Glass Houses

Chapter 7

“Mr. Gerry, are you coming back to fix my daddies?” Large violet blue eyes looked up at the big man.

Dinner had ended and Gerry was getting ready to drive back to Pittsburgh, the family was walking him to the front door. As he took his car keys out of his pocket, the boys invited him to stay the night.

“I appreciate the invite but I have an early client in the morning,” he said to Brian and Justin. He then knelt in front of Bree to look her in the eyes. “Miss Briana, I promise, when I get the a-okay from your daddies’ doctor, I will be back here to get them all better. But I’m going to need some help. Do you know where I can get an assistant? Therapy is a very hard job. Lots of times I work with an assistant,” Gerry said sincerely.

“I can help, Mr. Gerry. I like to help my daddies,” Bree said emphatically her little pigtails bobbing up and down as she nodded.

“Well, all right!” Gerry said with a big smile. He reached down into one of his pockets to draw out a swishy exercise ball. “Now, Miss Briana, as my assistant, your first assignment is to get your daddy to practice using this special ball at least five times a day, 10 reps each time. Do you know what that means?”

Bree’s eyes opened wider as she shook her head, no. Gerry demonstrated and then had her practice the technique.

“Very good. Now you show your daddy,” Gerry instructed.

A very determined Bree turned to hand the ball to her daddy. “You do it like this, Daddy,” Bree instructed. Justin remembered the exercises from when he was trying to get his right hand to work after he was bashed. A shiver ran up his spine but he quickly shook the sensation off as he took the ball then did what Bree instructed. “Very good, Daddy! Mr. Gerry, my daddy did it!”

“Yes, he did and you’re a very good assistant. Now your daddy should exercise five times a day with the ball and squeeze it ten times each time.”

“I can keep count.”

“I’m sure you can. Maybe even write it down in a book. Perhaps Patrick will help keep the diary.” Patrick stepped closer and nodded. “Keeping a record of the progress is very important.” Patrick nodded again and said he would keep the records. “Very good,” Gerry said as he stood up. “We’re all set. When’s your next appointment with the doctor?” Gerry addressed Brian and Justin.

“We both go back this Tuesday,” Brian told him.

“Then I’ll be in touch with you on Wednesday. If we get the all clear, I’ll make arrangements to come back here that weekend. We can formally begin your therapy next Monday.” Gerry got two sets of very anxious eyes pleading at him. “Or, we can start on Saturday.” That statement garnered Gerry a room full of smiles. He laughed then said good night to the family of Edna’s Treasures.

Brian walked him to his car.

“Gerry, we’ll call you the minute we get back from the doctor, but...” Brian wasn’t sure how to phrase his concerns.

“Brian, Justin will be okay.”

“I know he will; he’s one stubborn Sunshine,” Brian said without explaining the nickname. “That’s not why I walked out with you. You said something earlier about Michael.”

“Your friend.”

“He’s more than a friend. We’re...he’s almost a brother. Gerry, if you know something...”

“I don’t know anything, it’s just a feeling. But if he were my almost brother, I’d insist that he have an intensive physical.” Brian nodded as Gerry got into his car and drove down the lane.

 

*****
 

“Night, short stuff,” Gus said as he closed Bree’s bedroom door. She had wanted her brother to read her a story and tuck her in. Gus had been happy to oblige.

“She down for the night?” Brian asked as Gus came into the sun porch. It was a little past Bree’s usual bedtime.

“I hope so,” Gus said as he sat down in the chaise next to his father. “She’s still wound up about how she’s going to help Justin with his exercises and then maybe you later on.”

Brian chuckled. “I think we have a nurse in the making.”

“She’ll never be happy with being a nurse. A doctor, maybe. But I see her as the CEO of a major company, wheeling and dealing.”

“Is that really what you see?” Brian asked intrigued by Gus’ words.

“What do you see her doing?” Gus asked his father.

“I don’t know,” Brian said with a frown. “I don’t want her to grow up at all.”

Gus smiled. “Even you can’t prevent that,” he informed his father.

“I can dream, can’t I?”

“Sure, Pop, live in your fantasy world if you like.”

Brian gave his son a mock glare then they both sat in silence watching as the stars began to appear in the darkening sky. Gus let out a sigh after a couple of minutes. Brian watched his son play with the cowry shell bracelet they had brought him from Hawaii. Gus twirled it around and around on his wrist, apparently lost in thought.

“What’s up, Sonny Boy?” Brian asked after a bit.

“I was thinking about Mama.”

“Oh.” Brian didn’t know what else to say. He refused to badmouth the woman. She was Gus’ mother.

“I wish I could go see her. I hate being on the outs. Shouldn’t families get along?”

“You’re asking me this?” Brian asked with raised brows.

“It took you and Grandma Joan a long time, but you get along so well now. I don’t want to wait twenty years before Mama and I can be civil.”

“Or wait forever,” Brian muttered to himself.

“What?”

“What would you like to do about the situation?” Brian asked throwing the ball back into Gus’ court. He knew if he suggested something, Melanie would find a way to turn it against him.

