"Luke, we've been married for over a year now and there's one thing we haven't really discussed."

"What's that?"

"We've never talked about having kids. I'm not saying it's something we have to do, but I think we should at least talk about it."

THE INN -- CHAPTER 34

Luke thought for a minute. "I'd like to have a family someday. Not right now, but I've thought a little about it. It's an awesome responsibility; we'd be committing ourselves for the next 20 years--at least."

"I know, it's kind of scary. But if it's something we decide we both want, we should be thinking about it. We're already committed to each other anyway. We don't want to wait until we're in our 40s to do it."

Luke looked at Jon. "And how might we do this? Adopt?"

"We could, but I'd like a closer tie. I thought one of us could be the father."

"And what? Flip a coin to see who's gonna be the father?"

"Well, we could find a surrogate, mix our semen, and let our swimmers go for it. We wouldn't know which of us is the father."

Luke said, "We'd know soon enough, we don't look at all alike."

"I know, but it has occurred to me there is another possibility, albeit a remote one."

"What's that?" asked Luke.

"Who is your closest relative, genetically speaking?"

"I guess that would be my sister. Oh, no! You're not thinking of screwing my sister!"

"No, of course not, and I know she can't carry a child. But she could donate an egg and we could find a surrogate mother. It's about as close as we can come to having a kid that's both of ours."

"Time out!" said Luke. "This is too weird for words. Even if Ruth agreed to it, it would be very bizarre. She'd be the kid's mother, not its aunt. And I'd be its uncle instead of the father. How screwed up do you want our child to be? Assuming Ruth and Don went along with it, who knows what kinds of other stuff might come up? And we'd have to tell the kid the truth at some point. What do you think that would be like?"

"It was just idle thinking. I was trying to think of a way we could both be real parents to a baby. And you and your sister bear a strong resemblance. I know it's crazy."

"It may be crazy, but it means you've been thinking about kids a lot. Do you really want to make that move right now?"

"Not right now. We'd have to do a lot of planning and figure out what will work best for all of us. I just thought if it turns out it's something we think we want to do, we should plan it in the next couple of years or so. I'm not even sure we should do it. I just wondered what you would think."

Luke said, "We'd have to start looking for a bigger place. I'd probably have a hard time selling this place and you're not sure your tenants will buy. We'll have to give a lot more thought to it."

The following week Jon's tenants made an offer on his condo. After some negotiations they agreed on a price. Jon had hoped to get more, but with the market such as it was, he knew he was lucky to do as well as he did. When Luke came home Jon told him the news.

"That's great!" said Luke. "One less thing for you to worry about."

"I'm happy about it. But my furniture is still there and I don't think they want to buy it. I might have to rent storage space."

"Maybe it's time we think of getting a bigger place. There's a condo for sale in this building and it has three bedrooms on two floors. Why don't we take a look at it? I'll call the realtor and make an appointment. It's been on the market for a while, and I think they're anxious to sell."

Jon looked at Luke. "This is all happening fast. I wonder if it has anything to do with us thinking about a family."

"No, we both want to wait a while. It just seems like it's about time we get a bigger place. And I want us to have a home together--you still refer to here as 'Luke's.' If we buy a new condo, it'll be 'ours'."

"That's the way I feel about it. Let me know when the appointment is. Are you sure you want to stay in this area?"

"Yeah, I like it here and we have all our friends. I don't see any reason to leave."

"Good, I'm glad you feel that way. I do, too."

Luke made an appointment with the realtor and he and Jon went to see the condo. The kitchen and appliances had been upgraded recently and were almost new. The fact that it was two stories, plus all the extra rooms, made it seem huge. The paint and carpeting weren't what they would have chosen, but that wasn't a big deal. They returned home and decided to stay in for the night.

"So what did you think of the place?" asked Jon.

"I really liked it. It's more than twice the size of this unit, so we'd need more furniture. We could make the downstairs bedroom into a study where we could have the computer and a table where I can spread out my charts. The second bedroom upstairs can be a guest room. And I liked the kitchen. It's well laid-out and would be easy to work in. Plus we'd still have a patio. What did you think?"

"I liked it, too. It needs quite a bit of decorating, though. What were they thinking with that color scheme?"

