Sins of the Father
Chapter 13
Taking advantage of the cooler air in the
morning, John, Bobby and Patrick decided to visit the Castillo de
"Brian, you're very quiet."
"I like quiet."
"I mean more quiet than usual. I
guess you didn't like the ride," Justin said somewhat sadly.
"Actually, I did like the ride,"
Brian stated as he climbed off the train with Bree at
the end of the tour. They opened the collapsible stroller and sat Bree into it, adjusting the little sun umbrella and her
hat. "Justin, be patient with me. I've never done this before."
"Neither have I."
"Justin, when you were a kid, did you
go on trips with your parents?"
"Sure! We did lots of things
together. And every summer, we'd... Oh. I'm sorry, Bri,
I didn't realize."
"It's okay,
Sunshine. I am enjoying myself and I'm enjoying viewing everything from your
point of view and from the Squirt's perspective. It's just sometimes it's a
little overwhelming."
Justin gave Brian a hug. "I know. And
I forget that for the first seventeen years of my life, I had a normal life.
You never really did."
"No, I didn't, but I'm going to do my
damnedest to make it a normal life for you and the Squirt."
"You already are and I so love
you."
"Love you too, Sonny Boy." Brian gave Justin a discreet kiss, then a smooch to Bree's cheek. "Pull out the map, Justin. Which
gallery do we see first?"
*****
Later that afternoon, the two families met
up for lunch. They ate a light lunch at one of the numerous cafes then made
plans for the rest of the day. Justin and Bobby mentioned Ripley's. John wanted
to wander around to see some of the old buildings. Brian had spied many
interesting boutiques and secretly wanted to visit them. So they decided to
split up again. Bobby and Justin would take the kids to Ripley's while John and
Brian meandered through the town. Brian was relieved. The sun was glaring.
Justin, Bobby and the children were all prone to sunburn. Having them spend
hours in a nice cool museum was safe. So after lunch, Justin, Bobby and the
children headed back to the B&B for the van, and then on to Ripley's.
"Hey, Brian, look at that! It's the
oldest school house in the country. I can't believe it's
still standing."
"It's a crooked little building.
Maybe that anchor attached is keeping it from falling down," Brian said
with a chuckle. As John, the builder, was worshipping
the old architecture Brian found a small boutique called the Women's Exchange.
As he peered into a window, all sorts of glib comments were formulating in his
head. And he was quite sure the owners of the establishment had heard them all.
Brian turned as he felt a presence behind him.
"Bri, what
are you doing?"
"Waiting for you to
finish soaking up old buildings."
"I can never get enough of
that."
"I know, big bro, and that's part of
your charm. Let's go in here."
"Here?" John exclaimed as they
went into the tiny boutique that held all things glittering and sparkling.
"May I help you?" a pleasant
woman asked from behind her counter. She and her assistant looked over the
handsome brothers with appreciative eyes.
"Just looking, if that's okay,"
Brian answered but he gave her his most innocent come hither look.
"Please do," she answered with a
sigh.
"He's probably married," the
assistant whispered.
"Or gay," the proprietress
replied.
"Or both," they both whispered
with a giggle.
"You're a hopeless flirt; you know
that, don't you?" John admonished Brian.
"Your point?" Brian snarked.
As he perused the bright crystal jewelry, his eyes zoned in on several pins
that were all of the same design but each made with different colored beads and
crystals. "What are these?" Brian pointed to the display.
"We call them 'Wild Women.' There's a
wild woman hiding in every woman," the shopkeeper stated with pride.
"No two are alike."
"They're very pretty," Brian
murmured.
"Brian, I think you hung out with way
too many lesbians in Orlando," John mumbled into his brother's ear.
"Or maybe I'm in touch with my
feminine side. Besides, I can see Debbie wearing one of these and
Jennifer."
"My mother would love one too."
"Now yer talkin'," Brian quipped.
"Bri, what
about Joan?"
"She's not the wild type but this is
more like her." Brian held up a crystal encrusted pin in the shape of a
rosebud.
"In honor of your
budding relationship?"
"Think she'll like it?"
"I think she'll love it. And I'm very
proud of you."
"Why?"
"Because you're
working so hard at your reconciliation with her and it shows."
"How?"
"You're more at peace." John
declined to say anything further. They brought the chosen pieces to the counter
and paid for them. They thanked the ladies and left the shop. As John stepped
out into the heat a rather large woman with a stroller with two dogs in it
addressed him.
"Brian? What are you doing
here?"
"I'm not Brian," John replied to
the very confused looking woman and her equally confused partner. Just then
Brian stepped out from the shop.
"Oh my, there's
two of them! That is you, Brian, isn't it?" Brian
extended his hand to shake hers.
"Yes, it's me. This is my brother,
John. We do tend to confuse people," Brian said with a smile and a shrug.
The woman turned to address John.
"Your brother was a hit down in
Brian blushed as John put his arm around
his brother.
