A Forever Family
By Kiernan Kelly
Josh shoved his hands into his hair, resisting the urge to pull it out by the roots...
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A Forever Family
By Kiernan Kelly
Josh shoved his hands into his hair, resisting the urge to pull it out by the roots. It was the third call of its kind from the school in as many months, and he was beginning to seriously consider talking to Brett about pulling both Seth and Amanda out of their first grade class at Sacred Heart and home-schooling them. He'd had it up to his eyeballs with making excuses. The official story given the school for Amanda's change of address to Seth's was that the two single fathers decided to pool their resources and reduce costs by living in one house. Josh's
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home was large, located in a better neighborhood than Brett's apartment, and closer to the school. There were many benefits to the arrangement besides the obvious financial ones, as explained by Josh to Sister Mary Margaret, the principal of Sacred Heart Primary School, including car pooling, and the close proximity of Mrs. Beatty, Josh's grandmotherly neighbor and competent babysitter. Josh's job sometimes took him away to out-of-state conferences, while Brett worked as an accountant from home. By sharing a residence, one of the fathers would always be within earshot of the kids. It was a logical move, he'd explained, providing a stable home environment for the children. Of course, what he hadn't mentioned during his and Brett's conference with Sister Mary Margaret was the fact that, while Seth and Amanda each had their own room, he and Brett shared the master bedroom. The school administration already knew Brett was gay. His ex-wife had taken the liberty of divulging the information to them during their long and bitter divorce proceedings. What they didn't know was that Josh was also gay, and that the two of them were in love. To avoid creating potential problems for the kids in school, and further complications from Brett's ex-wife, they'd been very careful not to broadcast their relationship in the community, choosing out-of-town restaurants for their dates, and hotels even further away for their infrequent romantic rendezvous. The decision to move in together had been made for all the reasons Josh gave Sister Mary Margaret, but also because he and Brett loved each other too much to settle for a part-time relationship. However, Sister Mary Margaret was a shrewd woman, and Josh wondered how she hadn't suspected there was more going on than they were saying. He felt a little guilty about the subterfuge, although he kept telling himself it was much better to be in the closet than hung out on the line to dry. If they'd been up front with her, he had no doubt she would have put them both through the wringer. She seemed to accept their half-truths, though, and he and Brett had thought their secret safe. Then, three months ago, Josh received the first phone call from her regarding Seth. "Mr. Langram, I have a rather disturbing incident to discuss with you," Sister Mary Margaret said. Her voice was tight and stern. "Mrs. O'Reilly, Seth's teacher asked her class to draw pictures of their parents. In Seth's drawing, both his mother and father had…well, let's just say it was obvious they were both men." "Sister, you know that Seth's mother passed away shortly after he was born. It's only natural that, when asked to draw two parents, he would include Brett. After all, he's grown quite close to Brett over these past few months. He thinks of Amanda as his sister," Josh said quickly, mentally crossing his fingers that Sister Mary Margaret would accept his explanation without questioning him further. It was the truth…sort of.
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Seth and Amanda knew Josh and Brett were friends, but little about their relationship beyond that. Neither Josh nor Brett was ready to have that particular conversation with them, and tried to hide the fact that their feelings for one another went far beyond friendship. Luckily for Josh, Sister Mary Margaret seemed to accept his explanation. "Of course, I understand. I just wanted to let you know – perhaps you might show Seth photos of his mother, and explain that even though she's in Heaven, she's still his mother, and not Mr. Elliott." "Of course," Josh replied, rolling his eyes in relief. He'd prayed that would be the end of it, and it was…until the following month when Josh received another phone call from Sister Mary Margaret. This time, Seth had drawn Josh and Brett with their arms around each other. "Mr. Langram, I'm not sure how to broach this subject. Seth is obviously very confused over your and Mr. Elliott's relationship. I'm wondering if an appointment with Mr. Starkey, our district psychologist, might not be in order. Seth seems to have attributed the status of 'mother' to Mr. Elliott, and it shows in his placement of Mr. Elliott in his family drawings." "Are you sure it's a hug? Maybe he drew us wrestling," Josh said weakly, struggling for an explanation that would satisfy Sister Mary Margaret and leave the shrink out of it. It was pure and utter bullshit, but maybe she'd swallow it. "We were clowning around last weekend during a backyard BBQ – you know how men get sometimes, roughhousing…" "Oh, well…yes, I suppose that might be it," she replied, although her voice remained heavy with doubt. "You really should curtail such antics around the young ones. They're so impressionable at this age, Mr. Langram. You wouldn't want to give them the wrong ideas, particularly considering Mr. Elliott's…proclivities. Perhaps Mr. Elliott's former wife might agree to spend time with Seth; he needs a mother's influence." Yeah, Josh thought, grinding his molars, just as soon as Satan straps on ice skates and performs a triple axle in the ninth circle of Hell. He and Brett had enough trouble dealing with his ex filling Amanda's head with intolerant bullshit – he wasn't about to let Brett's ex-wife get her homophobic claws into Seth. "I'll talk to Brett about it and see what we can do, Sister," he said, his voice every bit as icy as hers had been. This last call had been the worst yet. Sister Mary Margaret's voice had been cold, her words clipped and straight to the point. "Mr. Langram, I need to have a conference tomorrow at three with both you and Mr. Elliott." "W-what's wrong, sister?" Josh asked, feeling the small hairs on the back of his neck rise. "Is Seth all right? Amanda?" "Yes, they're fine, but suffice it to say that something must be done about your son."
