November 2014, Sunday, 11:20 AM, the Diner…

Brian was sitting alone in a booth, his demeanor not betraying how tense and nervous he really felt. He was currently trying to read an article in the business section of the Pittsburgh Gazette, and found himself failing to focus on the words that refused to enter his brain. He kept furtively glancing at the door, an unexpected downpour obscuring the outside street through the blurred windows of the diner.

At any moment now, Justin would be here, joining him for lunch before going with him to spend the afternoon with his son. Brian had called Lindsay to inform her of Justin’s presence, and she had insisted that they stay at her home to catch up, instead of going out with Gus. The brunet had wanted to say no, but had finally figured that Justin and Lindsay needed some time to reconnect with each other. Consequently, he was planning to stay at the house and play soccer with Gus in the backyard – if the weather allowed it, since it was actually raining – allowing the old friends some time alone.

He just couldn’t wait to see Justin’s face when he realized what was going on.

Inviting Justin to join him to see Gus was a big move for Brian. The truth was, he had already fantasized in the past about the three of them being involved in casual, heteronormative scenarios; that is, when he had let his mind travel to where no one could ever imagine a man like him ever going. The good side about fantasies was that they weren’t real, though, so he could imagine things he would normally never do; and Justin was always a part of it.

Shaking his head, he squeezed his eyes shut and checked his balls - in case they had fallen off without him noticing it - sighing in false relief before peering up at the sound of the bell. His heartbeat suddenly increased as his eyes fell upon him: Justin was standing at the entrance, wiping his feet on the welcome mat, drops of rain slowly running down his hair and his face. He was taking off his jacket, gazing down and visibly cursing under his breath.

As Brian’s eyes traveled along his body, he noticed that Justin’s sneakers and pants were completely soaked. The image was mesmerizing, and Brian realized that he had never had a chance of resisting Justin to begin with. He might have tried to fight against the notion of Justin reentering his life; but now, he really couldn’t remember why, and he could even admit that having Justin back, even as a friend, was better than him not being here at all.

Moreover, neither Brian nor Justin were ‘virgins’ regarding love anymore. The first true love in a life is so special, often unreasonable, passion overshadowing everything else. While Brian had truly loved Justin, he knew deep down that he had been destructive, too. Passion had cast reason in the flames, so to speak; and becoming older might be Brian’s worst nightmare, but it also brought a wisdom that made each moment in life – and love – even more valuable.

Fuck, seeing Justin made his brain become completely entangled with disturbing thoughts.

Composing himself, Brian merely stared at Justin with a raised eyebrow when Justin’s gaze finally swept around the diner and fell upon him. Brian was pleased when a genuine, bright smile appeared on Justin’s face as their eyes locked, just before Justin looked away. The blond walked closer to him, pinching his lips to visibly prevent himself from smiling wider before finally coming to stand near Brian.

Brian smirked and gazed up and down Justin’s body, his stare lingering on his soaked pants. “So…Wouldn’t you be more comfortable with your pants off?” He asked purposely in a sexy manner.

Justin blushed and laughed, “Always straight to the point…”

“I’m as gay as they come,” Brian quipped, tongue-in-cheek. “You above everyone else should remember that,” he added boldly, his lips pinched with a gleam in his eyes, causing Justin to blush even harder.

“I do,” Justin replied softly, a mischievous look in his eyes. Brian grinned briefly over his response. Yet, he decided not to push their innuendos further; not for the time being, anyway.

“Seriously, though, you should ask for a towel or something. You might freeze your ass off if you stay like that,” Brian declared before adding, frowning playfully while ogling Justin’s ass, “And that would be a real shame.” Okay, it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t help himself.

Justin chuckled. Brian had always had a thing for wet men. “I’m okay. I remember how much you enjoy the sight of man in the shower,” he teased Brian as he sat down across the table, placing his wet jacket down on the booth’s seat beside him.