"I know, they must have been stuck in the '70s. But at least the appliances aren't avocado or copper-tone. They're up-to-date, and they're good brands. So what do you think we should do?"

Jon thought for a minute. "This is all very spur-of-the-moment. We shouldn't make a decision like this until we've looked a little more and thought about it. There's a lot on the market right now."

The realtor contacted Luke the next day and wanted to show him some more properties. Jon and Luke spent the week looking at a number of condos. By Friday evening they were ready for the weekend. They went to The Inn for a short time and wound up back at home by ten.

"Come on," said Luke, "I want to cuddle with you."

The men spent the next half-hour relaxing and casually playing with each other. Luke had his arm around Jon and Jon had his hand on Luke's chest.

"I think we both know what we're going to do as far as buying a condo," said Luke.

"The one in this building, right?"

"Yeah. It's the biggest, and with a little work it'll be really nice. I like the fact it's two floors, it's more like a house. And we'll have two parking spaces, so you won't have to park in guest parking."

Jon said, "Okay, let's make an offer. But let's talk to Angie first. She used to sell real estate, so maybe she can give us an idea of what our offer should be."

"You're right. But do you think we should finance it? Between the two of us, we could probably pay cash."

"I don't know, we'll talk to some people. Let's talk to that guy your dad knows."

Jon and Luke met with the realtor and the investment guy Luke's father had recommended. After a week of negotiations and deciding on the finances, they were both worn out. It wasn't long before they closed on the deal.

Luke asked his mother to see the new condo. She had been an interior decorator and the guys wanted some professional input. They both liked her suggestions and within a week they had new carpeting and paint throughout their home.

"What do you think, Jon? Should we start moving?"

"I guess we should so you can start showing this place. I'm going to miss it, though. It's been our 'love nest'."

"Once we have the new place, it'll be 'ours'."

"Okay, lets just do it," said Jon. "You know I'm the sentimental one. Let's just make a clean break."

The rest of that week Jon and Luke moved a lot of miscellaneous things and boxes of stored clothes and other items. On the weekend Paul and Joe came and helped move the furniture. Rocky was annoyed he was locked in the bedroom--he had been getting under-foot. When they were almost done, Luke walked with Rocky to the Pantry for some beer. When they returned the others were sprawled out. Luke handed out beers and put the rest in the refrigerator.

"Man!" said Paul, "I'm shot. Every time I help someone move, I swear it's the last time I'm doing it."

Joe said, "What? You're beat? I could do it all over again right now. Couldn't you, Luke?"

"Uh, oh yeah."

"This is gonna be nice for you guys," said Paul. "I think this place is going to be party central."

"Okay with me," said Jon, "we like it when you guys stop by. Now I have to see when my tenants want my stuff out of there. Don't worry, I'm getting movers for that; I don't want us wrestling with furniture from the fourth floor. Hey! Guess what--we're thinking of having a baby!"

"Jon, we're not even sure about that yet!"

"I know, I said we we're thinking about it."

"That's awesome!" exclaimed Paul.

"I'd be an uncle, right?" asked Joe.

"Of course, you both would," answered Jon, "unless it's a girl. Then you'd be aunts."

They laughed and finished their drinks. Surprisingly, neither Joe nor Paul asked for details. Rocky sat with the guys when he had finished checking the place out. He loved the stairs and had worn himself out dashing up and down. He was getting the idea this was his new home with all the furniture and especially his litter box and food dish there--Rocky had his priorities. Jon and Luke made up the bed and flopped into it.

"I love this," said Jon. "It's our own private place."

"It'll take some getting used to. I know it's going to work out well once we get your furniture in here."

"I'm glad we did this, Luke. Even though I was perfectly comfortable before, I always wanted us to have our own home. And now we do."

"I know, so did I. When you rented out your condo, I know it bothered you that you had lost your space."

"It did a little, but living with you made me happier than I've ever been. You know that."

Luke smiled and kissed Jon's forehead. "Now that we have a bigger place, let's ask mom and dad to spend a couple of days with us."

Jon liked the fact that Luke called Peg and Bill "mom and dad." Luke always said, "my parents," when he referred to his family.

"I think we should wait until we're a little more organized. Maybe in a couple of weeks."

"In the meantime, I think we need to christen our new home. Get over here, babe."

