his quilt on the floor, and by the time he was standing, Evan was upright as well. They shared a sheepish grin as they reached into their own pockets and pulled out their own shining bands. Apparently they’d all been thinking about them.
Should there be words? Probably, but Dan had used all of his up. He looked at the ring, then at the men he loved.
“I promise to love you both, with all my heart,” Evan said, and he slipped the ring onto his finger.
“I promise to fight for you both,” Jeff said, then added, “And to fight for us , as well.” He stared at his hands as he slid the ring into place.
Dan had no idea what to say. “I promise to do my best. I promise to never stop trying.” he wasn’t sure if he was talking to Jeff and Evan, or to RJ. Hell, maybe he was partly talking to himself. And always, of course, talking partly to Justin.
The ring felt strange on his finger, new and unusual. But right.
“You’re a complete attention whore, Danny,” Chris said from the couch. “Ryan and I get engaged, and you just have to upstage us, huh?” But he was smiling as he stood, and Ryan was beside him, Robyn and Tat and Anna too, and Dan stooped to pick up the baby just before they were all enveloped in a warm hug of congratulations and shared happiness.
Chris took the baby from Dan and smiled into his confused little face. “What do you think? Do you, Robert Justin Wheeler, take these lunatics to be your daddies? Do you? Do you?”
“Da!” RJ said enthusiastically. “Da, Da!”
“Don’t get all worked up, Evan,” Dan said quickly. “The books say he’ll just use nonsense syllables, and Da is an easy one to start with. He’s not really saying ’dad.’“
Evan shook his head in wonder. “I’m not impressed because he said ’dad,’“ he clarified. “I’m impressed because he speaks Russian! He was saying ’yes’! I’ve been teaching this kid the wrong traditions… no more Polish! Next year, we’ll have a Russian Christmas!”
Dan had a little something to say about that, but his phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID, then answered it. “Hey, Taylor. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas, Dan.”
“You having a good day?” It was hard to make casual conversation with all the emotions burbling through Dan’s chest, but he tried.
“Not really. It’s a long story, but… remember when you invited me and Owen for Christmas? Any chance that invitation is still open?”
Dan looked around at his makeshift family, and smiled. “Absolutely, dude. The more the merrier.”
“We’ll be there in about an hour,” Taylor said, and that was it.
“Two more for dinner,” Dan told the gang.
“Taylor?” Evan’s grin was absolutely smug. “You’re going to show him the ring, right? You’re going to make it crystal clear…”
“That you’re absolutely insane,” Dan agreed. “But Evan, he doesn’t need a ring to get the message. It’s been clear to anyone with eyes for quite a while now.”
“Yes, it has,” Anna said, but Dan knew that she, like himself, had reverted back to Evan’s original intentions. It had been crystal clear to anyone with eyes that Dan, Evan and Jeff were together for the long-term.
Dan looked down at his ring, and smiled. “Shiny,” he whispered to RJ, and the baby chortled in happy agreement.
Should there be words? Probably, but Dan had used all of his up. He looked at the ring, then at the men he loved.
“I promise to love you both, with all my heart,” Evan said, and he slipped the ring onto his finger.
“I promise to fight for you both,” Jeff said, then added, “And to fight for us , as well.” He stared at his hands as he slid the ring into place.
Dan had no idea what to say. “I promise to do my best. I promise to never stop trying.” he wasn’t sure if he was talking to Jeff and Evan, or to RJ. Hell, maybe he was partly talking to himself. And always, of course, talking partly to Justin.
The ring felt strange on his finger, new and unusual. But right.
“You’re a complete attention whore, Danny,” Chris said from the couch. “Ryan and I get engaged, and you just have to upstage us, huh?” But he was smiling as he stood, and Ryan was beside him, Robyn and Tat and Anna too, and Dan stooped to pick up the baby just before they were all enveloped in a warm hug of congratulations and shared happiness.
Chris took the baby from Dan and smiled into his confused little face. “What do you think? Do you, Robert Justin Wheeler, take these lunatics to be your daddies? Do you? Do you?”
“Da!” RJ said enthusiastically. “Da, Da!”
“Don’t get all worked up, Evan,” Dan said quickly. “The books say he’ll just use nonsense syllables, and Da is an easy one to start with. He’s not really saying ’dad.’“
Evan shook his head in wonder. “I’m not impressed because he said ’dad,’“ he clarified. “I’m impressed because he speaks Russian! He was saying ’yes’! I’ve been teaching this kid the wrong traditions… no more Polish! Next year, we’ll have a Russian Christmas!”
Dan had a little something to say about that, but his phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID, then answered it. “Hey, Taylor. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas, Dan.”
“You having a good day?” It was hard to make casual conversation with all the emotions burbling through Dan’s chest, but he tried.
“Not really. It’s a long story, but… remember when you invited me and Owen for Christmas? Any chance that invitation is still open?”
Dan looked around at his makeshift family, and smiled. “Absolutely, dude. The more the merrier.”
“We’ll be there in about an hour,” Taylor said, and that was it.
“Two more for dinner,” Dan told the gang.
“Taylor?” Evan’s grin was absolutely smug. “You’re going to show him the ring, right? You’re going to make it crystal clear…”
“That you’re absolutely insane,” Dan agreed. “But Evan, he doesn’t need a ring to get the message. It’s been clear to anyone with eyes for quite a while now.”
“Yes, it has,” Anna said, but Dan knew that she, like himself, had reverted back to Evan’s original intentions. It had been crystal clear to anyone with eyes that Dan, Evan and Jeff were together for the long-term.
Dan looked down at his ring, and smiled. “Shiny,” he whispered to RJ, and the baby chortled in happy agreement.
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