"I am, very proud of him," John
said warmly.
"Ladies, it's all costume jewelry in
there but very pretty and very amusing. We picked up a few things for the
special women in our lives. I think you'll find something pretty in there for
yourselves." Brian held up his bag, and wished the ladies well as they
went in. Before the ladies went in, they proposed meeting for dinner. They too
had just arrived in town but were staying at a nearby condo.
"I think Justin would like that and
you'll meet our children." The ladies beamed and they exchanged business
cards with cell numbers.
"Brian, you have got to tell me in
detail what the hell went on in
"So did I."
The brothers broke out into laughs and as they headed for another shop, Brian
began his detailed account of Brian and Justin's excellent adventures in
*****
Some time later John and Brian's taxi
pulled into the parking lot at Ripley's. Justin, Bobby and the children were
sitting on a bench on the porch.
"Hey," Brian said as he and John
walked up. "How was it?"
"Interesting," Bobby grinned.
"Dada," Bree
said looking way up at her tall father.
"Yes, Squirt."
"Come," Bree
said reaching up for her father's hand.
"She wants to show you
something," Justin chuckled.
Brian tried not to groan as Bree pulled him across the parking lot. "Where are we
going, Squirt?"
"House," she said and Brian
noted a huge tree trunk that was tipped on its side ahead of them, with a sign
saying that some man had made the hollowed interior of the giant redwood into
his home.
Bree led him up the steps and he ducked his head as they
entered. The compact little house had everything built into the sides of the
space. There was a little kitchen and a table to sit at and a narrow bed. Brian
found that he couldn't stand quite straight so he remained hunched over. Bree had released his hand and she did a little pirouette
in the middle of the space.
"Mine," she said.
Brian frowned. "No, Squirt, this
belongs to someone else."
The sweet little face clouded over and she
repeated, "Mine."
Brian shook his head. "I know you
like this little house, but it isn't yours, sweetheart."
"Mine," she wailed as the tears
started down her face. "Mine, Dada."
"I'm sorry, Squirt, but it can't be
done. Some things aren't ours, no matter how much we may want them."
Bree buried her face against Brian's jeans and let the
sobs come. Brian sat down on the narrow little bed. He picked Bree up and cradled her against his chest. "I'd get
the house for you, Squirt, if I could. You know I'd do anything for you, but
this is … impossible. It's not your house. I can't get it for you."
Bree buried her face against Brian's shoulder and sobbed
uncontrollably. Brian knew this was a hard lesson for both of them. He'd always
given Bree everything she ever wanted, but as she got
older he knew there would be things he couldn't get for her or fix for her.
This was the first of many to come. God, he hated not being able to help her. So
he just hung on until her sobs grew less and she gradually quieted down.
"Can I have a puppy?" Brian
asked Joan. He had figured that he would start with her and then tackle Jack
later. Pete who lived next door had just got a new puppy, and Brian wanted one
desperately too.
"Absolutely not," Joan
replied.
"But Pete has one and I really
want a puppy."
"If Pete's family is stupid enough
to get him a dog, then they deserve all the noise and mess that it will
create."
"But…"
"No buts! We are not getting a
dog. And unless you want a good whupping you will not
mention this to your father," Joan said sternly. "Now go out and
play."
Brian had done as his mother indicated.
Pete had let him play with his dog … sometimes. But it wasn't the same as
having a dog of his own. That had been a big
disappointment in Brian's young life. But he had survived it. He had almost
asked Jack about it a couple of weeks after he asked his mother, but something
had told him not to. Maybe his mother's words. Maybe
the slap he got across his face from Jack when he wouldn't eat the broccoli on
his dinner plate.
"Brian?" Justin's voice said at
the entrance to the little house.
"Sh,"
Brian cautioned. He realized Bree was asleep on his
shoulder.
"What happened?" Justin
whispered.
Brian stood, as much as he could, and made
his way out the exit of the tree house. "I think Bree
needs a nap back at the B&B. I'll explain later."
*****
Brian and ensemble arrived at the Ale
House for an early dinner with the lesbians. He had made a reservation
realizing that with eight of them it could be a problem getting into most
restaurants.
Bree had had a good nap and seemed to have forgotten about
the tree house. Brian made a mental note to keep away from Ripley's during
their stay. He didn't want another episode like the one that afternoon. He also
hoped he had handled it better than his mother and father had handled the puppy
incident. Brian wondered when Bree might decide she
wanted a puppy. He didn't think he would be able to refuse her that one.
"There they are," Justin said as
he spotted the two women coming up the stairs. "Over here," he
called.
When the women arrived at the table, they
noted the handsome group and the two beautiful children. "My, you do have
a lovely family, Brian," the taller of the two women said.
"Thanks," Brian smirked knowing
that her observation was definitely true. "Um … Justin, maybe you could do
the introductions."
