Unexpected Gift - 7. Epilogue

So sorry for the delay in posting the Epilogue. I have been extremely busy with work, and my co-author has been busy as well. Just needed to add a few things that were suggested, and I wanted to make sure everything was in order before posting. Without further ado, here is the final chapter of the story.  I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we did writing it.

Two sets of imploring eyes stared at Josh. He blinked and looked again, realizing it wasn’t the type of imploring eyes his fantasy world had created. No, these were canine and rough-looking.

“Uh, Chris?”

“Oh, Josh! I’m sorry. I should’ve called or texted you, but my mobile went dead.”

“Okay… who are they?” Josh turned to look at Chris, who had started to approach him.

“Strays. I couldn’t very well leave them.”

Josh stood for a moment, looking at the pair of untidy dogs.

“I was just about to give them a bath,” Chris said.

“Yeah, looks like they need it.”

Chris gave him a look that read ‘how can you expect me not take care of them?’

“I get it. I suppose our little family could take two more.”

Chris looked relieved. “Thank you.”

“Of course, it’s my pleasure.”

Chris smiled. “I can think of a few things not involving them that are pleasurable.”

Josh chuckled. “So can I.”

“Hold that thought.” Chris kissed Josh with a promise of more to come, then whistled shrilly. The two imploring faces staring at Josh followed Chris along to the backyard.

***

On a very cold, windy day, Josh came home to find Chris in the kitchen with a strange expression on his face and a hurried look about him. There was a bag on the floor of the living room with dirty clothes sticking out of it. “Chris… is there…? What is that smell?” Chris came around to the living room, flanked by happy dogs. “What? What’s wrong?” Josh asked.

“Ah. Yes… I realize that, in retrospect I should probably have spoken to you first. Well, I haven’t brought another dog home.” He tried to be mollifying, but now Josh was worried.

“Okay…”

“His name is Jason, but he tries to introduce himself as Big J. He’s having a shower, and he’s eaten most of what was going to be dinner. Duke and Fenton found him under a bush.”

“Under a bush…? This is a kid?” Josh was confused and didn’t know what was going on. Had Chris decided to take in a child, now, like he did with the dogs?

“He’s fifteen. He’ll try to tell you that’s he’s eighteen, but he isn’t.”

“And you’ve brought him home?” Josh looked at the bag of stuff on the floor and tried not to flinch. It smelled like days-old soup and socks.

“Well, I didn’t like to take him to the police. Besides, he threatened to stab me if I tried to.”

“He did what?” Josh demanded, ready to strangle this kid. He hadn’t even met him and already this was a bad idea.

“He didn’t actually have anything capable of getting through my coat, and I pointed out that I’d knock his block off—if the dogs didn’t shred him first. He was frightened.”

“Okay, so we have a young man in the shower. To what end?”

“Well, initially to clean him up. He smelled appalling.”

“Yeah, I think I have an idea.” Josh looked at the bag again.

“Yes, I promised not to go poking through his ‘shit’.” Chris sounded like he was quoting the kid, and Josh couldn’t help chuckling. Chris never cursed. “I thought he could stay. Just for a few days. Until we can contact his Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil. They live in Bel Air, apparently.”

Josh laughed, knowing this would confuse Chris. This kid. Already lying. “Chris, Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv are from a television show called The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”

Red suffused Chris’s face and his expression changed. “Well, really.”

“This kid is full of shit,” Josh said.

“He’s scared and alone.”

“And what are we supposed to do about it if he keeps lying?”’

“What reason does he have not to? Trust has to be earned, Josh. And I daresay he’s learned not to take strangers at face value.”

“I’m sure he has, but how can we trust him?”

“It has to start somewhere, and we’re in a stronger position to take the risk. Besides, I didn’t get… He seems a decent sort, basically. He’s young, and he’s frightened, and he’s had some awful experiences.”

Josh pulled a face. “How much of it has he made up to get your sympathy, is the question.”

“I don’t think he’s bright enough to invent all of it. And it rang true.”

