Lost Sister

Part 5

 

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Justin and Cait were getting ready for dinner. Brian decided the gang needed to meet Cait. All three were shocked that Debbie hadn't told anyone. For once she decided to butt out, and let Brian reveal his sister in his own time. The dinner came about a week after his initial meeting with Cait. A lot had transpired that week. Brian spent all his free time with Cait. He was obsessed with getting as close to her as he could. Justin knew that the older man was reveling in having a sibling he could actually have a relationship with. He gave the reunited siblings their space.

Ironically, relations between the former lovers weren't too bad. They had not been alone since Justin came home, so there were no confrontations. Brian usually waited in the car when he was picking up Cait. The few times that he actually came into the condo, the two were very polite and civil to each other. Although Brian knew eventually he and Justin would have to talk, he primary focus was his growing relationship with Cait.

Brian had never known the joy that could be had in sibling relationships. His relationship with Claire had been nothing but acrimonious. They had never gotten along, and now their relationship was non-existent. The final blow had come when Claire's son had accused him of molestation. Joanie and Claire never thought for a moment that the accusation had been bullshit, they immediately thought the worst of him. Brian knew his relationship with them had been destroyed … forever.

Caitlin Marie Kinney. Just thinking about her took Brian's breath away. Not in a romantic, sexual way. For 32 years Brian had felt something was missing in his life. He always assumed it was the lack of his family's love. For awhile that void had been filled by Justin, but even in his best times with Sunshine, he always felt there was something missing in his life. Learning that he was a twin, and having that twin return to him, filled the void immediately. Their hearts had beat together for nine-months, and to be ripped apart right after birth, had left a hole inside both of them.

One night when they were having dinner, Cait revealed some secrets of her own. "Bri … I want to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Well you know how you told me you'd always felt that void, and you never knew where it came from?"

"Yeah."

"Well it was the same for me. I knew I was a twin, and even though I had been told you died, somehow I knew you didn't. I never really thought you did. Because of circumstances, I never fleshed it out, but somehow I knew that you existed. I knew that somewhere in this world, my twin brother was alive and well. I never knew what to do about it, I never planned to do anything about it … until I met this blonde `twink' and everything changed."

"I think I can relate to that." Brian and Cait never talked about their relationship with Justin. Cait was still trying to `play both sides from the middle.'

Brian was too overwhelmed by his growing relationship with his sister to really focus on Justin at all. He knew that at some point he would have to, but he couldn't right now.

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Cait was a nervous wreck. The only person, outside of Brian and Justin, that Cait had met was Debbie. She had heard stories about the `infamous' Liberty Avenue family from both Brian and Justin. One thing she and Brian didn't share was confidence. Brian's bravado and confidence had come from years of self-preservation, but Cait still could feel vulnerable when she was put on display, and she knew that tonight she would be on display.

Justin sensed Cait's nervousness. He could understand how she was feeling. He remembered being subjected to the "Liberty Avenue" family while he was an outsider. They were very intimidating … not intentionally, but they were a unit that protected their own.  Outsiders were treated with suspicion, until they were granted membership in the "family." Justin had experienced that, David never fully made it in, he was gone too soon, but Ben had gone the full gamut.

He caught Cait fussing with her hair again, "You look beautiful."

Cait whipped around to face him, "What?"

"I know you're nervous, but it will be ok. Brian wouldn't subject you to this if he didn't think everything would be ok. That's not his style. So you need to gather that `Kinney' confidence and charisma, and knock their socks off."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so, now let's go."

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Brian was surveying the scene at the loft. Everyone had arrived, except the two most important ones. He was a little uncertain if subjecting Cait to the whole family at once was a good idea, but he had always thought that ripping the band-aid off quickly was less painful, so that's what he was doing tonight.

The whole queer family was present, Deb, Vic, Emmett, Ted, Michael, Ben, Melanie, Lindsey and Gus, the only people missing were Justin and Cait. Brian could tell everyone was curious about the "summons" they had received. Debbie was the only one who had an inkling about what was going on. Brian thrived on dramatic gestures, and she had a feeling tonight would be no different.

Deb had only met Caitlin twice, once with Brian and once with Justin. She immediately wanted to envelop the young woman in her arms. She was everything that Brian wasn't, on the surface. She didn't hide her feelings and emotions behind years of carefully erected walls. She smiled, easily and freely, and laughed with a lilting Irish baroque. Deb knew she was seeing the type of person Brian could have been if he hadn't been raised in hell. She hoped this unexpected reunion would have a positive impact on the man she loved like a son. Perhaps the hole inside of him would be filled by the reunification of his "other half."

The "family" was so engrossed in their conversations amongst themselves that no one noticed Justin and Cait's entrance into the loft. They came in quietly, and Justin surveyed the scene awaiting them. He knew everything would be ok. He caught Brian's eye, and the older man walked over to them. This caught everyone else's attention, and they turned to look to see who had arrived. Their initial surprise was because of Justin. They knew the artist had left over a year ago, and no one was aware of his return. Shock would describe the looks on their faces as they saw Justin's companion. Standing in Brian's loft was his identical twin, only she was a woman. Brian slipped his hand into Cait's and led her into the living room.

