| Apologies |
| Originally had a longer, cornier title on Sam's website. I think I wanted it to be longer (I think), but it didn't work out that way. |
| �Justin, I�m sorry. I wish it didn�t have to be like this. But you haven�t given me any other options. I�m sorry.� His mind reeled. Those words. She was constantly saying those words. Those were the first words he had ever heard her say... �You had better move your butt, Curly, or you�re going to miss the flight. Where are you anyway?� �My alarm didn�t go off, okay, JC? Then the car wouldn�t start. Now I�m stuck in traffic that I can�t even see the end of. I�ll be there, man. Just don�t let the plane leave without me.� And he did get there. But this flight, like so many others, had been double booked. Despite his friends� pleas, the airline had been forced to give Justin�s first class seat to another passenger. When he finally got there and found that the only open seat on the whole flight was in coach, Justin stomped to the row, threw his bags into the overhead compartment, and flung himself into the chair. �This day just sucks,� he complained. An apologetic voice beside him offered, �I�m sorry.� Justin looked over at the person sitting between him and the window. She held her place in the book in her lap with one hand and played with one of her braided pigtails with the other. But she looked at him with genuine sympathy in her eyes. This made him smile. �Oh, don�t be sorry. None of it could possibly be your fault. But thanks for the thought.� The girl shrugged. �I�m still sorry you�re having a bad day, even if it isn�t my fault. I mean, it�s only,� she paused to check her watch, �nine o�clock in the morning. No one should write the day off until at least two in the afternoon.� She smiled at him and Justin had to laugh, a laugh which released all of his tension and anxiety. �You�re right. If you can�t judge a book by it�s cover, then you can�t judge a day by it�s first hour. I�ll have to remember that.� While the stewardess gave instructions about fastening seat belts and emergency procedures, the girl returned her attention to her book and Justin leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The takeoff was uneventful, and when they reached cruising altitude, Justin was ready to stretch out and relax. But he had forgotten how cramped his six foot frame could be in the more compact quarters of the coach compartment. He tried stretching his legs into the aisle, but a stewardess approached him and told him it was a safety hazard. After listening to him grumble and complain, and watching his constant shifting out of the corner of her eye, the girl turned to him. �Why don�t you stretch out this direction?� Justin looked at her skeptically. �That�s your space.� Quickly, the girl undid her seat belt and curled her legs up beside her. She grinned at Justin. �So maybe being short can have its advantages.� Motioning to the now vacant space in front of her seat, she said, �It�s all yours. And if you get cramped in a while, we can switch seats and you can stretch the other direction.� He sat in shock for a minute. To him, it was a rather selfless thing for her to do. But it seemed natural to her. That interested Justin, more than he was ready to think about right then. Pushing his thoughts aside, Justin stretched out diagonally and closed his eyes again. When he was on the very edge of sleep, Justin heard a voice above him. �Geez, Justin. I knew you were rude, but never that rude. Why don�t you just take both seats and make her sit on the floor?� Justin sighed and looked up at his friend. He was about to reply when the girl cut him off. �He�s fine, really. I don�t mind.� The man in the aisle raised his eyebrows. �She doesn�t mind? Wow. I�m impressed. You must be something special if you don�t mind Curly. Glad to meet you. My name�s Chris.� She reached across Justin to shake Chris�s hand. �Kathleen.� Chris smiled. �Well, as long as you�re not being bothered by this one here,� he mussed Justin�s hair, �then I�ll go back to my seat. Nice meeting you, Kathleen.� �You too, Chris.� Justin waited until Chris was out of sight before turning to the girl - Kathleen. She was already focused on her book, but when she felt his eyes on her, she looked up. �Hi,� Justin offered. Her eyes widened a bit. �Hi,� she responded slowly. Justin chuckled. �It�s just that we were never formally introduced. My name�s Justin.� She relaxed, and the smile returned to her face. �I�m Kathleen.� He nodded. �Sorry about Chris. He�s a bit strange.� Kathleen�s smile widened. �Actually,� Justin leaned out in the aisle to see if any of his friends were headed his way, �don�t be surprised if a few more guys float back here sometime during the flight.� �Your friends?� Justin nodded. �Why aren�t you sitting with them?� �I was running a little late this morning. The airline gave my seat away.� Justin sighed. �I�m sorry,� Kathleen replied. �You know what?� Justin asked. �I�m not. This is just fine.� Her blush made him grin. �So where are you headed?