“Dylan’s stomach’s been bothering him all morning. Nick’s closed himself off in his room. Tell me again why we’re doing this?” Jake paced the office at the house, a tense hand on his hip, and the other on the back of his head.
Eli stepped in front of him, stopping him with a hand on his chest. “Because you don’t want to give your parents the upper hand in anything. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that you are the person the boys belong with.” Eli stepped closer and made sure Jake was really listening. “Dylan’s stomach, Nick hiding out…those things are proof that these boys don’t have a good relationship with their grandparents. Like you’ve told me before, you never got a chance to see them together. But if you truly thought about it, how often did Kevin and Maggie even bring the kids there? Your parents never came here, right? Yeah, they’d go see them every now and then, but in the twelve years since Nick was born, it doesn’t seem like it was that much.”
“It really wasn’t that much, but I guess I never gave it much thought until now.” Jake moved his hand from the back of his head to Eli’s hip as Eli slid his hand from Jake’s chest to the back of his neck.
“They’re not even in any photos around the house. I’d bet money there’s a reason. The boys are smart. Nick is old enough to pick up on if there was any tension between your brother and your parents.” Eli traced his fingers back and forth across Jake’s hairline at the nape of his neck, feeling him loosen up.
Jake leaned his forehead down on Eli’s. “I’d lose my fucking mind if you weren’t here to calm me down. Hell, Eli there’s so many things I need to say to you, but—”
“Uncle J?” The office door flung open as Dylan walked in and then froze. Eli and Jake jumped apart, but by the confused look on Dylan’s face, he’d seen enough. “What are you guys doing?” The doorbell rang making Eli looked at the time on his phone. The timing couldn’t be worse, and by the stunned look on Jake’s face, he had no idea what to say to Dylan.
“Your Uncle J just needed a pep talk. We’re a team, right?” Dylan nodded his head but still gave them a skeptical look. “You gotta go out there, Jake.” Eli looked at Dylan then back at Jake. “You guys go. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Jake nodded his head and put a hand on Dylan’s shoulder, guiding him out of the room. Eli took a couple deep breaths. He needed to know what Jake had been about to say, but now wasn’t the time to try and find out. Eli walked out of the office and down the hall, but luckily, it was Avery at the door, not Jake’s parents. Dylan was giving Avery a hug, and Avery hugged him back as he looked around the house. It had to be weird being here without his friends. Kevin and Maggie were everywhere you looked. Jake hadn’t started making any changes. Most likely because the whole situation still seemed so up in the air. From what Eli understood, the house had been left to Jake, with the decision being his as to whether to keep or sell it. That topic was just too big of a conversation for the boys right now. No matter when the decision was made, though, it wouldn’t be an easy one.
“Hey, Eli.” Avery reached a hand out and Eli shook it.
“How’ve you been, Avery?”
“As well as can be expected, I guess.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his black pants and rocked back on his heels.
At the sound of another car pulling up, Avery looked to Jake. “Where’s Nick?”
Jake pointed to the ceiling. “Since this morning.”
When the doorbell rang, Avery turned to Jake. “Better go and get him.”
“Want me to go? It might be better if you’re down here from the start,” Eli offered.
When the damn doorbell rang for the second time, Jake sighed. “Yeah, thanks.”
Eli took the stairs two at a time and knocked on Nick’s door. “Yeah?”
“Nick, it’s Eli. Can I come in?” Eli held his breath. Nick’s room had been like his sanctuary since his parents died. He had no idea how Nick would feel about him being in his space. To his surprise, the door slowly opened, and Nick stepped aside for Eli to enter. “Thanks. Wow. I’ve never seen this room before. It’s pretty cool. You a big Yankees fan?”
Nick looked around the room and shrugged. “I used to be.”
“You’re not anymore?” When sadness crossed Nick’s face, Eli realized his mistake in asking about the sport. “You know, your Uncle J is a pretty big fan too. Bet he’d go to a game with you sometime.”
The boy shrugged his shoulders again, not meeting Eli’s eyes which was more often than not the case lately. So, it shocked the hell out of Eli when Nick muttered, “Well, I mean…if he doesn’t have anyone else to go with, maybe I could…if I’m not in stupid Connecticut.”
