"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."
THE INN -- CHAPTER 35
Luke pulled out his phone once Jon was finished talking to his parents. He wasn't at all sure what his parents' reactions would be. Luke couldn't decide which one he should call, so he called their home phone. His mother answered.
"Hello, grandma!"
"Luke! It's good to hear from you. What do you mean by 'grandma'?"
"That's what you're going to be soon--Jon and I are having a baby!"
"You are? How are you going to do that?"
"We've already done it. In about six months you'll be grandparents. Jon is the father and Ruth donated an egg. We found a surrogate mother and the baby is well on its way. Ruth wanted to let me tell you and Jon and I decided it's about time for you to know. We're all thrilled to death!"
"How are you going to take care of a baby? What are you going to do?"
"We don't know yet, but we'll manage. We have some time to think about it. So how do you feel about being a grandmother?"
"It's wonderful, I guess. We never prepared ourselves for something like this--we never thought you or Ruth would have children. I'm speechless."
"Is dad home?"
"No, he has a meeting tonight. Can I tell him, or do you want to do that?"
"You can tell him, I know you won't be able to keep it to yourself."
"What about Ruth?"
"She's excited, too of course. Even though technically she's the mother, she's comfortable with us being the parents. We talked about it a lot."
"Luke, are you sure this is a good idea?"
"It's too late now--we're pregnant. We've given it a lot of thought and both of us are sure it's what we want and the right thing to do."
"But what do you and Jon know about raising children?"
"Probably about as much as you and dad did when you had me. We're not too worried about that, and we have friends to help us. So are you happy, mom?"
"Yes, of course! I can't wait to tell your father. He's going to be shocked!"
"Okay, mom, I'll let you go. Tell 'grandpa' I said hello."
"He'll be floored when I call him that. Okay, I'm happy for you and say hello to Jon. I'll talk to you soon."
"All right, goodbye mom."
Luke turned to Jon. "My mom seemed a little less enthused than your parents did. She was excited, but I think it still has to sink in a little more. Especially since it involves both Ruth and me. It'll take some thinking and talking."
"Give her and your father some time. It IS a rather unusual relationship. Let them think about it for a while, and we'll talk with them about it again, maybe with Ruth and Don. Once they see we've all discussed it and know what we're doing, I'm hoping they'll be comfortable with it."
When Greg arrived home Linda got him a drink. He thanked her and she asked him to sit down.
Linda smiled and said, "I have some rather surprising news."
"What?"
"We're going to be grandparents!"
"Oh my God, is Ruth pregnant? I thought she couldn't have a baby."
"No, she's not, but Luke and Jon are."
Greg looked at his wife as if she had lost her mind. After letting him suffer for a minute, Ruth explained everything to her husband.
"My God, what are they trying to do? Wasn't it enough they almost killed me with their wedding? Is Luke trying to finish me off with this?"
"Greg, stop. The more I think about it, the more I like the whole idea. We both always wished we'd have grandchildren."
"Yes, but this is so...unconventional. How are we going to explain it to our friends?"
"We won't have to. It's nobody's business as far as the details."
Linda persuaded Greg to go to another PFLAG meeting. They talked about their future grandchild with several people they had met previously. Everyone congratulated them. As they drove home, Greg seemed to be deep in thought.
"You know," said Greg, "I wasn't at all uncomfortable talking about the baby with anyone at PFLAG tonight. But it's going to be different when I announce it to anyone else."
"You'll become comfortable with it."
"I suppose I will, but it makes me think. How has it been for Luke all these years, having to be guarded and less than honest with his friends and acquaintances and everyone else he meets? I'm beginning to realize how much stress he must have been under all that time, especially when he was younger."
Linda smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "I'm glad you're beginning to feel some empathy toward your son. I am, too. The baby isn't even born yet, and it's teaching us some valuable lessons. Let's go and visit Luke and Jon at their place soon. I think it's about time we start treating him and Jon more like they're our family, which they both are."
Luke and Jon had finished dinner and were listening to some tunes and reading. Luke put down his magazine and asked, "What are we going to name the baby?"
"Well," said Jon, "I've always liked the name 'Adam' if it's a boy. I think it's a good, masculine name."
"I like that. What if it's a girl? I like 'Michelle.' I knew a lady with that name, and everyone called her 'Mike.' I thought it was a good name."
"Okay, then it's Adam or Michelle. That was easy enough. I'm glad you didn't say 'Eve'!"
"Now what about the last name?" asked Luke. "Which do you think we should use?"
