Hi, everyone. Welcome back for another glimpse into the lives of the people of Bridgewater, Oregon. Morning brings a hearty breakfast and a little time for some good humor before the day begins.
This story deals with adult themes, primarily same-gender sexual relations. Such relations have their basis in love and commitment, rather than sex for the sake of sex alone. In some cases they will use protection; at other times they will not. You and I should always use protection because we do not live in the world of fiction.
If you are offended the idea of homosexuality or if you are under the age of consent or if you reside in an area where such things are considered illegal or immoral, then you should seek entertainment elsewhere.
Comments may be directed to the author at thornado5@netscape.net
This story is copyright 2004 by Mike Williams. All rights reserved. Thou shalt not steal.
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A Thousand Rainbows by Mike Williams
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Wednesday morning brought the usual weekday activity to the Connor-Larkin household with Brian and Bjorn getting ready for work, the twins getting ready for school and the whole extended family looking forward to a long holiday weekend.
Across the breakfast table Jason asked Todd how he had managed to get so much time off from school.
"Actually," Todd replied, "we do the home-school thing. That's why I brought my laptop with me. Except for the same four days you guys are getting off, Mom's not cutting me any slack. She's a real slave-driver. Aren't you, Mom?" He smiled at his mother, who stood at the stove, preparing breakfast.
"That's right, mister," Sarah replied with a smile, shaking a wooden spoon in Todd's direction. "And don't forget you've got a history test to be sent this afternoon." Then she turned to Brian and Bjorn who listened to the exchange with interest. "We found a home- schooling program online that we can take anywhere, so all Todd needs to keep up is a connection to the internet. Would you guys mind if Todd and I come to the studio with you today?"
"No problem for me," Brian replied. "How about you, Bjorn?"
"Same here," Bjorn said. "We can always use an extra pair of eyes at the studio. We'll set you up with an internet connection and make sure that history assignment gets out on time."
Brian turned to Will who was seated at the far end of the dining room table. "What's your plan for today, Will?"
Will seemed not to have heard the question, absorbed in his coffee and the morning newspaper, until Sarah gave him a nudge. He looked up with a start. "What?"
Brian smiled and repeated his question. "I asked what you plan to do on your first day of vacation."
"Uh, well," Will stammered, "I was planning to head down to Andover today and see how Grandma Hannah is doing. So, if it's okay with you, I'd like to catch a ride into town with you guys, and then I'll walk over to the rent-a-car agency."
Brian and Bjorn cast sideways glances at each other, then turned back to Will. "No, Will, that's not okay," Brian said with a mock frown.
Will looked at the two, puzzled. "What? It's not okay that I want to see my grandmother? Or it's not okay that I catch a ride into town with you?"
"Oh, wrong answer," Brian said, doing his best imitation of a game-show host. "I guess you'll just have to settle for the consolation prize. Bjorn, tell him and all the folks at home what he's won."
As he fished a set of keys out of his pocket, Bjorn instantly fell into "sidekick" mode. "Well, Brian, he's won the use of a beautiful Pontiac Firebird for the next week and a half. Congratulations, Will!"
And he tossed the keys across the table to a wide-eyed Will Becker. "Are you sure? This is your baby, your pride-and-joy."
Still in game-show host mode, Brian replied, "Yes, we are sure, Will. Enjoy it in good health. Now, Bjorn, who's our next contestant?
"Brian, our next contestant is a set of twins from Bridgewater, Oregon. Please welcome Jason and Josh Connor."
"Yay!" Sarah did her best to fill in the role of studio audience; Will was still dumfounded.
"Now, here's your question: What's big and yellow and has wheels?" Brian asked.
Bjorn provided the sound of a ticking game-show clock. "Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock. BUZZZZZZ!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Brian intoned. "The answer is a school bus, which you will both miss if you don't get a move-on. Thanks for playing our game. Have a wonderful day!"
Jason turned to his twin. "One of these days ..."
Josh knew where this would lead. "... We'll have to be a lot faster answering that question."
They rose from the table and turned to their fathers. "Okay, we're moving. Breakfast was great. Mom!" And they raced up the spiral staircase to get their backpacks. In just a moment they were back in the dining room, kissing their fathers and their mother ... and Will ... good-bye amid a chorus of "I love you" and "Have a good day". Then they made one more circle around the table to tussle Todd's long hair, already pulled into a ponytail, before dashing for the front door. Todd smiled as he straightened his hair, watching their retreating backs. He looked into space and said to no one in particular, "It's like I said yesterday: This family's gonna take some getting used to." The twins were growing on him.
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Sarah made another circle around the kitchen table, topping off each coffee cup, before resuming her chair next to her husband. She smiled at her son. "Sweetheart, if you're finished breakfast, why don't you go pack up your laptop, and get ready to head to the studio?"
"Okay, Mom," Todd replied, as he rose from the table and brought his plate and silverware to the dishwasher. He stopped and faced Brian and Bjorn. "May I be excused?"
