65:  Wake Him Up!

“Daddy-Justin,” Gus, with his cell in hand and full of cheerfulness and smiling, immensely ran up to his step dad.

“Hi, Gus… happy birthday for the millionth time.”

“Thank you Daddy-Justin, but my daddy on the phone.  He called me and now he want to talk to you.”  Gus handed Justin the phone and then he ran back across the yard to play with the other kids.

“Brian?  Is that you?”

“It’s me, Justin.  How’s Gus’s party coming along?  Damn!  I wish was there.”

“It’s great.  He was already having a great time but his spirits seemed to pep up even more when you called him.”

“So, I guess you were right – it paid that at least one of us remained behind for Gus’s birthday.”

“Yeah, I’ve been during my best, Brian, to cheer up our son in your absence.  He’s still missing you a lot, but I constantly keep reminding him of our outing tomorrow and I told him, just like you had told him, that it would be like having two birthdays instead of just the one… and how many of the other kids can say that.  He really likes that analysis.  You should see him now, so bubbly and full of robust energy, and running around and playing with all the other kids and appearing not to have a care in the world… a child’s world is so amazing like that.”

“Eh,” Brian seemed to groan when Justin said that.  And, Justin was quickly reminded of the unhappy childhood Brian had had; and he thought it was absolutely amazing that Brian turned out as well as he did. 

“How’s your meeting coming along?”  Justin then asked.

“Got a long way to go.  Probably won’t wrap up here until 9 p.m. Chicago’s time (that’s a hour behind us).  And, it’s about an hour's plane ride from here back to the Pitts, so I’ll be home about a little after 11 p.m. our time.  I’m missing you terribly so.”

“Are you really, Brian?”

“Sure I am.  Aren’t you missing me too?”

“I guess.  I mean… sure I am.”

“Is everything alright, Justin?  Doesn’t sound like it; and you were kind of short with me last night, and you never did call me back.”

“Everything’s just… to use your word… fabulous… I got kind of busy last night; and right now I am inside someone’s backyard and the pollen count is pretty high today… and you know me and my allergies.”

“Okay, Justin.  I have to get back inside that meeting.  Call you back again… later.”

“Later, Brian.”

Justin then rushed over to where Gus was playing and gave his stepson his cell back and consequently his own phone rang – it was Ethan.

*

                  “Thanks for coming, Justin,” Ethan said as he opened his door to him.  “Come in and sat on the couch with me?”  He offered.

“Yeah, sure,” Justin walked in and took a seat on Ethan’s couch.  “Sorry, to hear that you had another episode, Ethan; and I would have come sooner but you had said it was a mild attack; and I couldn’t just leave my stepson’s party like that.  So, I waited until it was over to come here.” 

Justin then looked at his watch and discovered it was a little after 9 p.m.  “Brian should be home from his trip a little after 11, so I can’t spend but too much time with you… maybe about a hour tops, and then I must hurry home to my husband.”

“How is Brian?  Did you call him back last night?  Did you talk to him today at all?”

“Why so many questions about my husband, Ethan?”

“Just asking for the sake of conversation, Justin.  I didn’t mean to pry.  And, are you all right?  You look almost look like it was you who had the heart attack instead of me.”

Justin didn’t respond.

“Hey, I know how to cheer you up,” Ethan said and then he got up and ran to bedroom and quickly returned.

“Da-da,” he crooned.  “Remember this?” 

“Your old violin,” Justin had to smile then.

“And, what would you like me to play for you… something humorous, dramatic… romantic?”

“Anything but romantic… let’s go with the comedy instead.”

“Okay, your wish is my command.”

Justin chuckled then as Ethan started to play the most lively and uplifting tune.

*

                  “Brian, what are you doing at our door so late?  You actually awakened Lindsay and me.  We were in bed sleep already.”

“Well, Hello and so happy to see you too, Mel.  Now where’s my son?”  Brian barged right in straight passed her.  “And, were you and Lindsay really in bed together sleeping?”  Brian glanced over at the couch.  He had noticed the extra accessories spread across it the moment Melanie had opened the door.  “Looks like someone took refuge on the couch; but why didn’t you just sleep inside one of the guest rooms instead?  Lindsay couldn’t stand to even have you on the same floor with her?”

“That’s none of your damn business; and it’s after 11 p.m., Brian!  Of course, Gus is in bed.  And, I dare you come just barging in here when everyone’s sleeping.”

“Yeah, but it still my Sonny-boy’s birthday… so wake him up.  I only got a few minutes before it’s another day.  But I want to see my son while it’s still his birthday, I’ve never missed one of his birthdays before.”

“Well, you missed this one already because I’m not waking Gus at this late hour.”

“Mel?”  Lindsay, inside her robe, appeared at the top of the staircase.  “Brian, come on up.  I just woke Gus and he’s sitting up in bed waiting for you.”

“Thanks,” Brian said as hurried (two steps at a time) up the stairs; and when he got to the top of the staircase, he smiled at Lindsay and kissed her cheek and then he rushed inside his son’s bedroom.

“Damn Brian and you, Lindsay,” Melanie snapped at her.

“Whatever, Mel.”  Lindsay turned away from her and she returned to the bedroom while Mel sat down on the couch, picked up a pillow and threw it flying swiftly across the room.

*

Later, that evening Lindsay peeped inside her son’s bedroom; and she smiled serenely when she saw her son and his father both asleep.  Gus’s little body was resting in the center of his father’s chest and Brian arms cradled around him.  It made her think about all the times when Gus was an infant and Brian would visit and go to sleep with Gus pinned to his chest like that.  Her smile became even warmer as she then turned off the lights in there and then she left the room and returned to bed.

And, Brian was sleeping unusually soundly that night, so intensely that the constant ringing of his cell phone didn’t even wake him.  He woke up naturally though around 4 a.m. and got his cell out and he could see all the missed calls received from his husband.  He immediately called him back.

“Justin.”

“Did you have some kind of accident, Brian?”  Justin asked in a monotone voice as an attempt to keep the anger out of it.

“No.  Don’t be upset, Justin.  I’m here with Gus.  I didn’t want to completely miss our son’s birthday.  So, I came straight here from the airport and I had planned to spend just a few minutes with him and then hurry home to you.   However, I just accidentally fell asleep and I guess I slept unusually hard.  But I’m about to get out of his bed, and leave the munchers’ house right now, and rush home to you.”

“Don’t.”

“Huh?”  Brian was nearly alarmed because Justin had sounded rather hostile to him.

“Gus, is not going to be happy if you leave him in the middle of the fucking night and then he awakens and you’re not there.   Stay there until your son wakes up, Brian.  The three of us have a big day ahead of us.”

“Yeah, we do.  See you later on today, Justin.”

“Yeah, see you, Brian.  Bye for now.”

“Later, Justin.”

“Later, Brian.”

They disconnected and Brian fell immediately back to sleep, but Justin had been lying awoke all night and he still lay there wide-awake.