Disclaimer – I own nothing of RENT or the poem I use in the story. I own my original characters and the plot. 'Nuff said.
Italics is the poem.
A/N: I was really bored so I was looking at my Facebook wall and I came across this poem.
Summary: AU: Roger always loved his dog and his family. Set to a poem I found on Facebook. Rated T because I'm paranoid. ONE-SHOT.
Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Rating: T
One Christmas morning, ten-year-old Roger, along with his older sister and older brother, raced to the beautiful Christmas tree and sat beneath it.
"You kids don't want any breakfast?" Mrs. Davis asked. All of the kids shook their heads as they opened their presents.
"Wow! I got a model airplane kit!" Donny, Roger's oldest brother announced.
"Thanks mom! Thanks dad!" Annette, Roger's eldest sister thanked her parents, showing off her new earrings. Roger smiled at his siblings and looked at the presents he had received.
"Roger, there's one more present for you." Mr. Davis told Roger. He followed his father to the kitchen and there, with a red bow around her neck, was the cutest little puppy Roger had ever seen. Her body was brown with black spots. Her ears were what Roger loved the best – one stood straight up and the other flopped over her eye.
"She's for me?" Roger inquired, letting the puppy sniff him.
"Your mother and I talked about it and we thought since you were doing so well in school and helping out around the house, we decided that you got what you always wanted – a puppy." Mr. Davis said. "She's half German Shepherd, half Yellow Lab. She's eight weeks old."
"I'm gonna call her Musetta, after my favorite character in La Boheme." Roger told his father, hugging him around the middle.
Roger and Musetta never left each other's side. Even when Roger enrolled them in a puppy class when Musetta was four months old, she was the best behaved puppy there.
"You have the best puppy. What kind of dog is she?" the instructor asked when the class went on a break.
"She's half German Shepherd and half Yellow Lab." Roger answered, watching Musetta play with a Great Dane puppy named Tank.
"Tank – be nice!" Tank's owner, Melissa, told her puppy. The gray puppy looked at his owner then went back to playing with Musetta.
Roger and Melissa became friends, along with Tank and Musetta. Roger felt that they would be friends for a very long time.
Don't question my loyalty – I will always stay true to you
Thirteen-year-old Roger looked at his two-year-old dog, Musetta. He was throwing a Frisbee for her, which she enjoyed more than anything else in the world. The two of them were at the dog park, along with his sister and his three-year-old niece, Jazmine.
"Roger! Hey!" a familiar voice called. Roger turned around and smiled when he saw Melissa and Tank entered the dog park. Musetta galloped over to her friend, Frisbee still in her mouth.
"Hey Melissa. Hi you!" Roger greeted Melissa and Tank. Musetta had completely forgotten the Frisbee and was chasing Tank, along with an Airedale, Golden Doodle, Labradoodle and Dalmatian around the park.
"MUSETTA! COME ON GIRL, LET'S GO HOME!" Roger called over a roll of thunder. Musetta instantly came bounding over to Roger, tail between her legs. Roger scratched her favorite spot, snapped her leash on her and hurried out of the dog park, his sister and niece right behind him.
A week later, Roger was out for a walk with Musetta when he saw a Golden Retriever come bounding over to him.
"Musetta, sit." Roger commanded his dog. She obeyed him as the Golden stopped in front of him, grinning up at Roger. Roger smiled and stood on the Golden's leash until the owner came.
Roger's heart stopped when a young man about his age came rolling down the hill in a wheelchair and stopped in front of Roger. He had brown hair and blue eyes that sparkled in the summer's sun. Roger knew deep inside that he liked other boys, but hung out with girls for fear of being teased.
"Lucy Simone Roberts! That is the fifth time you've run away from me! Bad dog!" the young man scolded the dog before turning to Roger. "Thanks so much for finding her for me."
"Huh? Oh no problem. She's really a pretty dog." Roger told the young man, turning his gaze to Musetta. She sat as still as a statue.
"Thanks. Yours is too and so well behaved. I'm Matthew by the way." The young man – Matthew – introduced himself.
"I'm Roger." Roger said.
"You wanna finish our walk together?" Matthew inquired, picking up Lucy's leash as Roger gave Musetta a treat.
"Sure." Roger agreed, smiling at Matthew.
Turned out that Matthew was gay, too, and really didn't care what other people thought about it. He and Roger also loved all the same things, ranging from the same bands to the same brand of jeans that they wore.
"You are so perfect for me." Roger said as he and Matthew laid on Matthew's water bed. The two of them had been going out for four months and were slowly falling for each other.