The men spent the next week getting their new place in order. Jon went to a framing shop and had a couple of pictures of the planes Luke flew matted and framed to hang in the study. He was able to get a print of Luke and Rocky from Luke's TV appearance. That one he hung in the living room along with a picture of himself and Luke from their wedding. Jon was pleased with how things were beginning to come together and he enjoyed being able to contribute to their home. Luke wouldn't have minded if he had done that before, but now that they had their own place together Jon felt more free to do what he wanted.

The following day Luke had a full schedule with students. He left for the airport and Jon decided he'd get the rest of their things moved. He had the patio doors to both condos open so he could get in and out more easily. The last piece was a table with a marble top. Jon thought maybe he should wait for Luke to help him but decided he could handle it. He took the marble top off its base and set it aside while he carried the base to their new condo and up the stairs. It fit perfectly into a weird space they had at the top of the stairway. He went back to get the top. It was heavier than he thought it would be. Jon adjusted his grip and started up the stairs. As he neared the top of the stairs his foot slipped and he pitched forward, striking his right temple on the corner of the marble. He and the tabletop slid down the stairs with the slab leaning against him. Rocky heard the commotion and ran inside. He went up to Jon and looked at him, meowed, then licked his face. Rocky could smell the blood and licked Jon's face a couple more times. He stopped and looked at Jon again, and then trotted out the door and over to Gary's. He began scratching on the patio door and Avis started barking, realizing he was upset about something. Gary came to see what was going on.

"Hi, Rocky. What's up?"

Rocky meowed, turned and ran about five feet toward home. He stopped and looked back, meowing again. Gary followed Rocky into the condo. When he saw Jon he gasped. Gary lifted the slab off Jon and looked at him. Rocky was again licking Jon's cheek and Gary was about to call 911. Jon groaned and began to stir. He started to try and sit up.

"Sit still," said Gary. "Don't try to move. I'm gonna call for help."

"No, I'm okay. Just give me a minute."

"Stay where you are."

Gary called the paramedics and they were there within five minutes. Rocky didn't like all these strange people coming in with their equipment and he stayed beside Jon and swatted at the first paramedic who touched Jon.

Jon said, "Rocky, be good."

Rocky stayed close to Jon as the paramedics took his vital signs and examined him. They dressed the cut on his temple and suggested he might need one or two stitches. They wanted to take him to the hospital because he had lost consciousness briefly and they felt he shouldn't be alone. Jon protested and said he wouldn't be alone; his partner would be home soon. After checking Jon's vitals once more the paramedics told him to rest and they left. Jon laid on the couch and Rocky stayed with him. Gary sat with Jon for a while until Jon told him to go home, promising he'd call if he needed anything.

When Luke arrived he took one look at Jon and knew the gauze on his head wasn't something Jon had gotten from the medicine chest.

"What happened to you?"

"I was a klutz. I fell and bumped my head."

"It must have been a good bump. What happened?"

"I was trying to carry the marble top to the table upstairs and I tripped. I hit my head and I was out for a minute or two."

"Who patched you up?"

"Gary called the paramedics. They wanted me to go to the hospital, but I didn't think I needed to."

"Was Gary helping you?"

"No, but I guess Rocky went and got him. I'm surprised he did that; I don't know how he realized he should do it. Maybe he was afraid he wouldn't get fed if I was unconscious."

"Hey, don't make fun of him. He sensed you needed help and he got help for you. I think that's pretty impressive."

"I know, he stayed with me and kept an eye on the paramedics and what they were doing. Once they realized he was friendly they didn't mind. If it had been you, I don't think they'd have been able to get near you."

"I'm sure he realized they were helping. Rocky's a street-smart cat, at least in a suburban sort of way."

Jon smiled at Luke. "I'll admit he's smart. But he's more like a smart-ass. He's always trying to fuck with me, like jumping out of closets to scare me or grabbing my ankle when I'm going down the stairs. He makes me jump sometimes, and I think he enjoys doing that."

"He loves you. He wouldn't bother with you if he didn't, he'd just ignore you."

"You've sure learned a lot about cats from him, but he's not your typical cat. He flies with you, walks with you and does what you tell him. He's more like a dog than a cat."