“So you want to seduce me, huh?” Brian purred as he leaned forward, enjoying the flirting between them. It was so much better than all the tension they had experienced every time they had seen each other lately. If Brian had known it would be this easy, he would have stopped fighting earlier.

“Maybe…” Justin drawled, blinking coyly, his eyelashes glistening from the rain.

Brian raised his eyebrows in response before clearing his throat. No need for Justin to realize how turned on he was by his words. He could already feel his cock hardening in his pants as images of a naked and wet Justin flashed before his eyes. It was a good thing he had never been ashamed of sporting a boner in a public place, but he truly didn’t want it to be too obvious with Justin sitting right in front of him. It was safer to bring back the conversation to more commun matters, which didn’t involve soaked men, or sex, or… well, who was he kidding? Any conversation with Justin could be dangerous for him.

“So, Mr. Taylor...How are you? Has the good old Pitts treated you well since you got back?” Brian inquired with a smirk, signaling to the busboy to come and take their order with a pointed stare and a raised finger.

“I’m doing pretty well. I haven’t had much time to do anything else except work, though,” Justin revealed.

Brian nodded just as the young busboy arrived at their table. He was a twenty-something-year-old twink, and had had a big crush on Brian ever since he had fucked him a few weeks ago. Brian snorted when the young man stammered as he asked him what he wanted for lunch, causing Justin to roll his eyes. Eight years might have passed, but some things apparently would never change.

“You fucked him?” Justin laughed, having already guessed why the busboy had turned ten shades of red before rushing to the kitchen after Brian had asked him why he was still standing here, twenty seconds after they had finished ordering.

Brian glared playfully at Justin with his eyebrows raised, relieved that the blond was amused by his predicament. Changing the subject, he asked, “How is your mother? And your sister?” Since Justin had come back, Brian hadn’t had the chance to ask him about his family; Molly had been just a child when he had known her, but she should be in her early twenties by now.

“Mom is going to move here in the next couple of months. She’s still in Philly for now, but she wants to come back to be closer to my grandmother,” Justin disclosed.

“Your grandmother?” Brian tilted his head, not buying this sole reason for a second.

“Well… and me…” Justin added under Brian’s teasing stare. “And Molly - she’s in New York, working for a PR firm.”

“How old is the brat?” Brian asked. He had always called her that. She was Justin’s sister after all.

Justin eyed Brian with a smirk. “Twenty-three.”

“Jesus…” Brian mumbled, making a face. “How is that possible? She was like... twelve the last time I saw her.”

“She was fifteen,” Justin revealed with a grin.

“Still…” Brian insisted, “She was an annoying brat. And now, she’s just so...old.”

“Twenty-three is old for you?” Justin laughed.

“You know what I mean…The first thing you know she’ll be announcing that she’s engaged, with a mini-brat on the way.” Brian grimaced at the thought.

“Actually… She is; she’s expecting twins any day now,” Justin declared solemnly, clearly enjoying Brian’s dismay. He couldn’t help a giggle from escaping his lips when he saw Brian’s eyes go wide.

“She is not,” Brian countered warily, not quite sure, however. At that point Justin cracked up for good, and Brian realized he was being played, “You little shit,” he growled with a chuckle, playfully sweeping Justin’s hand off the table, as the blond laughed some more. Brian loved that sound.

“You should have seen your face… It was priceless.” Justin replied, grinning brightly.

Brian pinched his lips together to stop the smile from growing wider on his face. “You will pay for that,” He uttered without thinking.

They stared into each other’s eyes as the air suddenly filled with a palpable, sexual tension. Moments like this one brought back memories of a time when Justin would have answered Brian with an ‘I’m counting on it,’ or something like that, and Brian would have dragged him out of there and made good on his tantalizing threat by fucking Justin for hours.

Now, Brian was amazed to realize how easy it was for him to tease Justin and fall back into their old games, even after all this time. Sure, it was an illusion, because truthfully they weren’t as comfortable with each other as they were before, knowing what had happened between them, and how painful their break-up had been. Was it wise to feel so good in Justin’s presence, then?

