TONIGHT WE'RE GOLD

THIRTY-TWO

'You're up?' Gerard asks, noticing his fiancé's breathing.

'I can't sleep.' He's breathing in and out, trying to hold in the tears. 'We're going to be dads.' Just saying those words makes him smile.

'We're going to be dads.' He hugs Frank closer as he starts to sob, and just lets him.

'Sorry I'm crying all the time. It's just too many feelings. It's almost as if I'm the one pregnant.'

Gerard laughs. 'It's okay. You've wanted this all your life.' He feels Frank nodding on his shoulder. 'I feel like you were born to be a dad. And it's a shame life took that away from you once. But maybe this was meant to be.'

'It was. And being a dad with you is the best thing that could happen to me.'

Gerard leans in to kiss him. 'But first, we have a wedding to plan.'

***

Frank can't even hide his smile.

He's on cloud nine, almost flying through his day. Since the moment he wakes up to take Soup and Lois for a walk, to the moment he goes to sleep. At the center, he volunteers himself to help with the Thanksgiving dinner for the kids. They usually do a small dinner for the residents of the rehab center and their families, but Frank manages to get donations to cook dinner for anyone who doesn't have anywhere to go.

'It's the least I could do to show how grateful I am,' he tells Lina as they make sure everything is ready for that night.

'And we're grateful for you, Frank.' He waved a hand as if it was nothing. 'I'm serious. These kids look up to you.' Some of the kids volunteered to help cook, wanting their families to eat something they prepared, and Frank convinced some of the people from AA to help too, so they have a lot of extra hands helping. 'Are you staying for dinner?'

'Just a bit. We're visiting Gee's parents.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah. And my parents are going too, so we're giving them the news.'

'Oh.'

'I'm nervous as fuck.'

'I understand, but please –'

'I know. And the last thing I want if for Gerard to get worried and change his mind. There is so much pressure, but this is when I have to prove myself and everyone that I can do it.'

'You can do it. And you know my door is always open for when you want to talk.'

'Thank you.'

They set up all the boxes and divide all the people in groups to assign a dish to each group. Frank teaches his group to make veggie lasagna.

After a couple hours, he goes home to take a shower and get ready. 'Look at you, motherfucker,' he says when he gets out of the shower and sees Gerard wearing one of his nice sweaters. 'You're ready to tell everyone you're gonna be my hubby?'

'Oh, I've been ready for the longest time.' He kisses him. 'Are you ready to tell everyone you'll be my baby daddy?'

'I'm fucking ready.'

'So should I start calling you dilf?'

Frank laughs. 'You can call me whatever you want.'

'Oh, before I forget!' Gerard interrupts. 'I got something for you. It's like an engagement gift, you could say.' He leads him to the office, where I big box, almost his size, is standing in the middle of the room. Just by the stamps on the box, Franks knows what it is. 'I figure, since you started writing again, you might need a new toy.'

Frank almost runs to go open the box, not without kissing his fiancé first. 'You are seriously the best husband-to-be ever!'

'I know.'

Gerard helps him to open the box, and then the case, and Frank gets excited when he sees the blue Fender guitar, falling in love with it immediately. 'Thank you so much, babe,' he says.

'It's the least you deserve.'

They run to the car, already late for dinner at the center. They all seem happy to see Frank, and a lot of kids go and say hi. He introduces them to Gerard. 'This man right here is my almost husband, Gerard.'

'He's cute,' one of the girls says.

'I know, right?'

Soon, Kaya makes her way to their table, and Frank can already notice she's showing. 'It's good to see you,' he says, trying not to cry again. But it's hard when his baby is right there.

'It's good to see you too.' Another woman, who looks exactly like her but a bit older, and her whole family approaches. 'This is my sister, Grace. And her husband Jake, and Sammy and Amy.'

'Nice to meet you, I'm Frank.'

'Thank you for helping Kaya,' Grace says.

'Absolutely.'

'He and Gerard are the ones who are going to adopt the baby,' Kaya mentions.

Grace turns to them, not sure what to say. Frank can't help thinking she's not okay with it. With them. 'They seem a nice couple.'

'They are.'

Kaya stays in their table and they talk about how she's doing at rehab, and that she signed in to almost all of their programs.

But soon, it's time for them to go, so they say goodbye and they get in their car.

'I can't believe I'm just meeting your parents after a whole year of being together,' Frank mentions.

'Well, I only met your dad a couple months ago.'

'True, I guess.'

'But they're nice. I'm sure they'll love you.'

Their house is the same house where Gerard grew up in, and he tells Frank stories about a tree that used to be there but it's not anymore, and how he and Mikey used to go upstairs with his grandma and listen to her play piano.

When they ring the bell, the door opens immediately, and Gerard's mom welcomes him with a hug, and then Frank. 'Hi, honey,' she says. 'I can't believe it took my stupid son a whole year to introduce us to you.'

'That's exactly what I said!'

They seem nice, and Frank can see Gerard in them, all his quirks and mannerisms, their taste for the dark. The house is decorated with creepy paintings and dolls. Now he understands why Gerard is who he is, and he loves him even more.

Mikey is watching TV with his dad in the living room, while his girls are playing next to him. When Rowan sees Frank, she runs to him and hugs him. 'Uncle Frankie!'

They both help Donna in the kitchen, while Donna asks Frank about his life and what does he do, how he met Gerard.

In the meantime, Gerard and Kristin set the table, and just before they sit down, the doorbell rings, and Frank can hear his mom's loud voice greeting Donna.

Frank and Gerard just share a look, nervous.

Rowan chooses to sit with Uncle Frankie, and while Donald gives his speech, thanking everyone for being there, Frank feels his fiancé's arm around him. 'I hope this is the first of many,' Gerard's dad says. '

When it comes to Gerard's turn to say something, he clears his throat, and reaches for Frank's hand to find the courage. 'First of all, I want to say that I'm thankful for finding the love of my life, and that he's doing good, and we have each other.' He pauses. 'And that's what we wanted to tell you. We're getting married.'

'We knew that,' Linda says, confused.

'Next month,' Gerard continues. 'Right after Christmas.'

Everyone gasps, surprised.

'And that's not all.'

But he lets Frank give them the news. 'We'll have a baby. We're adopting.'