By the end of June, everyone had settled in, and for that summer, the Jacksons decided that after a year of living in close quarters after the fire, they’d all go on separate vacations. Cruise buffs that they had become, Parker and Cody took their kids to the Diamond, wherever she was currently sailing, for a two-week cruise in bliss, while Marc took Adam and Josh to see his parents in Belgium. Rick and Rachel disappeared to an unknown destination, while Jeanette, Paul, and their kids were off to California. Joeng decided to stay behind. She didn’t feel like flying again and promised to look after the house while the others were gone.
When Adam looked out of the window of his flight that night, as they took off from Chicago O’Hare toward Brussels, he reflected on how well things had turned out for all of them. He was particularly happy for Parker and Cody, who had worked hard to make the new house modern and safe, but also as close in resemblance to the old as they possibly could.
Adam was also impressed by Parker’s strength of character, the fight he’d put up to vanquish his injuries after the fire. Yes, it had taken some getting used to his new shaved look, but after a while, no one even noticed, or remembered that he’d ever looked any other way. And Cody had remained at his side throughout the entire process, just as Parker had fought for their relationship after Cody’s accident in Honolulu. Seeing their relationship, and how they had grown together, was a beautiful sight.
With the impending adoption of the four kids, Parker and Cody’s future seemed bright, just as bright as Adam’s future was with Marc and Josh.
* * * * *
Chapter 22 - A Cabin by the Lake
It was late in August, school was about to start again for Josh, and Marc wanted to spend their last free weekend out by the cabin. The weather was glorious, warm, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of wind, leaving the lake looking like a mirror, with the tree line reflecting in the water. As the sun began to set beyond it, it baked the sky in hues of orange and yellow that blended with the deep greens and blues of the water, turning it a deep purple.
Marc and Adam sat out on the front porch in their rocking chairs, enjoying the view. Josh stood down by the lake, fly fishing. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous.
“It’s so peaceful. I can totally understand how Dan and Jonathan loved being out here,” Adam said, interrupting the silence. Marc hummed in agreement. Adam continued. “Did you ever figure out why he left it to you and not to his kids?”
Marc turned to face Adam. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I guess I’ll never know for sure. There was nothing in his will or in any of the papers he left behind. But I know how much he and Dan loved this place, and he mentioned a couple of times just how close he felt to Dan’s spirit here. I don’t know if this sounds crazy, but maybe he believed his spirit would linger here, too, and he could keep an eye on me. You know? Make sure I was okay?”
Adam nodded, and Marc continued. “Sometimes I have this strange feeling when I’m out here, as if someone’s watching me. So, to answer your question, this is my brilliant theory: he left it to me to keep an eye on me, while he could still be close to Dan. Crazy, eh?” Marc chuckled and shook his head.
“Who knows? You might just be right,” Adam said pensively. “What do we know about what happens to us when we die? I would certainly like to think that my dad is watching over me from wherever he is.”
They spent the next minutes in silence, pondering over their families, people they’d lost, those who were still around, life. Finally, Adam broke the silence again. “How are things down at the spa?”
Marc closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift back to a mental image of his “Sea of Tranquility,” where Amit, the young Indian Ayurveda practitioner, was holding the fort in Marc’s absence. “Everything seems to be fine. I talked to Amit earlier today. We’ve barely seen a drop in bookings all summer, and the fall is already very well booked. I’m looking forward to going home tomorrow and getting back to work.”
Adam smiled. “I’m not surprised. Didn’t I tell you that the Jackson name would be helpful? Not to belittle your work, and you’ve really made us proud, but did you see the article in that gossip magazine the other week? They even claimed that Jonathan’s ghost had been seen blessing your spa!” Adam laughed and added, “If that’s right, then your theory of his spirit lingering here may need revising.”
Marc groaned. “Those people are completely out of their minds. But the upside is that every one of those articles helps, in a weird way, to boost the name of the spa. But in the long run, all that gossip, all those articles are irrelevant if we can’t keep the quality up, if we don’t offer great services. Which is why I’m looking forward to getting back to work. I trust Amit, and I know Jenny and the others are hard workers, but—” Marc chuckled “—trust is fine, control is better.”
“I hear you.”
“What about you? Will you be busy this fall?”
“I guess. Work is work. There are always new patients coming in. Luckily, there’s less work for the foundation right now. Parker and Cody’s kids are doing so well, it’s hard to fathom, given what they’ve been through, and Josh, well…” Adam pointed to the figure standing down by the lake. “He’s been amazing. I remember when you came to me and told me about the abuse he’d suffered at the hands of his father. We’ve had some really tough sessions, and it’s taken him almost a year to work through his guilt, but look at him now.