"By all means," Brian said with a smile.
"We'll head out in fifteen or twenty minutes," Bjorn added.
As the boy headed up the spiral staircase, Brian turned to face Sarah and Will. "Such fine manners. You guys have done a great job."
Sarah held her coffee cup before her. "Thank you. And you two have done a pretty good job too."
Will agreed. "I'll say. Two working fathers, raising twins. I'm not sure I'd be up for a challenge like that."
"It's been a lot of work ... and a lot of fun ... at the same time," Bjorn added. "But we couldn't have done it without you guys."
Sarah suddenly became serious and took Will's hand. "While we have a few minutes, we'd like to discuss a few things. Now that we've taken over the agency, we have to get a little more serious about our lives. We're anticipating that Will and I will be devoting more time to the agency. We have plans for expansion, and Todd is a big part of those plans."
Brian and Bjorn gave Sarah their full attention. Will turned to Sarah, then back to Brian and Bjorn. "We've thought long and hard about this. We've talked to our attorney, and we want to change our joint will. We've all known each other for a long time, and Sarah and I have decided that, if anything should happen to us, we would want to place Todd in your care. The agency would be placed in trust until Todd turns 21, and we would ask you guys to sit on the board of directors."
Brian turned to Bjorn with a smile and took his partner's hand. Then he turned back to Will and Sarah. "We'd be honored."
"Now, if you don't mind me asking a question," Bjorn wondered, "how did you guys manage to get any time off? With the holidays approaching I would have thought this would be your busy time."
"Our plan," Will explained, "involves not having a holiday rush. We establish our client base early in the year and start shooting around May. That gives us a long time to work things out with the ad agencies, make any changes, and have it all pretty much wrapped up by the end of October. There are always a few small fires to put out, but they're usually pretty small."
"And we have Heidi, the world's greatest office manager," Sarah said. "I just don't know where we'd be without her."
"We'll be getting into our holiday rush in about a week and a half," Bjorn mused. "All those families just realizing they haven't ordered their `family portrait' Christmas cards yet. That gives me an idea. Brian, take a memo: Start sending out reminders just after Easter. Maybe we can get this stuff wrapped up by the end of October and treat ourselves to a little vacation next Thanksgiving."
Brian sat smiling, looking at his partner. He could almost see the wheels turning in Bjorn's head. "I like the way you think, lover." And he leaned for a kiss, before standing up to bring his coffee cup to the dishwasher.
Bjorn suddenly got a faraway look in his eye. "Will, why don't you bring your grandmother up to the studio Friday morning, say, eleven o'clock.? Now that you're all together, we could do a family portrait. Consider it an early Christmas gift."
"Then after the shoot," Brian added as he returned to his seat at the table, "we can all come back here for some leftover turkey and pie, and Todd can spend some time getting to know his great-grandmother. I knew there was a reason I loved this man; he's always thinking."
"Thank you, Brian," Bjorn said, leaning in for another kiss. Then he turned to Will and Sarah. "Well, what do you think?"
Will hesitated before answering. "Well, guys, that's really nice of you. I'll certainly mention it to her. I can't promise anything. You know how Hannah feels about gay people."
Brian smiled. "Yeah, but that's not going to stop us from being nice."
"At the risk of inciting a riot," Bjorn asked, "do you know if she has any plans for Thanksgiving dinner?"
"Well, her bridge club has a traditional dinner," Sarah answered.
"Oh, that's nice," Brian thought aloud.
"It's not what you're thinking, Brian," Sarah continued. "You'll love this: Imagine eight or ten little old ladies, watching football on a wide-screen TV, smoking cigars and getting sloshed on boilermakers."
Brian and Bjorn broke out laughing. "That's a tradition? How did this all get started?" Bjorn managed to ask.
Will explained. "Oh, about twenty years ago someone put too much brandy in the mincemeat, and they've been doing it ever since."
"Y'know, I've got a great idea," Brian said. "Everybody, just wait right here."
And he left the dining room and headed for the family room. In a moment he returned with a photo album and resumed his chair. He opened the album to the first page and turned it to his guests showing them the same family portrait he had shown to the twins.
"Since we're all here ... well, all except for Jill ... I want to recreate this picture," he explained. "A new family portrait for us, and Todd will take Jill's place."
Knowing how Brian had been affected by Jill's death, Bjorn turned to his lover with great concern. "Brian, are you sure you're up to this?"
Brian met his partner's gaze and saw the love and concern in his eyes. "Yes, babe. It's about time I put this all behind me. I know I'll never get over Jill's death ... I don't think any of us will. It's been more than thirteen years. But I think this will finally bring some closure ... for all of us."
Brian and Bjorn turned to their guests, who looked at each other, sharing a silent thought. Will turned back to his hosts and smiled. "I think Jill would approve."
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to be continued in Chapter 20