Damn, he felt bad for the kid. He wished he could guarantee that it wouldn’t happen, but that was something he had no right promising. “You’re a smart kid, Nick. Just keep in mind, through this whole thing, your voice matters. Sometimes it can be your strongest weapon, but you’ve got to let it be heard.” Eli turned toward the door. “Your grandparents are downstairs, so your uncle wanted me to come get you. Hopefully, this thing will be over quickly.”
“Are you Uncle J’s boyfriend?”
Eli stopped abruptly and turned back around. “What makes you ask that?”
Nick thought for a minute. “Well, you’re always over here, more than his other friends. And, I don’t know, sometimes Uncle J seems relieved to see you or just really happy.” Well, shit. Nick smirked, and it still took Eli by surprise every time. He couldn’t wait for the day when Nick’s smile was something he saw every day, just because. “I also saw you sneak out the other night.”
Eli huffed out a laugh. “Who says I was sneakin’?” Eli raised an eyebrow at the kid and crossed his arms.
“Dylan told me when he went down to get water that night, you were already gone and forgot your stuff, but I saw you leave after he came back up.”
Eli hung his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. How was he supposed to get out of this one? He looked back up and saw Nick waiting for an answer. “Like I said, you’re a smart kid. I don’t know what your Uncle J and I are.” Then he took a chance and asked, “If he did have a boyfriend, would you be okay with that?”
Nick immediately straightened his back. “Yeah. Me and Dylan know Uncle J likes guys. Uncle Avery does too. That’s why dad never wanted to visit Grandma and Grandpa.”
“You guys coming down?” Jake yelled up the stairs. Shit. Bad timing again.
Nick walked past Eli to the door. “I better go down. Are you coming?”
“Yeah.” As Eli walked down the steps, he wondered what Nick meant when he said Kevin never wanted to see Evelyn and Arthur.
“There he is. Nicky, come give your grandma a big hug.” Jake’s mom held her arms out, with a fake fucking smile on her face, and Nick reluctantly hugged her back. “Here, Nicky. We brought you something.”
“My name’s not Nicky. It’s Nick,” he grumbled, shooting Evelyn a dirty look, but his grandma just kept going.
She handed him a package wrapped in gold paper. “Well, go ahead and open it, Nicky.”
Nick gave Jake a look as if to ask if he really had to. Jake nodded even though he wanted to tell his mom to back the fuck off. Nick ripped the paper off and opened the box. “An Incredibles coloring book and crayons. Gee, thanks.”
Dylan rolled his eyes and huffed. “I got Thomas the Train.” Damn, Jake loved those kids.
Jake’s parents either completely missed the sarcasm or just didn’t give a shit. Jake was betting on the latter. “Come on, boys. Let’s go sit in the family room.” Arthur tried to usher the boys in the other room, but when Jake went to walk in first, his father grabbed his arm. “We want time alone with our grandchildren.”
Jake shook the man’s hand off his arm. “Too bad. We all go, or you can leave.”
“Do you see, Mr. Prescott?” Evelyn turned to their lawyer, who was a stiff-looking old man. “He won’t even let us see them.”
“Mrs. Novak, no objection has been made to you spending time with the boys today, but you were well aware of the arrangements before you came over here,” Avery reminded her. “Now, it seems to me that you’re wasting time you could be spending with your grandchildren.”
With an indignant huff, she walked into the family room, with everyone else following. She sat down on the couch with Jake’s father next to her. Avery and the other lawyer sat down in the chairs across from the couch, and Jake sat on the loveseat with Eli.
“Nicky, Dylan, come sit with us.” She patted the empty cushion next to her. The boys hesitated for a minute, and Jake had to bite his fucking tongue to keep from influencing their decision at all. “Boys,” she said in a warning tone Jake hadn’t heard since he was little.
Nick looked over at her, raised his chin, and instead, squeezed himself between Jake and Eli. It took seconds for Dylan to follow suit. They were completely squished on the smaller loveseat, and Dylan was half on Jake’s lap, but Jake wanted to shout for fucking joy and rub it in his parents’ faces. He looked at Eli out of the corner of his eye and could see the same smugness he was feeling. Glancing at his parents, Jake almost laughed at the bitter scowls they both were wearing.
She cleared her throat and smoothed out her dressy pants, acting as if it didn’t piss her off to see the boys choose Jake over her. Arthur crossed one leg over the other and clasped his hands in his lap. “So, boys, what have you been up to lately?”