Brian knew he should keep his guard up, and yet…there was some truth in trusting his instincts, right? He would probably act more guarded at times in the future, but right now, he was enjoying the moment and he didn’t want to think too much. So he just let the awkward moment pass and kept asking Justin questions, enjoying the bantering too much to stop or consider the ramifications.

During the next couple of hours, they talked about everything under the sun as just two old, dear friends would. Brian asked some more questions about Justin’s professional experience in Chicago, New York, and Europe. They even talked about Tyler, and while Brian felt a squeeze in his chest when Justin started talking about his former boyfriend, he forced himself to listen intently to Justin’s memories with the man. It resulted in another awkward moment, during which Brian’s face remained impassive while Justin’s eyes bored into his, conveying a silent yet meaningful message, his heartbeat increasing as a result.

Brian talked about Gus, of course, but also about Jack. He explained to Justin that he had revealed to Jack that he was his son for the first time when Gus had been six months old.

When he had become a father back in February 2007, everything had changed. The first time he had held Gus in his arms and had peered down at this little, innocent being who was opening and closing his little fingers around his thumb, he had felt something completely foreign to him. Instantly falling in love for the first time in his life, he had discovered that a love that lasted forever wasn’t a myth; that it really could exist.  At that moment, he somehow knew that he would love his son, unconditionally, for the rest of his life.

That revelation had completely shaken him. It had made him question everything he had always thought about being a dad. Therefore, that night, when he had come home from the hospital, he had gone to his closet and taken out a box he hadn’t opened in years. Inside were a few pictures, a watch, some letters…things that any person might typically collect as mementos. Taking out three of the old photographs hesitantly, he had stared at them for a long time; one showing his sister riding a bike in front of their house when she was about eight years old, wearing a pair of baggy shorts that were much too loose for her; another of his mother sporting a beautiful headscarf, her cold beauty so well captured in an old black-and-white portrait.

The last picture showed a younger Jack wearing a short-sleeved plaid shirt and brown trousers, and smiling genuinely at the camera while holding a baby in his arms. Brian had stared at the picture for several seconds, maybe even minutes. It was the only one he had kept of the two of them. Staring at the smiling face, Brian had felt the tightening in his chest, the question “why?” wanting to come out of his lips. Why had the man in this picture not loved him like a father should? Why had he chosen to poison his only son with his regrets?

And suddenly, it had hit him. He was no better than this man. He had rejected his son even before he was born. He had lost one of his best friends in a heartbeat, and he was guilty of irrevocably changing his life. He had pushed the only man he had ever loved away. And he hadn’t gone and talked to his brain-damaged father in nearly ten years. All in all, he had let the past control his life, and he had carelessly dismissed everyone’s feelings - including his own - during all this time.

The one thing his father couldn’t have anymore was a chance to change. But Brian could accept that he had been wrong. It had been too late for Jesse and Justin, but he could still try to repair his relationship with Jack, somehow. He could do what Justin had pushed him to do all along.

It had taken him six months to find the courage to finally push the door of Jack’s room open, but he had done it. Once he had made up his mind, and despite his own fears, Dr. Collier had reassured him that Jack would be delighted to meet with him. Michael had accompanied him on a cloudy day in October 2007, and Gus had provided him with the inner strength not to back down.

And now, explaining most of that to Justin - he didn’t share the part about losing him and Jesse, even less the fact that Justin had played a big part in his decision, too - Brian recalled the expression on Jack’s face the first time he had presented himself to him. He had looked so happy, so thrilled to see a stranger that claimed to be his son, and he had unexpectedly taken him in his arms before Brian could do anything to stop him. Brian had tensed immediately - his conflicted inner feelings completely out of control - but Jack had just repeated again and again, “You’re so beautiful, so beautiful!” and he had urged Brian to go with him to the commun room before proceeding to shout to every single person that would listen, “Brian is my beautiful son. He is my beautiful son!” over and over. While at the time Brian had complained for days about it, now he couldn’t help but smile at the memory.