"I've thought about that, too. I think it should be 'Sorensen.' You and your sister are both involved, so I want to give that honor to you and Ruth. Besides, I want you to feel as much a father as I am. You're just as much a part of the baby as I am."
"Even though technically I'm the baby's uncle, I feel as close to the baby as if I were its father. I wouldn't mind if you wanted the baby to have your name. Maybe we should name the baby 'Jon Sorensen' or 'Luke Addison.'"
"No, that might be confusing and we already decided on the names and I like them. Let's just leave it at that."
Luke said, "Let's go to Rockford this weekend. I'm sure mom and dad would like to see us, especially now that we're pregnant."
"Okay, my parents will probably be asking all kinds of questions. I'll call them and let them know we're coming."
Jon talked with his mother and she was happy they'd be visiting. She asked him to drive the Corvair because his father wanted to make sure it was current with its maintenance.
When they arrived in Rockford Jon's parents hugged them both. Frisbie was glad to see them and he and Rocky chased and wrestled with each other. Peg herded them into the house and brought out sandwiches.
"Jon," said Peg, "I never thought we'd be grandparents! We're overjoyed at the thought!"
"I knew you would be. Luke and I are ecstatic about it. We don't know what it's going to be like."
"Don't worry," said Bill. "When we had you, we had no idea what to do. But you'll figure things out pretty quickly. Babies aren't that hard to take care of."
Peg looked at her husband. "Maybe not for you, you left all the work to me!"
"No I didn't! I learned how to change diapers and bathe and feed him."
Luke said, "I only hope we do as good a job as you and mom did with Jon."
Peg smiled at Luke and grasped his arm. "You'll do fine, and if you have questions, we're only a phone call away. We could even be at your house in a couple of hours. That's what grandparents are for. Now your father is going to want to work on your car, Jon, so you guys can drive the pickup back. It's loaded with things you'll need."
"Like what?" asked Jon.
"We have some things for you guys and the baby. Come on outside and see."
They all walked to the barn where the pickup truck was parked. There was the crib that had been Jon's and a rocking chair in the truck bed as well as a stroller. A new playpen was also there.
Luke laughed. "We're going to look like the Beverly Hillbillies driving back. Thanks, it's very thoughtful of you. But why do we need a rocking chair?"
"You'll love sitting in it with the baby. Just teach Rocky to watch out for his tail."
They all returned to the house and sat in the living room. Bill asked, "Have you picked out names yet?"
Jon said, "We decided on Adam or Michelle. The baby's last name will be 'Sorensen.' Since I'm the biological father, I thought it would be only fair for the baby to have Luke's name."
Peg said, "Once the baby is here, you two won't be thinking about anything but how happy you are to have it. What are you going to do when you have to go to work?"
"We don't know yet," said Jon. "I'm taking paternity leave and Luke can adjust his schedule. After that, we don't know. We'll figure out something. I think Cathy is going to quit her job and she'd love to watch the baby."
Luke said, "I think that would be great. The baby will need a woman's influence, and I can't imagine anyone better than Cathy. Angie wants to help, too. Between the two of them I don't think we'll have any problem."
Jon said, "Mom, I hate to admit this, but I don't have any idea how to put a diaper on a baby. Can you show us? We want to use cloth diapers and we're getting a diaper service."
Peg chuckled. "Just a minute, I'll give you both a lesson in 'Diapers 101.'"
She got up and soon returned with an old teddy bear that was Jon's and a scarf. She enjoyed demonstrating the technique, and then coached the men on bathing and feeding. As she was explaining, she began to remember some of the questions and doubts she had had when Jon was an infant and she relished relating her knowledge.
"Who taught you, mom?" asked Jon.
"Some friends and neighbors. A lot of it was trial-and-error, though. You survived without too much trauma. You'll be surprised at how the baby will teach you to know what it wants or needs. It'll all be second-nature before you know it."
Jon and Luke returned home and relaxed together on the couch after they brought in the things Bill and Peg had given them. Gary and Avis stopped by and the three chatted. There was a knock at the door and Jon got up to answer it. He was surprised to see George carrying a 12-pack.
"Hi, Jon. I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd see if you guys were home."
"Come on in. We're not doing much, just talking."
Jon introduced George.
"I'm sorry," said George, "I didn't know you had company. It can wait."
"Sit your ass down," said Luke. Jon brought him a beer and Avis and Rocky welcomed him. George took Rocky in his lap and hugged Avis. He loved animals.
"It's good to see you, George," said Luke. "How are things at work?"
"It's okay, but it's not the same without you, Luke. It feels like I don't really have any friends there anymore. It's just not the same with you gone."
