23. Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-three

"Would you dance with me?" Jon asked Mickey as they sat at a table next to the dance floor. The wedding had been beautiful, and when Jon caught Mickey drying his eyes as he stood at the altar next to Tim, Jon knew the man he loved had a sentimental streak. It made him happy.

Jon didn't have one, but he was pretty sure he could depend on Mickey to remind him when they needed to take time with things regarding the kids. Jon was practical, and if Mickey was his emotional other half, they'd be perfect.

"I'd love to dance with you, Jonathon Wells, Esquire." Mickey stood and led Jon to the makeshift dance floor on the grass at the Katydid. There was a four-piece country band on the back deck of the farmhouse, and everyone was dancing.

Ryan was dancing with Kayley, Danny's niece, and Rocky had Megan, holding her on his hip as they danced to the slow, country song. Terrence was sitting with Matt's former in-laws talking to Robby Collins, and the two seemed to be getting along well, which pleased Jon very much.

Mickey wrapped his arms around Jon's waist and pulled him close. In turn, Jon wrapped his around Mickey's shoulders and kissed his neck. Mickey had lost the tie as soon as the vows were said, and he'd opened his shirt collar. The jacket to his new suit was situated on the back of a white, wooden chair at their table, and Jon was happy to feel the muscle and heat from the man he loved.

As the singer sang about kissing in the rain, Jon held Mickey close. "The wedding was really nice," he whispered to Mickey as they swayed together to the music.

Mickey pulled back and smiled. "It was, and they're very happy to be married, but Jonny, it doesn't have to be that way for everybody. I know I'm not gonna walk away from you, but I don't have anything to bring to a marriage between us. I got no money, and hell, even my name ain't worth nothin'. All I can offer you is my heart and devotion."

Jon swallowed hard because of the lump in his throat at the honesty in Mickey's voice. "You give me love and support, Mick. You and me? We don't need the paper, but you're the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I hope we get to keep those kids in our home and our hearts." Jon meant every word.

That was as much of a promise as either man seemed to need. The next hurdle was living so far away from each other, but Jon had the idea to speak to his father the next weekend when he took the kids to meet his parents. Audrey hadn't shown up at the wedding as he thought she would, but things with Megan seemed to be going well without anyone's help but Mickey's.

One thing was apparent: taking Megan away from Terry seemed like it might hurt both children more than was necessary. There was no need to rush things, or so Jon hoped. He had the pieces of his life he wanted. He just needed to figure out how to put them all together.

"Well, it's good to see you've come back to town. Nice tan, by the way." Jon's tone belied his frustration with Audrey when she showed up at the door of his condo, unannounced. Terrence and Megan were in the living room when the doorbell rang on Saturday morning a week after the wedding weekend, and Jon wasn't happy to see his best friend standing in front of him with a suntan and a bright, stress-free smile.

"I got your messages, Jonny, but I was at a wellness spa in Palmilla. It came up last minute, and I talked to Daddy about it. Thank you for covering my docket, but it really did me a lot of good." Audrey pushed by him and headed toward the kitchen.

Jon was so pissed at her, he was ready to bite nails in two, but the situation reminded him he had received a blessing with those kids, and if Audrey had been around, he'd have never had the chance to get to know Megan. He wanted to keep Megan and Terry, but he was sure he'd need Audrey's help to make it happen.

"Glad to hear it. Come meet my foster kids," he said dryly as he led her into the living room where the two kids were lying on the floor watching a documentary about different types of monkeys.

Once she saw them, Audrey grabbed his arm and dragged him back into the foyer. "Where in hell did you get two foster kids?" Audrey didn't move her eyes from the kids as she stood in the hallway.

"Well, I got Terry because he was living in a shitty group home and at the time of his hearing, he was incarcerated at Stonebridge. I just couldn't send him back there, Audrey. The boy needs someone to give a shit about him and turns out I was the guy who fit the bill.

"Little Megan was supposed to be placed in the care of a nice family who turned out to be hedging their bets in the event their adoption of a deaf boy didn't go through. When they got word things were solid with the boy, they no longer wanted that precious little girl.

"I simply couldn't send her back into the system. You were my first choice for her, Audrey, but when you were gone and left no contact information, I had to improvise." Jon was preaching, so pissed at her but unable to pinpoint a good reason why.

She gave him a sly smirk which totally unnerved him, but he was going to fight it. "No, you don't get a…" he protested.

"Jonny, you don't really need me to take over that sweet girl's care. The look on your face is enough to tell me you've got everything under control, just like everything you've ever taken on in your life, my dear one.

