Bittersweet Irish Cream Ch. 20

As the sun was going down, Jack brought the girls back inside to start their baths, knowing Ethan needed quiet time. Ethan stayed outside until the last of the rays disappeared and the backyard light came on. Then he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, Dad?"

Ethan turned around to see his eldest son standing near the French doors leading back into the Inn. "Hey," he responded.

EJ took a deep breath and said, "I really am sorry for yelling at you earlier. You didn't deserve that."

He raised one eyebrow. "A real apology without prompting? That doesn't sound like you at all."

EJ shrugged. "Imani told me I was being a jerk."

"Ah. The girl. Friend." Ethan smirked.

EJ rolled his eyes and turned around. "Bye, Dad."

"No wait," Ethan called out. "I was just teasing you. Stay here for a while."

EJ came over and sat on the bench. "Whatchu drawing?" Ethan showed him the sketch. "Whoa. Is that Jamie's face? It looks just like him."

"Yea. I'm going to make it into a canvas and color it in. His eyes are going to be the focus. The gold and green and a little silver in there."

EJ handed the sketchbook back to him. "I wish I was talented like you."

"You are talented," Ethan said. "You're a really good writer and storyteller. I hear you when you make up bedtime stories for your sisters or reading something you wrote to Jamie. And you have a lot of knowledge about animals. Your Pop and I think you'd be a great veterinarian someday."

EJ didn't speak for a moment, then said, "Imani said that I keep snapping at everyone because I have underlying issues."

Ethan smiled at him but EJ didn't see it, letting him continue. "She said that I'm still really mad at my mom and don't like all the changes around me, and I keep taking it out on you. And if I just talk about it some more, maybe I would stop freaking out all the time."

"Imani might be right," said Ethan. "So do you want to talk about it?"

EJ sat quietly for another moment and Ethan let him. Then he said, "Sometimes I wish it was just the three of us again. Me, you, and Pop."

Ethan was thoughtful before he responded. "Can I tell you a secret?" Ethan said. EJ looked up at him. "Sometimes I miss those days too. Me, you and Jack just hanging out here, or at the farm, or at your other grandparents house playing in the pool? Those were some good times."

"Yea," EJ said enthusiastically.

"I also remember when we first bought Jackie home, and you were so excited to have a little sister. You were so gentle, you held her all the time. That's why she's so close to you now."

EJ smiled. "She liked to smack my face and grab my hair. She still likes to smack my face."

Ethan laughed. "Yea well, JC is a little rough around the edges." EJ laughed. "And remember being in Seoul when we were in the hotel room with Susie? Jack had been there with her for a month already but she didn't know the rest of us. You were the only one she would go to."

"Yea, she let me take her to the vending machine and she picked out what she wanted and we sat in the hallway and ate snacks together. Then she slept in my bed for a week when we got home." EJ smiled at that memory.

Ethan smiled too. Then he said, "I know it's a lot of changes, son, but would you really change anything about our life with JC and Susie?"

"Nah. They're my sisters."

"And Jamie?" Ethan asked gently.

"No. I mean, he's literally my brother. And I do like him but..." EJ sighed. "It's not that I don't want him around. It's just that... Sometimes I wish grandma and grandpa would just take him so we can go back to the way it was."

Ethan's heart clenched at the thought. He wanted to respond but he remembered Jack saying that EJ just wanted to be heard. So he patiently waited for his son to continue his thoughts.

"But I also don't want him to go anywhere because we're the best place for him. Especially if Mom comes back. It's the first place she'll look for him. But if we move, then she won't know where we are. So that's like... messed up. So we shouldn't move," EJ said as if he decided.

"EJ, we need to move," his father said. "We can't stay here, we need the space." EJ looked at him and frowned. "And your mother will always find me, trust me on that. But if we do choose the house across the street, we'll talk about the sleeping arrangements as a family. Jamie is still a baby, so he could just stay in the room with us until he's a little older and you can have the middle room. Or maybe the basement, which I still don't like that idea. But there are a lot of options."

EJ looked at him sheepishly. "Okay so, the truth is, you were kinda right." Ethan raised his eyebrows again at his son to listen.

"That's really why I apologized. When I told Freddie about the house and the room in the basement, the first thing he said is that he would have his friends over every night and his dad wouldn't know. So I can see how that might be a problem for some kids..."

Ethan let out a loud laugh. "But not meeeee!" EJ said pleadingly. "I wouldn't do that, Dad. You have to trust me!"

