New Addition

Chapter 1

Reid worked on his staff assignments while awaiting the arrival of his lunch guest.  He’d decided not to tell Luke about their date, as he hoped for time alone with her.  Although Luke seemed to be in the best shape of his life physically and emotionally, Reid knew his empathetic partner borrowed trouble like kids borrowed lunch money.

Closing his eyes, Reid recollected the night they decided to tell Ethan they were going to explore the wide world of surrogacy, adding a baby to their lives.  Luke had gone out of his way to create the picnic of the century.

Taking Ethan to Snyder Pond, and ensuring none of the family living at the farm would intrude, the three set down a couple of blankets at Luke’s favorite spot along the banks of the small body of water.  It had been the first place he and Luke had sex out of doors. 

Reid smiled as he thought back to that special night, their first anniversary of moving in together.  He had known it was more than sex.  He and Luke had made love, repeatedly, then swam together with only the light of the moon as their guide.  Reid knew full well that normally he would have thought the entire night was one that should have been relegated to the realm of the ridiculously cheesy, but that opinion had changed once he was in the midst of it.  It was the night he realized their commitment ceremony had meant much more than a foolish symbolic imitation of the marriage ritual. 

Maybe there had been something inherently genius in Luke’s intricately orchestrated plan to share the baby-news with Ethan.  Snyder Pond certainly had its charms.  Besides, it couldn’t hurt to have as much on their side as possible.  It was going to be a challenge explaining both the procedure, and their intention that, unless it was required for medical  reasons, there would not be a paternity test, that no one would know whether Luke or Reid was the biological  parent.   They would both be his or her parents and wanted Ethan to consider the new kid more than a nephew or niece since they would be living together as siblings.  Oakdale really did inspire insane familial relationships and Reid figured it was about time he added to the glut of mixed up relatives.

Paperwork on his desk now completely ignored, Reid closed his eyes remembering when he brought Ethan to the pond that night.  It was almost a year ago.  The kid wouldn’t shut his mouth.  Patience and silence were no more his forte than his brother’s.

“Reid, I mean Dad, why did you bring me here?  Did I do something wrong?”

“No, of course not.”  Reid and Ethan passed the barn on their way to the spot where he knew Luke would be waiting for them.  “You’re smart enough to know if you’ve screwed up.  Have you done anything I should know about?” 

“No way!  I’ve been doing pretty well in school and my guitar teacher thinks I’m the next Stevie Ray Vaughan, especially with the new guitar Grandma Miriam gave me.”

Pausing, Reid looked at the kid.  “How the hell do you know who Stevie Ray Vaughan is?”

“I love music, I play guitar, I have a computer with WiFi, and I’m not dead.”  Ethan snickered.

“Wise ass.”

“So, what’s up?”  Ethan stopped short in his tracks.  “Oh shit.  Is Luke sick again?  Please tell me Luke isn’t sick.  I know we don’t say it much because we’re brothers, but I love him so much.”

Reid grabbed Ethan and gave him a quick hug.  He could completely empathize with the kid’s feelings.  Luke was Reid’s entire world.  Without him everything would collapse.  “Luke is fine, both of us are healthy.”

Ethan looked into Reid’s eyes, the boy’s brow furrowed.  “Are you sure?  You promise?”

“I promise.  Cross my heart and all that extra bull.  Luke is in great shape and so am I.”

“For a dad.” 

Reid gently pretended to wallop Ethan in the gut and the kid had the nerve to giggle.  From drama to laughter in sixty seconds.  These Snyders would drive him crazy.

When they saw Luke in the distance, Ethan bolted ahead to meet his brother.  The two hugged and chuckled about something before Reid was in earshot.

“So what’s for dinner?  I’m starving.”

Luke gave Reid a tender kiss on the lips.  “You’re always starving.”

“That’s how you know I appreciate your exquisite culinary creations.  I eat them with enthusiasm.”

Seated on the blanket, Ethan called out, “Look, Dad, Luke made our favorite sandwich combos.  It’s the best dinner ever.”

Shaking his head, Luke took Reid’s hand.  “Do you think this is the right way to tell him?  I don’t want anything to go wrong.  He has to like the idea or I don’t know if we can go ahead with it.”

“Relax.  Let’s grab our sandwiches and just be honest with the kid.  He really does have a pretty good head on his shoulders.  He won’t give us a hard time.”  Reid paused, gazing into Luke’s eyes.  “At least I don’t think he will.”

