Cottages

Chapter 7

“Koochy-kootchy-koo.”

Justin laughed as he came from the kitchen with coffee for himself and Brian. “What did you just say?” he asked.

“I said, ‘Koochy-kootchy-koo.’ You got a problem with that?” Brian asked with a glare.

“Not at all,” Justin chuckled. “And stop looking like that or you’ll scare Taylor.”

“Taylor’s not afraid of his Uncle Bwian, are you, Taylor?” Brian asked in his best pouty voice. Taylor gurgled happily.

“Stop that!” Justin ordered. “You’re making me hard using that voice.”

“Hm, I’ll have to remember that,” Brian smirked.

“You don’t need to remember it. You just have to look at me and I’m hard.”

“You’ve always been so fucking easy,” Brian laughed.

Taylor giggled and kicked his little feet. He was perched on Brian’s knees, having got up from his nap a little while before. Brian had already finished feeding him a bottle. A giant burp having been achieved, Taylor was ready to play. Brian made a funny face at the baby and then blew a raspberry on his tummy.

Justin was sitting across from his husband watching all this while he sipped his coffee. He smiled at his big bad husband playing with the little baby on his lap. “Want me to take him for a few minutes while you drink your coffee?”

“No, I’m good. I’ll let the coffee cool off a bit,” Brian said as he made another face, causing Taylor to gurgle his pleasure at Brian’s actions.

“I think we should have had about ten kids,” Justin said. “You seem to have this down pat.”

“I’m a quick study. I learned everything I need to know with Gus and Bree.”

“Yeah, you were great with Bree.”

“I wish I had spent more time with Gus when he was this size,” Brian said wistfully.

“You had other things to deal with,” Justin said his face taking on a sad look.

“Let’s leave that in the past where it should be.”

“I don’t mind talking about how you stuck with me after the bashing, and helped me get back to normal … or as normal as I’ll ever get.”

“I don’t like normal,” Brian declared. “Abnormal is much more interesting.”

“Thanks … I think,” Justin laughed.

“Uh oh!” Brian said.

“What?”

“Taylor’s making that face.”

“The poopy face?’

“That’s the one,” Brian said as he held Taylor farther away and made a face at the smell. “What the fuck’s in that formula Molly feeds him.”

“All the essential nutrients he needs to grow up strong and tall,” Justin informed him.

“Thank you for your daily PSA,” Brian said snarkily. “I guess I better change him.”

“Stay put, and drink your coffee,” Justin ordered standing up. “I’ll do it.”

“I can do it,” Brian replied hastily. “I don’t really mind.”

“I know,” Justin smiled, “and that’s why I love you, but this one’s mine.”

“Fine,” Brian agreed holding the baby out so Justin could take him.

Brian watched as Justin set the baby against his chest and headed for the nursery. They were in Molly’s condo babysitting while she went to see her boss about possibly going back to work or maybe starting to work from home.

Brian took a sip of coffee and thought about playing with Taylor. He did love the little guy. He seemed to love all babies these days, but he could remember when he never wanted anything to do with them. Everything changed when one became a parent. He had learned that pretty fast after Gus had been born. Brian had never had any intention of being part of Gus’ life, but when he had held his son for the first time the night Gus was born, Brian had known that would not be the case. And now his son was away at university. Brian shook his head, as Justin came back into the room.

“Want him back?” Justin asked.

“Does he smell better than when you took him away?” Brian asked tongue in cheek.

“Infinitely.”

“Then I’ll take him.” Brian took the baby and cradled him in the crook of his arm while Taylor sat on Brian’s knee. “How’s my big man?” Brian asked Taylor, chucking him under the chin. Taylor clapped his hands and smiled.

“You sure have the magic touch with him,” Justin said appreciatively. Brian merely smirked. “Want some more coffee?”

Brian shook his head. Justin carried the cups into the kitchen. At that moment the door of the condo flew open and Molly stormed in.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! And goddam!” she ranted.

“Cover your ears, Taylor. Mommy’s on the rampage,” Brian whispered to the baby.

“What the hell’s going on, Molly?” Justin asked as he came out of the kitchen, having heard Molly’s loud words.

“That fucking boss of mine is a complete asshole,” Molly yelled.

“I though I had the asshole concession nailed down,” Brian said with a smirk.

“Shut up, Kinney, or I’ll rip your fucking balls off!”