"I'm still trying to decide whether I really want to be a mother, you know. Lyla wanted it, but she didn't stick around, did she? Myself? I need to give it some thought before I make the leap. I'll help you with the kids, but you're the best person to be their guardian. What does Mickey say?" The two of them settled at the kitchen table with cups of coffee.

"We need to leave in an hour to meet him in Dillwyn for the weekend. Mom and Dad are anxious to meet the kids, and Mick and I need to figure out how we can be settled together in one place. I need him with me, Audrey." Jon's voice was low so the kids didn't hear him. They needed to be settled and stable. He needed Mickey to make that happen.

"Can I meet them before you go?" The smile on her face gave Jon comfort. She seemed to believe he was strong enough to be a father to those kids for as long as he was allowed to have them, and that made him feel more confident in his limited parenting skills. He took her hand to lead her into the living room.

"Meggie, Terrence, this is my old best friend, Audrey. Aud, these are my new best friends." Jon was surprised that Terrence seemed to warm to her in short order, but Megan sidled over to him and wrapped her little arm around his leg, seeming very uneasy about the appearance of the woman standing next to Jon. It almost seemed as if she was staking her territory.

"It's okay, Meggie. She's friendly."

"So, she's not gonna make Mickey not come here anymore? She's not your girlfriend?"

Audrey laughed. "Sweetie, I don't think dynamite would keep Mickey from being here, and no, Jonny's my best friend, not my boyfriend. Now, how about we go get your things together so you can get on the road to meet Ham and Ally? You'll love them."

An hour later, Audrey was hugging all of them goodbye, having won over the hearts of Terrence and Megan while she quickly earned the title of Auntie Audrey. They waved to her as Jon pulled out of the parking lot and got on the road for Dillwyn.

The ride was lively as Terry and Megan played word games. The teen boy had asked Jon to help him look up things on the internet regarding children with Down's. They'd found some exercises to assist and reinforce the things Meggie was learning at the day camp she was attending in Richmond while Terrence attended a sports camp in the same neighborhood.

"That's really great, Terry. We're going to take her to a special school for kids like her when you start school, but these games can help her in the meantime. Good job." Terry's eyes shined at Jon's praise. He was quite proud to see the young man was interested in anything that didn't involve spray paint.

Since then, Terrence had been working with Megan, encouraging drawing and storytelling in the evenings while Jon cooked dinner. The kids had begun making graphic-novel-type fairy tales with Megan providing the stories as Terrence drew the pictures she described. Jon encouraged it because he could see they were bonding, and it was good for them. Their welfare was Jon's only concern.

"So, let me tell you about Ally and Ham. Ham's my dad. He's black, and Ally's my mom, she's white. Some people don't like to see people of different races together any more than they like to see me and Mickey together, but in our family, we're pioneers. We do what we want, not what's expected. We don't listen to the ugly things other people say about us because we all love and care for each other.

"Now, my mom's going to want to smother you with attention, but she has horses you can ride, so if you'll just indulge her for a bit, it'll pay off, and Mick will be there." Jon was relieved Mickey had agreed to come out. He'd missed the man fiercely.

"Will she like us? She won't be mad you brought us, will she?" Megan's voice was a whisper. Jon glanced in the rearview mirror to see her hands clutching a stuffed horse Mickey had sent to her, just like a multitude of things he'd sent to Terrence. There were art supplies and books, along with video games and a gaming system. When Jon called to protest, Mickey giggled.

"Gimme a break, darlin'. I don't get to be there every day, so I'm the good cop. You're there and you gotta instill discipline, so you're the bad cop. Once we figure out how we can all be together in one place, I'll take over the role of the bad guy every once in a while, but give me this one, okay?"

Of course, Jon couldn't disappoint the man he loved, so he'd acquiesced. Love made him strong and weak in equal measure.

"I can promise my parents will love both of you. I know they're anxious to meet the two of you." Jon made the turn onto SR-630 to get to the farm.

"Do they know all about me? I'm sure most folks would love Meggie, but I'm a juvenile delinquent. Not many folks like to have my kind around." Terrence looked out the front window of the two-door Mercedes. He rarely addressed Jon by looking into his eyes, and Jon knew that had to change.

The "scared straight" thing was coming up pretty quick, and Jon was very concerned about it. On the outside, Terrence gave the impression he wasn't afraid of anything, but Jon had researched the program, and it scared the shit out of him. He didn't want to frighten the kid that way. He wanted to show him love and family and make him want for better things. Scaring the hell out of the teen didn't seem like a good road to rehabilitation.

