A Decision for Jarren - 24. Chapter 24

Late Wednesday morning Jarren’s phone chirped with an incoming text. He rolled off of Nash who was just starting to stir, and reached for his phone. It was from Lex. He and Ian were heading to the airport to fly to Boston. Ryan had gotten them a slot on the docket for the following morning to have them appointed as Liam’s temporary foster parents. Jarren told Nash, then shot back a quick reply thanking Lex again and needlessly reminded to him to call as soon as everything was taken care of on their end. Lex assured him he would. Wow, that was fast! It was really nice to have friends that were connected to the right people.

Putting his phone down and rolling back over to snuggle into Nash again, Jarren greeted his fiance with a kiss, which Nash returned. They both had asses that were sore, but in a good kind of way.

“So, what do you want to tackle today?” Nash asked Jarren.

“I think maybe we should go get some boxes and pack up some of your stuff. We really need to get up to my house so we can get it ready for Liam. Why don’t we stay here through the weekend? After we hear from Lex tomorrow we can get the movers scheduled. We can tell Liam on Friday and ask John if he can spend the weekend with us. I’ll find out if Lex can get a plane for us on Monday. I’ll just have to bite the bullet. I’m pretty sure John said Liam only has two weeks left of school after this one. We’ll have to see if John would be willing to fly with Liam up to Hartford once he’s out of school so we’ll have to get those plane tickets arranged.” Jarren rambled on.

Nash snickered. Jarren had barely taken a breath between sentences and Nash could practically see the wheels spinning in his head. “How about we start with some breakfast? Or rather lunch. Is it really almost noon?”

Jarren looked at his phone again and grinned, “Yup,” he confirmed, and then rolled out of bed, strode across the room buck naked, tight ass on display and opened Nash’s drawers. He pulled out two pair of boxer briefs and rummaging through the other drawers, also grabbed two pair of gym shorts and a couple of t-shirts. They wore the same size so Jarren had just thrown his stuff in with Nash's when he had moved out of Danny's place. The biggest difference in their build was that his shoulders were a little broader and Nash’s ass bubbled out more than his. He loved the sight of it.

Jarren tossed a set of clothes in Nash’s direction and then sauntered into the bathroom to take care of business before he got dressed. When he was done, Nash was standing on the side of the bed, propped up on his crutches pulling up the shorts. He crutch hopped over to the bathroom to take care of his own needs.

Jarren helped him get a clean compression sock over his stump. The swelling was nearly gone and the incision had left a straight, raised scar across the end. It had faded from red to a deep pink as it healed nicely. Nash slid the gel sock on as well and took the temporary prosthetic and pushed his stump into the molded plastic. The prosthetic wasn’t much to look at, plastic and metal, with a generic white sneaker tied neatly to the end of it. It wasn’t made for full weight bearing, but rather for Nash to get used to having something rubbing against the sensitive skin where his foot once was.

They needed to find a prosthetist as well as a new orthopedic doctor for Nash as soon as they could. Dr. Bryant was optimistic that Nash could start learning how to walk with an artificial foot soon. Jarren made yet another mental note, this one to call Seth. He probably knew someone in Boston and Jarren wanted someone they could trust and be comfortable with. Boston had some of the best doctors in the country and if they had to commute a couple of hours each way, so be it. Jarren knew it wouldn’t be a problem for them to find a physical therapist in the greater Springfield area to work with, but he wanted the best when it came to Nash’s ability to walk comfortably again. Besides, he knew that Liam would need an excellent orthopedic doctor and prosthetist as well. John had told them that Liam’s balance was improving and they were hopeful that his inner ears would heal completely. As long as he overcame his balance issues he too, could start on the road to walking again.

The guys decided to have brunch and stopped at IHOP. Coffee, pancakes, eggs and bacon were the sustenance that would get them through the afternoon. They finished eating and set of to accomplish several items on their to-do list that they had written out. They decided to go to Walmart even though neither one of them liked going in there. They bought boxes of different sizes, packing tape, a roll of paper, some bubble wrap and a couple of sharpies. They picked up a few groceries as well, not wanting to eat out for every meal for the few remaining days they would be there.

