Glass Houses

Chapter 1

“So, what’s the verdict?” Bobby asked as Brian and Justin came out of the examination room. True to his word, Bobby had driven the injured but still dynamic duo to the doctor. The boys were poked, prodded, x-rayed and MRI’d.

“Well, the boy wonder here,” Brian pointed his thumb at Justin, “gets to start some light exercises.” He handed a sheet of instructions to Bobby.

“Doable and awfully familiar,” Bobby stated as he rotated his pitching shoulder.

“And you know this because...?” Brian arched a brow.

“Because,” Bobby rolled his eyes, “I had to do these same exercises on many occasions. Pitcher here, all through high school and college. Baseball got me through law school.” Bobby glared at his brother-in-law. Brian had the good grace to blush. “Just like those legs of yours got you through college. You’ve still got them soccer thighs,” Bobby teased as he waggled his eyebrows.

“Hey!” Justin protested while Brian smirked. He batted his eyes at Bobby. “And since when do you look at my partner’s thighs?”

“Since forever. I find the differences between the brothers fascinating, don’t you?” Bobby asked as he ushered his charges back to his car after they had made their follow up appointments. “Your Kinney has wonderfully toned thighs and legs. While my man is fuller in his upper body with more muscles. That comes from all the heavy lifting and using all his handheld equipment.”

Justin nodded in agreement. As an artist and a man whose passion was drawing the human form, especially the male human form, Justin had noticed the difference.

“Which is also why no matter what the doctor says, Brian is going to be Mister Grumpy until he’s able to run again,” Bobby whispered as he leaned closer to Justin. Justin nodded. No matter how much better Brian was feeling it wasn’t good enough. And it wouldn’t be until he was standing on his own two feet.

“When do you go for PT?” Bobby asked Justin in a louder voice.

“The doctor will let me know soon, but he thinks after my next appointment,” Justin answered as Brian got him strapped into the back seat of Bobby’s car. “I’m allowed out of the sling for longer periods and for the exercises, but he doesn’t want me to push it.”

“He’s being cautious. He doesn’t want your shoulder to pop out again. I can recommend a good therapist, he used to be in Harrisburg but he recently moved to Pittsburgh. It’s a long way to commute for therapy but it’s worth it. Maybe your old man will let you stay in the loft for a month. You can paint and go to therapy,” Bobby suggested but didn’t think Brian would go for the separation.

“Um, I guess we’ll discuss it when the doctor says I’m good for therapy,” Justin murmured. He wasn’t too keen on the idea either, but he wanted to be out of the sling and back to painting full time. He had a lot of ideas swimming around in his head for his next project and he still had some very important commissions to complete.

Brian was cursing to himself but if it was for Justin’s well-being, Brian was prepared to sleep alone for a month while Justin completed his therapy.

“You know there’s no reason why you can’t use a stationary bike,” Bobby said to Brian. “The treadmill is out of the question but we can get you an exercise bike.”

“That’s a great idea!” Justin said hoping Brian’s mood would improve. Brian only grunted as he nodded. He’d look into it when they got home.

“Now what about your greenhouse? When is John going to start?”

The boys discussed the greenhouse plans as well as the plans for the new and larger cottage all the way home.

 

*****
 

“What the fuck is this?” Brian growled as they slowly made their way up the lane.

“We seem to be in a traffic jam,” Bobby chuckled as he looked around at all the trucks. There was ground shifting machinery, a small crane and lots of men with their student apprentices marking out territory, stacking wood and overall creating a lot of noise.

“Maybe we should move into the loft now,” Brian grumbled as he stared at the organized chaos before hobbling toward his ‘peaceful’ home.

 

*****
 

“Okay, now what has your knickers in a twist?” John growled at his brother. “You’re sulking, looking like a spoiled brat. If I didn’t think in some perverse way you’d enjoy it, I’d put you over my knee. Now what’s the problem?”

Brian just scowled up at his brother. He had been watching the workers for a couple of hours. It was noisy as hell and Brian was getting a headache. Justin was with Bobby learning his exercises. The kids were still in school.

