"Coup de Foudre" 144
Yes! Believe it!
We're almost at the end, so if you hear the sounds of things wrapping
up you aren't imagining it.
I'm putting in a different picture. I think you'll understand why!
By Gaedhal
Part 144
Pittsburgh, June 2017
“This is Gus’s room,” Justin ran his finger over the blueprints. “And over here is my studio. There will be gigantic windows and a skylight, so it’ll be nice and bright.”
“That sounds wonderful, darling,” said Jennifer. She gazed at her son. He was so beautiful and he’d been through so much. She only wanted him to be happy - finally. But…
It was difficult for her.
Brian Kinney. It always came down to Brian Kinney. Her feelings about him had see-sawed so many times over the years that her head was spinning. But in the last year, especially since Brian’s accident… well, it felt different. Perhaps things were finally right. Perhaps they had worked out all the things that had divided them in the past. She had to admit that Brian seemed like a different person. Not simply older, but more mature, more considered. And so was Justin. He was steadier, less liable to fly off the handle over little things. Therapy was helping him - and helping Brian, too, although he would deny that his therapy had ever made any difference. But that was Brian’s way. But the results were undeniable. Even Gus, who like most teenagers could be a brat, seemed better. Happier. More grounded. He was growing up, too. They all were.
“Mom?”
“Oh… yes, honey?”
“What do you think about a pool?” Justin asked. “Gus really wants one, but Brian isn’t sure. He says having a pool in Los Angeles is a no brainer, but that Pittsburgh has too short a summer to make it worthwhile.”
“Well, the Chanders had a pool and you were always over there swimming with Daphne, so if there’s room for one…”
“Oh,” said Justin. “There’s plenty of room. We have over three acres. Brian wanted privacy. Most of it is woods, which is nice. Yeah, I think a pool is definitely worth it.” He made a note on the blueprints. “And a big garage. We’ll need room for Brian’s cars and my Jeep, and Gus will eventually need his own car for college. It’s crazy to think of Gus in college, but it will happen before we know it!”
“Children grow up so fast,” said Jennifer. She felt a catch in her throat. “Too fast.”
“I know,” said Justin. “I can’t believe that Molly is engaged!”
“She’s too young!” Jennifer hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but it slipped out.
“She’s almost 25 and has been going with Zach for over a year, Mom.” Justin put his arm around his mother’s shoulders. “I thought you’d love having a wedding in the family?”
“I thought so, too… but…” She hesitated. “I did once upon a time.”
Justin winced. “I’m sorry about that, Mom. But… I wasn’t ready. Brian wasn’t ready. It wasn’t the right time.”
“And it is now?” she asked bluntly. “Because Brian did seem ready then. And I thought you were, too. And you seemed so happy! Happier than I’d ever seen you. And then… I still don’t understand what happened. Because afterwards you were miserable.”
“I wasn’t that bad!” But Justin couldn’t meet her eyes.
“No,” said Jennifer. “I was there! I saw it! You were miserable. And so was Brian. That’s why he left for California. He couldn’t face being in Pittsburgh. He couldn’t face the memories. You might say that he understood, but I don’t think he did. I certainly didn’t understand. I still don’t!”
Justin looked away. “I made a mistake. A stupid, fucking mistake. And by the time I realized it… it was too late. But we’re trying again, Mom. And it’ll work this time. We really want it to work.”
Jennifer looked sadly at her beautiful son. “So it’s not too late for a second chance?”
“It’s never too late,” said Justin. “I really believe that. But this time we don’t need a fancy wedding and some ridiculous mansion. We can do it in a way that’s right for us.”
“Then what is this?” Jennifer took Justin’s left hand. There was a ring on his third finger. A familiar ring that had been in a box for many years - too many years. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
Justin shook his head. “No. But if we do decide to get married, then we’ll just do it, no fuss, no drama. But in the meanwhile… I asked Brian if I could wear the ring. He was surprised, but he got them out. And he put it on my finger. And he put his on, too. Quietly. If anyone else has noticed, they haven’t said anything. You’re the first to ask about it.”
“I wondered if you were going to say something about it,” said Jennifer. “I mean, with this house and everything. It’s a big commitment.”
“I know, but it’s just another step in our relationship.” Justin rolled up the blueprints and put a rubber band around them. “Brian is obsessing over the house, but that’s a good thing. Six months ago he couldn’t concentrate enough to obsess over anything, but now he’s micro-managing every detail. That’s so Brian. The way Brian should be.”
“And are you sure that’s a good thing?” It was half statement and half question.