Sure, it had taken many more years for Brian to finally let go of his past. He wasn’t even sure he had completely succeeded, but he knew he was getting there. And now that Justin was back, he felt more certain than ever.

Two Hours Later, 1:30 p.m...

The rain had stopped falling an hour ago. Brian killed the ignition of his car in front of the girls’ house. He put his hands on his legs and rubbed them a few times. Justin stared at them, at Brian’s long and elegant fingers, before turning to peer outside the passenger’s window.

He was nervous. Although he had had a great time with Brian at the diner, he couldn’t help but feel anxious about seeing Lindsay again, and he knew she would undoubtedly be here. The last time he had seen her, she was pregnant with Brian’s child, and even if he had always defended her right to keep the baby, he also had felt betrayed by her actions. Being completely wasted on booze and drugs could only excuse so much. As far as he knew, conceiving a baby meant two adults and above all, no condom. Brian and Lindsay had always claimed to have used one, but the pregnancy indicated another story, one that Justin had tried hard to disavow, but had failed. For Justin, this betrayal had been one of the hardest things  to overcome in his relationship with Brian.

As a result, he had been angry at Lindsay, big time. Hell, he had been angry at Brian, too. But even more, he had been pissed about Brian’s careless wish to force Lindsay to have an abortion. Brian had acted as if none of it was his fault, claiming that fucking his closest female friend wasn’t a big deal. So, Justin had put aside his own feelings regarding Lindsay and his lover, and had chosen to fight Brian instead and show him how wrong his reasoning was. The result? Ultimately, he had lost the man he loved.

Justin had known it was the right thing to do. To this day, he still believed he couldn’t have acted any differently back then. And in the end, he had won, because Gus existed. He was breathing, laughing, and full of life; he made Brian a better man.

If only Brian had realized it sooner, maybe then things would have turned out differently. But playing ‘what if’ wasn’t going to change the past, and Justin wanted to move on. As far as he was concerned, looking back was useless, except to remind him not to make the same mistakes again.

“Ready?” Brian asked softly as he put his hand on Justin’s thigh, startling him.

Justin had been so lost in thought he hadn’t realized that they hadn’t moved since Brian had parked the car. Justin peered down at Brian’s hand on him and then up at Brian’s face. Brian jerked his hand back to the steering wheel, but Justin had felt the spark nonetheless.

Justin pinched his lips before responding, “Sure…”

“Lindsay is here. She wants to see you,” Brian revealed, just as Justin was reaching for the door handle.

“She does?” Justin questioned with a frown. His heartbeat increased slightly as he leaned back in his seat.

“Of course. She was afraid to contact you directly after the way you parted, but she wants to try,” Brian answered cryptically.

Justin nodded absently before simply replying, “Okay…” and opening the door.  Brian slid out from behind the driver’s seat before following him.

A minute later, they were standing in the foyer. Melanie had greeted them at the door, Lindsay and Gus being in the bathroom. Apparently, Gus had spilled a glass of orange juice all over his shirt.

Justin had only seen Melanie a couple of times in the past - she and Lindsay had just started to see each other at the time - but she greeted him warmly. Brian shared an interesting relationship with the woman now, as opposed to eight years ago when they couldn’t stand each other, and Justin could already see what Brian must like in her. Justin remained silent during the first couple of minutes, listening to their conversation. He noticed that Melanie appeared to have the same cynicism, the same brutally honest philosophy that Brian respected. Maybe he was wrong - you really couldn’t get an accurate impression of someone so quickly - but it fit with Brian’s description of Lindsay’s partner. His former boyfriend had referred to her as “the fucking dyke that had married the mother of my son” at the diner earlier. While he had mainly criticized the woman, Justin had thought he could detect a grudging admiration for her frank attitude, too. When Justin had commented with an evil smile afterward that, “You actually like her,” Brian had asked him to “shut the fuck up,”  but he had grinned.