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"But what-?" "I will not discuss such matters over the telephone. I will see both you and Mr. Elliott in my office, at three tomorrow afternoon." It was an order, not a request, and given the frosty tone in her voice, Josh couldn't bring himself to do anything but acquiesce. He took a deep, calming breath that actually did little to settle his frazzled nerves, and called Brett. "Hey, hon," he said when he heard Brett's deep voice on the other end. "Hey, back. I've got a pot roast on for dinner, so plan on being home by six. Oh, and the kids mentioned ice cream, so could you swing by the store and pick up a quart?" "Yeah, sure. Listen, Brett, Seth is the reason I'm calling. We've got a problem." Dead silence answered him, and for a minute Josh thought he'd dropped the call. "Let me guess…Sister Mary Margaret again? What's gotten her habit into a twist this time?" Josh could hear the tightness in Brett's voice – his patience for the good sister was dwindling at an exponential rate, ever since the first phone call. It was Brett's opinion that both children should be free to determine who to include in their family drawings without anyone's interference. I'm just as nurturing and loving as anyone with a vagina, he'd said. They wouldn't be pulling this crap if you were living with a woman. They might disapprove of the lifestyle, but they wouldn't threaten to send Seth to a shrink over it. She's only got her knickers in a knot because she knows I'm gay. Josh agreed with him wholeheartedly, but that didn't change the fact that the nuns didn't share their opinion. "Yeah. She wouldn't even tell me what he's done this time. She just said for both of us to be at her office tomorrow afternoon at three. It sounds pretty serious, my friend." Brett's answering growl came through loud and clear, but then he sighed. "Okay, okay. We can talk after dinner to formulate our defense strategy, but I swear, Josh, I'm about ready to strangle that woman with her own rosary." "Yeah, me, too. We can talk to Seth and see if he knows anything about this. I'll see you tonight." "Hey, Josh? Maybe you'd better swing by the liquor store, too. Ice cream is fine for the kids, but you and I are definitely going to need something stronger." *** The children were playing in the yard when Josh got home from work bearing a quart of strawberry ice cream, a can of whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and a large bottle of cherry vodka in a plain, brown paper sack. Both the ice cream and the booze went into the freezer to chill for later. He peeked out the kitchen window, watching Seth and Amanda race around the yard, laughing
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and screaming. The love he felt for them both raised a lump in his throat, and he smiled before he let the curtain fall back into place. They were two healthy, happy, normal kids, and nothing Sister Mary Margaret or anyone else said would convince him otherwise. Brett's moving in with him was the best thing they could have done for their children. They were a family, albeit a nontraditional one, and Josh couldn't remember seeing Seth happier. Brett was at the stove, ladling gravy over a large, browned piece of meat. Steam wafted through the kitchen, carrying with it a delicious smell that made Josh's stomach growl. Josh walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around Brett's waist. He rested his chin on Brett's shoulder, inhaling deeply. "Smells good." "Thanks, but I owe it all to Betty Crocker." "I wasn't talking about the pot roast," Josh said, nuzzling Brett's neck. Brett's smiling face turned toward him and their lips met, all too briefly. "How was Seth when he came home from school?" "He seems fine. I asked how his day went, and he told me Billy Johnson snorted milk through his nose at recess. That seemed to be the highlight of his day." Josh laughed, pecking Brett on the cheek one more time before releasing him. "Well, I guess whatever he's done, he's not aware of it. Damn, I wish I knew what was going on! I hate being blindsided." "Yeah, I know it." Brett put down the ladle and leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Listen, Josh, I've been thinking about this all afternoon. I think it's time." "For what?" "To come