"Guys, I would like you to meet Caitlin Kinney … my sister."

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Shock would be an understatement to describe the group's reaction to Brian's announcement. At first no one could say a word. Then the loft erupted in chaos. Everyone was speaking at once, "What the hell?" "Are you mad?" "Huh?" "What are you talking about?"

Brian waited until everyone had quieted down. He was prepared for this, and waited until the shock had passed and the family looked at him in expectation. This was a three part narrative, one that he, Cait and Justin would tell. "If everyone is ready to shut up, we'll tell you what we know."

While everyone had been talking, Gus had gotten away from his mothers and walked over to Cait. She bent down to be at the level of the three year old replica of Brian. "Well hello little man."

Gus reached his arms to Caitlin, and she picked him up, "Look like dada."

Everyone was shocked, they knew Gus didn't really respond to strangers, yet he had boldly walked up to this woman and allowed her to pick him up. That gesture alone spoke volumes. No one was more shocked than Lindsey. To see a female version of Brian rocked her to her very core.

Brian looked at Cait and urged her to speak. "Well, I guess first things first, like Brian told you my name is Caitlin."

Everyone was shocked to hear her Irish accent. "I was raised in Ireland by Bridgit and Seamus Kinney. They are distant cousins of Brian's … I mean our father, Jack. They were told they couldn't have children, and were eventually contacted by an American lawyer. Apparently an American cousin had a baby that couldn't be taken care of, and would my parents be interested in adopting. Well you didn't have to ask them twice. So I was raised in Dublin. My parents had been told that I had a twin brother, but he'd died at birth."

"The best way to lie is to not keep it too far from the truth." This came from Brian who quieted as soon as he got a dirty look from Justin.

Caitlin continued, "So I grew up. I had wonderful parents and a delightful extended family. Then one day, I literally ran into a blonde twink."

This was Justin's cue to continue the story, "I know that none of you know where I went or what I did when I left last year. I had the opportunity to spend my junior year abroad in Ireland. I settled into life at Trinity College. One afternoon I was walking down the street and literally ran into Cait. I looked up and saw Brian's eyes. I was struck dumb. She was very nice about the whole thing and we went into a pub for a drink. We started talking, and of course I was pushing."

The group laughed at this because they all knew Justin too well. "Eventually I got her to tell me what she knew about her birth family. Especially about her brother. I showed her a picture of Brian, and it was immediately clear that he was her presumed dead twin. For the year I spent in Ireland I got to know her family, and Cait kept pushing me to take her to America. I resisted for a long time because my intention had been to stay in Europe and move to Paris when I was done." This caught the family by surprise. None of them expected that Justin's latest split from Brian was supposed to be permanent. "Eventually I relented. I realized that Caitlin needed to find Brian, so I agreed to come back to Pittsburgh to finish my senior year."

It was Brian's turn to take the story. "One afternoon my mother came to my office. She was ranting about me setting her up. She wanted to know how I found out about my sister, and yelled about how me and `my boy' had set her up. I had no idea what she was talking about so I went to Jennifer Taylor's. Obviously my mother had seen Justin, so he was back. I wanted to confront him about what was going on, but when I got to her house, Cait answered the door. You could have knocked me over with a feather, but I knew something big had happened. Caitlin and I went out and talked. We still don't know all the details because I haven't talked to my mother, but one thing is clear. She is my sister."

The family was shocked, no one knew what to say. Emmett was the first to be shaken out of the stupor. He leapt up and gave Caitlin a hug, "Welcome home sweetie."

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Justin and Cait quickly found an apartment. They both worked at the diner. Cait had been embraced by Liberty Avenue quickly. Word quickly spread that she was Brian Kinney's twin sister, so that attracted more attention. To Cait's credit, she took it all in stride. She had been privy to Brian's reputation, and figured that she would be an object of curiosity. Surprisingly, she found herself accepted pretty quickly. She enjoyed the quirky group of people that her brother called family. She fit right in.

"Family" members were surprised how much she was like Brian, without his edge. Where Brian was closed off, Cait was open. When Brian was harsh, Cait was gentle. They shared a wicked sense of humor, and unwavering loyalty, Cait's loyalty was first and foremost to her brother and then to the others in his family. She wasn't afraid to take them on either. She had a wit as sharp as a knife, and it cut deep.

Mikey was the first to learn that. One evening he and Brian had stopped into the diner for dinner before heading to Woodies, and Cait was working. "Hey guys, fueling up for a big night out?"

"We're just going to shoot some pool, when do you get off?"

"In an hour."

"Why don't you come with us?"

"Brian," Michael whined, "we haven't hung out just the two of us in forever."

Cait walked away from the table and returned a few seconds later. She plopped a huge hunk of cheddar cheese in front of Michael, and stabbed it with a sharp knife. Both Brian and Michael looked at her quizzically, "I thought you might like some cheese with your `whine.'"

Brian could not contain his laughter, and Michael just looked stricken. Cait just eyed him with a look he'd seen from Brian too many times, "Now would you like to order?"

