The Long Road chapter 37



“Kyle, I’m home. Where are you?”

“I’m in the kitchen.”

Jay walked into the kitchen and saw Kyle, face all aglow and tear-stained. “What’s wrong, Honey?”

Kyle jumped up from the table and rushed into Jay’s arms, trembling with excitement. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s right.”

“Calm down and tell me what’s going on.”

“I got a call from the Adoption Agency at school today. We’ve been approved! Thanks to the intervention from Councilman Jones and Senator Michaels, we’re going to be the proud parents of a five-year-old boy named Adam.”

A wide range of emotions flowed across Jay’s face, from surprise to incredulity to acceptance to a joy second only to that felt when he and Kyle got married fifteen months ago. He picked Kyle up off the floor and swung him around, knocking over a plant stand. He set him down and they kissed passionately. They both laughed as they picked up the plant stand. Good thing the plant was artificial!

“Oh, my God, when will he arrive? We’ve so much to do. We have to convert the guest room into a bedroom for him and we have to get a bed, dresser, clothes and toys. Oh, God! I can’t believe it.” Jay stepped back, looking Kyle in the eyes. “God I love you so much. I can’t believe this is happening. It’s like everything I’ve ever wanted in life is happening all at once.” His voice started to tremble. “You know, I’m the luckiest man in the world. I have a beautiful, wonderful husband whom I love beyond any means of measuring, and now I’m going to be a father. I just can’t get my head around it all.”

“Sit down, Jay. While I finish getting dinner ready, take a look at these sketches for the bedroom. It will take about two months for the paperwork and the adoption hearing. Mrs. Peterson at the Adoption Agency said that she spoke with the judge and he’ll sign off on the forms to make it legal. Once he found out you were an FBI Agent and I was a teacher he looked up your record and your psych profile, then he called and talked with my boss. That was all it took to convince him. Bryan’s cousin said we could have her son’s bed and dresser since she recently bought all new furniture for him. I thought maybe this weekend we could go shopping for clothes, toys and whatever else we’ll need. According to Mrs. Peterson, he has only a handful of clothes and no toys to speak of. We should get a few basic necessities then take him clothes shopping once he’s here. We can also have Kim or Bryan make us up a list of toys that they got the twins when they were five, just as a starting point. Man, I never thought I’d be a father.”

“Sounds like you’re already planning on spoiling him rotten.” Jay teased him.

Kyle looked at Jay, misty-eyed. “He’s had such a hard life. There’s something I haven’t told you yet. I didn’t want it to spoil the moment.” He confessed sadly, looking down, averting his eyes.

Jay reached over, placed his hand under Kyle’s chin and lifted it gently. “What is it baby? What haven’t you told me that has gotten you so upset?”

“I don’t understand how any parent can do that to their child.”

“Do what?”

“Throw him away, and I mean literally. He was found abandoned in a dumpster. They were not able to find out who his parents were. His date of birth is listed as the day he was found.”

Jay shuddered at the vision that popped into his mind. He jumped up and started pacing around the room angrily. “And people have the audacity to say that we’re not fit to be parents because we’re gay!” He exploded.

Kyle grabbed him and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s okay, baby. Those bigots lost their fight to block us from adopting him. Adam is ours. Once the judge signs off on the adoption papers, he’s ours and they can’t do a damned thing about it. Oh, and by the way, the final adoption hearing will be held privately in the judges’ chambers with only you, me, our lawyer and Mrs. Peterson there.”

Jay sat down and willed himself to be calm. “So we make sure he has the best of everything and wants for nothing. We make up for what he lost.”

“Now who’s planning on spoiling him rotten?”

Jay grinned sheepishly and Kyle returned to the kitchen. As he finished preparing dinner, Jay looked over the sketches and selected the one he liked. “I really like this one.”

“Good because I’ve already started painting the room. I moved everything out and put it in the basement. Kim and Bryan are going to bring over the furniture next week. You know, we really should look into finishing off the basement and creating a rec room, exercise room and playroom down there.”

“It sounds good to me. We could call Gary and ask him about drawing up some design plans and get an estimate on how much it would cost.”

“He’ll be here around ten tomorrow morning.”

“Why do we even discuss things when you already know what I’m going to say?”

“Because I love the sound of your voice” Kyle replied as he served dinner and they discussed everything the needed to do to prepare for Adam’s arrival, including registering him for kindergarten.

Two months later…

"Do you have enough clothes and toys? What about snacks?”

"Relax Kyle. Everything’s ready. Let’s go pick up our son.”

As Jay and Kyle arrived home with Adam an hour later, they noticed the front door was ajar. “Kyle did you lock the door behind you?”

“Yes, I’m sure I did.”

"Here, take Adam while I check this out” Jay’s FBI instincts kicked into high gear as he cautiously opened the door.

“SURPRISE!”

Jay’s jaw just about hit the floor as he took in the scene. All of their family and friends, Doctor Foster and several of their co-workers arrived shortly after the boys went to pick up their son to prepare a welcome home surprise party.

Jay sighed as he wrapped his arms around Kyle and Adam. “What more could anyone ask for?”

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