A Decision for Jarren - 38. Chapter 38

Ryan didn’t want to go into specifics on the phone and that worried both Jarren and Nash. Jarren called Lex to see if Liam and Katie could stay with them while he and Nash drove to Boston. Lex, of course, had no problem with it. He told the guys that he would pick the boys and dog up from school and Liam could stay the night if they couldn’t make it back. He told them to let him know what was happening when they found out. They packed some extra clothes and toiletries in a bag and headed out.

It was a tense ride down the Pike and both men were nervous. They had come so far in the process, they couldn’t imagine what could put up a roadblock at this point. It was mid-afternoon when they finally made their way through the downtown traffic and parked in the garage adjacent to Ryan’s office and took the elevator up to Ryan’s floor. His assistant Jennifer greeted them warmly and let them know that Ryan would be with them shortly. She led them to an office that had Ryan’s nameplate on the door. Ryan was just finishing up with a meeting and Jennifer said she would let him know they were here.

Ryan’s office faced east and had a beautiful view of the city and the harbor. Logan airport was busy with planes landing and taking off. Jarren stood at the window and watched, Nash standing behind him with his hands around his waist and chin resting on his shoulder, drawing comfort from the connection. They only waited about ten minutes before Ryan came in. He greeted them with a smile, and Nash thought that it wasn’t a bad sign.

“Hey guys, have a seat and I’ll explain what’s going on.” he said. Jarren and Nash took a seat and looked at Ryan expectantly.

Ryan didn’t waste any time and told them “Here’s where we stand. Your six month waiting period is over in two weeks. I’ve already filed the necessary paperwork with the court and have been working with the social worker that’s been assigned to you. His name is Tom Harper and he’s a good guy. I’ve worked with him before. The snag that Tom ran into involves you, Nash.” Ryan looked at Nash as he continued. “Tom is required to do a more extensive background check and it seems that when you initially did your paperwork someone missed the fact that you had put down that you were involuntarily placed on a 72 hour psychiatric hold back when you lived in Seattle.”

Nash started to speak, but Ryan raised his hand to stop him and explained, “Now that does not automatically disqualify someone from fostering or adopting, however, you should have been referred to a court appointed psychiatrist for an evaluation when you were applying to foster.”

Nash shook his head in disbelief. He explained to Ryan, “My parents falsely accused me of being suicidal after my daughter died. They called the police to do a wellness check and quite honestly, I wasn’t well, but neither was I suicidal. I wasn’t really in a place to defend myself and the police brought me to a “behavioral” hospital for evaluation. The doctor there admitted me because of the profound grief I was dealing with. I can assure you though that I wasn’t suicidal.”

“I understand Nash, I’m really sorry that you had to go through that when you lost your daughter. Because you disclosed that information on your original application, it’s no fault of yours that someone missed it. Moving forward, I’ve already requested your medical records from that particular admission be expedited to us. I need your consent to schedule an appointment for you to see a court approved doctor. I know that you’ve told me that you all have been seeing a family therapist and believe me, that will definitely work in your favor.”

“I’ll see whomever you tell me to.” Nash told Ryan. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make the court happy.”

Jarren agreed and Ryan said “I knew you would say that so I went ahead and took the liberty to set up an appointment for you for tomorrow morning. I knew you wouldn’t want to wait. The sooner we can get this done, the better off we’ll be. I’ll need to push hard to keep everything on schedule. This is one of those things that can bring everything to a screeching halt if we don’t have all of our I’s dotted and the T's crossed.”

Nash looked at Jarren and said wryly, “Tomorrow is Juju’s anniversary. Figures I’d have a psych evaluation on that date.”

“You got this Nash. You just draw on the love that you have for Julia and everything will be OK. I’ll be here for you too. It’s going to work out, it’s just a little snag and it’s not your fault that someone dropped the ball.” Jarren assured him.

Nash took a deep breath to steady himself and replied “Like I said, I’ll do whatever is needed and see whoever they want. I just want Liam to be ours.”

Jarren reached out and took Nash’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze and told him, “He already is.”

Ryan smiled and assured them “This is just a little bump. It won’t hold things up as long as we get the evaluation done and the records from the center in Washington in a timely manner. I’m also going to send an evaluation form and a request for records to your current family therapist. You’ll need to give him a call and let him know what’s going on and give him permission to release his records to us. He can send a release form to my email and I’ll print it out so you can sign it, unless he uses Docusign and you can do it electronically. I can’t emphasize it enough, the sooner he can get everything to us, the better. Because the final paperwork has been submitted, I’m required to get everything relating to the case filed by next week, otherwise they’ll have to postpone it, and that’s what we want to avoid. I’m sorry if I caused you to panic, but time is a real issue here.”