clean with the kids. To sit down and explain to them that, yeah, we're both men, but we love each other and them, and that's what makes a family, not a person's plumbing." "Brett, you know I love you, but do you realize what a shitstorm we'd be setting ourselves up for? Not only at the school – what about your ex? She'll freak if Amanda comes home and tells her she has two daddies." "It's going to happen sooner or later, Josh. Amanda and Seth are bright kids. They're growing up. They're going to connect the dots eventually. Besides, Jennifer already suspects what's going on. She's been asking Amanda a lot of questions about you. I'm going to have to deal with her relatively soon." "Shit. What about Seth and Amanda? Do you think they'll understand? Are they ready for it?" Brett sighed and moved to the window, pulling back the curtain and watching the kids for a few minutes. "Look at them, Josh. They're best friends, as close as any sister and brother could be,
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and you know they love us both. I think they need to hear that we love each other, too." Josh crossed the kitchen and took Brett into his arms. This time he kissed Brett properly, pouring all the passion and love he felt for him into it. "I have to admit it would be nice not to have to hide anymore. Do you have any idea what I would give to not be afraid to put my arm around you while we're watching TV, or kiss you whenever I damn well feel like it? How great would it be to say 'I love you' in front of the kids instead of having to whisper it behind closed doors?" "Ditto," Brett said, smiling softly. His dark brown, liquid eyes met Josh's, mirroring his feelings. "So, what do you think?" "You're right, it's time. Let's tell them." "After dinner?" Josh glanced out of the window again. "Yeah, we can tell them over dessert. Ice cream will have them in a receptive mood," he said. "And tomorrow at school?" It was Josh's turn to sigh. "I'm thinking there's not enough strawberry ice cream on the planet to soften Sister Mary Margaret up. She's going to be a hard sell, hon." Brett nodded, and together they stood at the window in silence, watching the kids play. *** A heavy crystal glass holding cherry vodka on ice, cold, crisp, and flavored just enough to sweeten the bitter tang of alcohol, sat on each of their night stands. Personally, Josh wished he could crawl inside the bottle and drag Brett along in after him. They were lying in bed, silent, each lost in his thoughts. Josh was thinking over their conversation with the kids. He worried if they'd done the right thing, had explained it thoroughly enough – or too much. The last thing they'd wanted was to confuse the children. The kids seemed to understand, at least the part about Josh and Brett loving each other, and them being a family. Amanda had shyly asked Josh if she could call him "Daddy" too, like Seth did, and they decided that he would be "Daddy Josh," to Amanda, while Brett would be "Daddy Brett" to Seth. This seemed to satisfy both of them, at least until Seth's sharp seven year-old mind realized something. "Are you married now?" he asked Josh. It was a simple question, one they certainly should have expected, but it left both Josh and Brett tongue-tied. "Uh, no, Seth, we're not," Josh finally answered slowly, knowing full well what
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question would follow his answer.
"Why?" Amanda and Seth asked together.
Josh rubbed the back of his neck, looking to Brett, but he didn't seem to have a ready answer
either. "Well, because we're two men."
"So?"
"Well…we just aren't," Brett had said in his 'Because I said so' voice, and that seemed to settle
the matter, at least for the time being. The kids had happily dug into their ice cream, and the
subject changed to Billy Johnson and his amazing milk-squirting nose.
Now, lying on his back, arms folded behind his head as he stared at the ceiling of their bedroom,
the conversation replayed itself over and over in Josh's mind.
"So?" Seth and Amanda had asked. Their naïve question was both simple and profound at the
same time.
Why weren't they married? It shouldn't matter that he and Brett both had penises when they
loved each other as much as they did. Why hadn't Josh seriously considered the matter before?