"Is anyone giving you a hard time, or are you becoming a pain in the ass again?"
"No, it's okay. But I've been thinking about something and I wanted to talk to you guys about it."
Gary finished his beer. "I should be going, Avis is getting hungry. We'll go out the back door."
"Stop by any time," said Luke.
"I will. Give me a couple of days to finish getting organized, and I'll invite you guys over. Nice meeting you, George."
Luke showed Gary out and returned to the living room. "What's on your mind, George?"
"I've been thinking about doing something for a long time, but until now I never thought I could do it. I'm thinking about joining the Marines. My brother's a Marine, and I've always looked up to him. I wanted to enlist when I was 18, but I was afraid to cuz I'm gay. The last thing I wanted was to be kicked out, especially for something like that. I'm not afraid of going into combat or the training or anything, but if they kicked me out because I'm gay, I'd want to kill myself. But now that they're going to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' maybe I can do it."
"I don't know, George. It's not like you're going to have an easy time if they know you're gay just because they changed the rules."
"I understand that, and it's not like I'd announce it. But I wouldn't have to be looking over my shoulder and worrying, either. Luke, you know what it's like at work, and we both handled it. After the dust settles, I don't think it's going to be a big deal."
Jon said, "You have time to think about it, and you should. It's a big decision. Have you talked to your parents?"
"No, they don't much care what I do. That's why my brother enlisted. He says being a Marine gave him a sense of family he never had. If I become a Marine, my brother and I will be even closer. And serving my country will make me proud."
"I know what it's like as far as your parents. Mine are like that, or they were. They're better now that Jon and I have been married for a while and they're starting to be used to it. You need to give this a lot of thought, George. It's a life-changing decision."
"So you don't think I should do it?"
"I'm not saying that. I'm just saying it's a huge step, and you need to think about what you're doing."
"George," said Jon, "I'm going to give you a homework assignment. Take a piece of paper and write all the pros on one side and the cons on the other. Be honest with yourself and see what you come up with."
"That's a good idea; I'll try that. But in general, what do you guys think?"
Luke looked at him. "I'd hate to see you going off to Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever, but I'd be damn proud of you being in the service."
"So would I," said Jon. "But give it some serious thought. Talk to your brother, too. Does he know you're gay?"
"I'm not sure, but I think he does. We never really talked about it."
Luke said, "Maybe now would be a good time to get it out in the open with him. It will help him give you a better idea of what you're getting into."
"You're probably right. I think he'll be cool with it and like I said, I think he knows or has an idea already. I'll talk with him. So what's new with you guys?"
"Not too much," said Luke, "except that we're going to have a baby."
"You are? What are you going to do, adopt?"
"No," said Jon, "it's ours."
Jon and Luke explained how they had gone about the process. George was fascinated.
"God," said George, "I'm so glad I got to know you guys. I've learned a lot since I met you."
Jon got more beer from the refrigerator and they talked for a while longer. Rocky was comfortable in George's lap and George gently petted him.
"I have a question. You guys are the only ones I could ask. If it's a boy, are you going to have him...uh...clipped?"
Jon and Luke looked at each other, then back at George.
Luke said, "I think we're surprised to realize this, but it hasn't come up yet. We'll have to think about it. But why would you wonder about something like that?"
"Because when I was a kid, my best friend was uncut and I was circumcised. I envied him because I thought his dick was a lot more interesting."
"Gee, Jon, what do you think?"
"I'm not sure...on the one hand, both of us are comfortable being cut, but on the other hand, maybe we should leave things to nature."
George said, "I vote in favor of nature. I wish I was uncut."
"We have a while to think about it," said Jon, "I know that up until relatively recently almost all boys in this country were routinely circumcised. But that's changing now. How do you make a decision like that?"
"I don't know," said Luke. "It's not like we can ask the baby how he feels about it. I suppose we'll ask the doctor and see what he thinks is best."
Cathy had planned a baby shower for Luke and Jon. When she told the men she was throwing them a baby shower, they were both speechless. Neither had ever thought he'd be on the receiving end of such a thing. It made things seem even more real than they were. Cathy asked if it would be okay to have it at their place because they had a lot more room. The shower was set for two weeks from now. When Cathy got home she invited all their friends and she got a group of them together to buy six months of a diaper service and her mother was crocheting an afghan for the baby. Cathy was becoming excited about the shower and began to plan what she'd make to eat. Cathy was becoming almost as excited about the baby as the fathers were.
