Welcome back. So now we know how Brian and Bjorn got together. This time around we'll meet Bjorn and introduce you to some old friends from their past. And we'll get a closer look at the twins Jason and Josh.
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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When Brian opened his eyes, he discovered he was gazing at the photograph of himself, which Bjorn had taken on a November afternoon twenty-five years ago. His thoughts were jolted back to the present by the ringing of the telephone on the nightstand. He sat on the edge of their king-size bed and picked up the receiver.
"Hello."
A woman's voice came through. "Brian? Is that you? It's Sarah. How are you, dear?"
"Sarah!" Brian's face lit up with a wide grin at the sound of her voice. "My God, it's been ages. Are you in town?"
"Still in San Diego, babe. How are Bjorn and the boys?"
"We're all doing just great, Sarah," Brian replied. "And tell me how you and yours are doing."
"Well, we're all just fabulously well. Faces Unlimited is now the Sterling-Becker Agency." Brian could hear the sheer joy in her voice. "Will and I bought out our partners; we signed the papers this morning, and I just couldn't wait to share the news."
"Oh, Sarah, that's great. I know Bjorn will be so happy for you. I suppose Todd will start in the mail-room after school, working his way up the corporate ladder until he lands the chairman's job."
Sarah giggled. "That wouldn't surprise me at all, Brian. Oh, my, you should see what that boy can do with a camera ... on either side of the lens. With talent like he's got, he'll have a seat on the board by the time he graduates high school and be named chairman before he turns 21. Then maybe Will and I can take that backpack trip across Europe we used to talk about."
Brian and Bjorn had not seen the Beckers or their adopted son since they had moved to Southern California twelve years earlier. But Sarah had kept up a steady stream of family photos at every chance. Brian remembered Todd's mother Jill Mason, the "free spirit" whose stunning beauty had started fires in the hearts ... and loins ... of many men around Bridgewater. If the boy had inherited any of his late mother's looks, then he was destined to be a looker.
"He's gonna be a photographer? Tell me more. Should Connor & Larkin prepare to be outdone by this upstart kid of yours?" Brian was quick to defend the business he and Bjorn had started while they were still students at the University.
"Well, he's a young man of many talents." Sarah spoke of her son with pride. "Todd is to be the main model for a new line of clothing for teenagers. I can't reveal the name just yet, but I've seen their product, very hip, very trendy. And get this ... when they saw some samples of Todd's work, they asked that he be the one to oversee the whole shoot."
"You mean everything? The models, the locations, everything?"
"Well, he'll have all the help he wants and needs. But, yes, everything. The company has this idea that teenagers will listen to what another teenager has to say. So he's going to say it for them. It's a big risk. Will and I couldn't be more proud."
"I'll just bet you couldn't. You give him our congratulations."
Sarah became more serious. "Well, Brian, that's only part of why I'm calling."
"Anything, Sarah, just name it. Tell me what's on your mind." Brian and Bjorn were forever grateful to the woman who surrogated the twins.
"Well, you know Will's grandmother still lives in Andover."
"How is Hannah? We haven't seen her since your wedding." Hannah disapproved of the relationship between Brian and Bjorn, and had strongly objected to the idea that Sarah would surrogate a baby for the two men.
"She's doing alright. She turned 93 in August, and I'd like Todd to get to know some of the family still living in Oregon. That includes you guys, of course. So we're all coming up for Thanksgiving weekend. And I think Todd would also like to meet his half-brothers while we're up there. Whaddya think?"
"I think ... that if you even think of staying anyplace but with us, I ... I might just ... uh, I don't know ... something drastic." Brian was hard-pressed to hide his excitement at the prospect of seeing his old friends again. "When are you coming? How long can you stay?"
Sarah was right there with the answers. "Tuesday before Thanksgiving, flight 210 from San Diego, arriving four o'clock in the afternoon, so don't be late. Staying until the following Friday. Think you can handle three guests for a week and a half?"
"Not guests ... family. And there's nothing we'd like better. We'll tear up the town, show these kids what a real party is all about. Wait a minute." Brian stopped. "You knew I'd agree. So why even ask?"
Laughter erupted from the other end of the call. "Guilty as charged. You're sure you and Bjorn don't mind?"