Because, he was forced to admit, he was scared. Not of the commitment – he'd already committed himself to Brett, and by extension, Amanda, in his heart, his actions, and words. He was frightened by how the community at large would react. What repercussions might be felt would he lose clients? Would Brett? What about the kids? Would Brett's ex-wife drag Brett into another custody battle? How would the school handle it? Would their classmates tease them? Was it worth it?
The answer came to him far more readily than he would have thought.
Yes, it most certainly was worth it. If they didn't get married, didn't fight for the same right for
their love to be recognized as any other couple, what message were they sending to the children? That there was something wrong with their love? That it wasn't as special as the other kids' parents' unions? "We should," Josh said, rolling over to look at Brett.
"Should what?"
"Get married. We should. Will you? Marry me?"
"Huh?" Brett blinked at him, as if he couldn't quite make sense of the words.
"I'd get down on one knee, but I'm sort of lying in bed right now."
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"You're proposing?" Brett propped himself up on one elbow, staring down wide-eyed at Josh. He reached over and picked the alarm clock up off the nightstand, squinting at it. "At two a.m.?" he asked, showing Josh the face of the clock. "Are you serious? How much of that vodka did you drink?" Josh rolled his eyes, and took the alarm clock away from Brett, reaching over him to place it back where it belonged. "I know what time it is, thank you, Town Crier. I'm not drunk, and yes, I'm serious. Will you?" "Why?" "Do you really have to ask that question?" Josh asked softly. He reached up and ran his thumb along Brett's jaw. He hadn't shaved that night, and it was bristly with scruff, as sexy as sin. He took the moment to try to put his feelings into words. "I love you, Brett. I've never been happier than since you moved in here. Amanda is a joy, the daughter of my heart if not my body. Seth loves you to pieces. I want us to be a family in more than just name. I want you to be my husband, and I want to be yours. I want it to be forever. Will you marry me?" "Oh…just…oh," Brett sighed. His eyes grew luminous, emotion making his voice brittle. "That was beautiful." He gave Josh a warm smile charged with feeling. "Yes." Josh's throat thickened with a sudden swell of emotion, and his vision blurred. They reached for each other at the same time, holding one another, feeling each other's heartbeats against their chests, and tears wetting their shoulders. He hadn't expected Brett's acceptance to hit him that hard, but it did, his emotions sneaking up on him in a surprise attack. Josh was military, an ex-Marine who didn't cry easily, but at that moment big fat tears rolled down his cheeks, as unstoppable as the tide. Brett kissed every one of them away before Josh claimed his salty lips in a fierce kiss. He was suddenly hungry, starving for Brett's taste, for the feel of his skin next to Josh's. Moaning into Brett's mouth as his body hardened, he yanked away the thin cotton sheet Brett had entangled between his legs. He knew Brett's body well. He'd explored every inch of it with his fingers and tongue many times, had memorized every curve and line, and yet he never grew tired of it, never bored. Brett excited him the way no man ever had before, had him strung tight with need with a look or a hand brushing his skin. His hand smoothed over Brett's shoulders, down his back, following the curve of his spine until they reached the swell of his buttocks. Cupping Brett's ass cheek, his fingers dipped into the cleft between them. Lying belly-to-belly with Brett, their cocks rubbed tantalizingly against one another, searing flesh feeding the fire that was quickly building to an inferno in Josh's gut. He tilted his hips
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rhythmically, providing more sweet friction. Brett's hips rocked against him, his cock finding the groove between Josh's hip and groin. It burned against Josh's hip, and he bit Brett's lower lip as his cock beaded with precome, the fluid cooling the burn of Brett's foreskin against Josh's skin. Josh couldn't wait another moment. He pushed back a bit and wrapped his hands around both of their shafts, using their own juices to slick them. Stroking the delicate flesh of their cock in tandem, he felt his release swiftly rising, moving past the point of no return. When he came, he cried out Brett's name, and heard his own ringing in his ears as Brett joined him. Lying back, both panting, Brett rested his head in the hollow of Josh's shoulder, and Josh placed a kiss on his forehead. "So," Brett said when they'd finally regained enough breath to speak, "Does this mean we get to register at Bloomingdales?" Josh swatted his hip, laughing. "Let's get through tomorrow first before we start choosing china patterns and fondue forks, okay?" *** Josh felt as if he were seven years old himself, as he and Brett sat outside the Principal's office at Sacred Heart. His skin was cold and clammy, and he had the