Josh sighed. “Alright. Alright. I’ll follow your lead on this one.” Josh knew after the dogs Chris had brought home that there was no way he would get out of this one. Once Chris made his mind up about something, he dug his heels in and didn’t back down. Though there had only been a few strays adopted into the fold, Josh knew that this young man was in for Chris’s altruism like a hammer to the head.

“Thank you.”

Josh kissed Chris. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Oh, I’m fine. Really, Josh, you know I don’t get intimidated by thugs.”

“So I need to make some more dinner?”

“I’ve ordered a takeaway.”

“Pizza?” Josh asked hopefully.

“From the place with those wings you like.”

“Excellent.” Josh smiled. Chris knew him so well. He kissed Chris again with a little more intensity.

Chris smiled. “I think he’d enjoy playing Halo with you.”

“Probably.”

“And I think he might be amenable to going to school.”

“Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren’t we? He has parents, I’m sure.”

“He won’t talk to me about them. Just keeping saying I don’t know shit about it.”

“Hmm. Maybe he’ll talk about it.”

“I thought you could give it a go.”

“Remember that conversation we had about me not exactly being father material?”

“Vividly. I didn’t believe you then, either.”

Josh scrunched his face. “How do you reckon?”

“You’re a good person. That’s half the battle.”

“Yeah, but I don’t like being lied to, and I don’t like bullshit, either.”

“Which is at least another ten percent.”

“If you say so. Does he know you’re gay?”

“Well, I alluded to a husband, so I imagine that was a hint.”

“Husband, eh?” They’d never had a conversation about marriage, just kids. “Thought we weren’t there yet.”

Chris was mildly exasperated. “Josh, I left England for you. I have dogs with you. I have a house with you. There’s a hint there.”

Josh smiled softly. Pleased. “I reckon so, yeah.”

Footsteps from down the hall quickly made it to the kitchen. Jason was damp around the edges, tall for his age, with dark brown hair and deep-set blue eyes. It looked like he’d shaved, and he wore some of Josh’s clothes. He was scrawny but seemed determined. “You must be Jason.” Josh eyed the boy for a moment and decided if Chris wanted to do this, he reckoned he could as well. Even though he had no idea how to be a father.

“Yeah, who are you, bruh?”

“Jason, settle down. This is Josh. I told you about him.”

“Oh, yeah. Your ‘husband’.”

“Or thereabouts, yes.” Chris scooped up the Papillon and handed her to Jason. “I understand that you probably don’t have an Aunt Viv in Bel Air.”

Josh watched Jason pet the tiny dog. “Um, um. Yeah. Aunt Viv, she… uh…”

“Is a character on a television program, apparently.”

“Cut the crap, kid. I know the Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” Josh added. He didn’t know if he was being too tough on the kid or not tough enough. “Do you have any family? Here?”

Chris started getting plates out of the cabinets and beers for him and Josh. The kid didn’t reply. He just kept petting Daisy. “Why don’t you have a chat with Josh about it while you go through your shit and determine what is fit to go in the washing machine and what just needs replacing?”

“Oh, um, yeah…” Jason set the dog down, and Daisy sniffled at his ankles. He then went through his bag. Most of the clothes looked old, by at least a few years. A few of the dogs decided the bag was a new place to sit and once it was empty, piled on and curled up in it.

“Looks like you need some new clothes,” Josh said.

“Man, just shu—!” The kid sighed. “Yeah.”

Fenton the Labrador tried to climb into Jason’s lap.

“Well, the dogs like you. That’s a good sign.”

“Yeah? Well, I like dogs.” Jason tickled Fenton. “What’s this one’s name?”

“Fenton.”

“We can get you some new clothes tomorrow. The mall closes at eight. Until then, you can wear some of our stuff.”

The doorbell rang, and Chris went to answer it. He remembered to tip the driver this time, Josh noticed, and brought the food into the living room. The dogs barked happily, sniffing the air and jumping over each other to get to Chris.