Justin took a deep breath. “You’re right about… about when we were going to get married. I was happy. Crazy happy. But then… I started to have doubts. I thought Brian was changing - and not in a good way. I thought he was, I don’t know - faking it somehow. That his wanting to get married and everything - I started to believe it wasn’t real. Of course, it didn’t help that certain people were putting some of those doubts in my head.”
Jennifer frowned. “What people? I hope you don’t think I was one of those people?”
“Oh, no!” Justin cried. “Not you. You were happy for me. Remember when you came over and we danced? I knew you were happy for me.”
Jennifer felt tears backing up in her eyes. “And I… I was, darling! I so wanted you to have a happy ending!”
“It was other people.” Justin thought of Lindsay and Melanie, making little comments. Telling him… things. That article in ‘Art Forum.’ Emmett and Michael rolling their eyes behind his back, thinking he couldn’t see them. Debbie making snarky comments about shotgun weddings. So many of the people closest to them, betting that they would fail. And then smirking when they did. Saying, ‘I told you so.’ Why did he have to remember that? But it was the truth.
“We will have that happy ending, Mom,” said Justin. “I know we will.”
Jennifer hugged her son tightly. “And I know you will, too! You both have been through so much! You deserve it!” And Jennifer said a little prayer that it would be so.
“You know that Brian still owns Britin?” said Justin.
“What?” Jennifer searched her memory. “What’s Britin?”
“That house Brian bought. That Tudor monstrosity with the tennis courts and stable. He still owns it.”
Jennifer blinked. “Impossible! He sold that before he left for Los Angeles. I’m sure of it. I think it was the same time he sold the loft. I know because I was his agent on the loft.”
“And notice that he still owns the loft?”
Jennifer had to admit that Justin was correct.
“He did sell Britin - or tried to,” Justin acknowledged. “But the guy who bought it couldn’t get financing on the thing so Brian held the mortgage or Kinnetik did - probably some deal Ted worked out. Anyway, I guess the guy defaulted. So Brian turned it into a conference center. It’s actually making money! Do you believe it? Leave it to Brian to take that disaster and turn it into cash! I heard Debbie say once that Brian could roll in a pile of shit and turn it into a golden spa treatment!”
“That’s Brian Kinney,” Jennifer sniffed. “He always lands on his feet like a cat.” She paused. “And so do you, Justin. You’re so strong. So… so…” And she began to cry.
“It’s okay, Mom,” said Justin, holding her. “Don’t cry. I’ll have my happy ending. We all will. I promise.”
And Justin knew it would, finally, be true.
We're almost at the end, so if you hear the sounds of things wrapping
up you aren't imagining it.
I'm putting in a different picture. I think you'll understand why!
By Gaedhal
Part 144
Pittsburgh, June 2017
“This is Gus’s room,” Justin ran his finger over the blueprints. “And over here is my studio. There will be gigantic windows and a skylight, so it’ll be nice and bright.”
“That sounds wonderful, darling,” said Jennifer. She gazed at her son. He was so beautiful and he’d been through so much. She only wanted him to be happy - finally. But…
It was difficult for her.
Brian Kinney. It always came down to Brian Kinney. Her feelings about him had see-sawed so many times over the years that her head was spinning. But in the last year, especially since Brian’s accident… well, it felt different. Perhaps things were finally right. Perhaps they had worked out all the things that had divided them in the past. She had to admit that Brian seemed like a different person. Not simply older, but more mature, more considered. And so was Justin. He was steadier, less liable to fly off the handle over little things. Therapy was helping him - and helping Brian, too, although he would deny that his therapy had ever made any difference. But that was Brian’s way. But the results were undeniable. Even Gus, who like most teenagers could be a brat, seemed better. Happier. More grounded. He was growing up, too. They all were.
“Mom?”
“Oh… yes, honey?”
“What do you think about a pool?” Justin asked. “Gus really wants one, but Brian isn’t sure. He says having a pool in Los Angeles is a no brainer, but that Pittsburgh has too short a summer to make it worthwhile.”
“Well, the Chanders had a pool and you were always over there swimming with Daphne, so if there’s room for one…”
“Oh,” said Justin. “There’s plenty of room. We have over three acres. Brian wanted privacy. Most of it is woods, which is nice. Yeah, I think a pool is definitely worth it.” He made a note on the blueprints. “And a big garage. We’ll need room for Brian’s cars and my Jeep, and Gus will eventually need his own car for college. It’s crazy to think of Gus in college, but it will happen before we know it!”
“Children grow up so fast,” said Jennifer. She felt a catch in her throat. “Too fast.”
“I know,” said Justin. “I can’t believe that Molly is engaged!”
“She’s too young!” Jennifer hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but it slipped out.
“She’s almost 25 and has been going with Zach for over a year, Mom.” Justin put his arm around his mother’s shoulders. “I thought you’d love having a wedding in the family?”