feeling he was going to spew chunks all over the shiny, white tile floor. Brett sensed his worry and patted his hand, although he didn't look any more confident or comfortable than Josh. "It's going to be okay. We're grown adults, Josh. She's not going to make us stay after school, or send a note home to our parents." It earned him a small smile, the best Josh could do under the circumstances. In reality, he wasn't afraid of what Sister Mary Margaret would say to them; it was what he and Brett might say to her that had him frazzled. He wondered if there was a special place in Hell reserved for people who bitched out a nun. The door opened and Mrs. Tillhouse, the Sister's secretary appeared, looking grim. She nodded to Josh and Brett and motioned for them to enter the inner sanctum of the office. They followed her on shaky legs, past her desk to the door that led to Sister Mary Margaret's office. "Mr. Langram, Mr. Elliott," Sister Mary Margaret said, rising when they entered her office. "Please have a seat." No welcoming smile, no idle chitchat. This was not going to be good, Josh thought as he and Brett sat in the hard wooden chairs situated in front of her desk. He resisted the urge to reach for Brett's hand – there was no use in adding fuel to her homophobic fire.
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"I want you to know that I contacted Mrs. Elliott and asked her to be here today, but she declined to attend," Sister Mary Margaret said, folding her hands on the desk before her. Josh noticed her knuckles whiten; she wasn’t looking forward to this conversation either. "Mrs. Jamison," Brett said in a tight voice, correcting her. "She's remarried." Sister Mary Margaret ignored his comment, her eyes boring holes into Josh's forehead. "As you know, there have been several questionable incidents regarding your son, Mr. Langram. Since they have involved Mr. Elliott, I've asked you both here today." Asked? Right. Ordered under penalty of death was more like it, Josh thought. He said nothing, waiting to hear the charges against his little boy. "This latest incident cannot be excused as easily as the first two. I need you to explain this to me, Mr. Langram," she said. Her lips pressed tightly together, forming a thin white line as she withdrew a sheet of manila drawing paper from her desk drawer and slid it across the green blotter toward Josh. Seth had written his name in red crayon, clumsy, first grade letters printed across the bottom right hand side. Josh almost smiled, picturing Seth working studiously, his tongue poking between his lips as it often did when he was trying to concentrate on a task. The rest of the paper was taken up by a drawing. A large rectangle had been drawn in brown, with two stick figures lying horizontally across it. There was no question that it was a bed, and that the two figures, both with short hair, one blond, one brunette, were meant to be Josh and Brett. Particularly since Seth had thought to label them. "Daddy" was printed over the blond head, and "Brit" over the other. Regardless of the misspelling, it was clear the brunette was supposed to be Brett. "How do you explain this, Mr. Langram? More roughhousing at a backyard BBQ?" Sister Mary Margaret sniffed with disdain. Her nose crinkled as if she smelled something rancid in the room. I guess she feels her habit gives her the right to indulge in intolerance, at least when dealing with lesser beings like children and homosexuals, Josh thought. He knew for a fact that if any of the other children had drawn their parents in bed, said parents would not have been called into the office and made to explain. His worry dissipated, replaced by a hard knot of anger in the pit of his belly. He and Brett exchanged a glance. He saw the same fury smoldering in Brett's eyes that he felt himself. Josh straightened his shoulders and looked Sister Mary Margaret directly in the eyes. "There's only one explanation, Sister. Seth must have walked into our bedroom one morning while we were still asleep." "I suspected as much," she said, frowning deeply. "You understand the Church's teachings on
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homosexuality. We cannot tolerate-" "Hold it right there, Sister. If you tell me that you're going to expel our kids, or treat them differently in any way, I'll have you in court so fast it'll make your wimple spin," Brett cut in. "We will not tolerate any discrimination against our kids." Sister Mary Margaret huffed, sitting back in her chair. "I can see that you're not going to be reasonable about this. Very well. According to the school's charter, your children may remain enrolled here as students. However, that is only providing you two…men…agree not to appear at any school functions as a couple. No plays, no parent-teacher conferences, no career days, or graduations." "What?" Josh exploded, jumping out of his chair. "That's ridiculous! You're telling me we have to live a lie, a farce, just so that our kids can remain here in school? That's my son! I have the right to attend his school functions, just like any other parent!" Brett's hand on his arm dragged him back