JESSICA

Chapter 9

Friday morning came and Brian, Justin and Gus were ready to head off to Pittsburgh with their precious bundle one last time.

While Gus had a more positive outlook to future visits and playtime with Jessica, Justin couldn’t seem to wrap his head around the idea that he had grown too attached to the little girl. So attached that he was reluctant to give her back to her mother, his best friend.

At the same time, Jennifer had returned the night before from a Real Estate Agents’ conference in New York City and insisted on meeting Brian and Justin at the diner after they dropped Gus off at school.

Jennifer arrived at the diner before Brian and Justin. She was greeted with a huge, bone-crushing hug by Debbie. It was hard to believe that his woman, who had put her off by her bold, bordering vulgar, behavior just eight years earlier, had become her best friend.

The two chatted away as if they hadn’t seen each other in ages. Deb especially loved talking about the visits that Brian and Justin made to the diner and into town with the baby. Debbie couldn’t help but pinch those beautiful, chubby cheeks and smile at the baby’s gorgeous eyes.

After getting stuck in cross town traffic Brian and Justin finally arrived with Jessica, her infant seat and diaper bag. As soon as Jennifer spotted them walking in the door she immediately excused herself from Debbie’s chatter and made a beeline for the trio.

“Oh honey, I missed you so much...both my honey’s.”

“Not in front of the fags, Mother Taylor. They’ll think I’ve gone soft.”

“And that would certainly be a fate worse than death, wouldn’t it, Brian,” Jennifer laughed.

“Why, Mother Taylor, you really have been hanging around Debbie for far too long. You’ve lost all your WASPish refinement. I may not recognize you soon. Have you been shopping for any ratty wigs lately.”

“Bite your tongue.”

“I’d rather bite your son’s.” Brian smirked.

“Okay, Brian, enough.” Justin blushed, “Hi Mom, it’s great to see you. I’m sorry you missed spending time with us. It was great having a baby around for a week. You would have gotten a kick out of it. We did a pretty good job.”

“I know. But I spoke to Daphne’s mother yesterday and her spirits are so much better. Daphne’s visit may have been a strain on you boys, as well as Daphne, but it was for a worthy cause.”

The three continued to talk as they walked to a booth near the back of the diner. “Now let me see this little angel. I’ve hardly had any time to visit her and her mommy since she was born.”

Brian placed the infant seat on the diner’s bench and let Jennifer move in to take the smiling baby out. She always seemed happy in the extremely colorful diner. “Have at her, Jen. She’s one fucking happy kid and isn’t picky about who holds her as long as she gets all her needs met throughout the day. I like that in a kid.”

“I bet you do, Brian, I just bet you do.” Then Jennifer turned to the infant seat and the baby opened her eyes wide and smiled at the next person to give her direct attention. Jennifer seemed frozen for a minute and then whispered, “Holy shit.”

“Uhm, Mom, are you okay. You look kind of sick or stunned or something.”

“Just fine, honey, just fine.” Jennifer lifted the baby out of her carrier and held her close, mumbling something that only the baby could hear.

“Hey, Jen, do you want to let us in on the secret? I don’t think we’ll get it out of Jessica. She’s really close-mouthed no matter what we try to bribe her with.”

Jennifer shook her head slightly and looked up at Brian and Justin and back again. “Justin, don’t you see it?”

“See what?” Justin was getting really concerned about his mother. She seemed paler than usual and he wondered if he should take the baby from her.

“Look at her, Justin.”

“Mom, I’ve been looking at her for seven straight days. Care to give me a clue what you’ve found?”

“Does she have the mark of the scarlet pimpernel or something? Jen, what do you see? I think you’re scaring your son, and I’m not far behind. Is the kid sick?”

“No, no, I didn’t mean to scare you both. I guess, Justin, that ten year olds don’t pay quite as much attention to baby sisters as they seem to sometimes. She’s the spitting image of Molly.”

“Uhm, Mom, the baby’s hair is the same color as Daphne’s. I may be a bit dim about Molly’s past, but I always remember having to share a house with a strawberry blonde.”

“Holy shit!”

“What, Brian, what the fuck are you both looking at?”

“You know, for an artist Sunshine, you’re not really using your creative imagination. Pretend Jessica has strawberry blond hair, and a slightly fairer complexion.”

Justin started to pale himself and he sat down on the opposite side of the booth from his mother and the baby. Brian sat down next to him. No one spoke a word until the bell over the diner door jingled and Daphne walked in, somewhat out of breath.

“Oh, this is great.” She hastily moved towards the booth near the rear of the diner where the foursome were currently sitting. “I caught a red eye and couldn’t wait to see Jessica and all of you. Hi, Mrs. Taylor. I’m so glad you had time to visit with the baby. I had wanted to...” Daphne started looking at the shocked faces that all slowly turned to her.