The furniture and major appliances came with the bungalow so Nash and Jarren would just have to pack mostly clothes and a few odds and ends that he had accumulated. There were a few framed pictures that Nash had bought and most of the small kitchen appliances were his as well.

Once they were back at the house, Nash sat on the couch and assembled the boxes they had purchased. Jarren brought a bunch into the kitchen, several for the bedroom and two for the bathroom. They started in the kitchen, Nash sat at the table and wrapped the glassware and plates, placing them carefully in the boxes, leaving a few of everything for them to use for the weekend. They kept two saucepans and one frying pan out and boxed up the rest. The same was true of the silverware and utensils, everything packed except for the bare necessities. All of the small appliances, save the coffee maker were boxed up as well. Much of what they were packing up Nash had decided to donate. Jarren had mostly new stuff at his house and they really didn’t need two toasters. There were a few things that you could always use multiples of, blenders and crock pots came in quite handy at party times.

Jarren held his breath as he cleaned out the fridge, throwing out all the expired and moldy food. He just gave the inside a quick wipe down, he would thoroughly scrub it out before they left. He opened a large box of baking soda and set it in the fridge for the time being to help absorb the lingering odor of decomposing aliens.

When they finished with the kitchen Jarren set a chair right outside the bathroom and Nash sat in it with a couple of boxes in front of him. They used the same method, keeping out only what they needed for the weekend, packing everything else.

Last they tackled the bedroom which would be mostly clothes. Jarren pulled stuff out of the closet and drawers while Nash folded them and packed the boxes, leaving enough clothes to last them for about a week. The bedding that they had nearly destroyed last night was clean and dry. Jarren put it in one of the bags they had designated for donation. His bed at home was a king and they both figured any new tenants would want their own bedding. The owner always bought a new mattress whenever the place changed hands and the current tenant had been there for at least three years.

Jarren went into the closet and spied a box that had been tucked back in the corner. He picked it up and brought it over to Nash. “Hey, is this something that you need to keep?”

Nash looked up and several emotions crossed his face before settling on a happy smile. “Those are Juju’s memories. C’mere, let me show you.”

Jarren brought the box over to Nash and sat down on the bed next to him. Nash took the box gently, still smiling.

“For the longest time I couldn’t bring myself to look in here. Now that I have you in my life it doesn’t make me sad or depressed to look at it anymore. I haven’t looked inside since I put the box there when I moved in. I’m not sure I remember exactly what I kept.” Nash said.

Jarren placed his hand over Nash’s which lay on the top of the box. ”You don’t have to do this. I can just pack it up. If you want?” Jarren offered.

“No, I want to see what’s in here again. I want you to see it too. Juju’s gone, but she’ll always be in my heart, and my heart doesn’t hurt as much.” Nash told him.

They scooted up so that their backs were cushioned by the pillows up against the headboard. Nash held the box between his knees and slowly untucked the flaps to reveal the contents. He pulled out the first item on top. It was a stuffed lamb, the yellow ribbon around its neck was faded. The lamb was wearing pink underwear.

Nash smiled and told Jarren "This is Nuh-night Lamb. I bought it when she was born. She went everywhere with us. When Julia started wearing 'big girl's' underwear, Nuh-night Lamb had to wear them too." He chuckled at the memory.

He pulled out the identification wristband that Julia was wearing in the hospital when she passed away. He pulled out another band, somewhat smaller, it was the one she had when she was born.

Next were pictures of Julia at various stages from newborn to her third birthday. Some of the early pictures had been cut so that only Julia, or Julia and Nash were showing. “I cut Kyle out of those pictures. I didn’t want his face ruining the memory.” Nash explained.

There were a lot of pictures. Julia had been a pretty little girl. She had dark hair and blue eyes that were a miniature version of Nash’s. Several of the pictures showed a bald version of the girl, but she was still pretty, almost every shot showed a bright smile or an impish grin. A pretty redhead was featured in several of the photos and Nash identified her as Lauren. They sifted through them one by one, Nash telling Jarren the story behind each one. There was one in particular of Nash holding Julia in his arms, bundled up in a poofy, pink down jacket, a matching pink knit hat with a pink and white pom pom on top. They were looking out at the rolling waves of the ocean forever frozen in the moment they crashed upon the shore. Julia was pointing and her face was caught mid-laugh, baby teeth gleaming in the sunlight. The look of love on Nash’s face was more than evident, his own eyes reflecting his daughter’s glee.