“I thought so, too… but…” She hesitated. “I did once upon a time.”
Justin winced. “I’m sorry about that, Mom. But… I wasn’t ready. Brian wasn’t ready. It wasn’t the right time.”
“And it is now?” she asked bluntly. “Because Brian did seem ready then. And I thought you were, too. And you seemed so happy! Happier than I’d ever seen you. And then… I still don’t understand what happened. Because afterwards you were miserable.”
“I wasn’t that bad!” But Justin couldn’t meet her eyes.
“No,” said Jennifer. “I was there! I saw it! You were miserable. And so was Brian. That’s why he left for California. He couldn’t face being in Pittsburgh. He couldn’t face the memories. You might say that he understood, but I don’t think he did. I certainly didn’t understand. I still don’t!”
Justin looked away. “I made a mistake. A stupid, fucking mistake. And by the time I realized it… it was too late. But we’re trying again, Mom. And it’ll work this time. We really want it to work.”
Jennifer looked sadly at her beautiful son. “So it’s not too late for a second chance?”
“It’s never too late,” said Justin. “I really believe that. But this time we don’t need a fancy wedding and some ridiculous mansion. We can do it in a way that’s right for us.”
“Then what is this?” Jennifer took Justin’s left hand. There was a ring on his third finger. A familiar ring that had been in a box for many years - too many years. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
Justin shook his head. “No. But if we do decide to get married, then we’ll just do it, no fuss, no drama. But in the meanwhile… I asked Brian if I could wear the ring. He was surprised, but he got them out. And he put it on my finger. And he put his on, too. Quietly. If anyone else has noticed, they haven’t said anything. You’re the first to ask about it.”
“I wondered if you were going to say something about it,” said Jennifer. “I mean, with this house and everything. It’s a big commitment.”
“I know, but it’s just another step in our relationship.” Justin rolled up the blueprints and put a rubber band around them. “Brian is obsessing over the house, but that’s a good thing. Six months ago he couldn’t concentrate enough to obsess over anything, but now he’s micro-managing every detail. That’s so Brian. The way Brian should be.”
“And are you sure that’s a good thing?” It was half statement and half question.
Justin took a deep breath. “You’re right about… about when we were going to get married. I was happy. Crazy happy. But then… I started to have doubts. I thought Brian was changing - and not in a good way. I thought he was, I don’t know - faking it somehow. That his wanting to get married and everything - I started to believe it wasn’t real. Of course, it didn’t help that certain people were putting some of those doubts in my head.”
Jennifer frowned. “What people? I hope you don’t think I was one of those people?”
“Oh, no!” Justin cried. “Not you. You were happy for me. Remember when you came over and we danced? I knew you were happy for me.”
Jennifer felt tears backing up in her eyes. “And I… I was, darling! I so wanted you to have a happy ending!”
“It was other people.” Justin thought of Lindsay and Melanie, making little comments. Telling him… things. That article in ‘Art Forum.’ Emmett and Michael rolling their eyes behind his back, thinking he couldn’t see them. Debbie making snarky comments about shotgun weddings. So many of the people closest to them, betting that they would fail. And then smirking when they did. Saying, ‘I told you so.’ Why did he have to remember that? But it was the truth.
“We will have that happy ending, Mom,” said Justin. “I know we will.”
Jennifer hugged her son tightly. “And I know you will, too! You both have been through so much! You deserve it!” And Jennifer said a little prayer that it would be so.
“You know that Brian still owns Britin?” said Justin.
“What?” Jennifer searched her memory. “What’s Britin?”
“That house Brian bought. That Tudor monstrosity with the tennis courts and stable. He still owns it.”
Jennifer blinked. “Impossible! He sold that before he left for Los Angeles. I’m sure of it. I think it was the same time he sold the loft. I know because I was his agent on the loft.”
“And notice that he still owns the loft?”
Jennifer had to admit that Justin was correct.
“He did sell Britin - or tried to,” Justin acknowledged. “But the guy who bought it couldn’t get financing on the thing so Brian held the mortgage or Kinnetik did - probably some deal Ted worked out. Anyway, I guess the guy defaulted. So Brian turned it into a conference center. It’s actually making money! Do you believe it? Leave it to Brian to take that disaster and turn it into cash! I heard Debbie say once that Brian could roll in a pile of shit and turn it into a golden spa treatment!”
“That’s Brian Kinney,” Jennifer sniffed. “He always lands on his feet like a cat.” She paused. “And so do you, Justin. You’re so strong. So… so…” And she began to cry.
“It’s okay, Mom,” said Justin, holding her. “Don’t cry. I’ll have my happy ending. We all will. I promise.”
And Justin knew it would, finally, be true.