Ethan put his arm around EJ's shoulder. "Your Pop and I will talk about it. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for thinking about it."

Ethan gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Do you remember when it was just me and you?"

EJ was thoughtful. "Not really. Pop was always around, wasn't he?"

Ethan smiled. "Yea. Pop was always around."

~~~

Ethan sat at the edge of the bed and told Jack about his conversation with EJ. Jack sat next to him and patted his thigh.

"You did great, Dad. You listened. You acknowledged his feelings. You countered his assessment of our family. And you compromised. Gentle parenting at its finest. A+."

"Thanks, Dr. Frazier. I think we can terminate our therapeutic sessions now," he said sarcastically.

"Not quite." Jack squeezed his thigh. "How are you, for real?"

Ethan shrugged. "Stressed. Trying to hold it together for the family but I feel like snapping all the time too."

"Well, like Imani told EJ, if you talk about it, you'll feel better."

Ethan sighed. "I'm worried about EJ. He's still not really talking about his mother, and I know that's the real reason he's mad. And sad." Jack nodded. "I'm worried about the younger three too. I just want them to come out of this okay." Jack nodded again. "Worried about Freddie too."

"Don't worry, Connor and Jamel got that one," said Jack confidently.

"Yea." Ethan nodded. "I'm worried about Trish. She's in the wind doing God knows what." Jack slid off the bed and knelt in front of Ethan. "Naveed can't find her but he said he has another lead— What are you doing?"

Jack had pulled apart the drawstring on Ethan's pajama pants, reached in and pulled his penis out.

"Easing your stress away. Keep talking." But Ethan lost all train of thought as Jack began to stroke him. "Keep talking, E."

"Naveed... He got another lead... fuck." Jack had engulfed Ethan's cock.

Jack said, "Keep talking," as he licked the underside of Ethan's mushroom head.

"Um... er...." Ethan closed his eyes and caressed Jack's jet black hair. "We have our last home visit with April, the court social worker. She interviews the children next month."

"Hmmm...." Jack moaned as he deep throated.

"Shiiiit... I'm worried about... what they will say..." Ethan could barely talk. Jack continued to bob, suck and lick Ethan's cock. "She hasn't... mmmm... hasn't given one sign if she likes us or not. I'm.... fuck.... worried about that.... mmmm... what she'll... write. Carlos said that-"

Jack stopped sucking and raised his head to look at Ethan, his lips pink and wet with spittle. Ethan opened his eyes. "What?"

"Don't ever say his name while I'm sucking your dick," Jack said coldly.

Ethan wanted to laugh but the seriousness on Jack's face made him decide against it. "Okay. Sorry." Ethan touched Jack's cheek with his thumb. "I'm worried about you too."

"Why?"

"I've been a mess and you've just been holding it down. Holding me down. Holding down the kids and the new routine. Going to school, being Mr. Mom, and working, and never complaining. You've been so rock solid for this family. But I know you care about Jamie too. I know you're worried too. I know it would break your heart if we lose Jamie too."

Jack felt his heart squeeze at the thought. Then he said, "No more talking."

He deep throated Ethan, and having Jack's warm wet mouth on his cock again was all Ethan needed. Jack sucked and stroked until Ethan's body tensed up and Jack's mouth filled with Ethan's cum. Jack dutifully swallowed.

"I love you, Jackie Bear," Ethan sighed out in satisfaction. He fell backwards onto the bed.

"Feel better?" Jack asked.

"Much," Ethan said with a goofy smile.

Jack stood up and locked the bedroom door. Then began to take off his clothes. When he was done he took off Ethan's t-shirt. He kissed Ethan's face and sucked his neck. He kissed all down his chest and torso. He kissed Ethan's belly button and buried his face in Ethan's pubic hair. He kissed up his cock, down his thighs, moved one leg over the other and kissed Ethan's pucker.

Ethan closed his eyes and moaned in his throat as Jack kissed him all over, turning him into his stomach, and getting his hole ready with lube. Jack turned Ethan around so that they were face to face, and slowly entered him.

Jack took his time, moving inside of Ethan, kissing and sucking his neck. Ethan held on as Jack continued to bury himself deep inside of him. Jack opened his eyes to watch Ethan, his mouth opened, his tongue between his teeth as he grunted in his throat. Jack closed back his eyes and continued to thrust.