� Kathleen realized he was awake now, and in the mood to talk, so she put her book next to her on the seat and turned to face him. �I was under the impression this plane was headed for Tennessee.� Justin nodded agreeably. �It is, but that doesn�t mean that�s where you�re going.� �This is true. I�m actually headed for Kentucky, but I couldn�t afford a direct flight home, so my parents are meeting me in Nashville and then we�re driving back to Owensboro. How about you?� �Going home, too. I�m taking the guys for a visit with my dad and stepmom.� �Oh, that�s nice.� A man with brown hair and a goatee walked down the aisle, hitting Justin in the head as he passed. Kathleen�s eyes widened. �Nice friends, � she commented. �Joey?� Justin laughed. �Yeah, he�s cool. I bet he walked all the way to the bathroom at the back of the plane just so he could see if there were any cute girls.� Rolling her eyes, Kathleen sighed. �Typical hormonal guy.� Justin�s voice softened and his eyes searched hers. �Aww, c�mon, Kit Kat, we�re not all that bad. You just gotta give us a chance.� Something about the way he was looking at her made Kathleen�s pulse quicken. But she replied lightly, �Is that something like not writing off a day until at least two?� A wide grin spread its way across Justin�s face. �Something like it.� The pair talked for the duration of the flight. They discussed pointless things: basketball, movies, books, music. Kathleen noticed Justin�s excitement when he talked about music, like it was a living, breathing thing. He actually looked shocked to find that she had never heard of some of his favorite performers. So he had dug out his discman and made her give an assessment of each singer or group. By the time the plane landed, their seats were covered in lyric books and CD cases were strewn carelessly about. When Chris came back to find out what was holding Justin up, he playfully rolled his eyes at the sight. �You just had to get him started on music, Kathleen.� The two teens looked up, interrupted mid-debate. �Oh, hey Chris. We there already?� Justin asked. �Not that you two would have noticed or anything,� Chris smirked. He patted the top of Justin�s hat. �Say goodbye to the nice lady so we can go, Justin.� Kathleen had to laugh at their antics. �You two are a riot. But Chris�s right, I�m sure my parents are waiting, too.� She helped Justin gather up his belongings then followed him and Chris off the plane. Before they reached the gate, Justin stopped, causing Kathleen to run into him. �I�m sorry,� she immediately apologized. Justin grinned. �Don�t worry about it, Kat. I just wanted to tell you how glad I am that we ended up together on the plane. I had a great time, and I�m glad we met.� Kathleen smiled up at him. �Me too, Justin.� They both stood there, neither quite sure of what to do next. But when Chris called back for Justin to hurry up, Justin made a decision. He embraced Kathleen and whispered into her ear, �Maybe I�ll see you around,� then he was gone. Kathleen�s parents had decided to make the most of their trip to Nashville, or so they informed her. They had reserved two hotel rooms so they could spend the rest of the day and evening in Music City before making the five hour trek home the next day. But Kathleen was tired from her flight and made her parents go sightseeing without her. After unpacking a few things and changing her clothes, she felt hungry, so she headed down towards the lobby. The receptionist at the desk informed her that the hotel restaurant wasn�t open but that there was a little diner across the street. While Kathleen studied her menu, someone else was studying her. �Justin. JUSTIN!� Justin broke from his trance and glared at JC. JC held up his hands as if to ward off a blow. �Hey, man. Sorry to interrupt. I was under the impression you were part of this discussion. Guess I was wrong.� �I just thought I saw someone,� Justin muttered. Chris turned and looked in the direction Justin had been staring. �Hey, isn�t that the girl who sat next to you on the plane?� Justin nodded, staring again. Now all the guys turned to look at the female in question. �Well don�t just stare, air head. Do something,� urged Joey. �Here you go, ma�am.� Kathleen looked up in surprise at the waiter. He was putting a glass of pop on her table. �But I haven�t ordered anything yet. This must be for another table.� The waiter smiled. �No, I�m sure it�s for you. But we can make it for another table, if you�d like to join them,� he said, motioning towards a table a few feet away. At first, all Kathleen saw was that it was a table full of men. Then one of them leaned over a little and she recognized Justin. A smile found its way to her mouth as he waved then motioned for her to join them. �I think I might just take you up on that.� Before Justin even had a chance to say anything, Kathleen sat down next to him and asked, �Presumptuous much?