered if he had taken it too far. “I love you so much, baby,” he managed to say between kisses.

Brian laughed through his tears. “Thank God.” They managed to get themselves together and shared a soft smile as Andy took Brian’s hand and gently slid the ring into place on his hand. “So,” he said softly, “how long did you have this planned?”

“Awhile. The house and all just the past few weeks. Wanting to propose to you… Well, I think that’s been going through my head since I was in the marines. Sorry it took me so long to finally work up the courage to ask.” He leaned his forehead against Brian’s.

“It was worth the wait.” Brian didn’t trust his voice to stay level any longer so he leaned in and gave Andy the kiss he deserved for all his efforts.

****

By the time the sun rose on Thanksgiving, Kyle felt more rested than he had since before he left for college. He did what he promised and not brought any of his work with him on this trip. There were occasional phone calls from Mike from time to time but he mostly ignored it and spent his time with his family. The longer he was away it seemed the more alive he looked to his father and Jacob. He spent the day with Matt and whoever else there was at the house, playing games inside and helping his dad out outside. His nights were for he and Jacob alone. Each evening spent together brought them closer to each other. The easy, care-free love of two young teenagers had become tempered with maturity and their new found appreciation for each other.

With the snowfall on his way home and the light dusting that they got a few days after, he and Jacob had both gotten a decent exercise shoveling the driveway all the way up to the house, making sure it stayed clear for the expected visitors for the holiday. Throughout the week they had engaged Matt, Blake and Carter in snowball fights and building snow forts. Kyle had to go out and buy Matt all new winter gear since the coat and boots from last year were still at the townhouse and he figured Matt wouldn’t be able to fit into any of it anyway. He felt no guilt going out and buying the cheapest clothes he could get knowing that by summer it would all be too small for him.

Stephanie had arrived the night before and was already being made welcome by David. Despite her initial reserve when she was first invited, she began to relax and enjoy herself once she was unpacked and got to spend time with David and a much more relaxed Kyle than she ever knew in the past. Kyle’s father was his usual outgoing self and she felt comfortable with him as they talked and joked together. “I’m starting to feel like I missed out not coming with you sooner,” she had remarked to Kyle as they were sitting together that night before bed.

Kyle snickered and said, “well, Dad loves visitors and like I said, you gave him his grandson so I doubt he’d ever kick you out if you just showed up on your own.”

When Kyle awoke on that Thursday, he felt Jacob’s strong, protective arm laying over him and his soft peaceful breathing lightly caressing the hair on his chest . Even that simple act gave him a greater appreciation for being home with him. Over the past three months, their relationship had surpassed what it used to be. After facing down their own worries, fears and guilt, they found a deeper and more honest love for each other. What was left between them was a peace as simple and as beautiful as that rhythmic breathing slowly flowing over him.

He found it endearing that after all these years Jacob still slept nearly flat on his stomach with his legs and arms splayed out and his head resting comfortably on Kyle’s chest. In that respect, it almost made him feel like they were just teenagers again, finding and enjoying innocent love for the first time. Almost. Unfortunately, it was going to be a busy day and they had work to do.

Kyle’s hand moved up and down Jacob’s back gently as he turned his head slightly and whispered, “wake up. We have a big day ahead of us.”

Jacob gave a small whine as his arm over Kyle’s body tightened slightly. “Mmm… Do we have to?”

He broke into a wide smile as he chuckled before kissing Jacob’s head tenderly. “I’m afraid so, dear. But, it will be a fun day. As soon as you get up.”

Jacob slowly raised his head to look up into Kyle’s eyes. “Have I ever told you I love your eyes?”

A little surprise registered on his face as he replied, “actually no, you haven’t.”

“Well, I do,” he said with a seriousness in his voice that it touched Kyle. “I should tell you stuff like that more often but it always seemed silly to me that I should say something like that.”

“You know I love your eyes to, right,” he asked with a more gentle voice. “They used to make me go all weak kneed whenever you looked at me.”

Jacob gave out a small groan as he lifted himself up and out of the bed, looking for something to put on. “I knew you liked staring into my eyes. Made me feel special in a way back then.”

Kyle laid there, unabashedly watching Jacob’s naked body move across the room. He knew he’d never get tired of looking at him. “Well, there we have it then. Good thing we’re getting married. This time next year, you’ll be Jacob Howard, waking up on Thanksgiving day in our master suite that you built and designed yourself.”