Suddenly, Gus’s voice broke through their conversation as he ran down the stairs to greet Brian. “Dad!” He exclaimed, before planting his feet in front of his father, who bent his legs to kneel at Gus’s eye level and smiled, the kind of genuine smile that makes Justin’s heart flutter. Brian slipped his fingers through Gus’s hair and his hand came to rest on his son’s cheek before he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the boy’s forehead.

“Sonny Boy,” Brian exclaimed warmly before gazing up at Justin. “I want you to meet someone.” He stood up and placed both his hands on the boy’s shoulders, effectively guiding Gus towards his former boyfriend. “This is Justin.”

“Hey, Gus,” Justin greeted him with a wide smile, presenting his hand for Gus to shake.

“Hi!” Gus smiled back, shaking Justin’s hand with an unexpectedly firm grip. “I remember you! We saw you at the movies when we went to see Dragon 2; right, Dad?”

Brian gazed down at his son, chuckling. “Right. Justin is going to stay with us this afternoon, okay?”

Gus shrugged. “Okay.”

“Hey, Justin,” Lindsay’s soft voice made both men turn around. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs, deciding not to interrupt Justin and Gus’s reunion.

“Lindsay,”  Justin returned her greeting tentatively.

Nobody added anything else. Even Gus seemed to pick up on the tense atmosphere that had suddenly filled the room, because he just stood there, looking back and forth between his mother and Justin with a puzzled expression on his face.

Melanie was the one who finally broke the tension somewhat, suggesting, “Gus, why don’t you go with me to the garage to get your soccer ball? Your dad can play with you outside for a little while.”

“Sure, Mamma!” The boy acquiesced vigorously. Justin peered at Brian, who nodded at him imperceptibly before following his son.

When Melanie came back into the living room, she exchanged a few words with Justin and Lindsay before heading upstairs to check on JR who was taking a nap. A moment later, Lindsay and Justin were both standing by the window, looking at the scene outside. The serious look on Gus’s face as he focused on the ball was adorable, and Brian was trying really hard not to laugh at some pretty bold moves his son was attempting to execute.  

“He seems to be a great child,” Justin’s voice broke the deafening silence, his eyes never leaving the little boy.

“He is. He’s smart and funny and sweet and… stubborn like his dad,” Lindsay agreed with a small chuckle, before concluding, “We’re very lucky.”

Then, she turned to look at Justin and took a deep breath, “Justin…” She began awkwardly, obviously ready to talk about their uncomfortable parting back then, but the young man cut her off.

“You don’t have to do this, Lindsay,” He replied curtly. No matter how much time had passed, he was quickly realizing that he still had a hard time dealing with what Lindsay had done. While she wasn’t responsible for his and Brian’s break-up, the fact that she had slept with his boyfriend hadn’t helped the situation, either. Justin wanted to be the bigger man and to just forgive her and move on, but now that he was in the same room as she for the first time since Gus’s birth, he realized it was harder than he’d thought it would be.

“Do what?” Lindsay asked innocently, even if she must have already understood what Justin was talking about.

“I don’t know…This, acting as if we were...” He shrugged helplessly as he gestured with his hand.

Lindsay supplied, “Friends?” and Justin saw a furtive flash of pain appear in her eyes. Sighing, he was about to respond when she declared softly, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Justin inquired with a frown.

“I don’t know… Everything?” Lindsay suggested with a shrug, a small, uncomfortable smile gracing her lips. “Justin, what we did with Brian…” She began, but Justin cut her off with an incredulous glare and a raise of his hand, his eyebrows raised.

Lindsay closed her eyes and sighed, before looking at him with a conciliatory expression.  “What I did. It was shitty,” she admitted, earning a snort from Justin.