“He’s fishing, and his newfound interest in India and Ayurvedic treatments is a testament to his progress. A year ago, he’d never have been able to separate his father’s acts from the culture that raised him.”
Marc had a pensive look on his face as he responded. “Did you know he wants to study in India? He told me the other day he wants to study medicine and learn to combine modern Western medicine with the ancient Indian knowledge. He’s found a university down in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala that offers a combined degree. He’s growing up so fast, our kid.”
Adam nodded.
Marc continued, smiling. “Did he tell you that he wants a sibling?”
Adam shook his head in amazement. “No, what did he say?”
Marc had an amused tone in his voice. “He came to me during our last day in Belgium, saying that it would be cool if he had a brother or sister that was half Korean, half European, and then quickly added that he’d love any sibling, no matter the ethnic origin, as long as he got one.”
Adam turned to Marc and asked. “Well, we better get to work then. We’re not getting any younger.”
Marc laughed so loud that even Josh down by the lake could hear them. He turned around and waved at them.
“What’s so funny?” Adam asked.
“You are, Hwan. Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am. I mean, not that I expect you to get pregnant, but still, to this day, having kids for a gay couple is hard work, and if we’re to make our son’s dream come true, we need to find an egg donor that is everything our son dreams about. You know what? I’d love to have a child with each of our DNA, one with yours and one with mine.”
Marc looked at Adam with an expression that was excitement and disbelief at the same time.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Marc, I’m dead serious. I’m not getting younger, and neither are you. Josh is almost seventeen, and in two years’ time, he’ll be off to college. You know, when I first met you and your crazy family, I had no dream of kids. I never thought I’d meet a guy who would put up with a broken man like me, given my past. Then you walked into my life and changed every last facet of my existence. You and Josh even gave me back my parents.
“That Christmas vacation we all had down in Florida…” Adam fought against tears and to keep his voice. “Those days with you, your parents, my parents, and the rest of our crazy extended clan, those were the best days of my life, and seeing all those children, the laughter, the joy and happiness…
“Marc, I finally realized why my parents asked me about gr
andchildren, why all the parents in the world keep nagging their kids for grandchildren. Yes, it is about procreation and keeping the family intact, but now we’re parents, now we have Josh…the happiness he brings me? I already look forward to the family Josh might start some day, and our potential future grandkids. Not that I’d ever pressure Josh, but I have this newfound appreciation for how parents feel when it comes to grandchildren.
“Did you see the joy in Rick’s and Rachel’s eyes when they found out they’d be grandparents again? Can you imagine what Mom would say if she became a grandmother again?”
Marc didn’t look at Adam. Instead, he looked out over the lake, contemplating the words he’d heard, watching Josh. For a long while, Marc was silent, and he knew that Adam was sitting on pins next to him, watching, waiting. But he was searching for the right words to respond.
He took a deep breath before beginning. “You know, when I first met Jonathan, I was like you. I had given up on love. I had no hope of ever finding someone to share my life with, let alone to have kids. Then I met Jonathan, and he came with more than just a child, or two. There were grandkids, grown-up grandkids even, and great-grandchildren on the way. When I married Jonathan, I also married a family, and I was happy. I set aside any and all thoughts of having my own kids.
“I was content. No, that’s not the right word. I was happy, fulfilled, with what I had. Even when Jonathan died, I still had a family, and then soon after, the little ones came into the picture, and I became an uncle of sorts. But even when we met, the thought of kids didn’t occur to me.”
Marc looked Adam straight in the eyes. He stretched out his arm and took Adam’s hand in his. “When Josh came into our lives, it felt complete. I had no desire to have more children, just like I never thought I would have any children of my own in the first place.”
Adam had a pained expression on his face, but Marc continued. “Not until you broached the subject tonight. You ripped away a Band-Aid that’s been covering a very old, and very infected old wound.”
“What do you mean?” Adam was deeply worried.
“I’m sorry, don’t worry, Hwan. I’m not good at expressing myself, and this is a difficult subject. What I’m trying to say is that I had, as a young man, even as a child or teen, always had that dream of having children of my own, to see a child of my own being born, holding my own baby in my arms.”