� The other guys fought to hold in snickers at the shocked expression on Justin�s face. Chris and Joey high-fived each other while JC and Lance just shook their heads. �I just thought...you�d...uh...um...� Justin stuttered, at the same time giving his friends' evil stares. Kathleen laughed and put her hand on his arm. �I�m just kidding, Justin. I�m flattered, really.� She looked up at him in assurance. �I�m glad,� he replied, his eyes meeting hers. Joey cleared his throat and everyone turned to him. �Well? Aren�t you going to introduce us, Justin?� �Oh yeah. Guys, this is Kathleen. Kat, these are the guys. JC, Lance, Joey, and you already met Chris.� Kathleen smiled. �Nice to meet you.� The waiter came to take everyone�s order, then Justin turned back to Kathleen. �I thought you were meeting your parents then heading home. What happened?� �Oh, they decided they wanted to be tourists for the day. I wasn�t really in the mood to tag along, so...� Justin nodded and there was a lull in conversation. Finally JC asked, �Where you from, Kathleen?� �Kentucky,� she and Justin replied in unison. Justin gave her an embarrassed smile. The other guys raised their eyebrows. Kathleen said again, �Kentucky.� �And you were in Florida because...� Joey prompted. �Spring break,� she replied simply. �Did you spend spring break by yourself?� Lance questioned. Kathleen gave a small smile. �Unfortunately, no. I was forced to vacation with my two older cousins. We did a lot of things that should have been fun, but I suppose the three of us are just too different. They�re West Coast people and the East Coast just doesn�t compare in their opinion.� Chris sucked in his breath. �People like that get on my nerves.� �Yeah, they tend to suck the fun out of an event, or a week,� Kathleen returned. �Well, you�ll just have to come visit us sometime when we�re back in Florida. We�ll show you a good time.� Joey wiggled his eyebrows. Justin nudged Kathleen in the side and whispered in her ear, �What did I tell you? Watch out for Mr. Ladies� Man.� Kathleen just grinned. The food soon arrived, and conversation lessened. Kathleen was content just to watch how the five of them interacted. She learned a lot by simply observing others, and this day was no exception. Justin hadn�t talked much about his friends to Kathleen. But just from this brief meeting, she felt like she had known them all for years. Joey was obviously a flirt, with Justin and Chris not far behind. But Chris was more witty, more sarcastic. He told the truth, with a twist, and flattery wasn�t his style. Lance was more laid back, which gave some people the impression he was shy. But Kathleen decided Lance wasn�t shy, he was just observant and deliberate. JC was a people-pleaser. His passionate nature revealed itself in everything he did. And then there was Justin. Kathleen watched him while she ate. It was obvious from the way the group kidded around that he was the youngest. But she could also tell that the other guys had a lot of respect for him. If he wasn�t the moodiest member of the group, Kathleen decided that he at least pouted the best. But his personality seemed so complex. It was hard to put it into words. Kathleen was completely intrigued by it. Her reflections were interrupted by the escalating disagreement in front of her. She focused her attention on what they were saying, but it didn�t make much sense at first. �London.� �Get real. London was dreary.� �Berlin was different.� �The girls in Berlin were pushy. Stockholm.� �I loved Liechtenstein.� �Oh, shut up! You always say that!� Kathleen watched them toss city names back and forth as if she were watching a tennis match. She could feel her eyes getting wider and her jaw dropping. Finally, she couldn�t take it anymore. �You guys have actually been to all those places?!� she squeaked out. They all looked at her and nodded. �Wow,� she breathed. �You know this makes me hate you.� Everyone laughed. The waiter came with the check, and Kathleen reached to see how much her bill was. But Justin slapped her hand and she dropped it. �We invited you over here, we�re going to pay. You should know better,� he scolded. �Yes, Dad,� Kathleen replied. �Did she just call him dad?� Chris asked. Joey, JC, and Lance nodded. Chris clutched his hand to his heart. �Our baby boy is all grown up,� he sniffed, wiping a �tear� from his eye. Four men groaned and Chris straightened. �What?� �Just for that,� said Lance, �I think you should pay for lunch.� The others nodded their heads in agreement. �Fine.� Chris snatched the check and headed to the counter, mumbling under his breath about not getting any respect. While the others headed towards the door, Justin pulled Kathleen aside. �Kathleen, I�d really like to keep in touch with you. Think we could be pen pals or something?� She eyed him warily. �Honestly, Justin, I�d almost rather not. I hate to play the fool, and no guy I�ve ever met has once written back to me. I had such a nice time with you today, I�d hate to ruin that.