She shook her head. “I swear I still don’t know how it happened, and I can’t remember most of it. I DO remember, however, that you took my side against Brian to keep my son. And while I know that what I did was wrong, I really do... if it hadn’t happened, Gus wouldn’t be here now…” Her voice trailed off, and while Justin hated to admit that she was right, he had no other choice but to agree with her: If Brian hadn’t spiralled into his famous pain management techniques after Jesse’s departure, and if Lindsay hadn’t been so clumsy in trying to help Brian  deal with his pain, Gus probably wouldn’t be here today.

Justin had to huff at the thought; Fucking fate.

Maybe it had been destiny. Maybe, in another universe, Lindsay and Brian would have still conceived Gus in a more traditional way. In that universe, Brian wouldn’t have had to deal with a brain-damaged dad who had killed his entire family, or a friend who had accused him of destroying his life and had left him choked with guilt. Then he might have liked the idea of being a father, and would have willingly given his sperm to conceive a child without actually fucking Lindsay because of this fucking pain.

Justin had always believed in fate. Therefore, he couldn’t really blame Lindsay. Sure, it would never be the same between them, but he could try to forgive her. It wouldn’t be easy, but for Brian and Gus’s sake, he would do anything. That’s why he needed to be honest with her.

So after taking a deep breath, he eventually responded, “You’re right, Lindsay. I hated you for what you did to Brian; for what you’ve done to me... And I know things might never be the same between us...”

“Justin…” Lindsay tried to interrupt him, but Justin raised his hand once more to stop her from saying another word.

He walked a few steps and paused in the middle of the living room. “For Brian and Gus’s sake, I’m going to try to forgive you…,” he began before turning around and facing her, needing her to fully understand how he had felt back then. He had always hidden the truth from her, choosing instead to align himself with her against Brian, “...but you have no idea how hard this has been for me,” he stated firmly, staring at Lindsay as she swallowed uncomfortably. She nodded, accepting that she had hurt one of her friends deeply with her inconsiderate behavior.

“I don’t know what I would have done without you. If it hadn’t been for you…” Lindsay’s eyes bored into Justin’s.

“...Gus might not be here,” Justin finished her thought. “Or, if you had decided to keep the baby on your own, there is a good possibility that Brian would have wanted to run away anyway.” Justin still wanted to believe that Brian would have done the right thing in the end, though. And now...all he had to do was look at his face when he was with Gus to know how much he loved him.  

“Lindsay,” Justin continued quietly as he came to stand in front of her. She peered at the floor, averting her eyes and causing him to gently grip her chin with his hand to force her to look at him. They stared at each other for a long moment, and Justin was deeply affected by the remorseful look in her eyes; eyes that couldn’t lie. Justin could see her sorrow, but also her hope that she would be forgiven. Impulsively, he took her in his arms and engulfed her in a hug.

An instant later, he heard her sniff softly into his shoulder as he whispered in her ear, “You gave Brian a wonderful son, and for that, I will always be grateful.” He felt her hug him tighter at his words and he closed his eyes; even if things would never be the same again, he knew that they were going to be okay.

They joined Gus and Brian in the backyard. After a couple of minutes, Lindsay offered to make some coffee and went back inside. Brian took advantage of Lindsay’s absence to encourage his son to keep practicing kicking his ball while he walked over to Justin, who was sitting on the back porch steps.

“Everything all right?” Brian asked gently, his eyes never leaving his son. “Careful, Sonny Boy!” He shouted when he saw Gus slip after running too fast. Gus didn’t acknowledge his father at all, taking off at a run after a slight pause.

Justin nodded. “Yeah...everything’s okay,” Justin responded quietly as he peered over at Brian, whose gaze was still focused on Gus.

Brian nodded absently; Justin knew he wouldn’t ask what he and Lindsay had talked about. He would just trust Justin, without prying any further. It’s what he had always done.

They stayed like that, sitting side by side, their legs almost touching without either of them uttering a word, until Justin decided to stand up and join Gus.

