It’s All Relative

 Chapter 11

“Oh, shit!”

“Brian!”

Helen covered her mouth, her face lit with amusement. “Actually, Justin, I do think Brian summed it up quite well.”

“Dad, get her out of here. She’s gross!”

Brian stared in shock and disgust at his little princess laying on her baby blanket, squealing with glee. Apparently she had stuck her hands in an extremely full diaper and smeared its contents all over her clothes and the comforter.

“Now what, Sunshine?” Brian ran his hands through his hair.

“One of us takes the blanket and puts it in the washing machine, and the other takes Jessica into the shower.”

Brian glared at Helen who was smirking off to the side. “Care to take on one of the starring roles in this performance?”

“Not particularly.” Then she turned to Gus. “I think I’ll visit with Gus while you both go about your business.”

“Dad, Daddy, get her out of here. She’s stinking up the whole room.”

“Alright, Sonny Boy. Justin, you grab the blanket, I’ll grab the duchess of disgusting behavior.”

As soon as Brian picked up their daughter, Justin removed the blanket, folding toys into it that had been in Jessica’s reach and jogged off to his destination.

Brian held his daughter as carefully as possible, knowing he’d be joining her in the shower and changing his own outfit as well.


 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 

Helen listened as Brian headed out of the room. “You, my little lady, have a lot of nerve being so extremely inappropriate when we have such an important guest in our midst.”

Jessica began to giggle.

“Don’t wave those grotesque fingers at me. You’ve already ruined my new Armani shirt from their casual collection.”

The baby cooed in response.

“And just when I’m trying to become father of the year -- well, your father, but it’s all the same -- you go and mess things up. This fiasco will probably delay the report even more.” There was a brief pause. “I love you so much... even when you stink.”

Brian’s voice trailed off as he presumably headed toward the bathroom for a shower.

“So, Gus, that just leaves you and me.”

“Yep.” He was changing the location of several panels of train tracks that were on the far end of the room.

“Do you enjoy playing with trains?”

“I like playing with them and riding on them for real too. When Dad and Daddy took me to visit my mommy in New York, we rode on the subway. Have you ever done that? It’s cool -- but it’s underground so there’s not much to see.”

Helen rested her briefcase on the sofa and sat on the floor with Gus. “I have ridden on the subways in New York City. They can be fun when they’re not crowded.”

Gus nodded as he snapped another panel carefully into place.

“Do you like playing with your sister?”

“She doesn’t play much yet, but she’s great to talk with.”

“Is she now? I would imagine the conversations are pretty one-sided.”

“That’s what’s so great about them. My other sister is five, and she never lets anyone else talk.”

Helen snickered. “I’ve met JR. She can be quite a little chatterbox.”

“That’s what Mom calls her sometimes.” Gus picked up his head and looked at Helen. “Hey, you’re friends with my mom, right?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Cool. And you’re friends with my dads too?”

“Is that what they told you?” Helen was curious to know how her visit was discussed.

“Yeah. They said you’re Uncle Michael’s cousin, and you just moved back to town, so I should be polite and make you feel welcome.”

“Is that all they told you about me?”

Gus thought a moment and ran his fingers through his hair. Helen tried not to laugh at the gesture she’d seen Brian do more than once. “Yep, that’s it. Are you going to babysit for me and Jessica or something?”

“Why would you ask that?”

“Well, Dad and Daddy usually have me stay with Mom or Grandma Jen or Grandma Debbie if they go out, but when we once had a babysitter, because everyone was going to some grown-up dinner for Uncle Ben, they had her come over a few times to get to know us first.”

“Did they now?” Helen picked up one of the sleek German model train cars.

“It was weird. None of my friends’ parents do stuff like that, but Dad said, ‘No stranger is going to watch my kids. They’re too damn important.’”

Gus quickly smacked his hand over his mouth.

Helen grinned. “Something wrong, Gus?”

“I’m not supposed to use bad words.”

“What happens when you do?”

“Dad and Daddy take a quarter out of my next allowance when I do that. You won’t tell, will you?” Gus batted his long lashes, his face riddled with concern.

“No, I think we can keep this little faux pas to ourselves.”

“Huh?” Gus tilted his head.

“A faux pas is a mess up.”

“Oh, okay, thanks Mrs...”

“You can call me Aunt Helen.” She paused for a moment, knowing Brian and Justin would soon return. “What else do you like to do with Jessica?”

“I kind of like to hang around with her when she doesn’t poop in her pants. She’s cute and I’m trying to get her to say my name, but I guess she’s still too little.” Gus paused a moment and then his eyes lit up. “And I love to make her giggle. Jessica has the best laugh. There’s only one problem.”

“What’s that?”

“When I have friends over from school, they like to play with her too, especially the girls.”

“That’s rough. What about your fathers?”

“What about them?”

“Do they spend more time with Jessica than you?”

“Not really -- except when she needs to get dressed. I dress myself.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, otherwise we do all kinds of stuff together. Dad usually puts Jessica in this baby backpack thing, and we can go anywhere. Otherwise, like at the zoo, my dads put her in her stroller.”

“I see.”
 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 

Brian, holding Jessica, and Justin returned to the room simultaneously. When they saw Helen on the floor with Gus, both men stared at each other. Brian could feel the tension building and did everything possible to suppress it so as not to agitate the baby who was now presentable.

“Hey, Sonny Boy, have you been entertaining our guest?”

Gus smiled. “She’s been on the subways in New York too.”

“Has she now?” Brian quirked a brow and Justin shrugged.

Helen stood up and walked over to the threesome who were still standing at the entrance to the room. “May I hold this refreshed little angel?”

Brian handed Jessica over.

“Well, my dear, you are one popular young lady.”

Jessica waved her arms and tugged on Helen’s hair.

“Did you know that your Dad wants to adopt you so you can be his legally?”

Brian took Justin’s hand and squeezed it as he listened to Helen’s one-sided conversation.

“I think it’s time you and I told your Dad that I can’t imagine you having a better pair of fathers if I hand-picked them myself, and that’s what my report to the judge will indicate.” Helen tickled Jessica’s belly, eliciting a huge laugh from the tiny girl.

Brian waited a moment to replay the words in his mind. “Helen, did you say what I think you said?”

“Brian, you’re quite an intelligent man. If little Jessica knows what I meant, I would imagine your interpretation is more than adequate as well.”

“You’re recommending that...”

“...you gain third parent parental rights to Jessica Chanders Taylor.”

Brian slowly approached the couch and sat down wordlessly. Justin took the space by his side.

“Are you okay?” Justin leaned in and kissed Brian tenderly on the lips.

Brian returned the kiss with one more. He looked at Helen and Jessica. “She’ll be my daughter, legally.”

Helen nodded, handing the baby back to Brian.

Brian looked up at Helen. “Thank you. I don’t know what else to say. This means more to me...” His voice trailed off, too choked with emotion to go on.

Helen picked up her briefcase and gazed at the two men sitting with the tiny baby.

Playing with Jessica’s small fingers, Brian whispered, “Well, little lady, this is it. I’m your daddy forever, and no one will ever take that away from us.”

Jessica clapped her hands and tapped Brian’s nose. “Da-da!”


[The End]
 

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