by Faith Gibson
Bryan kissed him on the temple. “Maybe we can talk to Cade and Mal in the morning about getting married. We can find out together if there’s a minister willing to perform a same sex marriage in Kentucky.”
“Sounds good,” Andy said, yawning. He’d had a long day filled with both good and bad emotions. Bryan had as well, especially when a car backfired earlier and his PTSD kicked in. Luckily, they’d been in Cade’s SUV, and Andy had been there to comfort him. “Thank you, for everything.”
“I do what I do because I love you. No thanks is needed.”
“I know, but still…” Andy closed his eyes and let the strength of Bryan’s arms and eventually his soft snores lull Andy to sleep. It was the best night of sleep Andy had in over eight years.
The house was complete chaos the next morning. Christy arrived just in time for breakfast, and Andy invited Kason to stay and join them. Cole and Toby surprised them, showing up soon after Christy and Kason had come in, stating they’d missed everyone, but Toby admitted they were there for Mal’s biscuits and gravy.
Christy looked around the room, laughing and fanning herself. “How’d I get so lucky? I’m surrounded by five Marines, a rock star, and a cowboy.”
Andy popped her on the butt as he walked by. “Yes, but only one of the aforementioned is straight.”
Christy’s eyes widened when she looked at Cole and Toby. “You two are…”
Toby grinned, and confirmed it to be so with, “Yep.” Cole just nodded and shrugged.
“It’s a good thing you like me,” she joked with Kason, giving him a wink. The smile he gave her in return warmed Andy’s heart. He had worried about Christy just as much as she had him. She’d chosen some really shitty men in the past. Kason was kind, funny, nice-looking, and a hard-worker. Plus, he was a Marine. He was also looking at Christy like she was the last good woman left on Earth. Maybe she was.
The furniture truck arrived, and with the extra help, they had everything unloaded, put together, and set up by lunch time. The rest of the day was spent hanging out, drinking beer, and just having fun. Mal called his mom and invited her and Walt to come over for supper. When they showed up with all three of Mal’s nieces, the full house felt even more like a home. Megan couldn’t make up her mind if she wanted Bryan or Cade to hold her. It was apparent she was smitten with them both. Matilda kept them all laughing with her funny ways. When she started singing a country song Andy recognized, he took her to the new dining room and sat her down at the piano with him. He played while she sang her heart out. Pretty soon, the room was crowded with everyone listening in. Other than Matilda, no one was having more fun than Suzette. The smile on her face was worth a million dollars.
“You want to take over?” Andy asked Cade.
“Nope. You’ve got this covered. Besides, I have my hands full.” He was snuggling with Megan who was asleep on his shoulder. Andy had no idea how the child could sleep amid all the noise, but she was out.
“What do you want to sing now?” Andy asked.
“Stuck Like Glue!” Mattie yelled excitedly.
“I’m not sure I know that one,” he admitted. He had heard the song but had never played it.
“Sure you does,” she said, and started singing it from the beginning. It didn’t take Andy long to pick up the tune, and soon he was playing right along with her cute voice.
During the middle of the song, the dogs started barking when there was a knock on the door. They took off running outside to see who the guest was on the front porch. It wasn’t anyone who knew them, or they’d have come to the back door. Everyone was quiet until a voice from Andy’s past asked, “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here? What the hell are you doing here?” Christy practically yelled.
“I came to talk to my son.” Andy tensed up. What the fuck was his mother doing at the farm, and why did she have to ruin such a perfect day?
“I’ll be right back,” Andy told Matilda. He grabbed Bryan’s hand as he went to confront the one person he’d never expected to see again. Hilary had pushed her way inside and was looking around at all the people. Andy stopped, leaving several feet between them, and Bryan stood directly behind him, pressing his chest to Andy’s back for support.
“How did you find me?”
His mother scoffed like it was a stupid question. “No thanks to her,” she said, pointing at Christy. “I hired someone. Now get these mutts off me.”