"Since I've never had either one, I don't know. But people do seem surprised with how he behaves sometimes. Even at the vet's office. They love him."

Jon and Luke had just finished dinner.

"Jon, can you take Thursday off work?"

"Probably. Why?"

"I have a charter to St. Louis and it's four guys. They want to spend about five hours there for some kind of meeting and come back. I thought we could meet up with my sister and Don."

"Okay. Are you sure your passengers won't mind?"

"I already asked and told them I'd knock fifty bucks off their charter."

"So why do you want me to go with you?"

"Because I figure we might as well see what Ruth and Don think of her being an egg donor. There's no sense planning on it if they don't like the idea. We can have lunch with them."

"Fine, but don't get upset if they're against it. It's a very personal thing."

"I know. I'm not going to push it, I just wondered how they'd feel about something like this."

Jon said, "Well, let's find out. If they don't want to do it, we'll have to start thinking of other options."

The men rested on the couch with each other and watched TV. Rocky got up and went to his water dish, turned, and stared at Luke and Jon.

"What's he want?" asked Jon. "He has a whole bowl of water there."

Luke glanced at Rocky. "It's stale. He wants a fresh bowl of water."

"Oh, for God's sake! I'll take care of this," sighed Jon.

Jon picked up Rocky's water bowl and went to the sink. He ran the water for a few seconds and placed the bowl on the floor with the same water it had had before. Rocky took one sniff and meowed at Jon.

Luke laughed. "Did you really think you could fool him?"

"I guess not. But it's a little ridiculous."

"Why? If you were thirsty, would you want water that's been sitting around for a few hours?"

Jon mumbled something, rinsed Rocky's bowl and filled it with fresh water. Rocky was satisfied and drank his fill and returned to the couch with the guys.

Jon and Luke went to the airport on Thursday and prepared for their flight to St. Louis. Jon did the pre-flight while Luke took care of his paperwork and filed his flight plan. Their passengers were friendly enough, and they were impressed they'd have two pilots. Jon and Luke didn't bother to explain Jon wasn't a pilot, and Jon had gotten to the point he could handle the radios and navigation equipment for Luke. Luke enjoyed that because he could concentrate on flying more. He never worried about Jon handling the nav/com radios--on the few occasions Jon had a question, Luke explained and Luke began to realize Jon never asked the same question twice. Once Jon learned something, he didn't need to be told again.

They met Luke's sister and Don at the airport and decided to have lunch at a restaurant nearby. They all sat down and ordered.

"Luke," said Don, "that's a pretty cool plane you guys flew in with. I'm impressed!"

"Yeah, I love flying it. It's fun to fly, and with Jon with me, it's even better. He takes care of the miscellaneous stuff. One of these days I'm going to have him flying."

The four ate their lunches and were relaxing with soft drinks. Luke spoke up.

"You guys, Jon and I are thinking of starting a family. We want to have a baby."

Ruth looked at her brother. "That's cool. How are you going to do it?"

"That's where you come in. Jon and I would love to have a child that is both of ours. We thought if you and Don would be willing to donate an egg, the kid would be related to both Jon and me."

"Oh, man!" said Don. "We both knew we'd never have kids, but I don't know about this."

"I know," said Jon. "It's a lot to think about. We don't expect an answer right away. But it's something we hoped you two would think over."

"It sure is a lot to think about," said Don. "I guess I'd be out of the loop, but it's an interesting idea."

"Well," said Luke, "it's just a thought we had. We don't mean to put you on the spot and we understand it's a very personal thing. We just wondered how you guys would feel about it."

"I don't know," said Ruth. "Don and I will have to discuss it. I'm not saying it's out of the question, but it's going to take some thought."

"That's okay," said Luke, "we're not in a hurry. We're thinking a year or two at least. But we wanted to run it by you guys and see if it was even a possibility."

Ruth asked, "Have you talked about this with mom and dad?"

"Oh God no! It's our decision and I don't want to get them involved until we figure it out."

"Well," said Don, "it's pretty much up to Ruth. We'll talk it over, and I'm sure we'll all have to discuss this more."

Jon was looking at Ruth. She and Luke were obviously related--except for their eyes, they were very similar looking as far as their hair, complexions and builds. Ruth wasn't a big woman, but she had a solid build and a very attractive figure. Jon couldn't help thinking what a good combination it would be.