"You are, too." Matthew said, looking over at Musetta, who was fast asleep on her side. "Musetta seems pretty devoted to you." Roger nodded and looked at Lucy snuggled in her dog bed with her favorite stuffed animal. Musetta was on the end of the bed, her favorite spot.
"I think I've trained her well." Roger said, running a finger up and down Matthew's jawline.
"Enough talk about our dogs. I don't wanna talk for a while." Matthew told Roger as he fiddled with the waistband of Roger's jeans.
Things only got better from there.
Don't question my devotion – I won't ever let you down
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GAY?" Roger's father roared. Matthew rubbed Roger's back as he came out to his parents.
"George, calm down." Mrs. Davis told her husband.
"YOUR BROTHER CAME OUT TO US LAST YEAR AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN DEAL WITH ANOTHER GAY PERSON LIVING IN THIS HOUSE!" Mr. Davis exclaimed.
"Dad, why can't you accept me like you accepted Donny?" Roger questioned, feeling tears in his eyes. Matthew kissed his temple and held his hand.
"This is a sudden blow for us. Donny told us after a week he and his partner were seeing each other. You two waited to tell us until you were dating for five months." Mrs. Davis spoke up.
"Do your parents know?" Mr. Davis asked Matthew. He nodded.
"They've known for about three years now. My dad disowned me, so I'm living with my mom." Matthew told the Davis'.
"I want you to pack up your things and get the hell out of my house." Mr. Davis told Roger, his voice calm.
"What? Why?" Roger inquired, Matthew staying right by Roger's side. Musetta never left Roger's side, not even when his father raised his voice.
"I-I can't deal with you right now. Please just move out." Mr. Davis told Roger. Roger turned to his mother.
"Mom? What's your say in this?" Roger questioned.
"I think it would be best if you moved out. We're still in so much shock from your words." Mrs. Davis said gently. Roger couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I'm NEVER talking to you again!" Roger yelled at his father as he stormed up the stairs, Musetta following right behind him.
Matthew stayed on the main level, since Roger's room was on the second floor. Musetta watched Roger pack two bags – one for his things and one for hers.
"Don't worry, girl. You're coming with me." Roger told Musetta as he finished packing Musetta's bag.
Matthew called his mom to see if Roger could move in with them. He also quickly explained what Roger had gone through. After hearing his story, Mrs. Roberts gave Matthew the okay that Roger could move in with them.
That night, Roger cried himself to sleep. Matthew held the other boy as he cried, smoothing back his hair and kissed the base of his neck.
"Shh, sweetheart. It's okay. I'm right here. Musetta's right here. We won't leave you." Matthew soothed, rubbing Roger's back.
Roger finished his crying and fell asleep. Matthew held him for the rest of the night. Matthew sang a bit of Roger's favorite song in his ear before drifting off to sleep.
Since the two of them were thirteen, Mrs. Roberts kept a watchful eye on both of them. She wouldn't allow them to be alone for one minute.
"Hey, wanna go to the mall?" Roger inquired. It was a hot summer's day and there was absolutely nothing to do.
"Not really." Matthew answered, propping himself on an elbow and looked into Roger's kind green eyes. Both boys were shirtless and under the covers. Mrs. Roberts was at work and wasn't expected to come home until later.
"You wanna do it?" Roger asked. Matthew looked at Roger, kind of confused.
"Um, we're guys. How does that work?" Matthew inquired. Roger got up from the bed and closed the door. The dogs were out in the hallway, which was okay with both boys.
"Like this." Roger whispered in Matthew's ear, his hands sliding down Matthew's sides and back up again. He planted kisses all over Matthew's bare chest and on his beautiful face.
He then undid Matthew's jeans and carefully slid them down Matthew's legs before climbing on top of him. He quickly undid his own jeans and put on a condom, just in case. Matthew was completely aroused and let out a moan as Roger rubbed his manhood against Matthew's.
"Let me know if I'm hurting you, okay?" Roger whispered in Matthew's ear.
"I will." Matthew whispered back, gently nibbling on Roger's earlobe. Roger let out a moan as he removed the condom and played with Matthew's manhood.
The two of them made love for three hours straight. Roger was gentle at first and then Matthew urged him to go a little faster. Roger obeyed and went on pleasing his boyfriend.
"That was amazing." Matthew panted as Roger finished and wrapped a blanket around the two of them.
"No – you're amazing." Roger told his amazing boyfriend.
Roger felt his love for Matthew grow stronger each day, but he never questioned the love that Musetta had for him. He loved her and Matthew the same.