Jon swallowed, knowing his answer was important. "Of course, they know about you, Terry. My dad is my boss, actually. He runs the firm where I work, and not much slips by him. He knows all about both of you, and my mom's been ready to meet you since the day I brought you home. I'll apologize for her behavior in advance." Jon grinned, hoping to get some positive emotions from the boy.

There were none.

With an exasperated sigh, Jon turned the car into the driveway of his parents' farm, surprised to see a Circle C truck and small trailer on the driveway near the barn.

"Damn. This ain't like any farm I ever saw. This joint is more like a mansion. Your folks must be loaded," Terry said, his voice filled with wonder.

Without responding, Jon parked in the empty spot under a large carport off the side porch. He flipped the seat to get Megan from her booster in the back as Terrence let himself out on the other side. Jon walked around the side of the car, hearing a lot of chatter from the barn. "Well, let's go see what's going on. Sounds like all the activity is in the barn." The trio headed toward the large brick building with the red tin roof.

Megan grabbed his face and turned his head. "Fix my hair, please?" Jon looked at her to see her curls were wild. He had only learned how to wash and condition her unruly hair. He could pull it back into a ponytail if she asked, but anything else was out of his purview.

"Sweetie, I can pull it back into a ponytail, but…"

"Put her down. I can braid it," Terrence told him. He did as the boy asked, and he was surprised how quickly he'd been able to braid it and wrap a rubber band around the end that hung down her back.

Jon turned to him and smiled. "How'd you learn to do that?"

"I watched my granny braid hair for years." Jon saw the boy had said more than he'd intended, but it was something. Not enough to find his family, but another piece of the puzzle.

Megan pulled on his shorts and when he looked down, she smiled. "Can I look at myself in your phone?" Jon pulled up the camera app and turned it so she could see her hair, capturing her smile in a picture.

After she was satisfied, she took Terry's hand. "Ready?"

He nodded, and the two of them led the way to the barn. When they were inside, Megan broke free from Terry and made a sprint for Mickey, who was talking to Jon's parents. "I missed you! " Mickey scooped her up into his arms and hugged her.

Jon could see the tears in his mother's eyes as she watched Mickey hugging Megan, and he knew it was because she'd given up hoping he'd have any semblance of a family of his own. As he looked around the barn that day, he realized he had a perfect one.

Maybe it wasn't greeting card fashion, but it was just right for him. He had a man who loved him and wasn't ready to hotfoot it down an aisle. He had a daughter who had challenges he was ready to take on right alongside her, and he had a son who wasn't sure of him but hadn't rejected him totally. That was okay. He had patience, and he'd work to help Megan grow up with love and security as the family weathered the storms of her development together.

Jon also knew he and Mickey would give Terrence the security he'd need to grow into a great man. Jon was ready to put in the time with all three members of his new family because he knew the reward would be magnificent.

"He was in the choir in school because he has a very nice voice, though you can't get him to sing anymore." Allison Granger Wells was holding court.

Mickey and Terrence were sitting at the kitchen counter with her while Jon was responding to work emails. As far as Jon knew, his dad and Megan were watching a movie in the family room.

"You mean he sang in public?" Mickey was cutting up a loaf of challah bread for Allison. The afternoon had been incredible, especially when Megan and Terry were introduced to Josie, the donkey, owned by Ryan Collins, and Kennedy, a very gentle, bay gelding Ally had bought from a neighbor.

The kids had ridden all afternoon, Mick riding Hercules to accompany them, and they'd enjoyed themselves very much. Jon had stayed behind to explain the intricacies of the situation to his parents—mostly his mother—who hugged him tightly but really didn't say much. He knew they were stewing, and that was fine. It was how they dealt with new situations.

Ally laughed at Mickey's question. "I mean he stood in front of the whole school and sang his sweet little heart out. Unfortunately, he didn't realize he'd not zipped his pants from his last visit to the boys' room, and his shirttail was sticking out the gap.

"People tried to be respectful, but the more passionately he sang the song, the more they laughed. Finally, the choir director stopped and told him to zip his pants. God bless him, he turned his back, zipped up, and turned back to the audience, finishing the song. I don't think I've been prouder in my life," Ally gushed as she whisked eggs for a casserole for breakfast the next morning. Ursula was out of town that weekend, so Ally was doing all the cooking, though Mickey had offered to help her.