Ruth asked, "Who would carry the baby?"

Jon said, "We don't know yet, but we think we would want it to be an anonymous surrogate. Luke and I don't want to make this even more complicated emotionally than it will be."

"Well," said Don, "I'm sure we'd both like to help you guys. We'll discuss it and talk again."

Jon and Luke returned to the plane and verified it was ready for their flight back. When their passengers arrived they were happy to see Luke and the plane were ready for them. After their flight they indicated this might turn into a monthly trip. Luke was glad to hear that and assured them Midwest would be happy to accommodate them. Luke was elated he'd brought another potential charter to the airport.

As they drove home Jon said, "That was nice seeing Ruth and Don. What do you think they're thinking about what we proposed?"

"I don't know. They didn't seem like they were against the idea, but let's let them think about it without hounding them. It'll come up again and we'll all talk about it."

Jon said, "I sure hope they agree to it. I want that more than anything! You and me being fathers and having a baby! I can hardly believe it--I never thought I'd have a child of my own!"

"Don't get too excited, we still don't know if it'll happen."

"But we both know we want a child, don't we? Even if they decide against it, we can still do it some other way. It's just that I would love for the baby to be related to both of us."

Luke looked at Jon. "I know, me too. We'll have to wait and see. We could always have two kids, you fathering one and me fathering the other. What about that?"

"That occurred to me, but nothing would be better than both of us being parents as far as actually related."

The following Monday Jon and Luke had breakfast together and then Jon headed for work. Luke didn't have any students until after noon so he let Rocky out to play with Avis and rested on the couch. He soon fell back to sleep. Luke was startled when his phone rang and he realized it was almost noon.

"Luke, it's Mel from The Inn. Where are you?"

"I'm at home...why?"

"Because Rocky's been here for almost an hour and I haven't seen you or Jon. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, shit! I fell asleep and he was outside. I'll be right there to get him."

"No hurry, he's fine. I just wondered if everything was all right. He's having a bite to eat."

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Thanks for calling, Mel."

Luke got up and looked toward the patio. He noticed some muddy streaks on the door; apparently Rocky had been trying to get in while Luke slept. He threw on a jacket and walked to The Inn. When Rocky noticed him, he ran up and rubbed his legs, then ran back to the bar and jumped onto a stool that was in front of a Styrofoam plate. He polished off his sliced turkey and jumped on Luke's lap.

Luke looked at Mel. "You're letting him eat at the bar? I hope the health department doesn't show up!"

"I'd rather eat after him than some of the customers around here. He just came up to the door and seemed like he expected to be let in, so we did. He's been a perfect gentleman. What can I get you, Luke?"

"Just a 7-Up, thanks. And thanks for taking care of him. I'm sorry he was here all alone. I can't believe I let that happen."

"He was fine. A couple of guys were playing bags earlier and Rocky got his exercise chasing after the beanbags. Usually I'm bored as hell because we don't get much of a lunch crowd, and it was fun watching him. He's almost like a customer, except better behaved than some of them."

Luke finished his 7-Up. "Thanks again, Mel. I have to get going, I'm working this afternoon."

Luke left $7 for his soda, Rocky's lunch and tip, and he and Rocky walked home. Luke got some food for Rocky in case he was still hungry, then headed for the airport. When he arrived he realized he had two more students since the last time he had checked his schedule. It was going to be a busy afternoon. The new students were first-timers and Luke enjoyed that--it hadn't been all that long ago that Luke had been a new student, and he felt he could relate to them. Luke learned that Jason, one of his new students, worked at Jon's company.

"Oh," said Luke, "then you must know Jon--Jon Addison."

"Everyone knows who Jon is," said Jason. "He's one of the top guys. I'm don't think he knows who I am, though. I haven't been able to get to know him yet. How do you know Jon?"

"We're married."

"Oh, I heard about that at work. So you're Jon's husband. Small world, huh?"

"I guess it is. Okay, Jason, you still up for another lesson?"

"Sure! I had a good time and I'll schedule another lesson in a day or two. Thanks, Luke!"

When Luke arrived home, Jon was on the couch. He bent down to kiss him and Rocky rubbed his face.