Don't question my love – my heart is always yours
Three years later, Roger and Matthew's love was stronger than ever. That is, until Roger got very sick and spent most of the day in front of the toilet, puking his guts out. Either Musetta or Matthew stayed with him.
"Honey, can I get you something?" Matthew inquired, rubbing Roger's back.
"Not right now, thanks sweetheart." Roger croaked, standing up on wobbly legs and headed for the bedroom, getting under the covers.
"If you need me, I'll be working on that project for English. I love you." Matthew told Roger, getting his laptop and rolled up to his desk. He didn't feel like leaving Roger alone, so he did some work while Roger either slept or threw up.
For lunch, Matthew brought Roger some crackers and some juice. Roger nursed the juice and nibbled on the crackers.
"If you're not feeling well by tomorrow, I'll have my mom drive us to the doctor's." Matthew told Roger, kissing his temple. Roger nodded and fell asleep, Matthew right beside him.
Roger wasn't feeling well by the following morning, so Matthew, Mrs. Roberts and Roger got in the car and drove to the doctor's.
Roger wanted Matthew to come with him when the nurse called his name.
"I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere." Matthew soothed as Roger sat on the examining table. He held Roger's hand and smiled when the doctor came in.
"Hi, Roger. My name is Dr. Ivy Kennedy. What brings you in here, today?" the doctor inquired.
"Well, I've been puking my guts out for twenty-four hours, but it comes and goes." Roger told the doctor, squeezing Matthew's hand. Dr. Kennedy frowned and had Roger do a urine test while she talked with Matthew.
"Are you two sexually active?" Dr. Kennedy asked.
"Yeah, we are." Matthew told the doctor. She wrote something down on her notepad just as Roger entered the room and sat back on the examining table.
"Okay, I'll take this to the lab and will be back in about five minutes." Dr. Kennedy told the two young men. They nodded and talked for a little bit when five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. The doctor came in with a very puzzled look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Roger inquired.
"I don't know exactly how this happened, but Roger, you're pregnant." Dr. Kennedy told Roger. Both guys looked at each other then back at the doctor.
"I thought only women got pregnant?" Matthew asked, completely confused.
"There is a rare disorder that Roger has that enables him to have children. When the time comes to deliver, should you two decide to keep your baby, I would like you two to schedule a C-Section. It will be better and safer for Roger and the baby." The doctor told the guys. She then wrote a prescription for prenatal vitamins and handed it to Roger.
"Thanks so much." Roger and Matthew thanked the doctor in unison.
"Why don't you get our coats and I'll put in your prescription?" Matthew suggested. Roger nodded and went to get their coats. Mrs. Roberts looked up from her knitting.
"What's going on with you?" she inquired.
"I just have the stomach bug. I'll be fine in a couple days. The doctor prescribed me some vitamins to help me feel better, so Matthew's putting it in for me." Roger told her. She nodded and stood up, following Roger out the door.
It was very quiet in the house – both girls were sleeping, but instantly started their whining when everyone entered the house. Matthew and Roger strapped on their leashes and took them for a walk while Mrs. Roberts got ready for work.
"Are we gonna keep this thing?" Roger asked Matthew as both girls sniffed a very friendly Pit Bull named Moose.
"Of course we are. I've always wanted to take care of a baby." Matthew said, pulling Lucy away from Moose's face so that they could continue their walk.
"Don't you think it should be my decision, since I'm the one carrying our baby?" Roger inquired.
"What do you think? Do you want it or not?" Matthew wanted to know.
"Yes, I want to keep it." Roger said, taking a minute to kiss the top of Matthew's head. Matthew smiled up at Roger and they continued their walk in silence.
Nine months later
"Now I know what women have to go through. I want this thing out NOW!" Roger complained. The two of them were at the hospital and Roger was getting prepped for his C-Section.
"Roger, sweetie, shh. She'll be on her way soon." Matthew soothed his wonderful partner. They found out three weeks ago that they were having a daughter. They already picked out a beautiful name for her – Grace Elizabeth Davis-Roberts. Grace for Matthew's grandmother and Elizabeth for Roger's grandmother.
A few minutes later, Roger was ready for his C-Section and went to the operating room. Matthew followed right behind him and held Roger's hand throughout the surgery.
Half an hour later, soft crying greeted Matthew's ears. He carefully wheeled over to Roger's stomach and nearly cried when the doctor handed him a pair of scissors and showed him where to cut the umbilical chord.
Roger went into recovery while Matthew went to the nursery to see Grace. She was absolutely perfect. She was 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 17.7 inches long.