“It had stormed the day before that picture was taken. Juju wanted to see the seals that congregated on the rocks just off the shore. It was still windy, but the sun had finally come out. Lauren caught that shot just as a seal had jumped out of the water and Juju was delighted. I’d almost forgotten about this. It was one of those rare days when Julia was just a little girl, not a little girl with brain tumors.” Nash recalled.

“Nash, we can get some frames for these pictures if you’d like. You can put them wherever you want. The house will be yours too.” Jarren told him. Nash nodded and put the pictures aside for the moment.

There was a ziplock plastic bag that contained several locks of dark curls. Nash’s eyes softened as he opened the bag and stroked the locks gently with one finger. Jarren was awed with his composure. After a moment Nash sealed the baggie again and set it with the photos.

Nash pulled out a faded yellow shirt that had a big ladybug on the front. It had been Julia’s favorite, she tried to wear it everyday. Nash told Jarren that it had been bright yellow when she got it for her 3rd birthday, but had faded to a soft yellow from all the washings it had gone through. The lady bug was pink and gray rather than red and black.

At the bottom of the box was a paper folded in half. Nash gingerly unfolded it to reveal a child’s crayon drawing. Two lopsided stick figures, one tall and one short stood side by side. Black spiky hair stuck out in all directions from the bigger stick figure and the smaller figure had no hair. Both faces had smiles that took up most of their misshapen alien-like heads. The stick figures looked like they were holding hands, the crayon slash mark fingers were intertwined. Green scribbles indicated that they were standing on grass. The grass was dotted with different colored blobs that might pass for flowers. A huge yellow sun, not exactly circular, hung above their heads.

Now Nash had tears in his eyes. As he pulled his gaze away from the drawing one slipped down his cheek as he locked his eyes onto Jarren’s blue ones, glistening with his own tears.

Nash smiled wistfully and admitted “This is probably my most treasured possession. Julia drew this for me right before she declined so rapidly. She said it was me and her and we would always be together. Forever.”

Jarren wiped the single tear that had fallen down Nash’s cheek and then kissed him gently. Nash’s smile grew brighter as he stated, “I’m going to have this framed. This and the picture of us at the beach. I’m ready now. Thank you.”

Jarren just kissed him again. Together they carefully put away all of the mementos and sealed the box with tape. It was put in the corner with the few boxes that they were taking with them on Monday. They had decided to ship the rest of whatever they packed up. A transportation company would send a couple of guys to come and pick up the boxes that needed to be shipped on Monday morning and delivered to Jarren’s house on Wednesday.

Lex had arranged a private plane for them for a mid-afternoon flight. Maddie had offered to come out and scrub out the fridge and make sure the floors were swept and everything was clean before turning the keys over to the landlord for them. Jarren had even warned her about the aliens that had died and she just laughed. When they were done with the packing they had fifteen boxes of various sizes that would be shipped, and five, including Juju’s, would come with them on the private plane. Maddie and Jeff would also deliver Jarren’s truck to the company that would haul it up to Massachusetts on a carrier later in the week. He’d be without wheels for a few days, but he knew he could always borrow one of his Dad’s work trucks.

That night Jarren fixed a simple stir fry in one of the remaining frying pans, sauteeing chicken with carrots, onions,snow peas, zucchini, and cauliflower, drizzling an oriental sesame dressing over it for some added flavor. Served over a bed of boil-in-bag rice it was a nice change from the heavier meals they had been eating lately.

Thursday was another day of tying up loose ends. Nash called and arranged for the electric and water/sewer to be transferred back to the owners of the house. He cancelled his internet service effective Monday. He went online to notify the postal service and get his mail forwarded as well. He also went online and changed his address for his cell phone and credit cards. He decided to hold off on the bank as he would probably just open an account with Jarren’s bank up in Massachusetts. Jarren used a credit union and had told him they could open a joint account as well as keep a separate one if he was OK with those plans. It made sense to Nash.