“We completely understand. I’ll call his office as soon as we’re done here and I’m sure he’ll get everything over to you by tomorrow morning.” Nash assured him.

Ryan nodded and then offered, “Our guest room just happens to be available and I know Seth is home now, he only had to go in for rounds today. I already told him that you’d probably be staying. I just need to make a quick phone call and then I'll meet you at the house."

Jarren spoke for them and accepted. “Thank you, we appreciate the offer. It sure does beat trying to find a decent hotel that’s reasonable.” They all didn’t need to be reminded how expensive Boston was.

Jarren and Nash were quiet on the ride over to the Carson’s house. Seth greeted them warmly when they arrived. The girls came down from their rooms and gave both guys huge hugs. Seth asked the girls to go and set the table for dinner and they only grumbled slightly at the request.

“Can I get either of you anything to drink? Ryan just sent me a text and he’s on his way so I’m going to open a bottle of white Zinfandel. We have beer, soda or water if you prefer.”

Nash told him wine would be great and Jarren agreed. They both needed to relax and hopefully the wine would help settle their emotions. They sat at the kitchen island after Seth refused their offer to help with dinner preparations. He said everything was almost done. He stood at the counter and sympathized with them regarding their current situation.

Ryan came in and embraced his husband and squeezed each girl as they came over to greet him. He excused himself for a moment to go and change his clothes. When he returned he looked much more relaxed in a pair of faded jeans and an open flannel shirt with a black tee underneath. Dressed down, the resemblance between him and Lex seemed even more pronounced. He readily accepted the glass of wine that Seth had poured for him.

Nash said “I spoke to our family therapist on the way over here and he had just received the forms you emailed to him. He said he would complete them tonight and get them back to you as soon as he was done. He also sent me an electronic release form and I’ve already sent it back to him, so you’ll have those records as well. He has seen this happen before and told me that I shouldn’t have any problems with tomorrow’s evaluation.”

“Unless you start drooling and foaming at the mouth.” Jarren teased, trying to lighten the mood.

It seemed to work as Nash actually managed to laugh a little. Ryan was also quick to assure him, “The evaluation tomorrow is just a formality, so unless you decide to go all Tom Cruise jumping up and down on the couch, you should be all right.”

Nash smiled and promised “I’ll be on my best behavior and try not to let my horns and fangs out.”

As the evening progressed, Nash and Jarren both relaxed a bit. They were in good company. Seth had made stuffed shells with homemade sauce and meatballs that was absolutely delicious. Seth admitted that he didn’t have the time to cook as often as he liked, but when he did, he usually went the Italian route. There wasn’t a pasta out there that he didn’t like. Jarren and Nash were effusive in their praise of the amazing meal.

Lucky, the girl's dog, lay patiently on her dog bed, knowing that Seth would add a meatball or two in with her kibble when they were done. Jarren and Nash insisted on helping the girls clear the table and clean up, much to their delight. Afterward the girls went upstairs to do homework before goofing off for the remainder of the evening until it was time for bed.

The four adults spent the rest of the night catching up and gossiping about Lex, Ian, Mazen and Cassie. Cassie had impressed everyone with the work she had been doing for the Inkwell Foundation. She had not only pulled off an incredibly successful fundraiser, she had also managed to secure funding for a specialty tattoo shop right here in Boston. She had been like a lioness stalking prey when it came to getting a backer for the initial start up as well as two private donors who were willing to cover the month to month costs.

Cassie had negotiated rent for a shop location that was not far from Mass General. She had doggedly networked her way through several department heads not only at Mass General, but Brigham and Women’s, Shriner’s Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel. She managed to get them to agree to refer patients who were appropriate to the Foundation for consideration. Mazen and Bill had agreed to hire a project manager and crew to renovate the shop. When completed there would be a beautiful reception area, a private consultation room and six rooms for tattooing. Ian was currently busy recruiting qualified tattoo artists to work at the shop. They would be paid from the Foundation’s funding. The goal was to provide the tattoos at no or low cost for those who needed them.

The whole process was mind boggling to both Jarren and Nash, but even they were blown away by how much Cassie had accomplished. Ryan said that it didn’t surprise him. He had never met anyone with such passion and dedication to something that she believed in wholeheartedly, than Cassie.

By ten o’clock the two couples said goodnight and Jarren and Nash retired to the guest room on the first floor. Ryan told them that they could meet him at his office and he would take them over to the psychiatrist’s office in the morning. Nash’s appointment was at 10:00.

Ryan, Seth and the girls were all gone when Jarren and Nash woke the next morning, having slept in a little later, probably due to the stress they felt. They had both tossed and turned a lot, not getting much rest.

