Page 47 of Found
My jaw hung open as we walked up to the building and I heard Isaac chuckle beside me. The inside of the center was even more impressive, with tall ceilings and warm, soothing colors on the walls. Kids ran up to Matt and Isaac as they shuffled out the door for school. They all seemed happy to see the two men, some even giving them hugs. Most gave me wary looks until Isaac introduced me as his big brother and then I was given just as many warm greetings.
After the kids had left, Matt gave Isaac a kiss and me a hug, which surprised but delighted me, then he went into his office to get some work done. I smirked at Isaac who stared after his husband with hearts in his eyes.
“He’s always like that. All three of them are so smitten, it would make me sick if I wasn’t so happy for them.” Isaac and I turned to see a young woman at the front desk. She had her arms crossed and was smiling knowingly at my brother.
“Hush. Green is not a good color on you,” Isaac teased. “Allison, this is my brother, Zane. Zane, this is Allison, wizard of the front desk and pain in my butt.”
Allison rolled her eyes at him playfully then came around to give me a hug. I froze for a second, but then gave her a small hug in return. I’d been hugged by more strangers in the last two days than I could count, but I figured I better get used to it. Isaac and Jeremy both seemed to surround themselves with affectionate people.
Isaac showed me around the center, pointing out the various artwork throughout the building that had been created by the kids. He showed me the kitchen and the rec rooms, and the bedrooms for the teens that lived there. I stood in the doorway of one of the rooms, completely overwhelmed by the remarkable work my brother and his husbands were doing for the kids of Chicago.
Many of the teens had been abused or kicked out of their homes, discarded like they were trash, often when their parents discovered they were gay. Agape House provided them with a warm, loving and safe place to turn to, instead of living on the streets. It was the place that Isaac had turned to when he’d been lost and scared and heartbroken because he’d thought he’d lost me.
The sounds of footsteps caught my attention and I turned to see Matt walking towards us. I launched myself at him, surprising both of us, I’m sure. I wrapped my arms around him and his embraced me automatically.
“Thank you for watching over him and keeping him safe for me. I will always be grateful for what you did, Matt,” I whispered.
Matt wrapped his arms tighter around me, silently acknowledging my words. Matt struck me as a very private and humble man. He probably just felt like he had done what anyone else would do, but it was more than that. To me, he was an angel and I would always appreciate what he did for my brother.
Hudson showed up at lunchtime, bringing bags of food with him. Despite the big breakfast we’d had, my stomach rumbled at the tantalizing smells emanating from the bags. I smiled when Isaac told me that the food was from a restaurant that some of their closest friends owned. It made me happy to know that my brother had created a life for himself that was filled with so many wonderful people. Hudson suggested that they have a cookout soon at their house and invite all of their friends, so I could meet them. Isaac’s eyes lit up at the idea and he and Matt immediately began planning the menu.
I smiled as I watched my brother. The road we’d traveled had been a rough one, losing our mom, facing down a monster and then being robbed of seven years of each other’s lives. But we’d ended up on the other side, happy and loved and together. It made me feel warm all over to see Isaac so animated and happy. That was how life should have been for him all along because he was an inherently good person and he deserved it.
“He’s not the only one who deserves to be happy, you know,” Hudson said quietly. I turned to him in surprise, wondering if he’d somehow read my mind. He smiled at me. “You and Isaac are a lot alike. You both think of others before yourselves. You also spent years watching out for him and doing your best to protect him. It makes sense that you would worry about his happiness before your own. He has found his happiness, but you deserve to be happy too.”
“I am happy,” I told him. “I’m happier than I ever thought possible, now that I have my brother back in my life.”
Hudson nodded, but his face remained serious as he held my gaze. “I know you are and I’m so glad, but I think you could be even happier. Perhaps if you were with a certain former Air Force man?” he hedged. I ducked my head shyly.
“I noticed the tension last night as Jeremy was leaving, and I spoke with Micah this morning. Please, don’t blame Jeremy for what I did. It was my choice to only tell Micah part of the story, so therefore, he could only tell Jeremy part of the story. He did what he had to in order to figure out who you were because of his loyalty to Micah and his job. He stayed there even after his gut told him it was you because he was falling in love with you. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from falling in love with those two,” he said, pointing to Matt and Isaac. “It’s that love can make a man do stupid things.” I laughed at that.
“Thank you, Hudson,” I said. Hudson was much more perceptive than I originally realized.
“You and Isaac have each been through hell and back. You both deserve some peace and happiness.” Hudson reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently.
“I bet you’re one hell of a therapist,” I said with a grin.
“Pretty much, but don’t worry, we’re family so I won’t charge you,” he said with a wink. We both laughed and then turned our attention back to Isaac and Matt who were discussing themes for the simple barbeque which had somehow turned into an all-day pool party.