“What do you want, Hilary?” Andy ignored Moe and Curly, who were doing nothing more than sniffing her shoes.
“Hilary? That’s no way to address your mother. I… can we talk in private? There are some things we need to discuss, as a family.”
Suzette was now standing next to Andy, the fury coming off the woman in waves. “No, we can’t talk in private. If you want to discuss something as a ‘family’ then you’re in the right place, because these people, every single one of them, are my family.”
“Andrew, I know you think–”
“You have no idea what I think,” he said, cutting her off. “What I think is I needed a mother when my life turned to shit, and you weren’t there.”
“You don’t understand,” Hilary butted in.
Suzette stepped in front of Andy, getting right in his mother’s face. “He doesn’t understand? I don’t think you understand, lady, and I use that term loosely. Your child, your only child came home beaten up, bleeding, in need of medical attention! What did you do? You handed him forty dollars and a few clothes and shoved him out the door, not caring that he could have died from his injuries.”
“What do you know about it? You weren’t there. You don’t know what I went through. I would have lost everything. Andy was smart. I knew he’d find a way to be okay.”
Suzette took a step closer, and Walt was right behind her. Andy wanted to stop Suzette, but she was on a roll. “What do I know about it? I’ll tell you. That boy was not okay. And he did lose everything. He lost so much more than his family that day, but you wouldn’t know that because you’re a selfish, money-hungry bitch. I know all about it, because like Andy, my son accidentally outed himself to his homophobic father. But instead of him kicking Mal to the curb, he took a knife to him. Cut a path from his chest to his hip and left him for dead. But that wasn’t enough. He came after me next, accusing me of birthing a faggot. He hit me over and over in the face until he thought I was dead, too. I didn’t die, though. I woke up having lost most of my eyesight.
“It’s you who doesn’t understand what being a mother is. You don’t toss your child out like the trash just because someone thinks you should. You stand by them. You protect them as best you can. You sure as shit don’t turn your back on them and show up eight years later acting like nothing happened!”
“I’m still his mother,” Hilary argued.
“No, you’re not. You gave up that right when you chose money over your child. He doesn’t need you. I’m his mother now. Walt, here, is his father, and everyone else you see in this room is his family. So, unless you want me to call the law and have you arrested for trespassing, you’ll take your fancy ass back to Texas and stay there.” And with that, Suzette put the last stitch in place, completely mending Andy.
Hilary gasped and stuttered, “Andrew… please… Your grandfather… The company…”
Andy pulled Bryan’s arms around him tighter and glared at her. “Those things mean nothing to me. This is my home; this is my family. The man behind me is going to be my husband, and this woman right here?” Andy put his arm around Suzette. “This amazing woman is my mom. There’s nothing left for you to say, so I suggest before one of the big ass Marines in this room gets hold of you, you leave of your own accord. Goodbye, Hilary.”
Andy pulled Suzette into his body, hugging her with everything he had, while Toby and Cole created a barrier between them and his mother. No, not his mother. Hilary Holcomb. Andy’s mother was in his arms. The room was silent, letting Andy and Suzette have their moment, shedding clean
sing tears, until Mattie yelled, “Gramma, yous called her a bitch!”
Suzette, along with everyone else in the room, burst out laughing. Walt put his hand on the side of Andy’s neck and smiled. Mal surprised Andy when he stepped next to him and said, “Looks like we’re brothers.” Andy nodded, and they did a quick man hug.
Matilda wormed her way between the adults. “Uncle Andy! Uncle Andy!”
“What, squirt?”
“Let’s sing!” she yelled, jumping up and down.
“You got it.” Andy returned to the piano, where he and Mattie sang several more songs with most everyone joining in. His new family had filled his heart to overflowing, and now the music was filling his soul. Only one thing left to do to make his life complete, and that was to make the man standing next to him his husband.