They showered and walked down the street to a small cafe for breakfast before going back to the Carson’s house to get their SUV. Once more they drove across town and parked in the garage next to Ryan’s office. He was waiting for them when they made it to the reception area. The psychiatrist’s office was walking distance as it was only three blocks down. They covered the distance quickly as it was cold and windy. Jarren’s nose was running by the time they entered into the medical office building. They followed the signage, making their way to Dr. Kelso’s office and Nash checked in at the desk. Ryan had already emailed over the referral information and the state was guaranteeing payment as they were the ones who made the mistake in the first place. The only thing Nash had to do was complete a two page questionnaire.

They ended up waiting about fifteen minutes for Nash to be called back. Jarren and Ryan stayed in the waiting area. They passed the time quietly, Ryan checking emails on his phone. Jarren tried to focus on a magazine and failed. He finally pulled up a mindless game on his phone just to pass the time.

Just over an hour later Nash returned and he was smiling. He told them as they left that it had gone well and the doctor had assured him that he would be approved medically for finalization of the adoption. Needless to say Jarren and Ryan were very happy at the news.

Ryan had them come back to the office so they could sign some paperwork and told them that he would let them know when everything was submitted and when they would need to come back with Liam to go to the court to have the judge officially approve the adoption. The ride home was much lighter and both guys were relieved.

They made it back to western Mass just in time to pick up Liam and Katie from school. Nash had called Lex to let him know that everything was good and they would get Liam. Liam had been worried last night when they had called to update him and to say goodnight. When he saw the Honda waiting for him after school he hightailed it over to the curb and pounced as soon as they opened the door.

“So what happened? Is everything alright? Can you still adopt me?” the words rushed out of the youngster.

Nash hopped out to get his chair once Liam got into the backseat. He was able to stand up and maneuver himself from the chair into the car quite well. Most days he brought his chair to school, but left it in the office for the majority of the day. Marci had worked with him and Katie that morning teaching her how to navigate the hallways filled with kids. The dog was smart and picked up new commands quickly. German Shepherds had originally been bred as herding dogs, and as such, Katie was starting to recognize Liam as part of her herd and therefore naturally stuck close by him. Marci took advantage of that instinct and was teaching her how to basically clear the way for Liam to be able to walk and carry his books and supplies that he needed for his classes.

Nash was quick to let Liam know that everything had worked out in their favor. Liam responded by telling Nash that he knew it would. When they got back to the house Nash watched as Liam went over to the picture of him and Julia at the beach and picked it up. Liam smiled at the photo and said “Thank you Juju, I promise I’ll take good care of our Dad.” Both Nash and Jarren felt tears well up at the sweet gesture.

Nash had been feeling mixed emotions all day. Jarren had instinctively picked up on them and had been super attentive. It was the reassuring touches, the hand holding and the supportive looks that had helped Nash make it through the day. It had been seven years since he said goodbye to Julia and he still missed her just as much as when he first lost her. The biggest difference was that he now had Jarren, Liam and his extended family to help fill in the void that had nearly taken over his heart. He was so thankful that he was part of their lives. He would never truly get over losing Julia, no parent ever did, but the pain was no longer sharp and he could now enjoy the memories of her whenever they slipped into his head, plus he had people to share the memories with, and that was the most important thing of all. Memories would hold her in his heart forever.

They spent a quiet evening together, ordering take out and after they ate, Nash went and pulled out the box of Juju’s things and shared them with her brother. Liam asked if he could make a collage out of some of the pictures and put them in a big frame. Nash told him that it was a great idea. By the time they were ready for bed, Nash knew that he would never have to dread this date again, thanks to the incredible empathy of his husband and soon to be son.

Time marched forward yet again and January rolled into February. On Groundhog Day, Punxatawny Phil saw his shadow and predicted another six weeks of winter. Damn groundhog. Ryan called them the following day and told them they needed to be at the courthouse in Boston on the 21st. Liam was going to be officially adopted.

Jarren took the call while he was at work and let out a loud whoop, startling the administrative assistant. Bill and Nash poked their heads out of Bill’s office where they were going over some of the new contracts for services. Nash took one look at Jarren’s face and knew. He merely asked what day.

Bill called Maggie and sure enough the gears started turning and she went straight into major planning mode. All of the siblings got a text from Mom ordering them to show up for a family dinner on the 22nd. Liam was just as excited when they picked him up from school and told him. Katie wagged her tail excitedly at her boy’s enthusiasm. Jarren and Nash decided to celebrate and took Liam to The Barn for steak.