"I had a couple of new students today and I found out one of them works for you."

"Who?"

"Jason...I can't remember his last name."

"Jason Ahrens? He works in Engineering. He's very good."

"He doesn't think you know he exists, but I got the feeling he really respects you."

"I've had my eye on Jason since he started with the company. He's a good guy and he knows what he's doing. I think he'd like to be more of a supervisor or department head. He could do that eventually, and I think he will work out. I like him."

"Well, he was pretty good for his first time flying. He said he's going to schedule another lesson. I hope he does, I got along with him, too."

"Does he know who you are?"

"He knows I'm your husband, if that's what you mean."

"Good. At least I won't have to tiptoe around that. I know I don't have to, but it can be a little awkward at first--I never know how someone is going to react to it."

"That's the one thing I didn't have to worry about when I lived in Chicago. Where I lived, everyone assumed you were gay and most of them were, too. But I still had to be in the closet at work. It was important to me to be able to go home and relax with my friends. Even though I wasn't completely out of the closet, it was comforting to be with guys I didn't have to worry about."

"I know. When I was growing up I was pretty isolated; rural areas aren't that gay-friendly, mainly because there aren't many gays. But when I went to college and started to venture into some of the gay scenes, I began to relax."

Jon walked up to Jason's desk. "I understand my husband is your flight instructor."

"Oh! Mr. Addison!"

Jason stood and shook Jon's hand.

"Call me Jon, Jason. Luke said you did well, and he's looking forward to flying with you again."

"I loved it! I scheduled a lesson for tomorrow."

"Good! I love flying, too. How are you doing? Anything you need?"

"I can't believe all the equipment and software we have here. It's all more up-to-date than anything I've worked with before. I never even saw a 3D printer until now--that thing is incredible! Here's my first attempt at making something with it."

Jason handed Jon a plastic shot glass. Jon looked it over.

"I'll bet it holds exactly a shot."

"Precisely!"

Jon smiled. "We believe that other than our employees, technology is what keeps us ahead of the game. If you run across something you believe would help with the operation, don't be afraid to bring it up."

"Thanks, Jon, I'll do that. I love working here. Tell Luke I'll see him tomorrow."

"He'll be glad to hear that."

Jon walked downstairs to his desk and Cecil approached him.

"I think you need to call Mr. Bailey, Jon. He said someone underbid us on their project. Here's the paperwork--I double-checked what I could and it looks good to me."

"Thanks, Cecil, I'll go over it."

Cecil was nervous because he had done about a third of the work on their proposal. He was afraid he might have made a mistake that would cost the company the job. After going over the proposal, Jon called Mr. Bailey. They spent almost a half-hour discussing the job. Jon made sure there was no misunderstanding about exactly what it entailed. He learned his company had been outbid by a substantial amount, although he didn't know by whom. Jon wasn't particularly worried; he was relatively sure the lower bid was a mistake or a low-ball price from someone trying to get their foot in the door. Whoever it was, Jon thought, they were going to be rudely awakened when they realize what it will actually cost them.

Luke's monthly charter to St. Louis was coming up. He called his sister and asked if they could meet. Ruth said it would be fine and she and Don were ready to talk some more. Luke felt that sounded encouraging and he told Jon. They both looked forward to talking with Don and Ruth.

After landing in St. Louis, Luke and Jon met Don and Ruth at a restaurant in the airport. They ordered and sat back.

"Okay," said Ruth, "we've talked about this quite a bit. We want to help you guys and be a part of this, but there are a lot of issues to think about. For example, are you going to tell the child who the biological parents are?"

Luke looked at his sister. "Yes, eventually, when he or she is old enough to understand. We know the kid will have questions later on, and we figured it would be best to be totally open and honest."

"That's good," said Don. "We were hoping that's what you'd think."

"And what about mom and dad?" asked Ruth. "They'd love to have a grandchild, but I don't know how they're going to react to something like this. I'm sure by now they've given up on the idea."

"I guess so," said Luke, "but let's not worry about them."

Jon said, "Ruth, how would you feel knowing you're the child's mother? Do you think that would be difficult for you?"

"We talked about that. I know I would be excited and more than interested in the baby, but it's not like I would carry the child. It would be a little weird in the beginning, but it's not like I'd be seeing the baby every day. I think we'd be okay with it."