He held her for the first time and bottle-fed her. She was an absolute angel and stared up at Matthew with big blue-green eyes.
"Hi sweetheart. I'm your daddy – well, one of them. Your birth daddy is recovering from his surgery, but he'll see you soon." Matthew told Grace as he bottle-fed her.
The doctor came in and told Matthew that Roger was out of recovery and was in a hospital room. Matthew smiled and wheeled ahead of the doctor. The doctor pushed the incubator that Grace was in.
"Hi sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Matthew asked as he came into the suite they had.
"Like I got hit by a truck." Roger croaked. He smiled sleepily when he saw the incubator.
"Are you up for holding her at all?" Matthew inquired. Roger nodded weakly and Matthew turned to the room nurse. She opened the top of the incubator and carefully handed Grace to Roger.
"What's her name?" the room nurse inquired.
"Grace Elizabeth Davis-Roberts." Matthew answered as he watched Roger hold his daughter.
"Oh my God – she is so beautiful." Roger whispered, tears in his eyes.
"I know. By some miracle, we made her." Matthew told Roger, watching him hold their little miracle.
"I wonder how Musetta will react to having a baby in the house." Roger wondered out loud. Sadly, four months ago, they had to make the hard decision of putting Lucy to sleep. She was fourteen-years-old. Musetta was getting up there in age – she would be turning twelve at the end of the month.
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Matthew told Roger, carefully climbing in next to him. Grace was in the incubator, which was in the nursery. The night nurses took care of all the babies in the nursery, so they knew that Grace was in good hands.
Two days later, the family was given the okay to go home. Roger changed Grace's diaper while Matthew used the bathroom. He exited the bathroom four minutes later and looked over at Roger and Grace having a bonding moment.
When they pulled in the driveway of Mrs. Roberts' house, there were three cars parked in the driveway and on the side road.
"What the hell? We didn't have any visitors while we were in the hospital, so I have no idea what's going on." Matthew whispered as Roger got Grace out of her carseat and headed inside.
"Mom? What's going on?" Matthew called into the house. Roger was just as confused as Matthew was.
That's when the boys heard voices coming from the kitchen. Roger put Grace in the nursery and then followed Matthew to the kitchen. They saw Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Davis and Roger's sister, Annette, sitting around the kitchen table, knitting.
"Um, didn't you hear us come in the house?" Matthew inquired, taking a moment to pet Musetta as she waddled over to them.
"Yes, we did Matthew. What's going on?" Mrs. Roberts inquired, looking up from her knitting.
"We thought you ladies would want to meet your new granddaughter and niece." Roger told the ladies.
"Let me see her!" Annette squealed. Roger carefully handed her Grace and instructed her how to hold the two-day-old.
Roger put Grace down for a nap while Matthew finished some last-minute homework. Roger had done his homework for the past nine months and was totally caught up on everything.
"What do you think of Grace, Musetta girl?" Matthew asked as he carefully let Musetta sniff the baby. To prepare her for having another person in the house, Roger or Matthew had Musetta sniff some of the things that the new baby would be using – a blanket and some of her baby clothes.
Now that the baby was here, Musetta was perfect with her. Roger and Matthew smiled as they watched dog and baby bond.
Don't question my trust – I won't ever tell your secrets
Two years later
"Honey, I'm off to the store. Do you need anything?" Roger asked as he watched Matthew feed Grace some lunch.
"Some celery sticks and carrots for the party tonight." Matthew answered, not taking his eyes off Grace. She had Matthew's brown hair, but had Roger's big emerald green eyes.
Roger kissed the tops of Matthew and Grace's heads before heading out the door. Musetta didn't look up from her doggy bed and Roger didn't blame her – she was now thirteen-years-old and was starting to slow down in her old age.
"Dada we go for walk?" Grace asked once she had finished her lunch and took a nap.
"Sure sweetheart." Matthew told his daughter, quickly scribbling a note for Roger, just in case he got home before they did and placed Grace on his lap and headed out the door.
Roger arrived home first and saw the note from Matthew that he and Grace had gone for a walk and would be home soon.
"Musetta, come on girl. Let's go outside." Roger told his beloved dog. He went to her bed and knelt down beside her. Musetta's ears weren't working as well as they did, so sometimes Roger had to shout to her. That's when he saw that Musetta wasn't moving at all. "Oh my God."
Roger figured that Musetta had passed away in her sleep.
He quickly called Matthew on his cell phone to let him know that Musetta had died. Matthew said that they were on their way and that he loved Roger very much.