“I knew it. I’d hoped to be the one to tell you, but I always knew that Jennifer could see it.”

“Is that why you were always busy or tired when I said I’d love to come by and see you and the baby and offered to help since your mother couldn’t?”

Daphne nodded seriously.

Brian was the next to speak, “Do you know that Justin has been beside himself not wanting to give back this kid? He felt so drawn to her that even the fact that during her visit we agreed to research having a baby of our own, he couldn’t bear to separate from Jessica. I sure as fuck hope you have an incredibly good explanation because I’m having trouble thinking of one right now.”

With appetites gone and leaving a confused Debbie behind to wonder what the fuck was going on, the group proceeded to leave their cars near the diner and walk to Kinnetik, just two blocks away.

Before Cynthia or Ted could greet the small parade, Brian raised his hand to enforce quiet and they both obliged, seeing the serious and shocked faces on the assembled group.

After they all walked into Brian’s office, as he was closing the door, he yelled out to Cynthia, “No interruptions unless the building is on fire.”

“But what about if Leo...”

“Not even if Steve Jobs called to give me all his advertising.”

Cynthia sat down stunned, “Shit, this is big.”

Ted just nodded, “It must be the biggest.” The two stood staring at the closed door briefly and then got back to work, wondering when the big, important discussion topic would be revealed.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 

Justin finally found his voice as he held Jessica snugly in his arms and gave her a bottle. “Okay Daphne, I need to understand what this is all about. I’m trying to be somewhat gracious, but I don’t think it’ll last long if you don’t start talking quickly.”

Daphne began to pace slowly and looked at Justin directly, ignoring the other two in the room. “You and I have discussed your desire to have children more than once. Every time the topic came up you were either too poor, too young or too devoted to Brian and would choose him over having a child of your own.”

Brian rubbed his hand over his face as he listened to the last part of Daphne’s explanation, knowing that Justin would always sacrifice his own needs and desires for him.

“Anyway, I knew that your reasoning was pretty fucking good, but somehow I also knew that I never wanted to marry, but I did want to have a kid someday. Well, when I went with you to the sperm bank I had an epiphany and I secretly reserved your sperm sample. I even put down money that day and signed a contract that stated it basically belonged to me and they couldn’t release it to anyone else.”

“You what! Why the fuck didn’t you tell me, or at least ask me, if you wanted me to father your child?” Justin placed the baby who had fallen asleep during her bottle, in the infant seat.

“Justin, you wouldn’t have said yes, unless you could be an active father and you had told me repeatedly that you wouldn’t even bring it up to Brian. I’m almost shocked that you brought it up this week.”

Justin brushed his hand through his hair and laughed. “I didn’t, he did.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, he saw me with Jessica and I guess it was obvious that I was ready to be a father and have a kid of my own. The surprise was that Brian wasn’t opposed to the idea.”

Jennifer looked up at Brian and smiled, “Justin, everyone grows up and matures at their own pace -- it just takes some of us longer than others.” Brian smiled at Jennifer but said nothing.

“So you’re telling me that you left Jessica with us to see if I’d recognize her.”

“No, you idiot. I left her with you because I wanted you both to see what a joy it was to have her in your lives and obviously it worked.”

Justin sat back down on the sofa next to his mother and put his head down and held it. No one else moved, waiting to hear from him first.

Daphne softly added, “There’s no pressure, Justin. I adore Jessica, and if you’re not ready to take on this responsibility that’s okay. Just know that I love you, I love our daughter and you’ll all always be welcomed and a part of her life if you want to be.”

Justin finally tilted his head up and it was obvious that tears had been running down his cheeks. “What if I want her regularly? What if I want to have her with me half the time, like we have Gus? What if I...”

Justin’s words were cut off when Daphne grabbed him in a hug. “That’s just what I was hoping to hear. I always knew you’d be the best father in the whole fucking world. I’m glad you’re finally ready to admit it too. I just hope this won’t rock Gus’ world too much.”

Brian snorted, “Fuck, Gus wanted to keep her. I think he wanted us to negotiate play dates with her starting now, even though all she did was lay there and giggle when he tickled her.”

“She giggled, Jessica giggled this week.” Daphne squeezed Justin tighter.

“Wait a minute, Daph. Is this why you insisted Brian and I rush to the hospital when Jessica was born.” Daphne nodded. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it.”

Jennifer rubbed her son’s back. “Sometimes our minds only allow us to see what we can truly grasp and comprehend at a given time. I immediately knew I was looking at a Taylor baby because I was always hoping to be a grandmother sooner than later and Jessica was literally placed into my lap. You needed this week to learn that you and Brian were ready too.”

“Mom, do you think I’ll be a good father?”

Brian pulled Justin off the couch and held him close and kissed him. “You already are -- to both our children.”

[The End - for now]
 

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