The big day was there before they knew it. All of the guys put on dress pants and a nice shirt. Liam balked at wearing a tie. Nash shot him a puppy dog look and he rolled his eyes and took the piece of long material from his soon to be dad. It took him three tries, but he finally managed to get it right with only a little help from Jarren, who showed off and quickly knotted his own tie properly in less than a minute.

Liam decided to use the long crutches that went under his armpits instead of the shorter ones that attached to his lower arms. He could maneuver a little faster with the extra support. He was working on walking without them, but chose to use them today as he wasn’t sure how far he would need to maneuver once they got to the courthouse. Katie’s service harness was put on and she immediately went into work mode, sticking close to Liam. They all piled into the Honda and it was a lively ride down the Pike. Liam streamed one of his playlists and they all sang along to the variety of tunes.

They arrived at the courthouse in plenty of time and Jarren even found a handicapped spot in the multi-level parking garage, right next to the elevator, which was a good thing as they had ended up on the twelfth floor of the fourteen story building. Seriously, Boston parking sucked!

They made their way into the courthouse to the security checkpoint. Nash and Liam needed to be checked with a hand wand due to the metal in their prosthetic legs. Even Katie had the wand scanned over her. They were in the Suffolk County Courthouse, also known as the John Adams Courthouse and like so many other buildings in the city it was old. The building had been around since the late 1800’s. Regardless of its age, the architecture was beautiful. It housed the Massachusetts Supreme Court, and also took care of family court matters.

They followed the signs as Ryan had instructed and were pleasantly surprised to see Lex, Ian and Keon standing in the foyer outside the courtroom.

Liam greeted his friend with a hug, which was readily returned. “What are you guys doing here?” he asked.

Keon grinned and replied, “Surprising you. Ryan arranged my adoption at the same time. We’re getting dads together!”

Forgetting where he was for a moment, Liam squealed with happiness and Ryan had to shut down his enthusiasm pretty quickly, although he did it with a smile. Jarren and Nash were also surprised. They had managed to be kept in the dark pretty well, although Keon did admit to nearly slipping up a couple of times.

They all proceeded to the waiting room until they were called. The courtroom reminded Jarren of the one they used in the old TV show The Practice. They were called up to the judge, an older gentleman with kind blue eyes. The judge had both files in front of him and asked both couples if they were willing to be permanent legal guardians to the boys. Jarren and Nash answered yes to becoming Liam’s dads and Lex and Ian did the same for Keon. Next the judge addressed the boys and asked if they understood what was happening and if they agreed to have the guys become their forever dads. Liam and Keon were both enthusiastic with their agreement.

The judge signed off on all of the paperwork and congratulated the two new families. They waited until they were out of the courtroom before hugs and kisses were exchanged and even Liam and Keon weren’t shy about giving each other a peck on the lips in front of the guys.

Ryan said he would treat everyone to lunch before they headed back home. They decided on a local pizza place as Jarren and Nash wanted to get back on the road before the evening rush hour kicked in. When lunch was over, they all thanked Ryan for everything that he had done for them. Lex, Ian and Keon were spending the night and Jarren invited them to dinner the next day. He knew his mom wouldn't object to a few more. In fact, she would insist once she found out that Keon's adoption had been finalized too. They agreed and more hugs were passed around before they went their separate ways.

The following day was the normal, barely controlled chaos at the Dalton homestead. Kids were milling about, the little ones generally underfoot, the older ones nearly idolizing their newest cousin. They included Keon in the idolization when he arrived with Lex and Ian. Maggie had gone all out and it was potluck heaven. Everyone had brought something to contribute and there was more than enough food to go around.

Liam seemed a little pensive at one point and Jarren asked him if anything was bothering him. Liam gave him one of his wry little grins and admitted “I don’t know what I should call you now. I mean you're my dad and Nash is my dad, but I can’t call you both Dad, can I? Neither one of you seem like a Pop, or Poppy. Keon now calls Lex, Dad and Ian, Pop.”

“Well it’s really up to you to decide. It’s whatever you’re comfortable with, I’m fine if you want to continue calling us by our names, but I’d loved to be called Dad again too.” said Nash, having overheard them.

Liam thought about this for a moment and finally he said “I think I’ll call you Dad,” he said to Nash, then looked at Jarren and suggested “Can I call you J-Dad?”

Jarren smiled and told him “I think that fits just perfect, J-Dad it is.”

Jarren and Nash watched Liam blend in seamlessly with the bedlam that surrounded them as he joined Keon and his cousins. Jarren leaned into Nash as he felt his strong arms surround him. He heard and felt Nash inhale his scent and that small gesture comforted him. He felt incredibly loved.

Nash pondered everything for a moment and looked around at all the people who filled the house.

This was his new reality.

This was home.

This was family and he was happy.