Ethan opened his eyes to see Jack's concentrated face, his eyelids closed tightly, his eyebrows scrunched together, his mouth formed like he was whistling but instead Jack was moaning a soft "hhoooo," with every other thrust. Ethan began to squeeze his insides around Jack's cock.

"Hhoooooo," Jack moaned out and pushed in harder.

Ethan could feel his body trembling above him and smiled when Jack whole face scrunched in as he began to cum. His movements became sporadic as his body spasmed, and Ethan felt his insides warm up with Jack's cum.

Ethan brought his face down for a kiss before Jack pulled out and collapsed on top of him. "I love you too." Jack responded to Ethan's earlier declaration. Ethan chuckled and they turned to lay facing each other, holding hands, staring into each other's eyes.

They laid in silence until Ethan spoke, "Do you know they've been together for 37 years? I don't know any gay couple that's been together that long."

Jack knew he was talking about Mr. Jarten and Mr. Lionel. "Yup. Rockville's not-so-best kept secret. No one talks about it, not even Mrs. Mullens. But everyone knows Mr. Jarten moved here for Mr. Lionel."

"Wow. What a love story they have," Ethan said. "I'm okay to buy their house. It's not as big as the one in Ashaway, but it's not a fixer upper. And it felt like home."

"It did feel like home, didn't it?" Jack agreed. "We'll put it to a vote tomorrow during our family meeting, but I know it's going to be unanimous. So I guess we're buying a house."

"Yea. Right next to Mrs. Mullens though," Ethan pouted.

Jack chuckled. "You're going to be okay with that? We'll be sharing a wall with her."

Ethan shrugged. "She's always in our business anyway. Now she gets to hear all of it since our bedroom wall will be her bedroom wall." Jack laughed out loud. But Ethan was still thoughtful. "I really do love that Ashaway house though."

"Then buy it too," said Jack. "Buy it and turn it into an Air B&B under RedStar Corp. We'll buy our house outright and do a mortgage loan with the Ashaway house. It's move-in ready so we will start turning a profit right away."

"That's not a bad idea at all."

"I come up with good ideas from time to time," Jack said smugly, making Ethan scoff. Then he said, "Like starting my own clinical assessment practice, freelancing like I'm doing for Pamela."

"That's actually a really good idea," Ethan said.

Jack shrugged. "Something I've been toying around with in my head. Basically helping other therapists, building up my skills, and then I can transition to full time therapy services once I get my degree."

"Do it. What do you need to make it happen?" Ethan said seriously. Jack smiled at him. "I'm serious!" Ethan practically yelled.

"I know. I just..." Jack sighed. "Sometimes I think, am I really supposed to be here? Living this life? Sometimes it's like a dream. Sometimes I think I'm so undeserving because of the things I've done." He looked down at their fingers as he continued talking.

"Before you I truly believed my entire purpose was to avenge the death of my parents, that my life didn't matter. I never thought about the after, I never made plans for myself. So sometimes it's overwhelming to think, wow, I'm married, I have a family, I have a career, and now I'm buying a house..."

Jack sighed again. "Lately I've been thinking about how much my life has changed in the last ten years. And it all started with you coming to Rockville. You gave me a purpose, a reason for living. I'm actually making plans for a future. I get to have 37 plus years with the love of my life too. I'm just really, really blessed that you walked into my shitty town."

Jack didn't hear Ethan respond so he looked at him. Ethan was staring at him with so much love. But then he said nonchalantly, "Great. Now let's start these two new businesses, put it under RedStar Corp, and continue to have a lifetime of happiness, mmkay?"

Jack pinched Ethan's bare thigh. Ethan yelped and they laughed together. Ethan moved closer. "You and our children are my purpose and my everything," he said with his face buried in Jack's hair. "I'm blessed too."

Then Ethan grabbed him and held him tight. "Yes, Jack. You're supposed to be living this life. This future with me. And we're going to grow old and gray in that house, just like Jacob and Alex did. You get to have a lifetime of happiness too."

Jack held onto him just as tight.