Lex called right before noon to let them know that they had been granted foster care of Liam. Jarren and Nash were overjoyed. Lex also told them that Mazen would come and take a look at the house and let them know what, if any modifications would be needed to accommodate Liam’s wheelchair. Jarren didn’t think much would be needed, Lex and Ian had a pretty simple floor plan, he figured they could install some temporary ramps and the guest bathroom door might need to be widened slightly, but he doubted it. Liam’s chair was kid sized and therefore narrower than a standard adult chair so standard doorways shouldn’t present any issues. They would figure it all out once they got up there.

John also called and confirmed their plans to come and get Liam after he was home from school the next day. John was letting them keep him overnight Friday and Saturday. Nash’s couch was a sleeper and it was low enough that Liam should be able to easily transfer himself using his sliding board. His wheelchair would be a tight fit in the small bathroom, but they were certain they could manage for two days. Liam still didn’t know about any of their plans and they couldn’t wait to see his reaction tomorrow.

By the end of the day they were tired. Jarren’s head was aching, but it wasn’t so bad that he needed to take anything for it other than a few ibuprofen. Once they were in bed he rested his head on Nash’s chest and Nash gently kneaded his scalp in a slow, soothing, circular motion that lulled Jarren to sleep as he listened to Nash’s heart beat beneath his ear.

They decided to take it easy on Friday as Jarren still had a lingering ache that hovered around his skull. He was hoping he could dispel it before it was time to get Liam. He popped a couple of ibuprofen tablets and flopped on the couch after breakfast. He and Nash passed the time with watching old game shows on the Game Show Network. Nash liked Password better that the $10,000 Pyramid, but they both agreed that Match Game with Gene Rayburn was the best. The shit they got away with back then, the innuendos, drinking and smoking while on set, would never fly nowadays and that was part of what made it so fun to watch.

Jarren’s headache was pretty much gone by the time they left to pick up Liam. To say that he was surprised to see them was putting it mildly. Liam bounced in his chair to the point where he nearly toppled off and would have if John hadn’t steadied him.

“Are you serious? I get to spend the weekend with you guys?! Awesome!” Liam cried when they told him.

John had packed a bag for Liam with clothes, toothbrush and two medications that he had been prescribed. One was to help keep his dizziness from his inner ear problems in check and the other was only taken when he had pain from his missing limbs. Liam still battled with phantom pain. His young brain found it hard to process the fact that both legs were gone below the knee.

They had decided to break the news of his impending move when they were at Nash’s bungalow, preferring to tell him while he was away from any of the other kids. John told them that while it was usually always good news to have one of the kids find a placement, often the kids left behind were sad, jealous, angry or any combination of other emotions. Liam would still have two weeks left before he moved and with his exuberant personality they all thought it best to let him have his initial reaction somewhere where he didn’t have to curb that enthusiasm out of respect for the other kids.

They finally got Liam back to Nash’s house and had ordered pizza. Once it arrived and they were busy eating, Jarren asked Liam “Can Nash and I ask a huge favor of you?”

“Sure, what do you need?” replied Liam.

“Nash and I are moving to Massachusetts next week,” he said, watching Liam’s face crumple into disbelief. “Hey, it’s not the end of the world. What if we told you there might be a way for us to be together? As a family?”

Liam’s face morphed into an expression of hope mixed with a little confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Nash and I have been looking into what we need to do to foster you.” Jarren saw Liam’s face light up. He held up a finger, indicating that Liam shouldn’t interrupt. “We can’t do it right now, because of our medical issues and Nash needs to establish residency and there a couple of other things we need to do first.”

At this point Liam impatiently butted in “So what does that mean? When can I come live with you guys?”

Nash chuckled and gently admonished Liam, “Shush, let him finish.”

Jarren smiled and continued, “It might be several months before we get approval, BUT,” he said, shushing the boy again, “Our friends that you met at the hospital, Lex and Ian, they are foster parents to a boy about your age and they can take in one more. That’s where you come in. They have agreed to foster you until Nash and I can get our approval if you agree. We’ll get to see you all the time. How does that sound?”