into his seat. "We're good parents, Sister. We love our children, and we love each other. As a matter of fact, we're taking advantage of the fact that this state allows same-sex marriage. We're getting married. We'll have the same rights under the law as any other couple. We're not going back into the closet for any reason, most definitely not because of your intolerant, homophobic school charter." "Your wife will be-" "Ex-wife. I have as much say in Amanda's education as she does, and I won't allow her to be subjected to small-mindedness and bigotry. I'll speak with my ex-wife, and begin looking for a new school for Amanda immediately." "Seth, too," Josh said. "You know, I grew up as a practicing Catholic, Sister. I spent a great portion of my adult life feeling guilty, hiding who I was from everyone, including myself, because of the teachings of the Church. It was horribly painful, and an incredible waste of time and energy." He felt Brett's hand warming his, and a gentle squeeze charged with meaning. "Faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love," Brett cut in, quoting Corinthians. "It seems the Church conveniently forgets that passage when it doesn't serve their purposes." Josh noted a look of chagrin flicker in Sister Mary Margaret's eyes, although it quickly faded. "God created love in all its forms, including mine and Brett's. I firmly believe that. You're free to believe what you want, but I'm not going to allow you to force those beliefs down my son's throat, or force me to deny the love I feel for this man." "Ditto," Brett said with zeal. "Then I'm afraid this meeting is over," Sister Mary Margaret said icily. She stood, obviously dismissing them.
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"It is, but don't think for a minute that we're going to slink quietly away. You opened this particular can of worms, Sister. I'm going to bait my hook and see what I can catch with it," Brett said. "Expect to hear from the papers." They left the office without another word, leaving Sister Mary Margaret standing slack-jawed at her desk. Seth and Amanda were waiting for them in the hallway, and one look at their precious faces was enough to make Josh's anger dissipate. "Know what? There's a table at Chucky Cheese's with our name on it. How about it, kids?" Their gleeful cries reminded Josh that it didn't matter what anyone thought of them, what school the kids attended, or any of the other thousand worries he'd been chewing on since walking into the principal's office that afternoon. They were the only things in universe that mattered, them, and the man who slipped his hand into Josh's as they walked out of the school to the car. *** The chapel was small, an old adobe Spanish mission situated amid California's lush ferns and foliage. Surrounded by the gardens of primrose and fragrant grapes, and a few of their closer friends, Josh and Brett stood with their hands linked and exchanged vows. Amanda, dressed in a frilly lace and pink satin dress, her dark curls laced with ribbons, held a flower basket and stood next to Seth, wearing a miniature tuxedo, a white rose in his lapel. Both looked excited and happy, if a little fidgety and anxious to get the boring wedding part over with and on to the party promised them afterwards. "I, Josh Langram, take you, Brett Elliott, to be my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to share your joy, suffer your sorrow, and ease your burdens from this day forward until my last breath leaves me, and then further, into whatever lay beyond death. You are my love, and I'll cradle you forever, safe in my heart." He slipped the ring onto Brett's finger, feeling his heart swell to bursting. "I, Brett Elliott, take you, Josh Langram, to be my lawfully wedded husband. Not a day will pass that I won't thank God for bringing you into my life. I promise to always love you, always stand by you, through whatever life brings us and beyond, into eternity. You are my heart, the air I breathe, and I will love you forever." He lifted Josh's hand that now bore his ring, and gently kissed Josh's knuckles. The ancient mission bells, green with the patina of age, rang out as Josh and Brett kissed under the warm, cloudless blue sky, drowning out the applause of their friends. The peals of the bells seemed joyous, mirroring what they felt in their hearts. Seth and Amanda ran to them, and Josh and Brett scooped them up, a family forever. ***
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"What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." ~ Matthew 19:6, King James Bible
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A Forever Family Copyright © 2008 by Kiernan Kelly All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680 Printed in the United States of America. Torquere Press, Inc.: Sips electronic edition / September 2008 All profits from the sale of this book will be donated to organizations supporting the legal defense of marriage for people, regardless of gender. Torquere Press eBooks are published by Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680
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