“Nothing,” Dylan mumbled.
“You have to be doing something. Nicky, what about basketball? How’s your team this year?” Evelyn asked.
“I stopped playing basketball years ago.” Nick gave his grandmother a look like she’d lost her mind.
She looked annoyed for a second and then, most likely remembering there was an audience, plastered a fake smile back on her face. “What are you going to be for Halloween this year? No wait…let me guess. Dylan, you’re going to be a train conductor.” She smiled self-assuredly. “I know how much you love trains. And Nick, you’re going to be…” she tapped her finger on her lip, “hmm…what do eleven-year-old boys like nowadays?”
“I don’t know. I’m not eleven. I’m twelve,” Nick said in irritation.
“Yeah, and I don’t like trains anymore. I liked ‘em when I was five,” Dylan told them, echoing his brother’s frustration.
“How’s school?” Arthur blurted, as if that would cover up the blunder Evelyn had just made.
Nick looked up at Jake and bit his lip. Things at school were gradually getting better, but they still had rough days. He turned his attention back to his grandparents and shrugged his shoulders. “School’s okay, I guess.”
“Are you staying out of trouble?” Arthur asked. Immediately, Nick tensed up next to Jake and looked back up at him with worried eyes. Of course, the bastard didn’t miss a thing. “Nicholas, you are staying out of trouble, aren’t you?”
“He is now—Ow!” Dylan yelled with a scowl, rubbing his arm where Nick elbowed him. “What was that for?”
“Shut up,” Nick hissed.
Arthur sat forward on the couch and stared at Jake. “I think we deserve to know if Nick’s been getting into trouble in school.”
“It was just a fight. It’s no big deal,” Nick muttered.
“No big deal?” Arthur’s voice boomed and both boys flinched. Then he looked at his lawyer. “Are you getting all this? If he’s raised by this reckless, irresponsible delinquent, he’s going to become a reckless, irresponsible delinquent! It’s already happening, for Christ’s sake!”
“Don’t talk about him that way,” Jake said through clenched teeth.
“It’s the same stunts he pulled when he was younger. He obviously hasn’t changed.”
What? Yeah, Jake could be a little sarcastic when he was a kid, but who wasn’t? He’d never been in fights, though. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Jake yelled back.
“No, it’s not like that!” Nick shouted.
“You are not fit to raise these boys,” Arthur said to Jake then turned to Nick. “Did your uncle tell you that’s the way to handle things? By hitting someone?”
Nick just fucking lost it.
He jumped up off the couch and yelled, “Stop it! I got in a fight ‘cause two kids were making jokes about my parents being dead!”
Jake felt like he’d been punched in the fucking gut with a steel fist. “What?” The rage coursing through him, the need to protect his nephew, made him see fucking red. He felt a hand on his thigh and looked over at Eli. Eli looked ready to murder someone, but he shook his head at Jake, reminding him they had an audience.
Nick was hysterically crying and shaking now in the middle of the room. Jake hadn’t seen him let go of his emotions like that since the day his parents died. “They just wouldn’t stop. They kept saying no one was gonna want me, and that they were gonna take Dylan and me away from you ‘cause you’re a fa…” Nick didn’t finish the word, but he didn’t have to. He shook his head as more tears fell. “You’re…you know.”
“Yeah, I know.” Jake’s anger simmered as what his nephew just said hit him full-force, right in the fucking face. The only way those little shits would know about Jake was if their parents had been talking shit. And how the hell did their parents know?
“Now, do you see what we’ve been saying?” Arthur yelled at him, and for the first time in seventeen years, Jake wanted to shrink away from his father’s disgusted glare and his mom’s accusing scrutiny. He got in a fight because I’m a fag? “This is no environment for two young boys! Your lifestyle is unacceptable. It’s an embarrassment. Hell, the town you live in is full of them.” Jake just couldn’t find it in him this time. He was so damn tired of fighting. So damn tired of never measuring up. Was he taking the boys and Eli down with him?