� Much as he didn�t want to admit it, Justin understood her reasoning perfectly. He knew he wasn�t much of a letter writer. But he also knew there was something about this girl that made him want to be. �Okay. How about this? You give me your address so I can write to you, but I don�t give you mine until you see the return address on the one I write. What have you got to lose then?� Kathleen shrugged. She knew she wanted this to work, and apparently so did he. �Nothing I guess. Fine. But this means the pressure�s on you, Justin.� Glancing at his four friends, Justin thought to himself, Isn�t it always? He couldn�t wait to see her again. He wasn�t sure why, but they had lost contact somewhere along the way. He wasn�t sure she even knew about NSYNC. And that bothered him. He wondered why she had stopped writing. She could at least have called him. But, if he thought about it hard enough, he had been the one to stop writing. And he hadn�t made the time to call her either. She had told him a long time ago that she wouldn�t play the fool in this relationship. She wouldn�t hang on if he appeared disinterested. So it was, in actuality, his own fault. But he still couldn�t wait to se her again. He stood at her door with his best friend. The daisies he held were for her, if they survived his nervous hands. He rang the doorbell and looked at his friend once more for reassurance. The man smiled back at him. Suddenly, the door was opened. He didn�t see anything until he heard a voice that made him look down. �Mommy! Two men are at the door.� �Okay, baby. I�m coming.� It sounded like her, yet older. And when she arrived at the door with another baby in her arms, he knew it was indeed her. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in disgust. He dropped the flowers on the porch and backed away. �Justin?� she whispered. �I�m outta here,� he replied. And he was gone, leaving his best friend and his one time love behind. JC didn�t know what to say or do. True, Kathleen�s appearance had shocked him. But unlike Justin, he had actually stayed to hear her story. And what a story it was. He shook his head as he made his way back to his hotel room. What a mess this was going to be. The other guys looked up as he came in. Concern was on their faces. �Where�s Justin?� JC asked. �Justin,� stated Chris, �came in here, threw some things around, grabbed a bag, and headed back to Memphis. What the heck happened, man?� JC sunk down into a chair and replied sadly, �I�m not sure you�d believe me if I told you.� �Talk to her, Justin. Let her explain.� �Explain what, JC? She never said she�d wait for me. I never expected her to.� JC echoed Justin�s own thoughts: �Liar.� For three days they had gone on like this. JC and the guys spent the days with Kathleen, then called Justin in Memphis in the evenings. They knew that getting around Justin�s pride was going to be hard, but every hour they spent with Kathleen convinced them that it was the best thing they could do. �She needs you, Justin.� That caused Justin to laugh. A sneering laugh. �Like she needs a hole in the head she needs me.� That did it. JC was beyond angry with Justin. Sure he had been hurt and maybe even a little embarrassed to have seen Kathleen the way he had seen her, but his arrogant attitude was way out of line. �You listen to me, and you listen to me good, Timberlake. That little girl was the best thing that ever happened to you. She�s had to grow up pretty fast in the past year, and she�s had to do it without you. You have the opportunity to make it up to her now. And if you don�t, so help me, you�ll live to regret it.� Justin was shocked by the rage in JC�s voice. It wasn�t often that his friend showed his temper, but when he did, everyone knew he meant business. The younger man sighed. �I get the picture, JC. I�ll call her tomorrow.� �You better.� �Hello?� a young voice answered on the first ring. Justin felt himself losing his composure. �Is Miss - is Kat - is your mommy there?� he stuttered. �Uh huh. MOMMY! There�s someone on the phone for you!� �Yes, Preston, I�m coming. Hello?� When he heard her voice, he almost hung up. But he thought about JC and spoke. �Kathleen.� Kathleen sat down. �Justin.� There was silence while Justin thought about what he wanted to say. �JC said I should let you explain.� As he heard her sharp intake of breath, he knew that hadn�t been it. �Let me explain, Justin? Let me explain? What do I have to explain to you?� �We used to talk all the time. Now I feel like I don�t even know you anymore. What happened?� �Don�t you even, Timberlake!� Seeing Preston�s eyes on her, Kathleen counted to ten and lowered her voice. �Don�t put this on me, Justin. You made a promise and you didn�t keep it. I told you I didn�t go for that.� Suddenly, Justin was tired of being called the bad guy. �Yeah, well, I wasn�t the only one. You totally led me on. Let me believe you�d always be there for me.� Kathleen sighed audibly. �When did that change, Justin? As I recall, you were the one who ran out on me. I never went anywhere. I never changed.