“I don’t know, Pop. I don’t see how I can get to Portland this summer.”

“You could call her,” Brian suggested in spite of his better judgment.

“She’ll want me to come there.”

“What if she came here?”

“Here?”

“Well, not here here, but to Pittsburgh.”

“Do you think she’d come?” Gus asked hopefully.

“There’s one way to find out.”

“Okay, I’ll call her,” Gus said standing up and pulling his cell phone from his pocket. His mother should be home from work even with the change in time zone. Gus walked out into the backyard. Beau went with him.

Brian watched from his chaise. He wondered if he should have suggested this call. He wanted Gus to be happy, but he had vowed to stay out of things, and here he was putting his fucking two cents worth in. He shook his head at his own folly.

Gus let the phone ring five times. He was about to hang up when a voice snapped on the line, “What?”

“Mama?”

“Gus, is that you. I’m kind of busy.”

“Sorry to bother you, but I … miss you.”

“Could you call back later?” Melanie asked. She let out a little mewling sound like someone was doing something to her.

“You okay, Mama?” Gus asked.

“Um, yeah, fine.”

“Hurry up,” a voice whispered from the background.

“Oh,” Gus said. “Oh! I’m sorry to disturb you.”

“You, you’re not disturbing me. Could I call you back in an hour?”

“I’m going to bed soon. I have to get up at the crack of dawn.”

“Half an hour,” Melanie begged.

“Sure,” Gus said dejectedly. He snapped his phone shut. He stood watching the sky for several minutes.

“That didn’t go so well, did it?” Brian asked as he crutched his way out to Gus.

Gus shook his head. “It seems like we never have time for each other anymore,” he said softly.

Brian wanted to tell his son that it was Melanie Marcus who needed to make some time for her son, but he bit his tongue. “What did she say?” he asked instead.

“She’s going to call back in half an hour … if she remembers.”

“She’ll call,” Brian said squeezing the back of Gus’ neck.

“It’s like we don’t matter to her anymore,” Gus whispered.

“Starting a new life isn’t easy,” Brian responded.

“What does that mean?”

“Cut her a bit of slack. See if she calls and try not to jump all over her.”

“Even if she deserves it?” Gus asked.

“Even if…” Brian said gently. “You coming in?”

“I think I’ll wait out here for her call,” Gus replied. “Thanks, Pop.”

“I’ll be in the bedroom if you need me.”

“Okay.” Gus watched his father hobble back to the sun porch on his crutches. He knew it hurt Brian’s pride that he couldn’t do everything he had been able to do before the sprained ankle. But surprisingly, Brian was taking it better than any of them had expected. He had his moments, but most of the time he did his best to contain his temper and get through the day. Gus supposed that was what he better do where his mother was concerned.

 

*****
 

Beau raised his head, as he heard the man sitting on the lawn chair wiggle around in his seat and let out a sigh. Beau had been lying beside the chair for a long time. He should be doing his rounds, but he didn’t want to leave the troubled human alone. He gave a little woof trying to distract the man.

“It’s okay, Beau,” Gus said. “I’m fine if you want to go do your cottage check. It doesn’t look like she’s going to call.” He looked at his watch. Almost forty-five minutes had passed since he had talked to his mother. So much for her calling back in half an hour.

Beau felt the man’s hand drop onto his head and scratch behind his ears. He leaned into the scratch. It felt good to Beau, and the dog instinctively knew that it felt good to humans too. He stayed where he was as Gus rubbed his head.

“Why can’t parents be more like you, Beau?” Gus asked. “You need so little and you’re always there when we need you. My mother is never there.”

“Woof,” Beau replied.

“I guess I might as well go to bed,” Gus sighed. “It doesn’t look like she’s going to call.”

Before Gus could stand up, his phone rang. “Hello,” he said immediately.

“Gus, it’s so good to hear from you,” Melanie’s voice replied.

She sounded happy, Gus thought. The sex must have been good. That’s why it took her so long to call. Suddenly Gus missed Ray with all his heart.

“Gus? Are you there?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” Gus said reluctantly.

“I’m sorry I was busy before, but I have time to talk now.”

“I have to go to bed soon,” Gus informed her. He hoped she could hear the edge in his voice. He was not happy with her.

“Why did you call? I didn’t think I’d hear from you all summer,” Melanie said with a note of sadness in her voice.

“You could have called me,” Gus reminded her.

“That didn’t go so well last time,” Melanie stated.

“I’m sorry about that, but I do have a job, and I was busy.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this job?”

“It all happened quickly, and it was a great opportunity, and I just decided to jump at the chance.”

“And you’re glad you did?”

“Yes, I am,” Gus said confidently. “I’ve enjoyed what I’m doing, and I’m good at it. It will look really good on my resume too.”

“When…when did John get to be a professor?”

“He just finished his PhD a few months ago. He agreed to work with this apprenticeship program for students in architecture. He also has some kids from Hunter’s Center working here.”

“He’s quite the building mogul these days,” Melanie said sarcastically.

“Mom!”

“Sorry, I can’t help myself sometimes.”

“Don’t I know it,” Gus muttered.