"Well, if he was here right now, he would insist. And we won't take no for an answer."
"Thanks, Brian. You're a sweetheart. I'll call you with more details on Sunday. Give the guys my love."
"Love ya, too, babe. See you soon."
"Bye-bye, Brian." Brian hung up the phone and looked up to see his partner standing in the door with a big smile on his face. He hadn't heard Bjorn's car pull into the driveway. Twenty-five years together could not diminish Brian's feelings for the man he loved. Bjorn stood about half an inch shorter than Brian, with chestnut brown hair in a ponytail, a goatee, and the most brilliant blue eyes Brian had ever seen.
"Ahem." Bjorn came into the room and stood in front of Brian, still seated on the edge of the bed. He pushed his lover backward; Brian did not resist.
"Now let me get this straight ... love ya, babe" ... see ya soon'." Bjorn overdramatized the words as he climbed on the bed, straddling Brian's waist. "Now, if I were the jealous type, which I'm not..."
"Uh-huh," Brian nodded.
"... and I heard you talking on the phone to someone you call `babe', which I did..."
"Uh-huh," Brian nodded again.
"... and it wasn't me on the other end of the line ..."
"Uh-huh," Brian nodded a third time.
" ... then someone's got some explaining to do."
"Don't I get a kiss first?" Brian could usually get his way with just a little pout. He closed his eyes and puckered his lips, anticipating the answer.
Bjorn stroked his goatee as if in deep thought. "Well, let me think about that. Hmmm, OK."
And he leaned in to plant a quick peck on his partner's lips.
Brian's eyes flew open. "Don't stop!" he protested.
Bjorn presented his counter-offer. "I'll `don't stop' just as soon as you tell me about that phone call. Deal?"
"Deal." As Brian attempted to return the kiss, Bjorn dodged away. "You drive a hard bargain, lover. OK, here's the scoop: Sarah and Will just bought out their partners in the modeling agency. Todd is going to direct a photo shoot for a new line of clothing for teenagers, and they're all coming up to Bridgewater for Thanksgiving."
This time Brian was successful in returning Bjorn's kiss.
"Well, good news comes in three's, so I think I owe you a few more." With that, Bjorn leaned in again and covered Brian's mouth with his own.
Even after 25 years together Bjorn's kisses could still get Brian's pulse racing. "Wow! Maybe I should bring you good news more often." Then he paused and got serious. "But we do need to talk about something important, Bjorn. It's about the boys."
Bjorn rose off the bed and helped Brian to his feet. "Let's go down to the kitchen and put on a fresh pot of coffee."
And they held hands all the way down the hall to the spiral staircase.
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As they sipped their coffee, Brian related what he had glimpsed in the twins' bedroom earlier that afternoon. He spoke softly to his partner. "I'm sure they don't know I saw them. They're growing up, Bjorn. They're at that age ..."
Bjorn cut him off. "They're at the age you and I were 25 years ago, when we first looked into each other's eyes and told each other how we felt."
Brian smiled at the memory. "I was just thinking of that afternoon right before Sarah called, how grown up and mature we felt. But that was about us, and this is about them. And I don't want them to make the same mistakes you and I made."
"You're assuming we made some mistakes; I beg to differ."
"OK, maybe not mistakes, but some things we could have done differently."
"Hold that thought for another time. You're right; this is about them, not us. Brian, any parent would be thrilled to have kids like Jason and Josh. Ever since they came into our lives, I have felt truly complete."
"I know; I feel the same way," Brian agreed.
Bjorn continued. "But our job description just got rewritten. Whatever they choose, now it's up to us to support them. And if they choose a life together like we did, then we can offer them the benefit of our experience."
Brian nodded in agreement. "So how do we approach this?"
"Well, look at us ... we're two gay men, raising two exceptional boys ... I mean, two exceptional young men. They graduated junior high school top of their class; they've got excellent prospects in high school. Just listen to the music they write, and you know they've got talent other people only dream of. They're healthy, well-mannered, good-looking."
"That's from my side of the family," Brian interjected, eliciting a smile from Bjorn..
"In your dreams, lover. But, seriously, in all of the last 14 years I can't think of a single instance of even one cross word among us. Can you?"
Brian shook his head.
"Then I won't raise any cross words now. Brian, we've done a good job ... for being a very unconventional family."