� �But you did,� he insisted. �You have kids!� It was an accusation. He was accusing her of being unfaithful to him, of giving her heart to someone else. As if all the life had been sucked out of her, Kathleen replied. �You�re right. I do.� He wanted to feel triumphant, but the defeat in her voice gnawed at him. �Justin, I�m sorry. I wish it didn�t have to be like this. But you haven�t give me any other options. I�m sorry.� His mind reeled. Those words. She was constantly saying those words. Those were the first words he had ever heard her say... The dial tone snapped him back to reality. He thought about their relationship and realized what he had known all along. She had been counting on him and he had let her down. She had never had any reason to be sorry. But that had never stopped her from apologizing. It was her way of showing she cared. It was her way of loving him. And she always had. �JC�s gonna kill me,� Justin groaned as he packed his bag again and made his way back to Kentucky. Justin watched from a safe distance as Kathleen sobbed against a headstone. He knew she hated cemeteries. Yet here she was, sitting in the rain in the middle of a cemetery. And she was crying. If it was possible for his heart to break anymore than it had, this sight would do it. Suddenly, there was a tug on his pants leg. He looked down and saw a little boy standing there. A little boy that looked vaguely familiar. Looking past the boy, he saw Chris with a little girl in his arms. So this was them. The boy tugged at Justin�s jeans until he knelt down to his level. �Uncle Chris said you�re here to see my mommy.� Justin could only nod. Then the boy spoke again. �Which one?� �What-� he stopped and cleared his throat. �What do you mean? You can only have one mommy.� The little boy shook his head. �Not uh. Taylor and me, we�re special. We got two mommies. See, our first mommy, she had to go to heaven, so we got a second mommy. That�s how come we have two.� The boy smiled at Justin proudly. Justin was completely at a loss. He didn�t even know what he was thinking. He just knelt there, wide-eyed and staring at the boy until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up. �Chris, I-� Chris cut him off. �Go talk to JC. She doesn�t need to know you were here. Not yet.� Justin nodded and left, heading straight for JC�s hotel room. He knocked once, then pushed his way in as soon as the door cracked. JC shut the door and leaned against it, watching Justin run his hands through his wet hair as he paced back and forth across the room. �I messed up, JC. I messed up big time.� �Old news, J. Try again.� JC�s sarcasm broke through the clouds in Justin�s mind. He stopped pacing. �Tell me about her.� JC sighed. �Don�t sit on the bed. You�re wet. Wait until I get a towel.� He left the room and returned with the promised towel. Handing it to Justin, he motioned for the younger boy to sit. �You know how she got involved in service work because of school?� Justin nodded mutely. �Well, she helped out at the Pregnancy Decision Center. One day, she met this girl, Maggie. Maggie already had a little boy, and she was pregnant again. Sixteen years old and pregnant with her second kid. She was aloof, tried to think she was better than everyone else. But for some reason, she fell in love with Kathleen. �It was like they were sisters, I guess. They just clicked like that. Maggie even came to live with Kathleen and her parents. They shared a room and set up a nursery for Preston and the new baby. Maggie had run away from an abusive foster family, so Kathleen and her parents were the only real family she had. �There were complications during labor. The doctors thought she�d make it, but Maggie must have known. She called for Kathleen and told her that Preston and Taylor were hers now. And then she died.� When JC looked up, Justin�s eyes were closed. Squeezed shut was more accurate. And he was wringing the towel in his hands. JC waited until his friend spoke. �She never told me anything.� JC raised one eyebrow. �What did you want her to say? �Gee, Justin, yesterday I was a normal seventeen year old and today I�m a teenage mother�? Besides, you didn�t tell her about NSYNC, did you?� Justin hung his head. �Okay, you�re right.� He sighed and laid back on the bed. �Where did this get so screwed up, JC? We were best friends. We were more than that. What happened?� �I�m not the one you should be asking, J.� �This is not an option, Kathleen. We�re baby-sitting and you�re staying with Justin. If we need you, we know how to get you.� Kathleen looked at the guys in front of her. They had Preston and Taylor all ready for a day out. She knew that there was no arguing with them. And she also knew that Preston was looking forward to spending the day with his sister and their four new uncles. So she turned and let JC kiss her on the forehead. �They�ll be fine,� he assured her. Kathleen met his eyes and whispered, �It�s not them I�m worried about.� JC wrapped his arms around her, silently giving her his strength and support. �Page me if you need me.