Epilogue
Bryan
Bryan twisted the titanium band on his left hand while he waited on Andy to finish in the bathroom. “Come on, Lily. The wind’s blowing. Your hair’s just gonna get messed up as soon as you step outside.”
“You know this is a special day, B. I want to look good.”
“Baby, you always look good.” And he did. It had been over a year since Bryan met Andy, and he still couldn’t believe the man was his. It was one of the reasons Bryan constantly touched his wedding ring. When Bryan told his siblings he was getting married, all of them insisted on being there, even Bryce. Seeing his brother had done wonders for Bryan. They had a chance to talk privately, and Bryce apologized for being so distant. He’d felt like Bryan abandoned him much the same way their father had. It took a lot of soul searching on Bryce’s part, but he finally figured out Bryan had left out of love and familial obligation.
Their wedding had been small but beautiful. Cade rented a lodge in northern Kentucky and had flown all of Bryan’s family in. Everyone in Mal’s family now considered Andy theirs, so they were in attendance as well, including Mal’s sister, Melanie. Andy had his closure. He and Suzette had formed a special bond after the day she let Hilary Holcomb have a piece of her mind. Cole and Toby, who’d been hanging around the farm often, had joined them at the lodge. Christy and Kason, who’d never stopped seeing each other past their first night together, were there as well. A few months after Christy arrived, Andy confided to Bryan that Christy had a miscarriage right before coming to Arlo. It was the main reason she wanted to put Texas behind her.
It had been nothing short of magical, and to Bryan, it had been perfect because it’s what Andy wanted. Bryan didn’t need the sparkling lights and fancy champagne flutes. He just needed his man. The one thing he wouldn’t change about their wedding was when Andy sat down at the piano and sang Elton John’s “Your Song” to Bryan.
Bryan had visited his mother’s grave before going to see his father. This time, Bryan spent more than five minutes on the other side of the glass partition talking through a phone. He sat by his father’s hospital bed as he begged Bryan’s forgiveness. Bryan held his father’s hand as he took his final breath. None of his siblings were there, but it was the way his father wanted it. Calvin Moore was buried next to his wife in a small cemetery in Chicago. With his husband by his side, Bryan and his siblings said goodbye to the dad who loved them almost as much as he loved their mother. In a way, Bryan had the closure he needed.
Now they were getting ready for another wedding – Suzette’s. She was in the kitchen with Melanie and Matilda, waiting to walk out the front door and marry the man she’d fallen in love with in high school. It was almost time, and Bryan reminded Andy of the fact.
“Lily, your mom is going to walk out the front door in less than five minutes.”
“I’m ready,” Andy said coming out of the bathroom. Bryan sucked in his breath. Andy Moore was a handsome man, but Andy Moore in a suit was something Bryan would never get used to.
“Fuck, Lily. You need to walk out of this room right now, or neither one of us is going to make the wedding.”
Andy tilted his head to the side and bit his bottom lip. Goddamn, he was too much.
“Andy, you ready?” Mal asked from the hallway.
“Yep.” Andy held out his hand and pulled Bryan from the bed. “Let’s go get my parents hitched,” he whispered.
Suzette’s eye surgeries had been a success for the most part. She looked stunning in her stylish glasses and her pretty, cream-colored dress. Chairs were set up in the front yard facing away from the house. Cade had hired a florist out of Nashville to turn the area into something simple yet spectacular. A string trio softly played while Andy and Bryan made their way to the front where they stood by Walt as his best men. Melanie was next, taking her place as Matron of Honor. Matilda tossed flower petals into the air before taking her seat next to Cade, who was holding Megan. Mollie, the baby, was sleeping peacefully in Christy’s arms. Mal escorted his mom, and it was one of the most beautiful moments Bryan had ever seen. When Mal handed Suzette off to Walt, he hugged them both before standing next to his sister. It didn’t matter who stood where, Suzette had explained. They were all family.
