A Cross Examination of a Disgrace and Syrup with Honey

And So It Goes

[2019]

Autumn was absolutely breathtaking in Boston.  It would be fair to say it was Garrett's favorite time of the year.  It was the perfect season for scarves, hugs, walks in the park and coffee dates with his husband.

Garrett had re-opened Ellie's once they had settled down in Boston and Nate was doing amazingly well at the Art Gallery.  They had gotten married only two months after getting engaged.  Garrett had been anxious to become a Phillips, so there had been no point in waiting.

They flew to Indiana quite frequently, every time their jobs made it possible.  They loved to just drop by unannounced and hear the squeals of happiness of Derek and Dana when they opened their front door.  They had never seen the Wallace's again, they didn't know Nate was married and they hadn't called them to tell them when they became grandparents either.  Nate was done with them for good.

They had adopted Nick when he was three years old.  He was five now and neither Nate nor Garrett had ever imagined they could love someone as much as they loved their son.  He had olive skin and dark hair and a smile that made it impossible for Garrett to say no when he begged for one more cookie, daddy, or just one more cupcake, and I swear I'll eat my broccoli at dinner!

Nick made their Sundays even more amazing than they had been when it was only the two of them.  They would take Nick to all the places he liked, which happened to be all the places he liked, which happened to be all the places Nate had always wanted to go as a child, but his parents never took him to.  They saw every new Disney movie at the theatre, they went to the zoo at least twice a year and, Nick's favorite, the Museum of Natural History.  Their little boy loved dinosaurs and everything that had to do with them.  They had to drag him out just before closing time when they took him there.  Nate was convinced their son would grow up to be a paleontologist.  Garrett cringed at the thought of dirty clothes and excavations.

But this Sunday, they decided to keep it simple.  Grandpa Derek and Grandma Dana had given Nick a bike for his birthday and Nate was determined to teach him how to use it.  He's had to learn on his own when he was a kid, so Garrett knew this was a big deal for him.  Nate always worked hard not to make the same mistakes Walter and Amanda had done with him.

"You're not gonna let me fall, right, Papa?" Nick asked, looking at him with a severe frown from under his shiny red helmet.

"Never, buddy," Nate promised, patting the seat on the bicycle.  Nick climbed, still unsure.  "I'm not going to let go until you tell me you're ready, okay?  Trust me."

"I trust you, Papa," Nick answered and flashed Garrett an excited smile.

Garrett, who was standing near them, with Robert lying at his feet and arms crossed over his chest, smiled back.  "You'll do great, Nick."

As soon as Nate started pushing gently at the bike and Nick started pedaling, Garrett went back to the bench where they had dropped their coats and other stuff and looked into Nate's bag for his camera.  His husband had taught him some basic photography skills and, though he would never be as good as Nate was, he was quite decent.  Much better than Nate would always be at baking, at least.

He snapped a few pictures with the camera and then one with his phone and sent it to Derek, who replied almost immediately, happy to know his grandson was enjoying his present and promising to show it to Dana as soon as he saw her.

Nick was inexhaustible and kept going for a very long hour, until Garrett insisted he needed a break to at least drink some water.  They sat on the grass and drank water and Nick asked a million times if Garrett had seen him do this and that, to which Garrett nodded enthusiastically.  He hadn't even blinked.

After his break, Nick felt confident enough to try riding on his own.  Nate helped him back on the bike and pushed him for a little distance before releasing him completely.  Both Garrett and Nate clapped encouragingly as Nick kept going, until he wavered and fell on his side.  His parents immediately ran to him, followed by Robert, who was awfully protective of Nick.

Garrett kneels on the ground, not caring about getting dirt on his designer jeans, and picked his boy up onto his lap.  "Are you okay?  Did you get hurt?"

To his surprise, a huge smile on his son's face.  "That was fun!  Let's do it again!"

Garrett sighed and rolled his eyes.  Sometimes NIck seemed almost as if he was Nate's biological son.  That puppy enthusiasm was typical of his husband and it had to be contagious somehow.

"That's my boy," Nate chuckled, wrapping his arms around him in a hug.  "Come on, let's do it again.  Try not to lean to the side so much this time."

Garrett went back to the bench with their stuff and started rummaging through his messenger bag, looking for the Spiderman Band-Aids.  He kept two in hand, almost certain that, by the end of the day, he would probably have to put on on his son and his husband too.  It wouldn't be the first time.

Nick managed to ride the bike perfectly on his fifth try.  When he realized he had done it, he dropped the bike to the ground and ran back to his dads, a huge smile pasted on his face and his arms raised in the air, ready to hug them both.  Garrett picked him up immediately, kissing his cheeks as he congratulated him for doing it so well.  Nate snapped a picture.

"Did you see me, daddy?" Nick asked, bouncing a bit on Garrett's hip.  "I went all the way to that tree, I did it all by myself.

"And you were amazing!"  Nate patted him gently on the back.  "You're already better at it than your uncle Larson."

"Anyone is better than Larson," Garrett snorted, remembering a family trip they had taken on bikes a couple of years ago and that had proved, for the hundredth time, that Larson was the most awkward creature to have ever been born.  He saw Nick had a little scrape on his knee, so he passed him to Nate and unwrapped the Band-Aid.  "There, all better."

"Can I do it again?" Nick looked at them with pleading eyes.

"Not today, sweetheart. It's getting late and we should go home.  You have school tomorrow," Garrett answered.  A little leaf falling from the nearest tree got caught in Nate's curls.  Garrett reached over and took it off, leaning in to kiss Garrett carefully.  Autumn reminded him of Nate's eyes.  The color was so similar.  So beautiful.

Nick was disappointed that they couldn't stay longer to play.  Then, he seemed to have a different idea.  "Can we bake some cookies from Grandma Ellie's box so I can take them to school tomorrow?"

Garrett stopped looking at Nate's eyes and turned to his son.  He kissed his tiny nose.  "Of course.  We'll make those chocolate ones you like so much."  He grabbed Robert's leash and hooked it to the dogs collar.

"What about me?  Don't I get baked goods too?" Nate pouted adorably at him, as he started following Garrett out of the park, as Nick lay down his head on his Papa's shoulder.

"I guess we could make some cupcakes for you," Garrett replied, nudging him playfully.

"Those ones with coffee, syrup, and honey?" Nate asked, also teasingly.  Garrett just laughed.  "Those are my favorite."

Garrett sighed and then he had to kiss Nate again.  He just had to.  "You know what?  Those are my favorite too."