"I love you, too." Roger told his partner, hanging up the phone and collapsed into his favorite armchair. He let out loud heart-wrenching sobs for he had lost his best friend.
"Roger? Honey, where are you?" Matthew called as he entered the apartment. They lived on the bottom floor, since that was the most convenient for Matthew. He sent Grace to her room so that he could spend some time with Roger.
Matthew found Roger sitting in the living room, crying into his hands. Matthew pulled up next to Roger and held him.
"Shh, sweetheart. She's in a better place now." Matthew soothed, rubbing Roger's back as he sobbed.
"She's gone!" Roger sobbed. Matthew kissed Roger's temple and had him follow Matthew to their bedroom.
Once the two of them were in their bedroom, Matthew got onto the bed and had Roger lay down on his stomach. He gave Roger a soothing back massage while Roger cried his eyes out.
Matthew frowned – he knew exactly what Roger was going through – he acted just like this when they had to put Lucy down.
An hour later, Roger stopped his crying and took a nap while Matthew went across the hall to Grace's room.
"Grace, honey, can I talk to you?" Matthew asked. She looked up from playing with her stuffed animals and looked at Matthew with her large green eyes.
"Otay dada." Grace said. Matthew didn't know exactly what to say to a two-year-old.
"Your aunt Annette sent over a book that I want to read to you." Matthew said, going to Grace's bookshelf and got out the book that Annette had sent them when Mr. Davis had passed away when Grace was a year old. Roger and his father still didn't talk to each other – both men could hold a grudge forever. With some coaxing from Matthew and his mother, Roger was persuaded to go to his father's funeral.
He had Grace sit on his lap as he read her the book. The book was about a little girl named Olivia and it explained that her grandmother was very sick and had to stay in the hospital. One morning, when Olivia and her parents went to visit her grandmother, she was gone. Olivia's mother had explained that Olivia's grandmother was in a place called heaven.
"Like Olivia's grandmother, Musetta's gone to heaven, too." Matthew explained as they finished the book. Grace blinked and Matthew saw the tears forming in her eyes. "Honey, it's okay to cry. Daddy's been crying. I've been crying and you can cry, too."
As Grace cried, Matthew sang her the lullaby he or Roger sang to her every night – it was a beautiful song called Lift the Wings.
"You feel okay?" Matthew asked once he was finished singing. Grace nodded and climbed off Matthew's chair and went back to playing with her stuffed animals. Matthew kissed the top of her head and exited the room.
He went to the kitchen and started preparing the vegetable plate that he and Roger were taking with them. A friend of Matthew's from work was having a birthday and invited both Roger and Matthew to come. Unfortunately, it was an adult-only party, so that meant having a sitter for Grace. Usually, Mrs. Davis watched her, but she had bridge club that night. Mrs. Roberts was their back up, but she was working late.
Roger entered the room, a small smile on his face. Matthew looked over confused. Roger mouthed 'Mark' to Matthew. Matthew smiled, remembering Mark from their wedding where he had served as best man. Roger's sister had been the maid of honor.
"Great. We'll see you soon. Can't wait to see you again. Okay, bye." Roger said, hanging up the phone. He turned back to Matthew and kissed his soft lips.
"Did you find a sitter?" Matthew inquired, getting some dip from the fridge, then did a complete facepalm – he had seen Roger mouth 'Mark' when he was speaking on the phone.
"Grace has met Mark once and she really likes him." Roger told Matthew between kisses. The two of them went to their bedroom and closed the door behind them.
They made love up until the doorbell rang. The two men quickly straightened up and Matthew went to answer the door while Roger finished up in the bathroom.
"Hey Mark!" Matthew greeted the other man.
"Hey Matthew. How've you been?" Mark inquired, coming into the apartment.
"I've been okay. Musetta died today, so Roger's upset about it." Matthew told Mark just as Grace came into the room.
"How's Grace been handling it?" Mark asked.
"I read her a book about death earlier, so she kind of understands what's going on." Matthew explained. Mark nodded and turned his attention to Grace. The two of them played My Little Pony while Roger ran around like a chicken with its head cut off.
"Okay, we should be home between 9:30 and 10:00. Bedtime is 8:30 – she needs a bath tonight, everything you need is in the bathroom. For dinner, there's some macaroni and cheese, applesauce and green pepper. She likes to wear the pink princess pajamas I've laid out on her bed. I've also written the lyrics for Lift the Wings out for you. Matthew and I have our cell phones if you need anything." Roger said as he came into the living room. He kissed the top of Grace's head and followed Matthew out the door.