“Wait,” John said putting up his hands. “Let me guess, the noise is disrupting your life. Well, tough shit, Brian. What’s that old expression? You can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs. You want a greenhouse and a bed and breakfast type cottage, I have to crack a few eggs. We won’t be working late into the night and the greenhouse will be done in about a week,” John explained. Brian’s eyes lit up for the moment.

“Once the greenhouse is up, it’ll muffle the noise of the other cottage being built. Here,” John said handing Brian a set of plans.

“What’s this?” Brian asked respectfully.

“I transcribed your sketch into architectural plans. This is your greenhouse, complete with measurements and floor plans. I took the liberty of contacting Todd and faxing him the plans. He’s waiting for your call so you can order the plants. If he can’t find you a pre-fabricated pond, I’m sure he can design what you want. I have very talented men; we’ll consult with Todd and make you your pond with waterfall.”

Brian nodded, feeling a little better. At least he had something he could be doing besides feeling sorry for himself and pissing everyone off.

“Go, call, order beautiful plants and trees and whatever else you want and stop looking like you’ve lost your best friend. As far as I know Justin and Michael are still talking to you.” John gave Brian a poignant look with an arched brow.

“Are you still talking to me?” Brian asked contritely.

“Barely,” John replied as he gave his brother a strong hug and bussed his head. “Go on,” John whispered as he released Brian. Brian took the plans into the kitchen where it was relatively quiet to make his call.

 

*****
 

“What’s going on?” Bree asked as her Uncle Bobby drove her and Patrick up their lane.

“Your Dada is getting his greenhouse built, and we’re adding a new cottage to the lane,” Bobby explained.

“Already?” Bree said with a sigh. She knew there were plans for the greenhouse and a new building for Uncle Michael and Uncle Ben, but this was too fast.

“Did Dad get all the students he wanted?” Patrick asked.

“He had more than enough applicants as soon as the internship was posted,” Bobby replied. “He chose the ones with the best recommendations from their teachers.”

“How long are they going to be here?” Bree asked with a scowl.

“Most of the summer,” Bobby told her.

“It’s noisy,” she declared.

“I want to help my Dad with the building,” Patrick stated ignoring Bree’s negative comments.

“You know you can’t go to the site without your Dad’s permission,” Bobby said firmly.

“I know,” Patrick conceded. “But he said I might be able to.”

“And when did he say this?” Bobby asked his son.

“This morning.”

“Is that right?”

“Yep,” Patrick replied confidently.

Bobby frowned, as he had heard nothing of this before. He’d have to talk to his mate about it. “Here we are,” he announced to the children as he pulled the Navigator to a stop at Edna’s Treasures.

The children hopped out and Bree ran into the house while Patrick stood looking down the lane at the big machines that were starting to clear the land for the B&B building.

“You want to go down there, don’t you?” Bobby asked as he put his hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Yeah. Can we, Poppa?”

Bobby smiled. “Okay, I’ll walk down with you to find your dad, but you have to stay right with me. No running around or going off the lane.”

“Okay, Poppa,” Patrick said happily as they started walking towards the construction site where portable fencing had already been erected.

 

*****
 

Bree ran into the house yelling, “Daddy, Dada!”

“Yes, sweetheart,” Justin called. “We’re in the sun porch.” He was painting at a big easel, but his arm was still in its sling. Brian was staring out at the backhoe that was digging the foundation of the greenhouse.

Bree dropped her backpack at the door to the sun porch and skidded to a halt in the middle of the large space. “Why are they making so much noise?” she demanded tapping her little foot and crossing her arms on her chest. She obviously was not pleased with this turn of events.

“You sound just like your Dada,” Justin said with a little smile.

“I don’t like it!” she declared.

“Neither does your Dada.”

“Then why doesn’t it stop?” Bree wanted to know.

“You wanted a greenhouse so you and Dada could do gar-gar in the winter, didn’t you?” Justin asked. He put his paint brush in a can of solvent and walked over to his daughter. “This has to be done so they can build the greenhouse.”