“So… where are you parents?” Josh asked Jason.

“I don’t know. They left me at the shelter two years ago.”

“What’s your last name?”

“Rogers.”

“Have any idea where your parents went?”

“Probably out west. Family out there.”

“Are you in school?” Chris asked.

“Hell, nah.”

“Okay. Well, you need to do something. Would you be willing to go to school?” Chris looked at Josh. “You should be,” he added firmly.

Jason puffed up his chest and set his expression. “Don’t need school.”

“Everybody needs school.”

“What for? I’ve already learned all I need to know on the streets.”

“That would be more convincing if you hadn’t backed down when I told you to put the penknife away.” Chris pointed out reasonably, studying Jason.

“I would’ve stabbed you,” Jason mumbled.

“No, you would have yelled your head off when I broke your arm.” Chris maintained a firm gaze at the young man. This was his teacher mode, if anything, Josh realized. Chris clearly had no intention to joke or play games with the boy and heaven help him if he tried.

“If you’re going to live here, you’re going to go to school,” Josh said firmly.

“Live here? Who says I want to live here?” Jason pet the dog in his lap. Fenton seemed to keep him calm.

“You’d rather live under a bush? It looks atrocious on the CV if you haven’t finished school, however boring it is,” Chris said.

“What’s a CV?” Jason asked, pulling the dog’s ears. Fenton wagged blissfully.

“A resume. I’m English. The vocabulary is different.”

“So you two want me to live here? I don’t do nothing funny with men. That’s just gross.”

“No one said anything about that, Jason,” Chris said with absolute patience. “You’re underage and not my type. Or his.”

“Definitely not,” Josh said.

“And do you really think that girls will be more interested in a scruffy drifter who lives under a bush?” Chris asked.

Jason contemplated for a moment. “No,” he mumbled.

“No, you have no family here, you clearly can’t couch-surf; this is your best option. Therefore, you will go to school until you can legally leave. Preferably having first acquired some sort of recognized qualification,” Chris said.

“What was the last grade you finished?” Josh asked.

“Eighth,” Jason answered.

“Okay, so you have four years left of school, and you can probably do credit recovery after school to catch you up to your proper grade.”

“I have no idea what that means,” Chris said.

“His first year of high school,” Josh clarified. “What were your grades like?” he asked Jason.

“Mostly As and Cs.”

“That’s not bad. It’s passing.” Josh took a bite from his plate of wings. “Do you want to go to college or anything?”

“I don’t know. I did.”

“What did you want to do?” Josh asked.

“I wanted to be in business.”

“Good. You still can, I imagine.” Chris thought for a moment. “They offer that at my place, don’t they?” he asked Josh.

“Yeah. And that’s what I did. I have my MBA. Chris teaches at a college in Salisbury.”

“Music, mostly. Sideline in mathematics.”

“I wasn’t never any good at math.”

“I can help you with that,” Chris said. “It’s rules and patterns; I’m sure you can master it.”

Josh listened for a moment and knew he would regret saying this, but he took a breath and took a chance. “You could go to college for free, if we adopted you.”

“Really?” Chris asked, intrigued.

“Yeah. Ask the Human Resources person. I’m sure he can explain everything. But your kids get to go to college for free, with you working there.”

“Hmm. Interesting.” Chris smiled.

“Yeah. Most colleges do that sort of thing for employees.”

“I’ll think about it,” Jason said.

Josh nodded. “Good. Now, just relax and eat something. Tomorrow, we’ll go shopping.”

“I’ll go make up the spare room.” Chris looked at Jason. “I don’t recommend letting Fenton sleep in your room. He’s appallingly flatulent at night.”

Josh fed some of the bones from his chicken to Duke, who sat beside Josh on the floor. He laughed. “He is. Awful.”

“Not those, Josh; they’re a choking hazard, remember?”

“He just chews them.”

Chris took the bones away from Duke, and the dog huffed his annoyance. “There’s a beef knuckle in the pantry.”

