Happy Birthday

Part 2

“Sit in the damn chair.”

“I’m walking into that room to talk to my little brother.  Remember, no illness, just a check-up.”

Reid was losing his patience with Luke, something that didn’t happen as often as he’d expected it would since they had first moved in together several years earlier.  “It’s hospital rules, especially after the battery of tests you’ve been through.  How would it look for the partner of the Chief of Staff to break the rules?”

“It would look like I’m not under said Chief of Staff’s thumb and that I’m angry enough to stomp out of here and head for the nearest b--”

Luke stopped mid-sentence.  Reid was relieved he checked his rage before letting the elephant loose in the room.  Luke had come too close for comfort to drinking only once since Ethan had moved in with them.  Reid remembered the fear and anxiety for Luke’s health as if it were yesterday.  It was the day before the adoption hearing to award Reid parental rights to Ethan.

The truth is, Reid worried and wondered every day if something would defeat Luke’s determination to stay sober.  He’d never forget the feeling of helplessness when Tom Hughes showed up at their door announcing they’d be appearing before a homophobic judge who would probably rationalize that since Luke could take on the role of parent for his baby brother there was no need for Reid to formally adopt the child.  He’d only be awarded the authority to make decisions on behalf of Ethan should Luke be unable to fulfill his responsibility.

Reid was angry, devastated, if he was honest with himself.  After jumping through every hoop imaginable, including the invasion of their home repeatedly by a well-meaning social worker who’d never dealt with a same sex couple and put her foot in her mouth every chance she got, their dream of becoming a family in the eyes of the state was about to be dashed.

Luke had shocked both Reid and Tom by reacting far more dramatically than the usually oh-so-appropriate Luke Snyder.  He stormed out of the house yelling over his shoulder, “I’m sick and tired of being the runner-up, second, last -- never winning -- all because I’m gay!”

At first Reid assumed he’d run to the protective bubble of the Snyder Farm, but after quickly arranging to leave Ethan with Katie and Chris, he found Emma, Faith, and Natalie having dinner with no Luke in sight.

He took off for the Foundation offices, but found them dark and empty. 

When his cell phone vibrated in his pocket, Reid grabbed it without checking the caller ID.  “Luke, where are you?”

“Reid, it’s Casey.”

“Casey, I don’t have time for any of your inane chatter no matter what you want.”  Reid closed his eyes, trying to figure out where Luke would have gone.

“Reid, when do I call you to chat?  Dad filled me in on what he expects to happen in court tomorrow, and Luke’s reaction.”

Taking a deep breath, Reid closed his eyes.  Everything started falling into place -- Luke beyond despair; he had done everything humanly possible to make something happen that he wanted so much; he was unable to channel his anger and frustration in the face of failure; Casey calling me.

“Reid, are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“You know where he is now, don’t you?”  Reid wished Casey didn’t sound so serious.  Serious from Casey was scary, especially when it was in the role of best friend.

“I know.  I’ll be there in less than five minutes.”

“Do you want me to come?”

“No, but stay near your phone in case I need reinforcements.”

“Go get him, Doc.”

Reid smiled.  How did that dimwit kid turn out so well?

Arriving at Yo’s in record time, Reid didn’t bother smoothing his rumpled shirt.  Maybe seeing Reid distressed would help Luke refocus.

It took a split second to spot Luke at the bar.  Reid walked over, trying to outwardly demonstrate calm while inwardly he was a myriad of knots reminiscent of his first all-nighter with Luke.

“So, what are we having?”

“Champagne.” 

Reid refrained from making a crack about his high class, Walsh taste in liquor as he took in the opened bottle sitting next to Luke’s full glass.

“Do you want a glass?  I haven’t started yet, but we have so much to toast.”  Luke gave Reid a sideways glance and then continued to stare at his glass.

Tilting his head, Reid watched Luke stare into the bubbling liquid.  “No thanks.  One of us needs to drive home.  Besides, what are we toasting?”

Luke barked out a laugh that sent chills down Reid’s spine.  “Are you kidding?  We have dozens of great things to toast.”  Luke was dripping with sarcasm.  This was a Luke Reid wasn’t sure he wanted to get to know.

“Let’s start with our incredible wedding.  Oh, wait, we didn’t have one because we can’t get married in this state so all we did was sign a few impersonal documents and have our attorney file them with the Great State of Illinois.  Hmm, then I guess we could celebrate me finally developing my own successes.  Whoops, wrong again.  That was my first boyfriend who became the film success, I’m just carrying on the family’s business, inherited not earned -- a figurehead.”  Luke’s voice started to crack, but he continued and Reid let him since it kept the champagne glass on the bar and out of Luke’s hand.  “Here’s an oldie, but goodie -- let’s toast to my college graduation -- the one that never happened.  It’s getting harder and harder to think about finishing that waste of time degree.  I’ll probably never write anyway, why bother taking courses to improve my non-existent skills.” 

Uh oh, self-pity and anger.  Bad combo.

“And then, of course, there’s toasting the adoption that will never happen, all because they’d rather trust an alcoholic idiot with the life of his younger brother than giving the responsibility to a more mature, gifted brain surgeon.”