"Be good, Grace. Daddy and Dada love you." Matthew told the little girl as they rushed out the door.
At 10:10, Matthew and Roger arrived home. They saw Mark reading a book on the couch and according to the monitor, Grace was fast asleep.
"Thank you so much for doing this for us." Roger whispered, slipping a ten dollar bill into Mark's pocket. Mark smiled and exited the apartment.
The following morning, Roger spent the entire day in front of the toilet, retching. Matthew had his mother take Grace to preschool while he spent the day with Roger, soothing him and stroking his hair.
"I feel like I'm dying." Roger complained.
"You're not dying, honey." Matthew soothed, kissing the end of Roger's nose.
Turned out Roger was pregnant again, this time with twins. Unfortunately, Roger lost one of the twins due to a miscarriage in his first trimester.
"It's okay, baby." Matthew soothed. Roger sighed and leaned against Matthew's shoulder – he was tired of crying and his hormones were out of control.
Eight months later
"So, what are we gonna name the little guy?" Roger asked, turning so he was facing Matthew.
"What about Jacob Benjamin?" Matthew suggested. Roger smiled – it was perfect.
"I love it." Roger said, taking Matthew's hand in his. Matthew squeezed Roger's hand back, totally proud of his life partner.
One month later
Roger was prepped for his C-Section with Matthew right beside him, as always. Grace was at preschool and Mrs. Roberts was on her way to get her.
"Congrats you two – you have a son." The doctor told Matthew, handing him the new baby.
"He is so handsome." Matthew whispered. He looked lovingly at Roger. "He looks a lot like you."
Roger moaned and sat up in the hospital bed just as Grace and Mrs. Roberts entered.
"Who that?" Grace inquired, pointing to the baby in Matthew's arms.
"Grace, your daddy and I would like you to meet your new brother. His name is Jacob Benjamin." Matthew whispered to his daughter. Grace crept silently over to where her dads were and looked at the bundle in Matthew's arms.
"I hold baby?" Grace asked, looking at Matthew with her beautiful green eyes. Matthew nodded and had his mom help Grace while he carefully handed Jacob to her.
Matthew smiled and looked over at Roger, who was fast asleep. Matthew didn't blame him – he would be sleeping too if he had just had major surgery.
"Mom, can you watch her for a moment? I need to say something to Roger." Matthew told his mother. She nodded and turned her attention back to Grace.
Matthew drew the curtain around Roger's bed so that they could have some privacy before Jacob woke up.
"You can't imagine how proud of you I am. You delivered two incredibly beautiful children and I just wanted to say I love you and always will." Matthew whispered to Roger, gently squeezing his hand. Roger squeezed Matthew's hand back.
A few hours later, Grace and Mrs. Roberts had gone home, so it was just Roger, Matthew and Jacob. Roger was somewhat awake and was holding Jacob.
"You're right – he does look like me." Roger croaked, smiling. Matthew kissed Roger's temple and looked down at the sleeping bundle in Roger's arms.
The following afternoon, Roger, Jacob and Matthew were given permission to go home. Matthew changed Jacob while Roger got himself ready to go.
Five minutes later, the three of them were in the car on the way home.
"Rog, have you ever thought about getting another dog? It's been three years since Musetta passed." Matthew spoke up.
"I've been thinking about it, but not right now. We have a three-year-old and a one-day-old to take care of first." Roger told Matthew.
"I know, but somewhere down the road, would you like another dog?" Matthew inquired.
"Yeah, I guess I would. It's kind of quiet in the house without a dog." Roger answered, looking in the rearview mirror. Matthew had volunteered to sit in the back with Jacob while Roger drove them to the apartment.
"Since there's four of us, I was thinking of looking at houses." Roger said as he pulled the car into the car lot and found his parking spot. Together, he and Matthew got Jacob's things and headed into the apartment.
That night, Matthew and Roger barely got any sleep. Matthew stayed with Grace because she was having a nightmare and refused to go back to sleep. Roger stayed with Jacob – he needed some bonding time with his little boy.
"Shh, Jake. Get some sleep little man. It's okay." Roger soothed as Jacob let out a loud cry. Roger got up from the bed and went over to Jacob's cradle. The infant was letting out loud cries that sounded angry. Roger carried Jacob over to the rocking chair in the corner and sang some of Lift the Wings.
After twenty-five minutes of rocking, Jacob started to settle down. Roger got up from the rocking chair and put Jacob back in his cradle, which was on Roger's side of the bed. Roger then got back in bed and fell asleep.