Jon and Luke were a little self-conscious about the shower, but they all had fun and the men appreciated the gifts for the baby. The next Saturday Cathy called Jon.
"Hi, hon, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, just relaxing. Luke's flying all day so I'm just taking it easy."
"Okay if I come over? I need to talk to you."
"Sure! We need to catch up on things."
"You have no idea. I'll see you in about a half-hour."
Jon wondered about Cathy's response, but he knew he was about to find out.
Cathy arrived and sat on the couch. Rocky came up and sat next to her and Jon offered her a glass of wine, but she said she'd just have a soda. Jon got her drink and sat next to her.
Jon asked, "What did you want to talk about?"
Cathy took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm late."
"For what?"
Cathy looked at him with an exasperated smile. "Jon, I know gay men don't usually have to deal with this kind of thing, but what do you suppose a woman means when she says she's 'late'?"
"Oh, crap! Uh, I mean, are you sure?"
"I haven't done the pregnancy test, but I think so."
"How do you feel about this? What does Joe think?"
"I haven't told him yet; you're the only one I've told. I'm not sure how to break it to him. I don't know how it happened; we always use condoms. I think maybe we had a leaker."
"Before you start getting all wound up, you should find out if you really are pregnant. If you want, we can go to Walgreen's and get a test kit. That is, if you're okay with that and me."
"I've been wanting to do it, but it's freaking me out. I don't know how Joe is going to be with it. If I take the test and it's negative, will you please forget about all this?"
"Of course! You and I have shared a lot of intimate secrets over the years. But you're going to be going crazy until you know."
"Yeah, I guess so. Okay, let's just do it."
"You stay here and I'll get the EPT. Cath, I'm certain everything will be fine."
Jon returned with the package and handed it to Cathy. She stood.
"Well, let's see where my life is going."
"You want to do it HERE?"
"Yes. I'm going to need a strong shoulder to lean on whichever way it goes. You're the only man I could do this with."
"Don't you think Joe should be in on it?"
"No, it would be different if we were married. If I'm pregnant, I'll tell him. If not, then things are cool and I'll forget about it."
Cathy went into the bathroom and came out a short time later.
"It takes a few minutes. God, Jon, what if I AM pregnant? What do you think Joe will say?"
"I don't know, but I think he'll be happy. He loves you and maybe this is the push he needs. Let's wait and see what's going on."
Cathy went back into the bathroom and was there longer than Jon expected. She came out and joined him on the couch. She put her arms around him and hugged him.
"It's official. I am with child."
Jon held her. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know. I don't know how I'm going to tell Joe. What if he flips out?"
"I don't think he will. He's excited about Luke and me having a baby."
"Yeah, but it's not his. This really throws a monkey wrench into our relationship."
"Hon, Joe will stand by you. He's a good guy and he'll do the right thing."
"I know he will, but I didn't want it to go like this. I don't want him to feel like he got trapped into it."
"Why would you say that? It's just as much a surprise to you as it will be for him. And if the baby beat those odds, it must be destiny."
"But what would I do if he walks? I don't want to be a single parent. I don't know whether I could do that."
"Cath, you know what you have to do. Tell Joe and see how he reacts. I would bet money he's going to be okay with it. He'll be more than okay, he's going to be proud."
"I wish you could be with me when I tell him. I know that's not right, but it's going to be hard. Joe's coming for dinner tonight; I don't know if I'll tell him."
"You can't keep this a secret. He deserves to know and the sooner he does, the better you'll feel. You have to share this with him now."
Cathy sighed. "I know. I should get home and start dinner; Joe will be home in an hour or so. Please stay on stand-by...I might need you."
"I'm always here for you. Cathy, Joe's a great guy and he's crazy about you. Things will work out."
Cathy kissed Jon and headed home. She made lemon chicken for dinner and waited for Joe to get home.
When Luke arrived he kissed Jon and sat next to him.
"I flew with Jason today. He's really coming along. I love how much he's into flying, and he's doing better than I expected. He's a very talented guy."
"Good, I thought he would be."
They were quiet for several minutes. "Jon, what are you thinking about? You're kinda zoned out."
"No...well, I don't know, I've just been thinking. Cathy was here this afternoon. She thinks she's pregnant."
"No shit? How'd that happen?"
"She doesn't know. But she's scared to death to tell Joe."
"Joe doesn't know?"
"Not yet. That's what she's afraid of. I think she's going to tell him tonight. What do you think his reaction will be?"
Luke thought for a few seconds. "He'll be overjoyed. He loves Cathy and I think they'll both be happy after the initial shock. I've always thought Joe was a family type of guy."
