"Oh, look at this tiling, Thomas!" Rickie enthused to his husband as they walked through the lobby of the ornate hotel.

"I know!" replied Thomas, a proud smile on his face as he stared at the fresco he himself had commissioned. "I did so well."

Rickie laughed as he turned to Angela. "So confident in his own designs. I love it."

Angela smiled affectionately at her old friend.

"You both haven't changed at all."

Looking down at the two children holding hands with Thomas and Rickie. "Can't say the same for these two." she said affectionately, grinning at her honorary niece and nephew, Beatrice and Jeff. "You both have gotten so big!"

Both twins beamed at Angela, showing her their trademark glowing smiles. Angela saw the first signs of puppy dog eyes in Beatrice and knew she was going to ask for something.

"Auntie Angela, can we go swimming with Jack?"

Angela rubbed the little girl's hair affectionately.

"If it's okay with your daddies, Jack will take you to the pool."

Beatrice turned to Rickie, the younger looking at her father with big brown eyes.

"Daddy?"

"You can go, Papa and I have to unpack."

"Sounds boring." Replied Beatrice

"Oh, it is!" replied Rickie. He gave Beatrice a kiss on the head and pulled his son into a hug. Rickie turned to the concierge to check in.

"Vasquez-Coste for the Albertson wedding?"

"Be nice to Jack." reminded Thomas. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the sunscreen.

"Daddy!" groaned Beatrice

"Sunscreen is very important, young lady. You and I both know that."

Beatrice sighed dramatically as her father sprayed her arms and legs, quickly lifting her dark curls to make sure her neck was covered. She had inherited Rickie's looks but she had picked up her dramatic side from Thomas.

"Where is Jack?" Asked Rickie and Angela turned her head, looking for her son. She couldn't hide her amusement when she saw him enraptured at a large portrait of Paul McCartney twenty feet away.

"He really loves the Beatles, doesn't he?" Laughed Thomas. "You Americans love your rock stars."

"Yes, yes we do." Replied Rickie, holding the key pass to his room. He saw a familiar blonde haired man at the check in desk three down from theirs and gasped.

"Brian!"

"Here you go, Mr. Krakow." The smiling concierge handed him the keys. "Enjoy your stay!"

The blonde man turned around abruptly, surprised though happy to see Rickie and Thomas.

"Oh, hey Rickie." Said Brian, pulling his friend into a hug. "Haven't seen you forever."

"You remember Angela, right?" Said Rickie, motioning to his friend. "Angela Chase?"

Brian and Angela made eye contact awkwardly before shaking hands. Brian knew he was going to see her again, given the occasion but he realized no matter how hard he tried to tell himself he had forgotten her, seeing her was a strange sensation that he didn't know how to feel about.

"Hi, Brian." Said Angela, smiling slightly awkwardly. She hadn't known her sister had invited Brian, even though she knew Danielle was fond of him.

There were a few months of tense silence before Jack came to the checkout counter. "Hey, the twins want me to take them swimming after this. They also want to eat lunch."

Thomas looked at his children knowingly. "Did Jack offer to buy you lunch?"

"Yeah, I did." Confirmed Jack "There's a McDonald's down the street. We can walk there."

"Do you have your phone on you?" Asked Angela "Your wallet?"

Jack groaned playfully and Angela laughed at her son.

"Of course I do mom. I got everything. I'll be back before Aunt Danielle's party."

Angela scruffied her son's hair. "See you at 4."

Jack took Beatrice's and Jeff's hands and the three walked out one of the hotel's double doors.

"C'mon, let's get settled in." Said Rickie. "It's great to see both of you again. Tell me Brian, what is it that you've been doing lately."

Brian felt his mouth go dry and his body go tense as he tried to avoid looking at Angela.

"I work at Google now. I got promoted a few months ago, actually."

He was amazed he managed to say anything without vomiting.

"That's great, Brian." Said Angela, sincerely. "What else are you currently doing?"

Brian found himself surprised by her response and felt slightly less stiff in his shoulders.

"I just sold my apartment in Washington DC. I'm moving to Manhattan for work in a few weeks. What have you been doing?"

"I'm living in the upper west side now, actually. I work as a freelance writer."

"Danielle never mentioned you had a son. Congratulations."

"Thank you. Speaking of Danielle, I have to go help set up for the party. See you in a hour."

Angela put her suitcase on a luggage cart and pushed it on one of the elevators, quickly becoming out of sight behind the brassy elevator doors. Even after she had left the lobby, Brian could still feel his heart beating quickly.

No one said anything for a few seconds and Brian begin feeling nauseous again. He told a deep breath and noticed Thomas watching him, his grey eyes full of concern. Brian tried to calm himself by taking three deep breathes.

"You really missed her, didn't you Brian?" Asked Thomas gently.

Brian didn't deny it. "I really did."

"Even after you met Leah?"

Brian took a deep breath. "Even then." he admitted. "I haven't seen her in nearly twenty years and she can still do that. It's ridiculous."

"It's how you felt when you last saw her, you told us."

"It's not 1997 anymore. What happened between us is in the past, ok?"

Brian felt his nausea worsening and what felt like his heart dropping into his stomach.

"She has a kid."

The heartbreaking pain of his realization intensified when he released the kid's age.

"He's what, fifteen sixteen, seventeen years old?" Brian mumbled. "That puts him at 2000, 2001-"

"1999. He was born in early 1999, Brian." Rickie felt terrible telling his friend, knowing it would devastate him.

Brian looked sadly at Rickie and Thomas. "I'm going to put my things away"

Brian didn't even grab a cart, instead walking to the elevator holding his duffel bag, a pained on his face as the doors closed.

"We should put our bags in the room and get ready for the party." muttered Thomas

"Yeah, we should." Agreed Ricky. He reached for Thomas's hand and they intertwined their fingers as they pushed the elevator button. The two quickly caught an elevator to their room on the 19th floor, both silently thinking of their friends.