Liam’s face broke out into the brightest smile and then collapsed as he started to cry, overcome with emotion. Jarren was quick to go over to his chair and not caring that he didn’t ask permission, he picked up Liam, carried him to the couch and sat down with the sobbing boy in his lap, Nash hopped over and dropped onto the cushion next to Jarren. Together they wrapped their arms around the boy until his sobs subsided.

Liam had buried his head in Jarren’s neck and when he was able to talk coherently he picked up his head, wiped the dripping snot from his nose on Jarren’s shirt, and looked at Nash and then Jarren before whispering “Do you really mean it?”

Nash brushed a stray tear from the boy’s cheek and whispered back “Yeah, we really mean it.”

Bright, happy Liam was back as the smile returned and in true Liam fashion he gave a huge bounce, nailing Jarren’s balls in the process as he yelled into their ears “YES!!!!”

Jarren exhaled in a harsh ‘ummmnnnoooffffgggghhh’ as his vision darkened with the impact of Liam’s bony ass on his nutsack. That was what he got for wearing gym shorts. Fuck, that hurt.

Nash reached over and grabbed Liam, pulling him into the space he created between them, before he turned into Tigger on top of Jarren and did further damage. Liam was clueless and had no idea that he nearly rendered Jarren impotent. Nash knew it wasn’t funny but he couldn’t help snickering at Jarren’s predicament. Jarren shot daggers at him as he tried to hide his amusement. Liam caught sight of Jarren’s pained expression and stopped bouncing.

“Shit! Did I nail your balls? I’m sorry Jarren!” he exclaimed.

Through gritted teeth, Jarren managed to grunt out “Remind me we need to discuss swearing.” He lowered his head towards his knees, still trying not to pass out. It took several minutes, minutes in which Liam was sweating it out. He thought he just blew his chances at being part of their family.

When Jarren was sure that he wasn’t going to faint, and when the pain in his groin had stopped throbbing incessantly, he turned to Liam and said “Liam, you just need to be a little more careful. You have a bony little butt. I’m OK. Now back to what we were discussing. I take it by your reaction that you’re OK living with Lex and Ian for a while? We’ll still see you as much as we can and once we get our house fixed up, you can sleepover on the nights that we don’t have to work the next day and you don’t have school. Speaking of which, you need to finish out your last two weeks here.” Once again Jarren held up his hand so Liam couldn’t protest.

Nash continued for him “Liam, Jarren and I have to help get two houses ready so that we can get our wheelchairs into them. Ramps need to be built and there might be a few other things we need to change. John mentioned that one of the bathrooms in the group home has a lower sink and counter for you. We need to consider things like that so it will be easier and more comfortable for you. Can you be patient for two weeks?”

Liam knew that the were right and just nodded his head.

The rest of the evening they spent playing cards. They found out one of the older kids had introduced Liam to poker, both five card stud and Texas hold’em. Liam turned out to be quite the little shark. He bluffed his way into the guys owing him twenty dollars by the end of the night.

They let him stay up until eleven, which was about the time he started yawning. Jarren got him into the bathroom, helped him take care of getting his PJs on, peeing and then made sure he brushed his teeth. Nash managed to get the cushions off the couch and the sleeper mattress pulled out. They had put clean sheets on it earlier and Jarren grabbed a couple of spare pillows that they had left in Nash’s closet. Liam pulled his wheelchair up to the side of the bed, pulled off the arm of the chair and set it on the floor and then reached behind him and pulled the sliding board out from the pocket on the back of the chair. Jarren and Nash were both impressed as he positioned the board under his right butt cheek and then used the board to scoot off the chair and onto the bed.

Jarren lay the board on the seat of the chair in case he needed it later. Both men kissed Liam’s forehead and wished him sweet dreams. Liam was burrowing into his pillow as they headed down to the bedroom to put themselves to bed as well. Jarren fell asleep snuggled up against Nash in what he now considered ‘his’ spot. Nash didn’t mind one bit.