"I agree," Brian said. "As much as I still think of them as our children, I'm trying to remember that they have their own minds and their own free will, and they need to seek out their own course. I need you to keep driving that point home. But, Bjorn, I'm a parent, and it's damn difficult to let go."
"I'm a parent too, and we're not letting go," Bjorn assured him. "At 13 you and I knew that we would be together for the rest of our lives. Don't ask me how we knew; we just knew. But look at the situation we were in: We were in a private school, away from our families and friends, with no one but each other to turn to. Jason and Josh have their family around them, and they know we've always been here for them. And we always will be here for them."
Brian smiled at Bjorn and took his partner's hand across the kitchen table. "I'm starting to understand how our parents felt when we told them about us. Eight years together, and up until that minute they had no clue that we were gay."
"Yeah, right after your sister announced she was divorcing her second husband and that she was getting an abortion the day after Christmas."
"And then the cops showing up to arrest my little brother for armed robbery," Brian laughed.
"Babe, that is a Christmas I'll never forget."
"The one time that one of us didn't have a camera ready. The look on your mother's face was priceless. They all just looked at each other with their mouths open, unable to speak ... until my dad raised his glass, and I think his exact words were `Well, they could do worse'." He paused for a moment. "Let's just take it one step at a time, and it won't seem so overwhelming. They're good kids, and we trust them." Bjorn's thumb stroked the silver band on Brian's ring finger, gazing into his partner's green eyes.
Jason and Josh chose that moment to come in from their soccer practice. Their light brown hair was matted, and they were both covered in dirt and sweat. It had been a good practice.
"Hi, dads. Are we interrupting anything important?" Jason asked.
In spite of the grime that covered the twins, both men turned to admire the boys they had raised together. With deep blue eyes like their mother and sandy brown hair like Brian, they were just starting their teenage growth spurt. Unlike most boys their age who were often gangly and awkward, these two moved with confidence and grace.
It was Brian who responded. "No, guys, we were just sitting here ... uh, trying to decide what to have for dinner."
"Yeah, that's it, " Bjorn took up the story. "And we sorta got ... uh ... side-tracked. Gosh, will you look at the time." He winked at Brian. "It's just too late to start cooking that seven- course formal dinner we've been planning all week."
"Aww, shucks," Josh said, with mock disappointment. "And we just got our tuxedos back from the dry-cleaner."
Brian knew where this was going. "Yeah, I guess we'll just have to call for..." And he looked to the twins with his eyes twinkling. And they all knew where this conversation would lead.
"PIZZA!!!"
"Extra large sausage and pepperoni with barbecue sauce and double cheese." Josh suggested.
Jason was right in there with his brother. "Onions, olives, mushrooms, hold the green peppers, no pineapples."
"Thin crust," they said together.
"Oh," Josh remembered. "And cheese-sticks ..."
Jason finished the thought. "... with ranch dressing? Please."
The boys knew exactly what they liked, and the two men agreed with their choice.
"Alright," Brian agreed. He stood up from the table and put his arms around the shoulders of the two boys. "But first you two are hitting the showers. Never let it be said that our boys ever sat down at the dinner table, looking like they just stepped out of a coal mine. Now, git." And he gave the boys a playful swat on their backsides as they dashed for the spiral staircase.
Josh stopped halfway up the stairs and looked back down. "And, dad?"
"Yeah, sport?"
"Don't forget the anchovies. Somehow Bjorn always forgets the anchovies." And he was gone. Brian looked back at his partner, who held his nose in mock disgust.
"Eeewww! Are you sure those are our kids? What planet do they come from where people eat anchovies?"
Brian smiled and leaned into his partner for a coffee-flavored kiss. "Babe, I love you heart and soul, but you heard what the man said: Don't forget the anchovies."
Bjorn handed him the phone; the Leaning Tower of Pizza was already programmed into the speed-dial.
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to be continued in Chapter 5
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I'm posting two chapters this week because ... well, they're pretty short. And because I'll be out of town on vacation next week. But don't let that stop you from sending your glowing (or otherwise) praise for my hard work. I love reading your comments, and I answer all e-mails promptly. I promise we'll get even closer to Jason and Josh in chapter 5. See ya then.