Melanie ignored that remark. “So why did you call?”

“I don’t like fighting with you. I … I miss you.”

Melanie’s voice softened as she said, “I miss you too, Gus.”

“I wondered if you could come visit me, since I won’t have time to come out to Portland.”

“I thought you called to say you had changed your mind and were going to come here,” Melanie responded, her voice taking on that hard edge again.

“I told you I can’t come there. I have work and … responsibilities.”

“And so do I. And I’m the adult here.”

“Mama, I’m an adult too. I’m almost twenty now. I can’t just pack up and leave when you call.”

“And neither can I.”

Gus heaved a weary sigh. “I have to go to bed.”

“Gus, please don’t shut me out.”

“I’m not shutting you out. Pop suggested I ask you to come here since I couldn’t go there. I thought I’d try, but you’re too busy…”

“So are you,” Melanie accused.

“Mama, I don’t want to fight.”

“I’ll see what I can do about coming to Pittsburgh,” Melanie said suddenly.

“You will?”

The sound of hope in Gus’ voice was clear, and Melanie felt her heart wrench. “I will,” she said sincerely.

“That would be great, Mama.”

“No promises, but I’ll try.”

“I hope you can come.”

“Me too, Gus. Take care and I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Thanks.” Gus shut his phone and leaned back in the lawn chair. That had turned out better than he had expected. He thought they were going to fight all over again. “You better go do your rounds, Beau,” Gus said as he stood up. “I think I’m finally ready for bed.”

Gus headed for the house, while Beau trotted around the cottage and down the lane.

 

*****
 

“Ray?”

“Hey, Bright Eyes.”

“Bright Eyes?”

“Yeah. I was laying here thinking about you and your beautiful eyes. How they change with your moods and how dark they get when we...”

“Yeah, your eyes get so dark it’s like looking into liquid dark chocolate. Ray, I miss you.”

“I miss you too. My summer class is almost done; do you think your dads will let me visit.”

“Do you think your dads will?”

“I sorta asked them already and they said if it was okay with your dads it’s fine with them.”

“No working for your dad’s company this summer?”

“I work for him all the time, he can give someone else a chance. Do you think I could intern with your uncle? I had a blast last summer.”

“He always talks about the great job you did; I’m sure he’ll be cool with it. I’ll ask them in the morning. Ray, I really, really miss you,” Gus said, his voice getting a bit husky.

“I miss you so much. Where are you?”

“In bed; you?”

“Me too?” Ray replied just above a whisper.

The boys simultaneously reached down into their pants and did what most young men did when they were so turned on and so missing the one who turned them on. Afterwards they sighed into their phones. Neither one wanted to hang up, so Gus and Ray spent the next couple of hours talking and missing one another.

 

*****
 

“Mommy?” JR called out softly as she opened Lindsay’s door. JR was still staying with Lindsay and Candy while her dads remained up at Edna’s Treasures. Candy was prepared to give her room back to its rightful owner but JR insisted that Candy stay there. JR had no qualms about taking over Gus’ room since he used it so little and most of his stuff was either with him or at the loft.

“Sweetie, it’s late and you have to be at the store in the morning.”

JR had taken over the running of the comic book store since her father went away. She took to the business end of the store like a fish took to water. Just because she was still fifteen, wasn’t a good enough excuse not to be there. JR did well in school, was being responsible with her relationship with Curtis, and her great ideas for improving the store had all worked out. She even had a hand in the advertising contract with Kinnetik. JR loved the store almost as much as her father. She took her job there very seriously.

“I know but I wanna talk,” JR said looking like a little girl. She crawled into her mother’s bed.

“What is it, sweetheart? You and Curtis all right?”

“We’re fine. I like him a lot but I’m not ready for anything too serious,” JR confided to Lindsay’s satisfaction and relief. She liked Curtis as well, even with his dubious introduction into their family. Life with Raphael and Hector helped to turn the boy’s life around in a good way. He was an important member of their ‘cwazy wittle family.’

“So if it’s not boy trouble and you seem to have the store under control, then what is it?” Lindsay thought it might be Melanie. She held her breath until JR spoke.

“It’s my dad; I think something’s wrong.”

“Ben?” Lindsay assumed.

“No, my other dad.”

“But Michael’s always been healthy as a horse!”

“Something’s wrong, Mommy, and I don’t know what to do,” JR cried as she snuggled into her mother’s arms.

Lindsay was too shocked for words. She hadn’t noticed any difference with Michael at the Memorial Day barbecue other than he seemed to have a shorter temper than usual. As Lindsay held JR tight, Lindsay concentrated her thoughts on the barbecue. Michael did look a little tired and maybe he had lost weight but then gay men were always so vain. But Michael was never like that.

“Don’t worry, honey, we’ll figure it out,” Lindsay murmured to comfort her daughter.

“Okay,” JR mumbled and Lindsay realized JR was falling asleep. Lindsay made sure JR was under the sheet. She reached over to turn out the light.

“I’ll call Brian in the morning,” Lindsay whispered. “He’ll know what to do,” she said before sleep claimed her as well.
 

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