Jacob pulled out a pair of boxer briefs and pulled them on before finding a pair of jeans. “You gonna lay there staring at my ass all day or are you gonna get up and spend the day with me?”

Kyle laughed and hopped out of bed to join him in getting dressed. “You probably already know which one of those choices I would have taken.”

He chuckled as he slipped on a shirt, making sure the sleeves went all the way down to his wrists. Catching Kyle’s eye as he watched his tone body disappear slowly as Kyle buttoned up the shirt he chose for the day. After they finished dressing, Jacob slowly stepped up to him, staring into his brown eyes before leaning in to give him a soft and loving kiss. “I’m so in love with you,” he said.

“And I never stopped loving you,” Kyle replied just as quietly. “Always and forever.” They shared one more quiet, intimate moment before opening the bedroom door and heading downstairs to get the day started.

By late morning, the house had started filling up. The sounds of boys playing and the sound of friends standing around talking filled the home with the kind of atmosphere David loved most. He and Jacob were spending the majority of their time in the kitchen, preparing the turkey and everything else for the day’s meal. They expected a large turnout for the day. His boys and their families were all expected to make an appearance. David gave way to Jacob as far as the actual turkey was concerned but insisted on doing most of the other work but Jacob won out on a few skirmishes and made sure David didn’t overdo it. He roped Kyle into preparing the table for later and keeping the kids out of the kitchen.

Andy and Brian had been the first arrivals followed by Nate. Soon after, Troy arrived with Liz and his family. He had to help her into the house, explaining that she had been having some discomfort earlier that morning but was determined to be there and enjoy herself. David went out of his way to make sure she was comfortable and Stephanie offered to help Kyle with the kids to keep them occupied. Once Sam arrived, it looked like everyone who David expected was there. He hurried to get everything ready and on the table while Jacob was giving the turkey a final check.

No one had seen much of Andy and Brian throughout the week and Kyle was the first to notice the subtle change in their attitude as he was sitting across from them in the living room while they were watching the football game. Maybe it was his own relatively recent change in his own life that tipped him off. He noticed the two of them seemed more comfortable together and seemingly unconcerned showing their affection in front of everyone else. It wasn’t long after he noticed their new closeness that he also noted the ring on Brian’s finger. His first thought was, “why haven’t they told anyone yet?” Maybe they needed a little help. Kyle grinned to himself and then helpfully nudged Nate sitting next to him. “Hey, Nate.”

The older man tore his attention away from the screen to look at Kyle. When Kyle pointed across the room, his eyes followed, seeing his brother and his boyfriend lounging together peacefully. He wasn’t sure what it was Kyle found so amusing. He watched for another second before looking back at Kyle and asking, “so?”

He sighed and lifted his left hand, pointing to the ring on his finger and back at the couple. “Brian’s hand,” he whispered helpfully.

Nate looked over again. That’s when he saw the ring on Brian’s finger. “What the hell…?”

Having confirmation that Nate knew nothing about it until now, Kyle felt more justified in speaking up. “Hey, Troy,” he called over in a full voice. “Ask Brian where he got his bling.”

Andy and Brian both looked at Kyle like he just fell out of the sky as Troy sat up and asked, “what? What bling? Show me, Bri.”

“Well, there’s one surprise down the drain,” Brian said with a disappointed frown.

“Yeah, nevermind that. Who else knows,” Kyle asked with a smirk.

“Well, everyone in here now,” Andy shot back but his smile grew a little.

“When did this happen exactly,” Liz asked as she looked over with an amused grin.

“Last Saturday,” Brian replied, “when he showed me our new house.”

“Your new house!?” Troy’s shocked voice rang through the room. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Well we were going to later,” Andy said, trying to make light of it.

“What the hell is going on in here,” David’s voice entered the conversation as he stepped into the doorway.

“Nothing,” Steph quipped with a grin. “Just a bunch of drama.”

“I thought we were over this, Kyle,” his father said in a slightly amused tone.

“Not me this time,” he shook his head, “it’s those two over there.”

“That’s not surprising. The tables are ready, how about we all head into the dining room and we can get it all settled there.” His pronouncement made, David turned and left the room. There was some good natured ribbing as everyone slowly started to get up. Kyle got the boys to follow him into the kitchen where the kids would be eating. It took a couple minutes before Kyle and Jacob got the children settled in to join everyone else at the dining room table, bringing in the choice cuts of the turkey along with everything else that was set on the table.