Not surprisingly, Terrence was a thirteen-year-old boy, and the story was too funny to ignore, so he cracked up, finally falling off the stool onto the floor. Before Jon had a chance to protest, his father and Megan walked into the kitchen. "Which story?" he asked Ally.

"The zipper story."

Of course, his father laughed as he always did, which pissed off Jon to no end. Absolutely no respect!

"We watcheded Mermaid . Papa Ham said he never see'd it, so we watched it. Now we're gonna watch baseball. We come to get a drink." Jon laughed because Megan had quickly become very comfortable with his parents, and it was truly joyous to watch.

"How about you and Terry come with me to put the horses to bed? Josie might like you to tell her a story while we get her settled in her new stall." Mickey's warm smile touched Jon's heart.

Terry hopped up from the floor and pulled Megan up on his back. "This is the part where we work for our supper, Meggie. Let's go help Mick. When we get done, can I watch the baseball game with you?"

"Everybody can watch the game, right, Papa?" Megan asked Ham as she held onto Terry's neck. Jon saw his father take a deep breath and nod, seemingly overcome at the child's words.

"How about we watch the game and after it's over, we can build a fire in the pit outside and roast hotdogs for dinner. How's that sound?" Jon's mother suggested.

"Yay!" Everybody liked that idea. Jon grinned as the kids and Mickey left the house through the back door.

Jon turned to his parents. "So, what do you think?" He was anxious for an assessment since they'd spent most of the day with the kids and definitely had gathered enough information to offer an opinion.

His mother seemed to take him in for a moment before walking over to him to pull him into a tight hug. When she pulled back, Jon saw the tears on her cheeks. "They're wonderful, Jonny, but I'm worried you're biting off more than you can chew."

He'd expected something of the sort from her because it was true, he likely had bitten off more than he could chew—alone. But, with Mickey, the possibilities were endless.

"I knew you'd worry about that, but if I make a few changes in my life, I think we can give them a good home, Mom. Dad?" He turned in his father's direction, waiting for the man's words of wisdom.

Like always, Ham didn't disappoint. "Megan's going to need the best help you can get her, son. She's very bright, but I noticed she seemed to have some sight issues. She picks things up lightning quick, though. Have you seen the paperwork regarding her assessment? Based on the few cases I've had regarding children in similar situations, she has lower support needs. Are you ready for any health-related issues which may develop as she ages?"

"A doctor checked her out after she was dropped off at the firehouse, but a more thorough assessment needs to be taken soon. I have the name of a pediatrician who is familiar with children with Down's. I noticed the vision thing and plan to get her to an eye doctor next week. The doctor at the hospital didn't mention anything heart-related in the report, but that doesn't rule out much, does it? I know it's a lot…" As Jon said the words, he was suddenly overwhelmed.

"Jonny, what Dad means is it's a lot for you to take on by yourself, what with your practice. I, however, don't think it's insurmountable. I think, if you and Mickey were to share the load, it would be better for everyone. I watched Terry with Mickey. That boy needs to be somewhere with people who will love him and provide boundaries."

Yes, Mickey had a way of making people feel at ease. Jon wondered if it was related to working with horses. The man had the patience of a saint.

"Mickey was so kind and patient with him when they were getting the horses ready, explaining everything he was doing, and why he did it. Even when they got back and it was time to clean them up, he explained to Terrence about brushing the horses down was like saying thank you for taking them for a ride. It was such a great approach to take with both kids. I'd say between the two of you, those children couldn't be in better hands, Jonny." His mother's assuring words were a salve to Jon's panicked heart.

Jon nodded, grateful to hear his mother's assessment, but he had to be honest about the situation because it wasn't all rainbows and roses. "I know you're right, Mom, but I have no idea how to make that happen. My job is in Richmond, and Meggie needs to be there until we get her all checked out and make sure she's in the best health with all the resources she needs to thrive. I agree, Terry would be better suited out of Richmond, but I don't know how to make it happen yet.

"Besides, I couldn't ask Mickey to leave his job at the Circle C. That whole family has taken him in, and he thinks of them as his parents, brothers, best friends. I can't see Mickey doing well in Richmond. He's just started taking classes at the community college, and I don't want him to lose momentum. I just…" Jon stopped speaking, feeling the frustration consume his soul.

His mother smiled and snapped her fingers. "Move in here. Dad wants to fire Clyde anyway. Mickey could run the farm while Terry goes to the public school in town, which is very good. You could make the commute every day in an hour and take Meggie with you. I'd help with doctor's appointments and the like when you're in the city, and you can all live here. What do you think?" Allison's solution was so simple, but Jon was too stunned to answer.