“Oh, he’ll like that.” Josh got up and went to the pantry. He found the beef knuckle in the front and pulled it out. The rest of the dogs would yap if he didn’t bring something for them, too, so he grabbed treats from the cabinet and took them back to the living room.

Chris wasn’t gone long. The bedroom was already made up; it just needed to be freshened up a little. No one had been in there yet. “Wander around the house. Get to know it. You may be here for a while.” Chris smiled.

Jason nodded and ate a little more. It was probably the first real meal he’d had in ages. Josh watched him, wondering what he was thinking. Was he happy or confused? Was he going to cause problems? Josh had no idea what to expect from this kid and had no idea how he was supposed to be a father. But he would do as he promised and let Chris take the lead on this because it was the type of man Chris was: a helper, a fixer. If it wasn’t the stray dogs, it was his students. Chris couldn’t help himself. It was one of the things Josh loved about him. He had no idea what to expect right now, though, and it was scary.

This kid could make or break things, and Josh didn’t want him to break things. Not now. Not when things were going so well with him and Chris. They had a strong relationship. They were building a life together in their new home. It was everything Josh had ever wanted and needed. Now, he felt off-balance, unsure what to do. This kid needed something that he didn’t know if he could offer, despite what Chris had said about him being a good person. Kids needed more than just a good person. And what if he failed miserably and just made the situation worse? He couldn’t stomach making a kid’s life worse. He had no idea how to tell Chris all of that without sounding discouraging. He knew it was what Chris wanted to do, and he had no issue with that. He just worried about himself and his own ability to take on the role of a father to a fifteen-year-old boy who had some major trust issues and possibly more problems than Josh could cope with.990ooo

It was bad enough he barely knew what to do for his own father, but when a kid was added to the mix, he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He was lost at sea. He had so many questions to ask and so many things he felt like he needed to know. He wanted a plan to approach this situation, much like he had at work. He knew what to expect from work and Chris, but this kid and his dad… he wished he had an idea of what he was supposed to do. The right thing to do was to give the kid a stable home to live in, if he could ever trust Josh or Chris. It would be wrong to turn him away, especially when he clearly needed the help they were in a position to offer. Josh sighed. He checked his watch and realized he needed to be at his parents’ house to check on his dad and do some things for his mother, so he finished eating and watched as Jason wandered around their very large, very homely house. The dogs followed the boy like ducklings, Fenton being the main culprit. Josh had to trust in Chris and his intuition. They could work out the details tomorrow, or however long it took to make things work, but right now, he had other things to do. So he put his plate in the kitchen and took Duke and a few of the other dogs with him to his parents’ house to check on things there. It was only a few houses away from the one he and Chris had bought together.

Josh’s mother was in a good mood when he arrived. She only needed a few things taken care of and his dad seemed to be having one of his better days. The doctor had said they had caught it early, so there were options and time, but Josh didn’t want to take any of that for granted. He loved his father, and his father finally accepted him wholly. Ever since Chris had come to live there, things had been much better. There were no longer any random dates with women; there were nights when his father asked him to stay later and watch a movie with him; there were nights when his father just cried in silence and let Josh comfort him with an arm around his shoulders. Those were the hardest times for Josh. He didn’t know how to do anything more than what he was doing. He wasn’t a doctor or a specialist; he had no idea if the crying was from the MS or just because his father might be depressed. The doctor had warned him about Pseudo Bulbar Affect and how it would cause manic laughter and tears at times, but Josh still didn’t know if there was more to his dad’s moods than just PBA. He needed to get his dad back to the specialist or something to make sure he wasn’t depressed. He could only imagine how he would feel if his life changed suddenly and he had no control over certain reactions, especially when he had always been such a stoic man. He didn’t tell his mother about every small thing that happened to keep her sane, and he did his best to provide the support his father needed now that he was sick.