Roger turned on his side and saw the light from the hallway on. Blinking, he got out of bed, taking the monitor with him and exited the room.
He saw Grace and Matthew watching My Little Pony. The sound was low, probably not to wake up Roger and Jacob. Grace was asleep and Matthew was almost there.
"Matthew, honey. Come to bed." Roger whispered in Matthew's ear.
"Okay. Let me put her to bed first." Matthew whispered back. Roger shook his head and handed Matthew the monitor. Matthew kissed Roger's hand and went to the master bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Roger carefully picked up Grace and put her to bed. He then went to the living room and turned off the TV. Finally, he went to the master bedroom and laid down beside Matthew.
The following morning, Grace wasn't feeling well, so Matthew stayed with her while Roger tended to Jacob.
"Let's see – do you want the blue onesie or do you want the guitar onesie?" Roger inquired, trying his best Tim Gunn impression. "I think the guitar onesie would be fabulous on you."
Roger than sang The Itsy-Bitsy Spider to Jacob as he changed and fed him. He then brought Jacob out to the tiny kitchen so he could get started on making breakfast for everyone.
As Roger was making eggs, the phone rang. Roger turned off the burner and answered the phone before the answering machine picked up.
"Hello? Oh, hi Mark! Yeah, everyone's fine. He's good – he's helping me make breakfast and I left him in charge of the eggs. No, I didn't leave him alone – that would be stupid. You wanna meet Jacob? Um, today's not the best day – Grace is sick, so Matthew's staying with her and Jacob's two-days-old, so I can't take him out. Would tomorrow work for you? Okay, call me when you wake up tomorrow and we'll schedule a time. Sounds great. Can't wait to see you either. Wait – you're what? When? Uh huh. I'll let Matthew know. I'm glad you've finally met someone. You can tell me all about her – I'm sorry him – tomorrow when we see each other. Okay. Bye." Roger finished his phone conversation and went back to making eggs.
"Mmm. Something smells good." Matthew's voice came from behind Roger. He turned around and saw Matthew at the entrance to the kitchen.
"Kitchen's not open yet, but will be soon." Roger told his partner. At that point, Jacob was starting to fuss. Roger handed Jacob to Matthew and he went to tend to him. "Wash your hands before and after you're done with him." Roger called out.
"I know, honey." Matthew called back, entering the master bedroom.
At that point, Roger decided to check on Grace. Since breakfast was almost done, Roger cleaned up the kitchen and then made his way to Grace's room.
He could hear her sniffling and sneezing. Roger frowned, hoping that whatever she had wasn't contagious. Roger opened the door and sat next to his little girl.
"How are you feeling, princess?" Roger inquired, feeling her forehead. She wasn't warm, but she wasn't freezing either.
"I want dada." Grace told Roger. She had started calling them dada (for Matthew) and daddy (for Roger).
"Dada's spending some time with Jacob. Can I get you something?"
"Dada."
"Okay – I'll go get dada." Roger told his three-year-old. He exited the room and walked across the hall to the master bedroom. He could hear Jacob crying and Matthew trying to calm him down.
"Sweetheart, I'll take care of him. Right now, Grace wants you." Roger whispered in Matthew's ear. Matthew kissed Roger's hand and went to spend some time with Grace.
Roger sang Jacob every song he knew, but still Jacob wouldn't stop crying. He bounced him on his hip as the two of them walked around the room, but that didn't help either. Roger then tried giving Jacob some food, but he didn't want that either.
"You sure are a fussy little thing." Roger teased. He then had an idea – when Grace would act like this, either him or Matthew would put her on the dryer and she would stop fussing. He took Jacob to the very back of the apartment where the washer and dryer were and placed an old towel on the dryer before placing Jacob on it. Roger then put some clothes from the washer in it before turning the dryer on.
"Shh, honey. It's okay." Roger soothed as Jacob cried. He turned off the dryer and put a hand on Jacob's stomach while he unbuttoned his shirt. He then undressed Jacob and held him to his chest. Jacob wasn't crying anymore, which Roger was happy about. Neither him or Matthew had gotten much sleep since bringing Jacob home.
Two weeks later, Roger and Matthew had the bedtime routine down to a T. They would put Grace and Jacob to bed at the same time, then clean up the kitchen and do some quiet housework.
"Why do you have to go back to work tomorrow?" Roger asked, propping himself on an elbow and turned so that he was facing Matthew. Roger wasn't ready to handle two children on his own while his husband went back to work at the law firm.
"To put food on the table, to pay the bills and to make sure my husband and children are taken care of." Matthew answered, sliding closer to Roger. Both men had made love and were in each other's arms.