Luke glared at Reid and grabbed the glass far from delicately, holding it in the air.  “That about sums up all there is to toast, doesn’t it?”

Reid’s mind was running a mile a minute.  He knew he had to say something to change the course of the next few minutes, and it couldn’t just be a glib comeback, not this time.  There was too much at stake. 

Think, Reid, think. 

“Luke, you’re wrong.”  It was a lame start but it bought him another few seconds to formulate his thoughts.

Luke’s eyes narrowed.  “Oh really?  How so?”

“I am going to adopt Ethan legally, and if it’s not tomorrow, it’ll be next month with a different judge, but I won’t be shoved aside.  And I know you offered to reveal some of the things you think make you seem less than capable of making this happen, but we won’t need to do that.”

“You mean being a one-kidney wonder.”

He’s being a brat.  Good, he’s distracted and thinking of comebacks.  “Something like that.  And as far as your career -- it doesn’t matter how you started, you’re a successful business man and a respected member of the community.  And if you want to go back to college, if it means something to you, then go.  I won’t stop you, I’ll be behind you all the way.”

Reid sighed, “The part about marriage.  Let’s face it, Luke Snyder and Reid Oliver are... I can’t believe I’m saying this... married.  We couldn’t be more married than if we wore hideous white tuxes and walked down the aisle of Oakdale’s biggest church in front all your relatives, or the entire town, whichever makes for a bigger crowd.  Don’t let any state’s law or homophobic idiot you might come across tell you otherwise.  They’d be wrong.”

Luke looked at Reid, his brow no longer furrowed and his eyes wide, filled with a love Reid had gotten used to despite himself.  Then he stared at the glass in his hand and lowered it to the bar.  “I paid for it already.  It’s expensive.  Do you want some?”

Not sure if Luke heard Reid release a breath of relief, he shook his head.  “Not thirsty, but I’d like us to pick up Ethan and go home.”

Nodding, Luke stood and backed away from the bar.  “I almost--  If you hadn’t come, I would have.  What the hell is wrong with me, I might have--”  Luke never finished the sentences and Reid didn’t want him to.  Both of them knew why, and how, things could have gone wrong, but this time they hadn’t.

“Reid, Reid.  Where were you?”  Luke was gripping Reid’s shoulder and shaking him back to the present.

“Nowhere I really wanted to revisit.  Now follow me, Mr. Snyder, and let’s turn this goddamn birthday around.  Damn, I hate teenagers.”

“I’m walking in.  I don’t need the wheelchair.”

“Fine, have it your way.  You always do.”  Reid offered a half-smile and Luke responded in kind.

“Good, now that we have that settled, let’s help Ethan.”

Walking into the room, Reid and Luke found Ethan looking at the silenced machines next to the bed.  “Luke, some people think you have all these problems because you’re gay.”

Luke walked to the side of the bed and sat down.  “Sit next to me, Ethan.”

Reid took the seat next to the bed and decided to let Luke take the lead.

“Well, are you sick because you’re gay?  Do bad things happen to you because you’re gay?  Is the whole annoying world out to get you because you’re gay?”

Brushing his hand over Ethan’s shaggy mop of hair, Luke smiled.  “No.  None of it’s because I’m gay.  Some of the crap that’s happened over the years is because I’m stupid, but not because I’m gay.  And to tell you the truth, the best thing in my life happened only because I’m gay.”  Luke looked directly at Reid. 

Reid knew it was totally sappy, but it still made him grin.  Being the object of Luke Snyder’s love was definitely the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Ethan rolled his eyes.  “I get it.  You’ve got each other only because you’re gay.”

Luke nodded and Reid sat still.

“So what should I do when jerks talk about you deserving bad shit to happen to you?”

“If I thought it would help, I’d start by suggesting you work on cleaning up your language.”  Reid smirked.  “But if that doesn’t work you could tell them to fuck off.”

Luke swatted him on the arm.  “Or, you could just walk away and go someplace where there will be different people around.  People you trust who won’t be swayed by morons.”

Looking from Luke to Reid, Ethan huffed.  “Or, maybe I could split the difference.”

Standing up from the chair, Reid started to help Luke rise from the bed.  “Sounds like a solid plan to me.  Although I’d expect anyone raised by me to solve things brilliantly.”

“Not bad advice, Dr. Oliver.”  Luke took Reid’s hand and tenderly pressed his lips to the palm.

“I know.”  Reid leaned in to give Luke a chaste kiss on the lips.  “Ethan, how about we all go back to your party?  You deserve to celebrate.  Besides, that cake looked really good and I’m starving.”

“Guess things are back to normal if you’re ready for food.”  Ethan laughed.  “Now when can I get a real motorbike, especially after all the trauma I’ve been through today?”

Reid turned around to gaze at both Luke and Ethan.  “Do you Snyders ever give up when you get an idea in your heads?”

Luke grinned from ear to ear.  “No, and you should be thankful that we don’t.”

“I am.”  Reid wasn’t sure if he said the words out loud.  It didn’t matter.  Luke knew.

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