Chris had called Josh his husband to Jason, and now that he thought about it, he wanted that to be true. It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about it before, but it seemed more appropriate now. There was more at stake. They’d been together for almost a year, but it had felt like longer. It felt like they had been together forever. The ease in which they got along and managed to overcome their obstacles was like breathing fresh air after a fire. Chris got along with his family, and Josh, though he hadn’t met them, still spoke to them on video chat when Chris took the time to do so at home. Chris’s mother was a lovely woman and she seemed to like Josh well enough. Chris’s father was harder to peg down, but he wasn’t negative about Josh, which was nice.

By the time Josh got home, it was dark and the dogs were snuffling in the cold air. Chris was grading some papers on the sofa in the living room and Josh went and sat next to him, as usual. Jason was nowhere to be seen and his bag had disappeared from the living room. The washing machine was running, and all traces of dinner had disappeared. Josh went and checked the spare room, and Jason was out cold with Fenton sleeping at the foot of the bed, farting happily. He came back to sit with Chris and smiled.

“I couldn’t leave him there.”

“I understand,” Josh said, taking Chris’s hand. “I doubt I would’ve been able to, either. He’s certainly got spirit.”

“I know. But the right sort, I think.”

Josh nodded. “Not surprised he’s already asleep. Can’t imagine the last time he’s slept in a real bed.”

“Months probably.”

“I didn’t say anything to my parents yet.”

“They know I bring strays home.”

“This is a lot bigger than a dog, though.”

“I don’t know, Cullen’s quite a size. He probably weighs more, at least.”

Josh chuckled. “And one of the dogs has already claimed him.”

“Oh, at least three of them. They have an instinct for who needs them most.”

Nodding, Josh said, “He needs quite a bit. You think he really hustled?”

“Ran cons?”

“No, sex for money.”

Chris considered for a moment. “Probably not.”

“Wonder how much we’ll have to figure out and how much he’ll tell us.”

“I’m sure he’ll confide eventually.”

“Mm.” Josh thought for a moment. He loved Chris. He wanted to be with him for the rest of his life. He took a breath and said, “So, we’ve done the time. Might as well do the crime. Will you marry me?”

“It’d be silly not to, wouldn’t it?”

Josh smiled broadly and kissed Chris. He was glad they were on the same page. “You know, I have no idea how to be a dad…”

“No new father ever does.”

“And you think he’ll like being here? He’s already shown his distaste for gay men.”

“He shows distaste for everything, Josh. Even pizza and Coke. Appreciation is a weakness; he’ll settle down.”

Josh nodded. “So… big wedding or small wedding?”

“Small. And ideally on a beach in the Caribbean.” Chris smiled self-deprecatingly. “I may have given this some thought from time to time.”

Josh chuckled. It was the first time he realized that Chris had thought about marriage before now. “That’s good to know.” Josh smiled.

“In all seriousness, most of my family will struggle to get here; I wouldn’t want them to feel excluded. If neither side is particularly well-represented, it feels… fairer, I suppose.”

“Mm. I agree. I don’t mind it just being us. My dad probably isn’t in any shape to travel anyway.”

“And if we arrange webcams, it can all be streamed or Skyped or Facetimed, or whatever it is that people do these days.”

Josh smiled again, deeply. “All of the above.”

***

“Yeah, yeah. No, I understand. Thanks. I’ll call you back.” Josh sighed and hung up the phone. He looked at Jason and wondered how he was going to take the news. “They say you have to go back to the family you ran away from. Just for now. Chris and I don’t have a license for fostering, so the best we can do is start taking the classes they recommend and you can come see us still.”

Jason frowned. He didn’t say anything for a long time. Then he sighed. “I don’t like that family.”

“I know. I know. But this is how it has to be. You can’t just stay here.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s not how the law works. The social worker said it could take months.”

“This is so fuc—”

“Hey, watch your language.” Josh sighed. He didn’t know what to do to comfort the kid other than give him a hug, so he did that. “It’ll be alright. We’ll do whatever we have to do.”

“It’s not fair,” Jason said into Josh’s shoulder.