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An hour later the three of them headed out to Woodies. Michael was sulking the whole time. Cait found this very amusing. Justin had done a good job in filling her in about the family dynamics, but hearing about it and seeing it was two very different things. She felt very comfortable around them. She thought Emmett was hilarious and Ted exhibited a quiet strength she admired. She and Ben found they had a lot in common, both were very spiritual and talked a lot about meta-physics. Michael was wary of her and seemed jealous everytime she was around. Justin had warned her about that. Debbie and Vic were like parents, and she was glad that Brian had them growing up. She knew his home life with his parents was bad.

She didn't even consider Jack and Joan Kinney her parents. In fact if she had her way, the situation would have been reversed, Seamus and Bridgit would have been her and Brian's biological parents. She loved Brian's son and Gus took to her immediately. Lindsey immediately became her best "girl friend" and they spent a lot of time together. Her wife, Melanie, always treated her suspiciously, and that she didn't understand. Cait found Mel very interesting, but the other woman seemed to have no interest in her.

The only family dynamic that she didn't get to see was where Justin fit in. Except for that first dinner at the loft, the younger man never hung around. Since they were roommates, they spent a lot of time together, but he never participated with the "Liberty Avenue Family." Cait understood to a point, after all he and Brian had broken up, and Justin believed he was not welcome. Cait could sense that was not true, well except for Michael, but she just let it go. Cait asked Justin if it bothered him that she spent so much time with Brian and his friends.

"God Cait, no! Brian is your brother, and the guys are his family. It's important that the two of you spend time together, besides you and I spend tons of time together. It's just, I don't have a place there anymore. Besides, it's not like I'm going to be in Pittsburgh much longer anyway."

Cait knew that Justin was still planning his exile in Paris. She kept hoping that he would change his mind, but he was determined. All Cait could do was pray for the best. She loved Justin and Brian equally, Justin was her brother as much as Brian was, but she knew she had to be careful with how involved she got. She couldn't take sides, she knew that would end badly. All she could do was be there for both of them and continue her prayers that they would find their way back to each other.

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During the few months they had known each other, Brian and Cait had avoided talking about their parents. Joan and Jack Kinney had slowly destroyed Brian while they raised him. He also knew that Cait's one encounter with Joanie had hurt her. However the time had come to get some answers.

Cait and Brian were having lunch one Saturday afternoon. Brian gently broached the subject, "Cait, there is something I would like to do after lunch."

"Sure Brian, what is it?"

"We need to go see Joanie."

"What?"

"I think we need some answers, and she's the only one who has them."

Cait nodded reluctantly, "Ok."

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Brian pulled up to his childhood home. He and Cait sat in the Vette silently. He looked over at his twin, "Are you ready?"

Cait eyed him with apprehension, "I guess."

"Let's get it over with, and then it's done." Cait could only nod.

They walked up to the door, and Brian knocked. Joan answered the door, and looked properly shocked to find Brian standing there …with his sister.

"Mother, may we come in?" Joan could only nod. "I don't believe you've been properly introduced. This is Caitlin Marie Kinney, my sister,"

"I know Brian, I named her."

This shocked both of them, Cait spoke first, "You did?"

"Yes, I did. I suppose the two of you think horrible things about me, but Caitlin, I did the best thing I could for you." Cait could only nod. "I guess you're here for some answers. I'm not surprised, I've been waiting for this since the day you showed up on my doorstep with Brian's `boy.'"

Brian couldn't contain his anger, "He has a name, Justin. And he's not my `boy,' he's a person in his own right, and deserves to be treated with respect."

Joan said nothing, but led her children to the couch. She sat across from them on a chair, "I don't know where to start."

Brian spoke first, "How about the beginning."

Joan nodded, "Well, the story you told at your father's funeral was true. When he found out I was pregnant again, he wanted me to get an abortion. I wouldn't do it, and Jack eventually accepted we were going to have another baby. I knew that Jack wanted a boy, he wanted to have a son. I was six months along when I found out I was having twins, a boy and a girl. I knew Jack would have a fit, and make things even worse than they were. I immediately contacted a lawyer. I had no family, but I knew that Jack had distant relatives in Ireland. I asked the lawyer to find them, find out if they would be willing to adopt my little girl. I toyed with the idea of giving both of you away, letting Jack think that the baby was born dead, but I didn't think I could pull that off. After two months the lawyer got back to me, and found that Jack's cousins would be thrilled to adopt Caitlin. I named both of you the day I found out I was having twins. When I went into labor, Jack was nowhere to be found, I wasn't surprised, in fact I was hoping for it. The two of you were born. Caitlin, I held you once before I gave you away. I have regrets, but I will not apologize for what I did. From what I can tell, you were raised well by parents who loved you."

Cait looked at Brian, he seemed so lost, she knew they needed to leave. Cait rose to face her mother, "For what it's worth, thank you. I was raised well and my parents do, love me very much."

She grabbed Brian's hand and led him out of the house. They stood outside of the car for several minutes. Cait held Brian as he cried. When the sobs subsided, Cait lifted Brian's face to look at her, "It's time to go home."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's time to take you to your parents. When I came here to find you, I promised I would bring you home, and that time has come.

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