“Molly, for Christ’s sake, calm down. You don’t need to yell at Brian.”

“Sorry,” Molly replied, her voice dropping several decibels.

“What the fuck happened with your boss?’

“He’s just so fucking antiquated in his thinking. I can’t believe that he even exists in this century.”

“What did he say?”

“Clarion Publishing doesn’t have any kind of daycare for its employees. I asked him about that,” Molly explained in a more reasonable tone of voice.

“And he didn’t know what you were talking about,” Brian contributed.

“Exactly! He thinks the whole idea of workplace daycare is for the birds. He doesn’t want to spend the money.”

“Like it’s coming directly out of his own pocket,” Brian snarked.

“Yeah, you’d think I asked him to pay for it personally.”

“Did you talk to him about productivity and how staff would miss less days and how he’d have a happier workforce?” Brian asked.

“Yeah,” Molly said with surprise. “All of those things. How did you know?”

“Brian made a daycare at Kinnetik so he could take Bree with him to work. He found that all his employees were happier and more productive as a result.”

“Want to go explain that to old man Atcheson?” Molly demanded.

“Not particularly,” Brian said, “but I will if you want me to.”

“Thanks, Brian,” Molly said collapsing into the armchair. “I just got so upset with him.”

“How did you leave things with him?” Justin asked. “Did you quit?’

“No,” Molly said, “but it was on the tip of my tongue to quit.”

“I thought you wanted to work from home,” Brian interjected. “How did you get into a fight about daycare?’

“When I decided to go see him, I was only going to ask to work from home. But the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to go back to work. I think Owen would be okay with me working and Taylor in daycare, if we were only a few doors from each other in the same building. I didn’t think that was such an unreasonable thing to ask for.”

“Any kind of change costs money,” Brian said knowledgeably. “That’s why making changes is so difficult. You always get resistance.”

“What are you going to do?” Justin asked.

“I don’t know,” Molly replied. “But this is not over.”

 

*****
 

“Why are we stopping here?” Patrick asked his father as they pulled up in front of the new 'Muncherville'. John was working from home on his research so he was elected to get the kids from school.

“I’d like your opinion on the new swing,” John replied.

“You put up the swing for JR?” Bree asked.

“Yep. And I thought you both could test it to make sure you think it’s all right.”

“It’s a tough job, Dad...”

“But we can do it!” Bree finished Patrick’s statement and then all three laughed heartily.

“Come on; let me take you back there. It’s still a construction site so you must be careful,” John said reasonably as he led the kids around the side of the cottage.

The skeleton of the sun porch studio was already in place. John’s crew would be installing the specially glazed window panels soon. The swing was attached to a large tree near the path to the stream and grotto. John watched as Patrick had a serious discussion with his cousin. Bree frowned a bit but then nodded in agreement. Patrick turned around to position himself to climb onto the swing. Holding the chains he walked the swing backwards then jumped onto the seat. Patrick had enough momentum to start himself off as he pumped his legs.

“It’s good, Bree!” Patrick called out as he swung past the little girl. He went as high as he could then stopped pumping to allow the swing to slow down. When the swing was at its lowest point, Patrick jumped off.

“Is it my turn?” Bree asked.

“Yep!” Patrick helped Bree to get onto the swing then gave her a few pushes to get her going. He then stepped back to let Bree take over.

John had watched the whole exchange with fascination.

“How’s the swing?” John asked Bree.

“Good!” Bree answered with a bright smile as she pumped hard with her little legs.

“Will you be all right up there? I’m going to check inside.”

“I’ll be okay, Unca John!” Bree answered with confidence.

“I’ll be here, Dad,” Patrick reassured his father.

“Thank you, son,” John said as he ruffled his son’s bright red hair then went to the sun porch area to inspect the progress.

Later on when they pulled up to Edna’s Treasures, John hung back so that he could speak with Patrick.

“Patrick, I’m curious. What did you say to Bree just before you got onto the swing?”

Patrick blushed a little then scraped at the ground with the toe of his sneaker. “I told her that I wanted to go first just in case something went wrong,” Patrick mumbled.

“You’re a good man, Patrick,” John said proudly as he leaned down to give his son a hug. “I love you. Go on, go get snacks for the two of you while I figure out who’ll be home for dinner.”

“Okay, Dad. I love you too,” Patrick said as he sprinted into the cottage to catch up with Bree and get snacks.

John watched his son go then he took out his cell phone.