“I know.” Josh patted Jason’s back and pulled away. He didn’t know how Chris was going to take the news, either. There wasn’t much they could do but follow the rules. The kid wasn’t a lost dog. With a dog, Chris could just bring it home and start training it. With a kid, there were laws, and they weren’t in a position to do anything for him legally. Josh wanted to do more. “Hey. You can still come and see us. Any time. Okay?”

Jason nodded. “So I go back to them… the Harpers. And I can come see you and Chris?”

“Yeah. For now. Once we get our license, we’ll see what we can do about getting you full time.”

“Okay. Okay.” Jason gave a half-smile.

Josh smiled. “I know you don’t know me or Chris very well, but we make promises and keep them. This isn’t going away for us.”

“Yeah. Whatever.”

“Jason, seriously. This is all we can do right now. I need you to trust me. Trust us.”

“Like I did with the Harpers?”

“Yes. No. Like you’re going to do with us. Give us time. Nothing happens overnight. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong with the Harpers?”

Jason stilled. “They don’t want me. They just want the money.”

“How do you know that?”

“I heard her. Maria said they were just keeping me for the money.”

“Are you sure that’s what she said?”

“Damn it! Yes! She said they needed the money, even if they didn’t like it.”

“I’m sure it’s not—”

“Look, you don’t get it! They just want the money. They don’t care about me.”

“Well, Chris and I do, so like it or not, you’re going to have to stay there until we can figure all of this out.”

Jason got up from the sofa and paced the room. Josh was trying his best to reassure the kid that he and Chris would be there for him, but he had no idea how to do that. It was just words, as far as Josh could tell, and words weren’t going to get through to this kid. Jason probably overheard a conversation that had nothing to do with him but was jumping to conclusions to keep himself from getting hurt.

“I know this sucks, but we’re going to do everything we can. I promise.”

Josh wanted to do more, wanted to say more, but all he could do was follow through with his promise and do whatever it took to make sure this kid ended up with them. They didn’t need the money from fostering Jason in the same way the Harpers did. The money they got, if Josh had any say, would go straight to Jason and to teaching him how to handle money. When Jason calmed down, he would tell him, but at the moment, Josh could tell he wouldn’t be listening. Not when he thought the only reason someone wanted him was for the money he would bring them. Like Chris had said, his trust had to be earned. Josh decided then that he would do anything he had to do to earn that trust. He wanted Jason to be happy and healthy and to have a home like he had growing up, with two loving parents. He was certain that Chris would fight tooth and nail to maintain custody of Jason. The Harpers were in for a rude awakening when they met Chris.

***

Four months later, Jason moved in with Josh and Chris. The Harpers were gone from Jason’s life and Josh and Chris had kept their promise to Jason despite Josh’s initial reservations about taking on the young man. He was doing well in school, even liking some of his classes and making friends. His best friend Eric spent a lot of time at the house with them, which Josh appreciated; Jason needed someone his own age to talk to and hang out with.

The adoption was in process, now, and Jason wasn’t going anywhere if Chris had anything to say about it. Even though he still doubted his ability to be a father, Josh continued to take Chris’s lead with Jason.

Jason’s passport had come in the mail a few days ago for their upcoming trip to England, after the wedding in St. Croix.

Josh packed his bags and carefully selected something nice but appropriate for the wedding. Jason was allowed to wear shorts and a t-shirt. Josh had bought white linen trousers and a shirt from online. He had no idea what Chris was going to wear, and didn’t care so long as he showed up and they got married. In a few days, they would be on the beach, getting married, and however long it took, Jason would be their son legally. Things were going well, as far as Josh was concerned.

It was the perfect way to start their new lives together as a family. Josh was at peace with his life and appreciated every moment he spent with Jason and Chris. Without them, he didn’t know what he would do. Going back to what he had before them would make his life incomplete. Without them, he would just be caring for his father and selling books. Now, he had a family of his own to take care of and no one could take that away from him.

He wouldn’t let them.

The End