2001

Leah had been off all of her cancer treatment for almost four months. Her hair was starting to grow back and most of her energy had returned. Although her doctors did not support her decision to stop the treatment, they agreed to continue to treat her as a patient. At her last check up, she remained cancer free. She would need to have checkups every six months for another two years, and then once a year until she had remained cancer free for a total of five years.

Will had been busy planning their trip to Rome. They both agreed it was best to wait until she had regained most of her stamina. They were set to leave in two weeks.

They had started having a family dinner every Sunday at Leah and Will's. At first Ryan and James took turns either cooking or bringing take out of some kind, but as Leah began to feel stronger she had gone back to making huge meals for them.

It was at one of those Sunday dinners that Leah announced she was ready to start training dogs again.

"I want a puppy." she said.

To everyone at the table it seemed out of the blue, but Leah had been thinking it over for some time now.

"You do?" Will was the first to speak.

"Yes. I want to get a puppy and train him. Then I want to start working with dogs again. Open the kennel back up and start taking on dogs to train."

"That sounds great, Leah," Megan smiled at her. She saw this as the final step in Leah taking her life back. "What kind of dog will you get?"

"I think I want another German Shepherd, like Lucky."

Will and Ryan remembered how distraught she had been when Lucky had died. "Mom, are you sure you want to go through that again?"

"Oh Ryan, Honey, it always hurts to say goodbye, but you can't let the fear of the pain keep you from experiencing the joy."

"So when do you want to get this little guy?" James asked.

"Well, the smart thing would be to wait until we get back from Rome. But I figure if I find one before then, you could baby-sit him while we're gone."

"You do, huh?"

"Yeah, you would do that for me."

"You sound pretty confident."

Leah smiled at James, "After everything we've just been through I think I can feel pretty damn confident in just how much you're willing to do for me."

James chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. There was no point in arguing with Leah.

A few nights later James and Megan were enjoying a quiet dinner at one of Megan's favorite restaurants.

"James? I want to ask you a question, but I'm not sure how you will take it."

He looked up at her and said, "Ask."

"Okay, but I hope you don't think I'm being too forward, or pushy."

"I doubt I will think that. Spit it out."

She leaned over the table and placed her hand over his. "I would like you to move in with me."

This was the last thing he expected her to say. "You would?"

"Yes. I would."

"Why is that?" he whispered.

"Because I love you. And I think you love me. And I want to come home to you at the end of my day, and wake up with you every morning."

"Yeah?" They were leaning across the table whispering to each other in an intimate way.

"Yeah. So what do you say?"

"No."

She sat back startled. "No?"

"Nope." Then he smiled, "Your apartment isn't big enough. Let's buy a house."

"A house?"

"I just signed the deal on my next novel. I got a pretty good advance on it too. So, let's buy a house."

She smiled at him, "Okay, a house. But you could still move in while we look for a house."

"I suppose I could do that," he teased. "Maybe we can sneak my stuff out while Leah and Will are in Rome."

Megan frowned. "You don't think your moving out will be an issue for Leah do you?"

James smiled warmly. "No, not as long as I am moving in with you." He leaned across the table again and captured her lips in a kiss. "Let's go back to your, I mean our apartment."

"Okay." She was already breathless.

Ryan came home from class to find Eric cooking dinner. "Hey. What's up? You're home early."

Eric looked up at his lover and smiled, "I took the afternoon off."

"You did? Why is that?" Ryan could tell something was up.

Eric shrugged and said, "Because."

Ryan walked into the dining area. "Wow the table looks beautiful. Candles, flowers, wine. What has gotten into you? Do you have some big confession to make? Want to butter me up first so I'll forgive you?" He half teased, wondering just what was going on.

Again, Eric only shrugged.

They sat down to the wonderful meal Eric had prepared. "Wow, this is great Eric," Ryan commented. "I wish I knew what this was all about."

"Maybe I wanted to spoil you a little." Ryan wanted to push for more information, but he knew Eric, and he knew he had to let Eric do this in his own way.

Finally, after the meal was finished and they were on the sofa with the rest of the wine, Eric got up the courage to ask the question he had been wanting to ask Ryan for months now.

"Ryan?"

"Eric?" He couldn't help but tease.

"Um, I was wondering if, um, if you, um."

"Eric, spit it out." Ryan was about ready to strangle him.

"Would you marry me?"

Ryan was stunned into silence. "Marry? We can't Eric."

"I know that, at least not legally. But we could do the next best thing. We can get all the paper work done, you know, the dual powers of attorney, and have wills drawn up, and then have a commitment ceremony."

"Really? You want to do that?"

"Yeah. Don't you?" Eric whispered.

"Yeah. Are you sure?" Ryan whispered back.

Eric smiled, "Ryan, you are the one. You are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Now that Bush is in office it doesn't look likely that we'll be able to marry legally any time soon, but I want to make it official. I want you to wear my ring. I want to wear yours." Then with a wink he added, "Besides it will make our mothers deliriously happy to get to plan a wedding."

Ryan had to chuckle at that. "Let's do it," he whispered before he pinned his lover to the sofa with a steamy kiss.

It was the last Sunday dinner before Leah and Will were set to fly to Europe. They would be gone for a little over two weeks. Megan had offered to cook dinner for everyone that night. She had become one of the family now, they all couldn't help but love her.

As they sat down to eat, Ryan made the first of his announcements that night. "Mom? Do you still want a puppy?"

"Yes, why Sweetie?"

"One of my colleagues at work raises German Shepherds." Eric began explaining. "I asked her if she had any puppies, and it just happens that she has a litter that will be ready to leave their mother next month. If you want, you could have first pick."

"Oh my God. That's wonderful. And perfect timing too. Yes. Tell her I want one." Leah was beaming. "Oh, now I can't wait."

Will rolled his eyes mockingly. "Thanks Eric," he teased. "Now that's all I'll hear about while we're in Rome." His words said one thing, but the tone of his voice betrayed that he was truly happy for his wife to be getting back to working with dogs.

James had decided it would be best for him to tell Leah he was moving out in a private conversation, so he had sat her down the night before. She had been ecstatic with the news, much to James' relief. Tonight he would announce it to the rest of the brood. "Um, Megan and I have some news, well sort of," he started out.

Megan smiled and spilled the beans. "James is moving in with me."

"And then we will begin looking for a house of our own."

All eyes at the table looked to Leah to see her response. She sat with a big smile on her face. "It's about time James. And if you do anything to screw this up, I want you to know that I will be first in line to kick your ass."

"And I'll be right behind her," Ryan added.

James grinned. "Do you really think that little of me?" he teased.

Ryan snorted, "If the shoe fits."

James turned and looked at Megan. "Nothing to worry about guys. It's different this time." He gently brushed her hair back from her face, then leaned in to kiss her.

"Well then, while we are making announcements, Ryan and I have one to add." Eric reached under the table and squeezed Ryan's knee as he spoke. "We have decided to make things official. We're going to have a commitment ceremony in April."

"That's great! Congratulations!" Megan squealed as she got up to give each of them a hug. "I am so happy for you."

Ryan looked over to see Leah had tears streaming down her face. "Mom?"

"Oh. Honey. This is great news." She reached and pulled him into a tight hug. Then she reached over and pulled Eric to her too. "I am so lucky to have you two in my life."

"Congratulations Ryan, Eric." Will shook each of their hands.

James picked up his wine glass. "A toast."

Everyone raised their glasses as James continued, "To love, health, happiness and to family."

"To family," everyone said as they clinked their glasses together.

© Melina Catts Sept- 2004

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