Joe was at Cathy's a little after six. He hugged her and gave her a kiss. Cathy set their places and brought a glass of wine for him. She had a club soda for herself.
"What are you drinking?" asked Joe.
"Club soda."
"Why? That's not like you, you always have wine with your dinner."
"I just want to be a little healthier."
"But you enjoy your wine. We're not going anywhere tonight."
"Well, I don't think it would be a good idea right now in my condition."
"What condition? Is something wrong? Are you all right?"
Cathy had run through several scenarios about how she would break the news to Joe. She leaned against him and held his hand. Finally she just blurted it out.
"Joe, I'm pregnant."
It took a few moments for this to register with Joe. He hugged Cathy and gave her a long kiss.
"Were you afraid to tell me? I'm in this as much as you are. I don't mean it's a problem, I'm just saying it's us, Cath, and we're both creating a life together. I guess it's my turn to drop a bombshell."
He knelt in front of her and held her hands. "Cathy, will you marry me?"
Cathy began sobbing, unable to answer him for a few minutes. Joe held her in his arms and rocked her.
"Joe, I love you so much. I love it that I'm carrying your baby. I want to have a family with you. I was afraid of what you might say."
"Cathy, you know I love you, and I'd do anything for you. Did you think I'd abandon you and our child?"
"No, but I didn't know how you'd feel. It freaked me out when I realized it."
"I'm so excited now, I won't be able to sleep all night. Does anyone else know?"
"Just Jon. I needed his support when I did the test."
"Then Luke probably knows, too. When should we tell our parents?"
Cathy said, "We should probably tell them we're getting married first. We can save the good news for after the honeymoon."
"I don't think we'll have any problem with any of them. Your mother wants us to get married, and my folks have been hinting for years. My dad's as subtle as a bull."
"Okay," said Cathy, "so everything's good?"
"Good?! Everything's fabulous!"
"Fabulous?" questioned Cathy. "You've been hanging out with Luke and Jon too much!"
Joe smiled and kissed her again. "They don't say 'fabulous.' Hey, you know what this means?"
"What?"
"We can stop using condoms!"
"Not that they were effective anyway. But as long as you're happy about this, Joe, so am I. I'm so relieved and happy right now."
Joe and Cathy spent a leisurely evening necking and cuddling each other. Joe kept putting his hand on her abdomen, wanting to feel the baby.
"It's too early, Joe. The baby won't be kicking for months."
"I know, I just love the whole idea. I've never been happier about anything in my life--except maybe the first time I asked you out and you said yes. This is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me...or us."
Cathy kissed Joe again. "I love you, Joe. You're going to be a wonderful father."
"And you're going to be a great mother. God, I wonder what it's going to be like."
"I don't know. Maybe we'll have to take lessons from Jon and Luke. They're a little further along than we are."
"Not that much. I think we'll all be learning new talents and sharing pointers."
Joe and Cathy's status quickly became common knowledge and all their friends were happy for them. Paul was glad they had finally made it official. They reminded him of Jon and Luke and their first year of beating around the bush. It then dawned on Paul that he was now the odd man out. He decided that shouldn't be a big deal--he hoped. The dynamic of the group of friends was going through a rapid paradigm shift.
The following Saturday afternoon Joe and Cathy went to the guys' place to chat and watch TV.
Cathy chuckled. "Look at this! We're all pregnant!"
"That's so awesome!" said Joe. "And the babies will be less than a year apart. They'll probably be best buds."
Jon said, "Maybe we can take turns as far as watching them. That would be fun and I think it would be fun for the kids when they're a little older."
Jon and Luke spent the next several months working, socializing with their friends and enjoying themselves. They knew that soon it would be a rare treat for them to be able to do that. Each time they thought they were fully prepared for the baby's arrived, something else occurred to one of them. By the time they were in the home stretch they were on pins and needles waiting for the call. Luke planned his charters so he wouldn't be too far out of town and no overnight trips; his instructor flights were on a day-to-day basis. As the due date neared, he gave up charters completely. He wouldn't miss the arrival for anything.
Jon got a call from the clinic doctor--their baby's surrogate was in labor. Jon called Luke and they both sped to the hospital. When they arrived they found the doctor and he directed them to a waiting area.
It wasn't too long before the doctor returned and informed them they had a healthy, 8 lb. 5 oz. boy. Jon and Luke embraced and they both had tears in their eyes as they hugged. A nurse approached and congratulated them. She asked whether they had decided on a name.
Jon said, "Adam. Adam Jon--no 'H'--Sorensen."
THE END BOOK ONE
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