The words Suzette and Walt spoke to each other were heartfelt yet simple. The ceremony was short and sweet, and soon after, everyone was on the deck or in the yard, enjoying themselves as they usually did. The only difference was Cade had catered the food in so those who usually cooked – Mal and Andy – could enjoy the day without the hassle of feeding everyone.
Talk surrounded the new house being built toward the south end of the property where Cade and Mal would eventually live. The two of them had been scarce with Cade showing Mal parts of the US he’d never seen. Andy had started taking a few classes online with plans to eventually handle the business side of running the farm. Mal had been more than thrilled at the idea. In his opinion, he was a better cowboy than he was a paper pusher.
Bryan and Andy had settled into married life, and so far, there hadn’t been any bumps in their road. Hilary stayed away, but one day, an official letter showed up at the house. After reading it, Andy handed it to Bryan. Andy stood by the window of their bedroom, looking out at nothing while Bryan took in the words. After Andy’s grandfather passed, his grandmother had adjusted her own will, reinstating Andy into the family. None of that mattered since his father would inherit everything anyway, but Bryan saw it as an olive branch from an old woman trying to mend the pieces of a broken family. Once Bryan had read the letter, Andy put it in the fireplace, not bothering to watch it burn.
Cade and Andy had been huddled together in secret quite a bit, and Bryan had a feeling he knew what they were up to. More than once, the two of them had gotten together with Cade playing guitar and Andy on the piano. The two men were phenomenal together, their voices harmonizing perfectly. Bryan could listen to Andy sing all day and all night. Well, maybe not all night. He preferred to use that time making love. Once Andy let Bryan make love to him the first time, more often than not, he asked to be on the receiving end of their lovemaking. Bryan had no problem with that. Nor did he mind when Andy was in an aggressive mood and pounded him into the mattress. It didn’t take them long to figure out they could still make love while getting as rough as the other wanted.
Andy pressed a tender kiss against Bryan’s mouth. “I love you, B.” The way he said it let Bryan know something big was going to happen. Andy turned and whistled, getting everyone’s attention. When everyone gathered around, Cade stepped next to Andy with his guitar. “We have something we’ve been working on for a few months now. While I wrote this for Bryan, we thought it was perfect for today, as well,” Andy said, never taking his eyes off his husband. “It’s called “Finding Me.” Cade began strumming, and Andy closed his eyes and sang the most beautiful words Bryan had ever heard. When he got to the chorus, Cade blended his voice with Andy’s.
Found myself in hell
With nowhere else to go
Beaten and broken on the floor
There’s nothing left inside
Years I spent searching
For a way out of my
own head
Looking for a small glimpse
Of the boy I used to be
Then one day there you are
Sitting across from me
A kindred spirit full of life
A wish upon a star come true
A beautiful soul is all I see
In your eyes I see the truth
In your arms I find my strength
In your love I find myself
In finding you, I’ve found me
Found myself in heaven
Nowhere else I want to go
Healing and happy for the first time
I’m filling up inside
Years I spent searching
For the love inside of me
Looking for a small glimpse
Of the man I want to be
Then one day there you are
Standing next to me
A beautiful face lit up by your smile
You’re so much more than you know
Your love is all I see
In your eyes I see the truth
In your arms I find my strength
In your love I find myself
In finding you, I’ve found me
Then one day there you are
Lying in bed with me
My very own heaven
I can’t believe you’re mine
Our future is all I see
In your eyes I see the truth
In your arms I find my strength
In your love I find myself
In finding you, I’ve found me
By the time Andy sang the last word, Bryan could barely see. He blinked several times, clearing the tears from his eyes. He was on Andy before the last note left Cade’s guitar. Not caring that it was Walt and Suzette’s day, Bryan crashed his body to his husband’s. Bryan also didn’t care that three other Marines were witnessing him fall apart. Andy held him and placed kisses along his cheeks and forehead until Bryan had his emotions under control.