~~~~~~

"I've read the homestudy, thank you for doing a thorough job, Mrs. Florentine," said Judge Frye. "Can you start by summarizing Mr. Starling as a parent?"

The court appointed social worker, April Florentine, was on the stand at the following hearing that August. Jack and Ethan held their breath as she discussed their family.

"Mr. Starling is a hardworking individual but also a very attentive and present father. All three of his children reported that their father works a lot but also spends individual time with him, and he has a special relationship with each one. I specifically observed Mr. Starling with Timothy Jamison for approximately 48 minutes. There is real parental love between Mr. Starling and the boy in question."

"Thank you, Mrs. Florentine. I noticed that you added Mr. Frazier to the homestudy not only as the spouse but as a secondary petitioner. Please explain your reasoning behind this."

April said, "Mr. Starling may be the original petitioner but Mr. Frazier is as equally involved and invested in the raising of Timothy Jamison as Mr. Starling. In my observation there is also real, parental love between Mr. Frazier and the boy in question.

"The two operate as a team in raising their three children plus Timothy Jamison. They share in the responsibility of cooking, cleaning, daily routines and overall care for all four children. It was especially noted by their eldest son, Ethan Starling Junior, that Mr. Frazier has always been a part of their lives. I would like to read to you what he described as his earliest memory."

She opened up her notebook and began to read EJ's words:

"'Pop has always been there, he's my other dad, no question. My first memory is of him. I think I was three or four years old. I remember him picking me up from daycare and it was early because I remember I was the only one leaving. He said he was sorry but I didn't know what for, then gave me a lollipop and a bag of toys. I still have that plastic bag somewhere, it's from an airport gift shop. I remember us walking home and he was holding my hand. My dad was waiting for us on the sidewalk. Pop picked me up, gave me a hug and handed me to Dad, and he hugged me too. Then we all went inside together. It's like my happiest memory.'"

Jack was in shock. He knew exactly what day that was, when he came home from Ireland. Jack was gone for three weeks. But EJ didn't remember him being gone. Ethan was so mad at him and he was so nervous that Ethan would turn him away. But EJ felt none of the tension between the couple, only happiness and love. That made Jack's heart explode with love for his son.

Ethan slid his hand over and grabbed Jack's hand. He squeezed it tightly, and Jack squeezed it back. He knew Ethan was thinking of that same day.

"And your recommendations?" Judge Frye asked, taking them both out of their thoughts.

April said, "I recommend that Timothy Jamison's placement with Mr. Starling and Mr. Frazier be made permanent." Jack and Ethan both breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. Ms. Florentine," said the judge. "You can step down. The next person I would like to hear from is the investigator, Naveed Cole."

Their private investigator approached the stand and took his oath. Judge Frye said, "You reported no findings on Patricia Ann Reedlin?"

"None," he replied. "I followed a trail from her last known address and associates at her N.A. meetings but as expected they were not into divulging any information. I was led to Ulysses, no last name, but he was incapacitated when I found him at a known meth house in Bridgeport.

"I attempted to sober him up and explain that we needed a DNA test and his expressed permission for voluntarily termination of parental rights due to his ongoing issues with substance abuse. He did not sign the papers. Instead, he attempted to spit on me, denied being the father and that he had not seen Ms. Reedlin in over a year when she left him."

"Thank you for your report," said Judge Frye. Naveed stepped down.

The judge turned to the Reedlins. "Mr. and Mrs. Reedlin, why do you wish to have custody of your grandchild?"

"Because he's our grandchild," Tim said automatically. "Our flesh and blood. Not him." Tim pointed at Ethan.

"I asked why do you wish to have custody of your grandchild," the judge countered.

Tim began to scowl. "I just said-"

"Tim," Mallory called his name. He looked at her and she shook her head. Then she turned to the judge.

"We believe that Timothy should be with his real family that share his bloodline. We can raise him in the same home that Patricia was raised in, go to the same schools and play in the same parks. We can introduce him to her side of the family and he can grow up around his real cousins. We want to give him a good life, the life that I know Trish would want for him, surrounded by his family.

"Now I have nothing against Ethan or Jack. They are wonderful parents. We just feel very strongly that our only daughter's child should be with us."

The judge seemed to consider her words and it angered Ethan. He kept shaking his head. Jack knew he was on the verge of exploding. Jack called his name to try to stop him, "Ethan-"

"No!" Ethan yelled out. He turned to the other table. "He IS with family. He's surrounded by his brother and sisters, aunts and uncles, and real cousins. We're giving him a good life already. That's not a reason to take my son from me."

"He's not your son," Tim growled.

"He is my son!" Ethan yelled. "He's as much my son as EJ is Jack's son. Did you not hear what EJ said about him!? You're going to sit there and say that EJ isn't Jack's because they don't share the same bloodline!?"

"Mr. Starling," the judge began.

"No!" he yelled at her. "You don't understand, none of you understand!"