He walked closer to the boy and asked with a smile, “May I play with you?”

Gus stopped shuffling the ball between his feet before looking up at Justin curiously. His face eventually lit up like any child who had just found a new buddy to play with. “Do you know how to play?”

Justin huffed theatrically, before stating jokingly - speaking loudly so that Brian could hear him, too, “Of course! I taught your dad everything he knows.”

“What did you just say?” Brian immediately retorted with a snort as he stood up to join them on the grass. “Don’t listen to him, Gus. You’re going to decimate him.”

“I am?” Gus asked with all the innocence only a child could display; actually, he had no idea what ‘decimate’ meant, but it sounded pretty cool to him.  

Brian leaned over and whispered in his son’s ear, “Look at him, Sonny Boy… He’s scared shitless of your magic foot...”

Justin was hopping from one foot to another in a comical manner, and Brian couldn’t help but chuckle, straightening himself up, “Now, it’s time for Widdle Justin to realize exactly WHO the real man is here,” he boasted loudly with a smirk and a wink to his son. Gus giggled and started to run closer to where Justin was standing, while Brian jogged over to stand guard in front of the goal. The blond feigned to trip over his own feet, so that Gus could pass him to aim and kick the ball, which disappeared between Brian’s legs.

“Yeaaah!!!!” Gus shouted with delight, his arms raised in the air as he ran around in circles.  Brian’s heart clenched briefly as he recalled his father doing much the same thing at the Institution. “I’M the reaaal man!!” He exclaimed smugly just as his mother reappeared on the porch, bearing a tray full of coffee mugs and cookies, along with a hot chocolate for Gus loaded with a mountain of marshmallows, just like he loved it.

Brian and Justin exchanged a look and laughed over Gus’s antics. Lindsay rolled her eyes, but couldn’t prevent a grin from appearing on her face when she saw the scene displayed in front of her, and the triumphant look on her son’s face.

Just then, Brian frowned as he felt his cell phone vibrating, pulling it out of the back pocket of his jeans and cursing under his breath when he discovered who the caller was. Inexplicably, Justin immediately understood who it must be, noticing how Brian’s shoulders noticeably tensed, and how Brian was leaning his head backward as he listened to the voice on his phone. He eventually leaned his head forward and pinched his nose before stating brusquely, “I’m on my way.”

Clapping his cell shut, Brian turned around and gazed over at Lindsay, who was still standing on the porch, the tray now forgotten as it sat on a small table nearby.  He shook his head once at her before walking to kneel in front of his son. Justin couldn’t look away as father and son hugged for a few seconds before they walked over to where Lindsay and Justin were currently standing.

“Sorry, Sunshine, but I’m afraid I have to go. Jack is missing,” Brian announced as he peered over at Justin, his lips pressed into a tight line.

“Missing? You mean, he went off on his own?” Justin inquired in shocked surprise, his heart skipping a beat at Brian’s use of his old nickname.

“Yeah. They fucking lost him,” Brian revealed, the tone of his voice reflecting his annoyance, but also a hint of fear. “I have to go and find him before it gets too fucking dark to see anything.”

“I’m coming with you,” Justin declared firmly. He looked at Brian and held his stare for several seconds, sensing that he fervently wanted to say no. But the determined look on Justin’s face quickly erased any thought of refusing his company  as Brian merely nodded in agreement.

“Brian…” Lindsay interrupted softly, not sure what she was trying to say.  

Brian shook his head, subtly telling her he didn’t have time for more conversation.“I’ll call you later, alright?” He promised his friend.

Lindsay nodded back at him, placing her hand on Brian’s arm briefly after he jumped the three stairs of the porch to stand beside her. “Okay. If you need anything, just give me a call.”

Brian stared at her for a few seconds before leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Will do.” Then turning to make sure that Justin was following him, he ordered, “Let’s go.”

Justin obeyed. He couldn’t help but pray silently that everything was going to be alright.