Eli’s hand squeezed Jake’s thigh as he glared at Arthur. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I? Have you been flaunting this,” he waved his hand toward Eli’s hand on Jake’s thigh, “inappropriate behavior in front of my grandchildren? Kevin would be so ashamed—”
“My dad hated you!” Nick shouted so loudly, his face was mottled red, and everyone in the room just…stopped. Dylan jumped off the couch and held his brother’s hand, with tears of his own streaming down his face. Nick looked to Eli then back at his grandparents. “He hated both of you. That’s why we never went to see you, and that’s why he wants Uncle J to raise us.” He wiped his nose with his sleeve, and Jake took a chance and glanced at his parents’ lawyer, who sat there with a stern look on his face. Then he looked at Avery, feeling completely useless, but Avery just nodded his head, like he thought Nick should say whatever he had to say.
“Mom didn’t like you either because you were always mean to her. I heard my dad telling my mom late one night that he didn’t want us around people like you.”
Nick flinched when his grandpa stood up. “People like us?”
That’s where Jake drew the line. “Sit. Down.” He looked up at Arthur before standing and towering over him. “It’s his turn to talk.” Jake pointed to Nick. “So, sit down and shut up.”
“Who do you think you’re—?”
“Mr. Novak,” their lawyer said stiffly. “Let the boy talk.” Arthur floundered for a minute furiously but then reluctantly sat down.
Jake sat back down, too, leaving the floor to Nick and Dylan. “Go ahead, Nick.” Nick looked suddenly shy and scared in a room full of people staring at him.
“Remember your strongest weapon…” Nick’s back straightened again as he nodded his head at Eli. Jake glanced at Eli, wondering what the hell he was talking about until Nick started talking again.
“Mom and Dad didn’t want us to be around people like you. People who don’t accept everyone. Dad said if you wouldn’t accept Uncle J and Uncle Avery, then he wasn’t gonna make us spend time with you.” Nick peered over at Jake. “It was a few years ago when you spent all the holidays by yourself. Dad was mad ‘cause they,” he pointed to his grandparents, “said a lot of crappy things about you. We came home Christmas day that year, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember,” Jake whispered, and the pain he felt from the loss of his brother…the one person who had always stood by him…came back so strong he felt like he couldn’t breathe.
“I got in a fight at school,” Nick admitted, as if he was ashamed of himself, “but it wasn’t Uncle J’s fault.”
Jake stood up and pulled Nick to him. “Come here, kid.” He wrapped his arms around his nephew—and thank fuck, Nick hugged him back. Jake felt Dylan squeeze his way in there and wrapped an arm around him too.
“I think that’s enough for today,” Avery announced, standing up. “Mr. Prescott, I think you can agree, these children have been through enough today.”
Evelyn quickly stood up. “Now, wait just a minute. Who are you to make that decision?” She then turned to her lawyer. “Isn’t this a conflict of interest, anyway? Why is he allowed to represent them?” She pointed to Avery, and for a moment, Jake panicked. He’d never thought about whether that was allowed, especially since the boys called him Uncle Avery.
Mr. Prescott stood as well. “There is nothing stating he can’t represent family or friends, as long as he applies the same ethics he would apply to any other case.” Then the guy looked at Jake. “I believe we’ve taken up enough of your time today. Mr. and Mrs. Novak.” He waved his hand to usher them to the front door.
“This is absolutely ridiculous!” Arthur shouted as he and Evelyn followed their lawyer out the front door. As the door closed, shouting could be heard from outside. “This is how you do your job? You’re fired!”
Three grown men and two kids all huddled around the family room window to enjoy the show.
“How am I supposed to do my job when you were anything but honest with me, Mr. Novak?” the lawyer retorted gruffly. “Those boys aren’t suffering. And why would you neglect to tell me that one of the reasons you thought him unfit was because he’s a gay man? I would have saved you the trouble of firing me because I never would have taken this case to begin with.”
“Damn,” Jake said as they all snickered. “Should we get some popcorn?”
Nick snorted. “With M&Ms mixed in.”
“Now I want popcorn,” Eli added.
They all looked out the window in time to see both the lawyer’s car and his parents’ rental car drive away. Jake turned to Nick and held his hand up for a high-five. “You did good, kid.”
Nick blushed but gave Jake the high-five.