Don said, "After discussing it, we both decided it's a great idea. You guys would have your baby, and Ruth's and Luke's parents would be grandparents, along with Jon's. It sounds like a win-win situation for everyone."

Jon said, "As a hypothetical, what if we all had a falling-out?"

Ruth said, "I doubt that would happen, but we'd be willing to relinquish all our rights with the stipulation we're the god-parents. In the event anything happened to both you guys, we'd be the child's guardians."

Luke gave Jon a questioning look. "That sounds reasonable to me. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me," answered Jon. "But we're going to have to sit down with an attorney and hammer this all out once we're closer to actually going through with it. I'm sure there are a lot of things we haven't even thought about yet."

Luke kissed his sister. "Thanks, Ruth. And you, too, Don. Jon and I can't tell you how happy and grateful we are. This is the most exciting thing I've ever thought of doing."

Over the next several months Jon and Luke looked into attorneys, fertility clinics and inquired about surrogates. It was a lot more involved than they thought it would be, not to mention expensive. They didn't mind, though. The fact that they were close to having a child was beginning to dominate their lives. Once they had finally arranged everything, all that was left was to decide when they wanted to go through with the process. They talked about it with all their friends, and everyone was excited and thought it was a great idea.

The two were in bed one evening and Luke turned to Jon.

"Jon, what are we waiting for? Let's have a baby."

"You think we should now?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Well, I don't know. It's an awfully big step."

"We have a bigger place, we both make good money, and we know we're going to do it eventually. The more I think about it, the more I want to be able to play sports with my child. I don't want to wait until I'm too old."

"You don't have to worry about that, Luke. You're in better shape than most guys your age by far. I'm glad you and Joe enjoy working out together."

"Yeah, I like working out with him. But it's not fair..."

"What isn't fair?"

"You have a great body, and you don't do anything. You're just like your father. You two have naturally good bodies."

"I guess I come by it honestly. But I get some exercise and I watch what I eat. But you don't have anything to worry about, you're in great shape, too."

"Having a baby is really going to change our lives. I can't imagine what it's going to be like."

"I don't know," said Jon. "It'll be weird for a while, but we'll get into it."

"What about taking care of the baby? What would we do during the day? I could juggle my schedule somewhat, but not that much. Maybe by that time I can get a job flying cargo at night."

"You don't want to do that, Luke. You'd be bored and we'd hardly see each other. Let's just see what happens, we'll figure it out."

Luke and Jon embraced after having had a marathon session in bed.

"You should be saving that up. You're going to have to go to the clinic soon."

"Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. When do you want to go?"

"It doesn't matter. How about Wednesday night after work?"

"That's fine. And you want to go with me?" asked Jon.

"Of course! It's the first step to having our baby."

"I suppose we should do it together. That'll be fun, knowing we're beginning a future life."

"Yeah," said Luke, "and it'll be a lot more fun than donating blood!"

Jon and Luke went about their jobs over the next several months while the fertility clinic did their thing. The baby would be conceived in vitro and transferred to the surrogate. The first two times it didn't take, but the third time was the charm. Luke and Jon didn't communicate with the surrogate directly, but the doctor at the fertility clinic was very good about keeping them abreast of what was going on. Once the baby was in its second trimester the men decided it was time to tell the grandparents. Jon called his parents.

"Hi, dad. I have great news!"

"Good! What is it, son?"

"Dad, what have you and mom always wanted from me?"

Bill frowned. "Nothing, other than that you're happy."

"Dad, sit down. You're going to be a grandfather!"

"I am? I mean, we are? Jon, what's this all about?"

Jon explained everything and Bill and Peg were ecstatic with the whole thing. They had thought they would never have the opportunity to be grandparents, and the fact that Jon was actually the father made it even more exciting for them.

"Jon," said Bill, "you don't know how happy this makes me and your mother. Here, she's grabbing the phone out of my hand..."

"Jon! Is it true?" yelled Peg. "You're going to have a baby?"

"Yeah, mom, I'm the father and Luke's sister donated an egg. So we're all related. Isn't that cool?"

"It's wonderful! Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"We decided we didn't want to know beforehand. Whatever the baby is, we'll love it."

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