� She nodded, then hugged Preston and Taylor. �You two be good. Don�t wear these old guys out too much.� Preston kissed her cheek. �I love you, Mommy.� �I love you, too, Pres. Have fun, baby.� After the door shut, Kathleen turned to the man standing behind her. She motioned towards the couch. �Sit down. Can I get you something to drink?� He shook his head as he sat. She perched on the edge of a chair across from him. Justin sighed and patted the cushion next to him. �Please, Kat?� Kathleen repositioned herself so she was next to him. She couldn�t think of the last time he had called her Kat. It seemed so long ago. He cleared his throat and she turned her attention to him. �Kat, I need to apologize for so many things. But most of all, I�m sorry for hurting you, Kat. I never meant to do that, but I did anyway. And I�m really sorry.� �It�s all right, Justin.� �No, Kat, it�s not. I screwed up. I�m not making excuses because there aren�t any. I broke almost every promise I ever made to you. Do you think you�ll ever be able to forgive me?� Kathleen looked up at him with unshed tears in her eyes. �Maggie taught me a lot of things. She was so bitter towards everyone. And then, when she knew she didn�t have any time left, she told me that being bitter hadn�t gotten her anywhere. And that she was no better than those people. She said it�s just not worth it. �Of course I forgive you, Justin.� The two of them sat in silence for a while. Finally, Justin asked softly, �What happened, Kat?� �Everything just happened at once. You were gone and Maggie was here. And Preston. And Taylor on the way. And about the time I lost Maggie, your letters stopped coming. And you didn�t call anymore. And it was just like- like- like I had lost you, too.� Through her sobbing, she allowed Justin to take her in his arms and comfort her. He rocked her back and forth, smoothing her hair and rubbing her back until she calmed down a bit. Once she was quiet, he pulled her back so he could look into her eyes. �I said I broke almost every promise I made to you. But there was one that I didn�t break.� he put his hands on either side of her face. �I never stopped loving you, Kit Kat. Never.� and his lips met hers in a tender kiss. When they broke apart, Kathleen looked up at him with a grin like a Cheshire cat. �What?� Justin asked. She pulled his ear close to her mouth and whispered, �I already forgave you, Justin.� Justin�s head snapped up. �Why you little-� And he was tickling her. �I�m not gonna stop until you say you love me!� Kathleen caught his hands and held them in her own. With her brown eyes locked on his blue ones, she promised him, �I�ve always loved you and I always will.� �Then that makes two of us,� he mused, leaning in to kiss her again. Justin waited on the couch for the guys to return. When they did, Lance had Taylor, asleep in his arms. But Preston wasn�t so calm. He bounded into the house, looking for Kathleen. Finally, his eyes rested on Justin. He approached the blond man somberly. �Do you know where my mommy is?� Justin nodded. �She�s sleeping.� Preston absorbed that then asked another question. �Can I sit on your lap?� JC, who was carrying in car seats, met Justin�s gaze from across the room. He slightly shrugged his shoulders and waited to see what Justin would do. �Sure. Climb up here.� Justin waited until Preston was situated before saying, �So you�re Preston.� Preston nodded. �And you�re Justin.� Justin smiled. �Right. So how old are you, Preston?� �I�m four.� �You�re a little man, then, aren�t you?� Preston nodded again. Then it was his turn to question Justin. �You love my mommy?� Without hesitation, Justin replied, �Absolutely.� Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Preston played with Justin�s hands for a while. Then he asked, �Justin, are you gonna be my daddy?� Suddenly, all eyes were on Justin. He cleared his throat. �Why do you ask that, Preston?" �My mommy has your picture next to her bed. Sometimes she talks to my other mommy about you. She says she loves you. And Gram and Gramps say they love each other, and they�re my mommy�s mommy and daddy. So I wondered if since you love my mommy and she loves you if you�re gonna be my daddy.� He looked up at Justin with inquisitive eyes. Justin thought about it. He had enough experience with children to know what not to say. So he asked Preston, �Would you like it if I were your daddy?� Preston nodded happily. After a minute�s pause, Justin winked at the boy and said, �Then we�ll have to see what we can do.� Preston clapped and wrapped his arms around Justin�s neck. Justin returned the little boy�s embrace. �But it�ll be our secret, okay? Just between us guys, right, Pres?� �And Taylor.� Justin nodded. �And Taylor. But no one can tell mommy. We�ll make it a surprise.� �A good surprise,� decided Preston. From her spot at the top of the stairs, Kathleen smiled and whispered to herself, �A good surprise indeed.� Misfits ~Home~ ~Plot Mistress~ |