“Honestly, this couldn’t have gone better, in my opinion.” Avery moved away from the window. “Those two people are going to have to prove that the boys’ lives would be harmed if they weren’t in it. Without a court order or your approval, they really don’t have a leg to stand on even just for visitation rights. Mr. Prescott, I’m sure, knew that; hence the reason he’s so pissed.” Avery shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jake.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“I knew Kevin didn’t have a great relationship with your parents, but I didn’t know the extent of it. I honestly just thought going to Connecticut to see them was an inconvenience. I didn’t know Kevin and Maggie were purposefully keeping the boys from the influence of their bigotry.”
“Hell, Avery, I had no idea either. When it came to our parents, Kevin and Maggie knew I didn’t want to hear or talk about them.” Jake put his hands on his hips and hung his head. “This was a long damn day.” He looked back up at Avery. “Nina left a whole bunch of food in the fridge. Two roast chickens, some kind of veggie, and some mashed potatoes. Why don’t you stay for dinner?”
“I’d love to.” Avery grinned. “Thanks.”
Jake looked at Eli. “You’re staying.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Jake wasn’t ready for him to leave yet.
Eli met Jake’s eyes and nodded his head. “Okay.”
Once the food was heated and on the table, the guys sat down and random conversation began. Nick had been a little quiet since his grandparents left, and although Jake was worried, he knew not to pressure him.
“There’s that farm over in Colts Bend,” Eli suggested before taking a bite of chicken.
Avery nodded his head and had a sip of his wine. “That one’s good, but I heard the haunted hayride is short.”
“Can we get pumpkins? I wanna carve something cool. Then we can eat the seeds, too.” Dylan lifted his iced tea, taking large gulps, then wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
“Yeah, we can get pumpkins, but just remember, me and Eli are professional artists.” Jake looked at Eli and smirked.
“Is that a challenge? Because if so, you’re on.” Avery held his hand out for Jake to shake.
Eli put his hand up. “Well, wait. We need rules and a judge.”
Jake laughed and looked back at Nick, who was staring at him with such gravity in his young eyes. “I’m sorry, Uncle J,” he said softly, his blue eyes glistening. The rest of the table grew quiet as Jake and Nick looked at each other.
“You’ve got nothin’ to be sorry for.”
“When I said I hated you,” Nick’s voice cracked, “I…I didn’t mean it. I’m really sorry.” A tear broke free and opened the gates for more as they fell down Nick’s face.
Jake’s chair scraped across the floor as he stood and went to his nephew, pulling him up into his arms. “Hey. I know you didn’t, bud.” Nick nodded his head against Jake as Jake ran a hand over his brown hair. “Listen to me. I love you no matter what, okay? Even if you get pissed at me or I get pissed at you, I will always be here for you, got it?”
“Love you too.” Nick pulled back and smiled as he wiped away tears with his sleeve. The damn thing had to be covered in snot after the day they’d had. When Jake and Nick sat back down, the table was awkwardly quiet. Jake looked at Nick and hated the sadness he still saw as Nick absently pushed string beans around his plate.
Fuck it. This has to stop. Jake picked up his fork, filled it with creamy, delicious mashed potatoes—and fired. Nick looked up, shocked, with mashed potatoes hanging from his hair. Dylan absolutely lost it, laughing so hard he almost fell off his chair.
“Oh, you think that’s funny?” Eli asked right before he flicked a forkful of potatoes across the table, hitting Dylan on his forehead.
Jake barked out a laugh and nearly caught potatoes in his mouth. He looked over at Avery. “Oh, man! Whose side are you on?”
“Every man for himself!” Avery yelled, and an all-out food war began.
Food flew everywhere. Mashed potatoes hung from Eli’s ear, a string bean was on top of Nick’s head, and gravy dripped down Avery’s cheek. Jake yanked Eli in front of him, using him as a shield, until Eli reached back and smashed a handful of potatoes on his head.
“What is going on in here?” Nina yelled over the commotion. They all froze. Jake’s hand slowly lowered, still holding a bunch of string beans. “Look at you! You’re a mess. And look at this room!” she reprimanded, but her lips trembled and her mouth quirked with a smile she was trying to hold back.
Stan was next to her and went to enter the kitchen when she pointed at him. “Don’t you even think about it.”
The man pouted and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I miss all the fun.”
Jake looked at the mess they’d made. But then he looked at his nephews’ faces, seeing them both with the biggest smiles he’d seen in what felt like forever.
Totally worth it.