"Sure," Justin said giving Brian
the look that said he knew all too well that Brian had no idea what the women's
names might be. "Myrna," Justin said indicating the taller woman,
"and Jane, this is Brian's brother, John, who you met this afternoon, and
his husband Bobby. That's their son, Patrick, and our daughter, Briana."
"You're married! How lovely,"
Jane said to John and Bobby. "What an adorable little boy. Look at all
those red curls."
"Are you talking about Bobby or
Patrick?" John laughed.
"He's definitely your son,
Bobby," Myrna said as she sat down.
"Technically John is the biological
father," Bobby said with a grin.
"Oh?" Jane reacted, a little
stunned by that statement. The child certainly looked like Bobby.
"What's biological, Dad?"
Patrick asked looking at John.
"Um … I'll explain later," John
said hastily. "Let's get some drinks for everyone."
The men ordered beer and the ladies
ordered martinis. The children had root beer although Justin wasn't too sure it
was wise for Briana to have it just before bedtime.
Brian said maybe she could stay up a little later since this was a special occasion.
That earned him a warm smile from the lesbians.
"You sure know how to lay it on
thick," Justin whispered as he leaned into Brian.
"Thank you, dear," Brian said in
only a half falsetto voice. Justin gave him an elbow to the ribs.
"Has Brian told you how helpful he
was at the vendors' tables at Gay Days?" Myrna asked.
"We got a shortened version,"
John said having passed Brian's story along to Bobby. "Perhaps you could
tell us more." John gave the women his most ingratiating smile. Brian
glared at him.
"Oh, it was so gallant of him,"
Jane said taking a big sip of her martini.
"He just knows everything about
diamonds and crystal and … just everything," Myrna gushed.
"Yes," Bobby grinned trying not
to burst out laughing at the look on Brian's face. "Brian knows … just
everything."
"Shouldn't we order?" Brian said
ignoring Bobby.
"Dada?" Bree said.
"Yes, Squirt."
"Hungy."
"I know," Brian sighed.
"You're always hungry, like someone else I know."
"Well, she is my daughter,"
Justin smirked giving Brian back a little of his own.
Brian motioned to the waiter and told him
they needed a basket of bread immediately. This time the waiter knew what he
was doing and returned with the bread in less that a minute. Brian took a roll
and pulled a piece off for Bree. "Here you go,
Squirt."
"Thanks," Bree
said with a big grin as she started nibbling on the roll.
Brian handed the rest of it to Patrick who
dug in too. While the children were occupied they all placed their orders and
enjoyed their drinks.
"Dada, who
they?" Bree asked pointing to the two women.
"Um, they're ladies we met a few days
ago," Brian replied.
Bree frowned. "Ladies?"
"Yes, Bree, ladies."
"What are ladies?"
"Girls, like you."
Bree frowned some more. "Like Gamma Jenn and Gamma Joan and Gamma Debbie and Gamm…"
"Just like that," Brian laughed,
knowing how horrified his mother would be to be compared to the two dykes
sitting across the table from them.
"Your daughter certainly has a lot of
grandmothers,"
"She's a very lucky little
girl," John said with a big smile. Brian had to smile back. Sometimes he
wished he had half the tact that his brother did.
"Where are your babies tonight?"
Justin asked.
"Babies!" Bree yelped.
"You have children?" Bobby
asked.
"Oh, goodness no," Jane said,
"although seeing you with your children almost
makes me want some. We have two dogs, Ruby and Sapphire. We left them at our
condo. We can't stay too long. They get anxious."
"Dogs?" Bree asked.
"We better eat up so you can get back
to your babies," Brian said as their meals arrived. He hoped he had cut
off Bree's interest in dogs before it was too late.
Brian made sure that Bree's
food was cut up and ready for her and then he picked at his own. The rest of
the party seemed to enjoy the food, and they all had another round of drinks.
When they left the restaurant, the
lesbians told them to feel free to call and come over if they would like to lie
on the beach at their condo or swim in the pool there. They caught a cab so
they could get back to their babies.
"Interesting," John said as the
cab pulled away.
"You certainly do have a wide range
of friends, Brian," Bobby observed. "I never realized how much of
Melanie's influence had rubbed off on you."
"Lesbians find me fascinating,"
Brian said tongue in cheek. "Remember Leda."
Justin gulped. He had long forgotten about
Melanie's friend, but apparently Brian hadn't. Leda was almost as wild and
wanton as Brian had been. "You did not bring up her name in polite
company," Justin admonished trying to keep a straight face. "Come
with me. I'm taking you home before you do something else … bizarre."
As Justin hustled Brian and their daughter
over to the minivan, Bobby asked, "You ever heard of Leda before?"
John shook his head. "I'll get it out
of Brian tomorrow."
"He is a source of wonderment,"
Bobby observed watching Brian buckle his daughter into her car seat. "Do
you think we'll ever know the whole story of Brian Kinney?"
"No," was all John had to say
about that.
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