“Oh God.  He’s going to hate the idea of a baby.  I just know it.”

“Luke.”  Reid lifted Luke’s chin.  The two shared a warm kiss that lasted longer than planned. 

“Hey, I’m eating here.  Get a room or head to the barn if you want to skip dinner.”  Ethan knew just what to say to ruin the moment.

Reid whispered into Luke’s ear.  “Let’s tell him now.  It’ll be better than making out in front of him.”

Luke huffed.  “You’re an amazing strategist, but let’s do it.”

The two joined Ethan on the blanket, slowly unwrapping their sandwiches.

“Dad, you never eat this slowly, except when you’re upset about something.  What the hell’s up?”

“Ethan!”

“Luke, give it a rest.  It’s not like I said What the fuck’s up?”

“Oh my God!  I’m going to make an awful father.”

“Luke?”  Ethan stared at his brother.  Putting down his half-eaten sandwich as he looked from Luke to Reid.  “Are you guys gonna adopt another kid?”

Luke covered his face with his hands, realizing he’d managed to spill the beans without even trying.

Reid wrapped an arm around Luke and looked directly at Ethan.  “Would it bother you if we decided to have a baby?  We’d use a surrogate.  Do you know what that is?”

“I’m thirteen and conscious.  Of course I know what a surrogate is.”  Ethan lowered his head briefly then looked up again.  “Who’d be the new kid’s father?”

Before Luke could say anything, Reid answered.  “Both of us.  We would both donate sperm and fertilize eggs and hopefully have one of each to implant.”  Reid touched Ethan’s knee.  “We wouldn’t want to know who the genetic father is unless it became medically necessary.  So this kid would be raised as your younger brother or sister.”

Finally finding his voice, Luke added, “Are you okay with all this?”

“That means I wouldn’t be the baby of the family anymore, right?”

“Right.  This kid would be the baby, literally, for a while.”  Reid tried to lighten the intensity of the conversation without giving it any less importance.

“This will be so cool.  I won’t be the youngest and my big brother will finally be a dad.”

Luke looked at Ethan, moving closer to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  “So you’re on board?  No bad feelings or worry about the baby taking too much attention away from you?”

“Is that what you think?  I’d love it if you guys could split up some of the attention you give me.  It’s like living with the dad versions of overachievers twenty-four / seven.”  Ethan leaned against his big brother and Reid couldn’t help feeling proud of both of them.  “Besides, Daddy and Mommy would have loved knowing you were a parent, not just a guardian for me.  You’ll make an amazing father.”

Now Reid knew he couldn’t be prouder.  He and Luke must be doing something right for Ethan to make that kind of declaration out loud.  Getting a bit more choked up than he was comfortable with, Reid bit into his sandwich.  He knew his son was a good kid, but seeing the two so supportive of one another made him feel something inside he still wasn’t completely able to define.

A loud buzz from his intercom startled Reid out of his reverie.  “Yes.”

“Your guest is here and I’m heading to lunch.” 

“Good, send her in.”  Reid rolled his eyes, knowing what Luke would want him to say next.  “And have a nice lunch.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”  His assistant had such a bright voice, it bordered on irritating.  If she wasn’t so efficient he’d get rid of her.

The door to Reid’s office opened.  He stepped around his desk and gave a warm hug and kiss to the very pregnant woman in front of him.  “You look great.  Still feeling good?”

“Never better.  I’m finally mature enough to enjoy being pregnant, and I’m thrilled not to have to assume any of the responsibility after the birth.”

“I still can’t believe you agreed to do this for us; no strings attached.”

“Hey, they’re your kids.  Their only tie to me is as the incubator.”  The smile on her face was genuine and had the hint of mischief Reid liked in her.  “Besides, when Carly told me you guys needed someone to carry your child it was the perfect excuse to take a break from the outside world and return to Oakdale for a while.”

“Being pregnant can’t be an easy break, especially with Luke always checking up on you.”

“I don’t mind.  Chalk it up to remembering some advice about coping that helped me through what was nearly the worst day of my life.  You’re a good man, Dr. Oliver-Snyder, and you were wrong all those years ago -- you are a heart guy, as well as a brain guy.”

Reid could feel his face heating up.  Not too many people could do this to him.  “Thank you, Molly.  Now, how about Al’s for lunch?  I hear that place could be considered a pregnant woman’s version of an oasis.”

“Sounds great!  I can feel both of your children kicking with excitement about it.”

[TBC]

Return to New Addition