“But…” Bree started.

“I can tell you don’t like it, sweetheart,” Justin said gently, “but sometimes we have to have short term pain for long term gain.” That’s what Bobby had told him earlier about the exercises for his shoulder.

“I don’t like the short term pain part,” Bree parroted back. She covered her ears with her hands. “It hurts my ears.”

“Mine too,” Brian mumbled totally agreeing with his daughter.

“Tell them to go away, Dada,” Bree said emphatically.

“I wish I could,” Brian replied.

Justin shook his head at his two unhappy but favorite people. “I’m going to get you a snack. Where’s Patrick?”

“I don’t know,” Bree said clearly still upset.

“You stay with Dada and I’ll go find him,” Justin said. He knew Bobby had driven the children home, but he hoped they weren’t down by all the dangerous equipment that was now in the lane. He was sure Bobby would be taking good care of his son, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Justin walked out of the sun porch.

“Dada?” Bree said.

“Yes, Squirt.” Brian still had his back to his daughter, watching the earth mover scarf his beautiful lawn in preparation for the greenhouse.

“I don’t like it.”

“I know. Neither do I.”

“Then make them stop,” Bree repeated.

“I can’t,” Brian said turning to face his unhappy daughter.

“You can do anything, Dada,” Bree declared.

“Unfortunately that’s not true,” Brian said sadly.

“Yes it is, Dada.”

Brian shook his head. “Come over here and sit down,” he said using his crutches to get him to one of the chaises. Bree climbed up beside him. “Sometimes things don’t go quite the way we expect,” he said softly while Bree snuggled up against him and he put his arm around her little shoulders.

“How come?”

“Unexpected things happen, or we maybe don’t think about all the possibilities that come about as a result of a decision we make.”

“Like the noise?”

“Exactly like the noise,” Brian said kissing the top of her blonde head.

“I don’t like the noise,” Bree reaffirmed just as the earth mover rattled the windows of the sun porch. “The windows won’t break, will they?”

“They better not,” Brian growled.

Bree giggled. “I love you, Dada.”

“I love you too, Squirt.”

“How long will they make so much noise?”

“Until they get the area cleared for the foundation of the greenhouse.”

“And then it will be over?”

Brian shook his head. “No, Squirt, then there will be hammering while they put up the framework, and maybe other noise when they insert the glass panels.”

“I don’t like it,” Bree repeated again and with an unhappy scowl.

“Me either, but we need to remember that at the end of all the noise we’ll have our greenhouse. We can grow hibiscus and orchids, and do gar-gar all winter.” Brian looked hopefully at his daughter. Maybe if he could convince Bree, he could also convince himself that this was for the best.

“But you can’t do no gar-gar, Dada. ‘Cause of your crutches.”

“But by wintertime, long before wintertime, I should be better. We can have flowers all winter long.”

“That would be nice,” Bree agreed with a sigh.

“Yes it would.”

“I’m hungry,” Bree informed her father.

“Then let’s get you a snack. I don’t know where your father has got to, but we can do snacks ourselves, can’t we, Squirt?” Brian asked getting up and leaning on his crutches.

“Yes, Dada, and I vote for a not healthy snack.”

“What kind of not healthy snack would you like?”

“Ice cream!”

Brian stifled a chuckle. Justin would have a fit when he found out that Brian was giving their daughter ice cream. Just then the earth mover made another large bang as it dug into the earth. The windows rattled again. “This situation definitely calls for ice cream,” Brian stated as he headed for the kitchen.

“Definitely ice cream,” Bree agreed as she glared at the offending equipment outside the sun porch. Then she followed her father to the kitchen for the yummy ice cream.

 

*****
 

“Where’s Patrick?” Justin asked as he found Bobby standing outside the fence that had been erected around the construction site for the B&B. “He didn’t come into the house with Bree.”

Bobby glanced into the construction site. “Over there,” he said pointing to an area of the enclosed space.