“Hello?”

“Is this a good time to talk?”

“Anytime is a good time to talk to the man I love,” Bobby answered.

“Did you know we have a wonderful son?”

“I had some idea.”

“He’s beautiful, Bobby, and he has the biggest heart. He makes me so proud.”

“How can he be anything else; he’s just like you.”

“Bobby...”

“I love you, John. I’ll be home soon.”

“I love you, hurry home but drive safe.”

“Yes, sir.”

 

*****
 

“How did it go today?” Owen asked as he walked through their apartment door.

“It didn’t,” Molly replied sadly. “My boss is an asshole. I have a good mind to quit.”

“But I thought you liked your job.”

“I do but that was then. This is now. I never realized how old fashioned and how much he’s such a stick in the mud. You know, I used to dismiss the fact that he’d ignore me if I suggested adding something to the copy I was editing. He reminds me of dad, ready to pat my head then send me on my way. I thought Clarion was in the 21st century. I never realized it’s stuck in the 18th century.”

“So what do you want to do?” Owen asked as he bounced Taylor on his knee.

“Maybe it’s time I look for another job,” Molly said somberly.

 

*****
 

“Hello, JR,” Bree said into the phone.

“How are you?”

“I’m good.”

“How’s the first grade going?”

“It’s okay.”

“Just okay?” JR asked.

“I still like my last year teacher better,” Bree said with a pout. “I’d like to go back to kindygarten.”

“But you wouldn’t learn anything if you did that,” JR explained. “You’ve already learned all the stuff from kindergarten.”

“Oh,” Bree replied, not having thought about that before.

JR chuckled. She had got in the habit of calling Bree and Gus every Wednesday. It was her way of getting over hump day, and she hoped it helped her brother and Bree as well. “You’ll get used to your new teacher.”

“I spose.”

“Did you do anything fun this week?”

“Unca John took me and Patrick to your moms’ cottage. I tested out your swing,” Bree said proudly.

JR felt a twinge of jealousy. It was supposed to be her swing. Why did Bree always get to be first at everything? JR was always second, an afterthought. “Did you?” JR said icily.

“Did I do something wrong?” Bree asked. She heard the tone in JR’s voice that told her she had done something that displeased JR.

“No,” JR lied.

Bree frowned. What could it be? “Did you want to be the first one on your swing?” Bree asked as the thought occurred to her. She had wanted to be first but Patrick talked her out of it.

“That would have been nice,” JR said with that same tone in her voice.

“But…”

“It’s okay,” JR said with a big sigh. This was her lot in life. She might as well get used to it. “Did you enjoy being first … again?” She just couldn’t help adding that last word.

“I wasn’t first,” Bree said quickly before JR cut her off again.

“You weren’t?”

“Nope. I wanted to be first, but Patrick said he should go first in case the swing wasn’t right. He didn’t want me to get hurt. My Patrick’s so brave. And he didn’t want you to get hurt either. That’s why we tested it. Unca John wanted to be sure it was perfect for you.”

“He did?” JR asked, all the iciness gone out of her voice.

“That’s why we were there.”

“I see.” Maybe she was important after all, but she still would have liked to be the first one to use the new swing.

“Can I come use your swing sometimes?” Bree asked. “It goes higher than the one here.”

“Does it?” JR smiled. “I’d like you to come visit the cottage.”

“I want to.”

“That’s good,” JR told her. “I better go, Bree. Bye for now.”

Bree climbed up on the kitchen chair to hang the phone back on the wall.

“Careful, Squirt,” Brian said as he came over to help her. He had heard most of Bree’s end of the conversation. He had a special little girl, and Patrick was a special little boy.

“I can do it, Dada,” Bree said decisively. “I’m a big girl. I’m in first grade.”

“That you are,” Brian replied with a smile. This time being in first grade hadn’t sounded so bad the way Bree said it. Maybe Bree’s chat with JR had convinced his daughter that she was in the right class at school. He’d have to thank JR for that.

 

*****
 

“Hey, Gus,” JR said into her phone.

“Hi, kiddo. How’s tricks?”

“Pretty good.”

“You sound … happy.”

“I am.”

“What brought on this amazing transformation?” Gus chuckled.

“You are such a bad brother,” JR chided him with humor in her voice.

“Spill.”

“I’ve been to the cottage and Uncle John made me a swing and it’s going to be great.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“I’m happy too. Now what about you?”
 

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