After everyone was seated and food was being passed around, David raised his voice a little from his seat at the head of the table. “So, what was going on a couple minutes ago that I missed?”

Kyle and the others looked over at Andy and Brian, waiting. Andy looked down at his plate shyly as his usual half-smirk lifted one side of his face. “Well, since there might be one or two of you that might not know yet, last weekend Brian and I bought a house. We’ll be moving in next week so you all are invited to come see the place.”

“I think it’s the other part we wanna hear about more,” Troy said as he looked across the table to his two best friends.

“Oh,” Brian said innocently. “You mean this?” He lifted up his left hand and showed everyone at the table the diamond ring.

Jacob looked at Kyle almost in faux disbelief before looking back at Brian. “What’s that for?” He couldn’t hold back a silent chuckle as he watched Brian’s reaction.

Brian narrowed his eyes, giving him a playful little smirk. “Oh, nothing important. He just asked me to marry him.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little fast,” Liz asked before she took a bite of her turkey.

“That’s a good point.” Andy quipped. “Let’s ask the experts. Jacob, Kyle, do ya’ll think me and Brian are taking things just a little too quickly?”

Jacob and Kyle both laughed and replied in unison, “no,” which brought a pleasant laugh around the table.

After it died down, David finally took over. “Now that we’ve had our fun, I want to first off thank all of you for being here. This is a great day to spend with friends and family and I feel blessed to have what I feel is the best in both those respects. Forty-five years ago, I guess you could say this all started when I was in school and met Sam, one of my best friends along with others with us. Despite me being two years younger than him and the others, we became great friends together just like the rest of you are here today. I am thankful that we have so many things to celebrate today. Not one but two marriages between best friends who have each in their own way trod down rough paths, sometimes together, sometimes alone, and have managed to find each other again.

“I am thankful for the new editions to this large, unconventional family we all seem to have stumbled into. My grandson Matthew, his mother Stephanie and the newest child that we have yet to meet but will soon, thanks to Elizabeth and Troy. I am thankful to have Nate at my table for the first time in quite awhile and I hope it isn’t the last and I am very thankful for my friend Sam being here today as well.” He paused for a moment and looked around at all of them, seeing them looking to him. “I want everyone here to just remember that those bonds that tie us all together are what make us a family. It’s not just blood or marriage or anything else. You are all my sons and daughters. My brothers. My friends. Don’t forget that when you leave here today.” His smile widened as he finished, “ok then, everyone congratulate Andy and Brian and then eat up.”

Everyone at the table gave a friendly applause and wished the new couple the best before everyone started passing around bowls of mashed potatoes, corn and stuffing. Two plates stacked with turkey meat were soon emptied as everyone started in on their plates. David complimented Jacob on his efforts on the main dish as he ate. Conversations started up around the full table talking about the upcoming holidays, Kyle and Jacob’s wedding plans and other topics. When Kyle looked around the table he saw Stephanie in a lively conversation with Liz and Nate who were chuckling and sharing their own stories with her. Sam was at the other end of the table talking and smiling with his son and Brian sitting to his other side. The three of them seemed to be trading jokes and barbs. Occasionally Andy would add something on his own. Kyle smiled, feeling warm inside thinking about what his dad had called them all earlier. “An unconventional family.” He couldn’t find a better word to describe what he saw.

Across the hall in the kitchen, five young boys sat around a smaller table, eating their food. Matt sat between Blake and Carter (his two new best friends) while the older two sat next to each other on the other side of the table. “If Uncle Jacob marries Uncle Kyle, does that mean he’s your daddy too,” Carter asked curiously as he stuffed a roll in his mouth.

Matt nodded his head. “That’s what my daddy told me.”

“How’re they gonna know who you’re calling when you scream ‘daaaaaaady?’” Chase laughed jokingly. Matt was a little intimidated by Chase the first time they met but he’s gotten to like him along with the others.

Matt giggled. “I dunno.”

Blake looked over at his older brother and asked, “does that mean Brian is gonna be our daddy too?”

Tanner shrugged, “ask Dad. I think so though. Would be nice. He’s fun and they laugh a lot.” Blake smiled and nodded in agreement. Tanner looked over at Matt. “Hey, if they get married, where will you live?”

Matt replied, “here. Daddy wants to live here.”

Blake grinned with his bright green eyes shining. “Then we can be friends forever.”

Matt laughed and said. “Yeah. Forever.”