Justin looked in that direction. He could see John standing with his son talking animatedly. Patrick was wearing a hard hat just like John’s. “Should he be in there?” Justin asked. “Isn’t it dangerous?”

“No and yes,” Bobby said. “Apparently Patrick and his father discussed this early this morning without consulting me.”

“Probably because they knew you wouldn’t approve,” Justin supplied.

“Exactly,” Bobby agreed. “Would you want Bree in there?”

“Of course not, but you know that Patrick’s always been interested in buildings and what John does.”

“Why couldn’t he be interested in law?”

Justin chuckled. “How many kids are fascinated with torts and lawsuits?”

Bobby made a face. “He does draw buildings all the time. He has created some really good futuristic buildings.”

“I think architecture is his calling,” Justin speculated.

The two men stood watching John and his son. John was explaining something to Patrick. He kept pointing to what looked like a set of blueprints in his hands. Patrick was taking it all in, looking at the blueprints when John indicated that he should. He would nod his head and make some comment. John was seemingly enjoying his discussion with the small builder that happened to be his son.

“They’re loving it, both of them,” Bobby said after a minute.

“Yeah, sometimes it’s hard to watch them be so close, isn’t it?” Justin said.

“Hard,” Bobby agreed. “But you’re talking about Bree and Brian doing gar-gar, aren’t you?”

Justin nodded. “They have so much fun together. I’ve tried to do gardening with them, but it’s not really fun for me.”

“And they both know that,” Bobby added.

“Yeah, they do.”

“I wonder if that’s how Brian feels when you and Bree are painting together?”

Justin looked surprised for a moment. He studied Bobby’s eyes. “I never really thought about that, but maybe he does. Sometimes I see him watching us.”

“I see him watching too - with jealousy in his eyes,” Bobby chuckled.

“You think so?”

“I bet it is.”

“Just like when John watches you and Patrick play ball,” Justin felt compelled to point out.

It was Bobby’s turn to be surprised. “Yeah, but John plays with us sometimes.”

“For about five minutes,” Justin informed him. “And then he goes to get drinks or do something else.”

“Yeah,” Bobby admitted, “that’s usually what happens.”

“I’d say we’re really lucky that we have interests that each of us can do with our children.”

“Yeah, lucky,” Bobby said staring at the joyful looks on his husband’s and son’s faces. “They’re really enjoying themselves.”

“I better get back to the house,” Justin said. “I was going to get snacks for the kids, but I thought I better check that Patrick was okay.”

“You love that boy almost as much as I do,” Bobby said with a smile.

“It wouldn’t be possible to love him as much as you do, but I love him a lot.”

“Hey, you two,” John called. “I have a hungry young man here.”

“And I have a hungry young lady at home,” Justin informed John.

“I just told Gordon that I was knocking off for the day. They’re going to start cleaning up and getting ready to leave,” John said. “I could use a snack too.”

“Then let’s get up to Edna’s Treasures and get some grub,” Justin suggested with a laugh.

“Did you have fun on the site?” Bobby asked Patrick as they all started walking up the lane.

“Did you see the big machines, Poppa? They’re awesome, and Dad was showing me the plans of what they’re going to build. See the hard hat he got me. It fits real good, and I have to wear it whenever I’m on the site, and it’s going to be awesome when they start building…”

John and Justin watched Patrick and Bobby walk ahead of them, with Patrick jabbering away about everything he had seen on the construction site. Bobby was smiling and asking him questions.

“You sure made Patrick’s day,” Justin said.

“He made mine,” John corrected. He wore a huge grin on his face.

They walked into Edna’s Treasures to find Bree feeding her father from a big bowl of ice cream. After her father ate a bite, she had a big bite of her own. They were both laughing as they wiped ice cream from their faces.

“Looks like today is full of father/child moments,” John said.

“Oops,” Brian and Bree said together when they realized they had been caught.

“There’s plenty more ice cream in the freezer,” Brian said with a smirk.

That was all the invitation that the others needed for an ice cream pig-out.
 

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