Marc paused, further contemplating how to proceed. “I love Josh to pieces and would give my life for him. What you offer is pure bliss, a dream come true, a dream I had buried such a long time ago, when I was in my twenties, leaving a hole in my existence, a void that I tried to fill with all those Jacksons.” They both laughed at that, and the mood lightened. “And as much as I love Dan and Jonathan’s family, to provide Josh with a sibling, or two, God willing, that would be the biggest dream of my life come true.”
“Is that a yes?” Adam asked with a smirk.
Marc got up and kissed him. “Yes, silly, that’s a yes! Let’s provide Josh with a sibling.”
***
On the other side of the lake, unseen by the inhabitants of the cabin, three figures and a dog were leisurely walking along the shore. They observed the conversation that had taken place, and they marveled at the scene.
“Seems you two have done very well,” Sean said.
Dan shrugged. “Mostly his doing, but as far and as long as I got to be involved, I’m not complaining.”
Jonathan was laughing. “Yeah, right, pin this on me, Hon. I’m just glad Marc is happy again. Leaving him behind wasn’t easy.”
Dan looked at his husband. “Babe, I remember having to leave you behind. I tried to hold on, but in the end, I was so tired, and I just didn’t have the strength left to fight. So I know how you must’ve felt. Luckily, this fella kept me company until you came.” He gently shoved his elbow into Sean’s side, causing Sean to take an unwanted sidestep and fall to the ground.
“Hey, watch it you…” He laughed as Dan helped him back up on his feet.
“So what now?” Jonathan asked.
“Well, it seems to me our time here is up. Look at those two. They’re so happy, and they may not know it yet, but they’ll be fathers of a beautiful girl and boy by the end of next year. Josh will graduate with honors and start medical school in India and become a successful physician. Marc and Adam will have their happily ever after, just as we once did.”
“What about our kids?” Jonathan wasn’t quite convinced yet. “There’s been so much heartache, particularly for Parker and Cody.”
“Babe, don’t you worry. Life is always about ups and downs, there can be no light without darkness! But after what these two have been through, there’s nothing that will ever be able to rock their boat again.”
Sean jumped ahead and turned around, facing Jonathan and Dan. “So what now?”
Dan smiled, taking Jonathan’s hand in his. “We wait. They’ll all join us, in time. Meanwhile, why don’t we go back to the house and drink some of that coffee of yours? Besides, I have a hunch Rascal is hungry.”
At the sound of his voice, the dog barked loudly, wagging his tail. He was happy, having all three members of his pack around him again.
The End – for good, this time.
* * * * *
About the Author
Photo: John O’Leary
Hans M Hirschi has been writing stories since childhood. As an adult, the demands of corporate life put an end to his fiction for more than twenty years. A global executive in training, he has traveled the world and published several non-fiction titles as well as four well-received novels. The birth of his son provided him with the opportunity to rekindle his love of creative writing, where he expresses his deep passion for a better world through love and tolerance. Hans lives with his husband and son on a small island off the west coast of Sweden.
Visit Hans online at: www.hirschi.se
* * * * *
By the Author
Family Ties
Jonathan’s Hope
The Opera House
Dads – A Gay Couple’s Surrogacy Journey in India
Living the Rainbow – A Gay Family Triptych
The Fallen Angels of Karnataka
Willem of the Tafel
Spanish Bay
Ross Deere – Handy Man
Jonathan’s Promise
Shorts – Stories from Beneath the Rainbow
Jonathan’s Legacy
* * * * *
Acknowledgements
It’s never easy to finish a book. To take my final leave of Dan, Jonathan, Sean, Marc, Hwan and all the other characters is an entirely different farewell. Who would’ve thought that a single dream, over a year ago, would take us all the way back to the cabin by the lake? It once started out as a simple question: can two men with a significant age difference be happy, start a family? We got an answer at the end of Jonathan’s Hope. But we never really got to know that family, or dynasty. Now we have. And it makes me hopeful about my own future, and that of rainbow families around the world.
Thank yous are in order: to my husband, and our age difference, which started this journey three years ago. Thank you to my editor and publisher Debbie McGowan, for witty comments and insightful nudges whenever and wherever needed. Thank you to Natasha Snow for the cover and all the other work she does for me. Thank you to my proofreaders for making sure we’re not missing any details. Thanks to all those who read the first book and kept asking for more. Thanks to my publicist, Jeff Dorta at Project Publicity, for helping me be heard in the cacophony that is modern media. Thanks to everyone who has had their hand in making this what it’s become. I may not even be aware of your contribution, but I’m grateful nonetheless.
This is it: the final goodbye. It’s been quite the ride.
Thank you, boys, for everything!
Hans M Hirschi
* * * * *
Beaten Track Publishing
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