"Can't you call in sick?" Roger asked, kissing each of Matthew's fingers.
"I can't, honey. I'll see you and the kids when I get home." Matthew answered, letting out a moan as Roger's hand went lower and lower.
"Can't wait til then." Roger whispered in Matthew's ear. "On a more serious note, I got a call from my friend Collins – his partner, Lewis, died."
"Oh my God. I'm so sorry." Matthew said, caressing Roger's face in his hands. Both Roger and Matthew had looked to Collins and his goofy partner Lewis to watch the kids while they had date nights. Both of Roger's parents were dead and so was Matthew's mother. Matthew hasn't been in contact with his father and didn't plan on it any time soon.
"The funeral is in a couple days. I was wondering if that woman from your work – Joanne I think her name is – could watch the kids while we went to the funeral." Roger told Matthew.
"Sure. I'll talk to her when I go into work." Matthew told Roger, placing a kiss between his eyes. Roger smiled and cuddled closer to Matthew. Matthew ran a hand though Roger's hair as they settled down for the night.
The following day was hard for Roger and Matthew. They had never been out of each other's sight since before Grace and Jacob were born.
"Are you sure you can handle two kids on your own?" Matthew asked Roger the following morning. Grace was still asleep and Roger was bottle feeding Jacob.
"Of course I'm sure. I was gonna give Jacob a bath while Grace took her nap." Roger answered, taking a moment to look up from feeding his son.
"If you need me at all, you know my number. I'll call on my lunch hour to see how it's going here." Matthew told Roger as a horn sounded. "That's my ride. Love you guys."
Once Matthew was gone, Roger put Jacob in the pack-and-play out in the living room while he gently woke up Grace and fed her some breakfast.
The morning went smoothly until Grace decided to get her baby brother out of the pack-and-play while Roger was making lunch for her.
"GRACE ELIZABETH DAVIS-ROBERTS! NO!" Roger yelled at Grace. Jacob, who had been asleep, woke up and started crying. Roger carefully got Jacob out of the pack-and-play and held him.
"I wanna play dollies." Grace told him.
"Jacob is not a toy – you could've seriously hurt him. What's wrong with your dollies?"
"I wanna play with Jacob."
"He's sleeping right now. Later you can. Right now, it's time for your lunch and then nap."
"Can I watch Doc McStuffins while I eat lunch?" Grace inquired.
"Keep the volume low so that Jacob can sleep." Roger told Grace as he turned on the program for her. He then quickly went to the bathroom to get the supplies he needed for giving Jacob his bath.
Twenty minutes later, Grace was down for a nap and Roger was giving Jacob a bath when the phone rang. According to the caller ID, it was Matthew.
"Right on time, sweetheart." Roger purred into the phone.
"Hey honey. How's it going?" Matthew's warm voice made Roger's heart melt like butter.
"It's going well – shit! I'm giving Jacob a bath and he just pooped everywhere." Roger told Matthew.
"That's my guy. How's my girl?"
"She's down for her nap and has been for half an hour."
"Good. Listen, I have some paperwork to do here, so I'm gonna be late. I'll bring us some Chinese food from Tao's." Matthew told Roger.
"How late are you working til?"
"10:30. Joanne's working with me and she'll bring me home. Oh, she also said yes to watching the kids while we go to Lewis' funeral."
"Perfect. See you at 10:30. Will you call me if it's earlier or later?"
"Of course, sweetheart. I love you."
"Love you, too. I'll tell the kids you said hi."
"Give them love for me, too."
"I will. Please hurry home."
"I'll try."
With that, Matthew hung up. Roger kissed the phone and hung it back up.
At 5:30, the phone rang again. Roger ran to answer it again. He smiled when he saw Matthew's number pop up.
"Hi honey. You done early?" Roger asked.
"Yeah. Joanne and I divided the paperwork in half and between the two of us, got it done a lot sooner than we thought."
"Great. Are you still picking up Chinese food for us?"
"Yup. Would it be alright if Joanne came for dinner? She and her girlfriend broke up and she's really upset about it."
"Of course she can come for dinner. Give me some time to clean up the house, okay?"
"Sure, baby. We'll be home in a couple hours. Love you."
"You, too."
After he hung up with Matthew, Roger quickly straightened up the house. Once that was done, he decided to look at dogs for sale in the paper. He and Matthew wanted to go to a shelter to adopt their next dog, but for right now, the paper would have to do.
"Cissy looks like a good match." Roger said as he circled the brown dog's picture. He had circled an Airedale named Ricola, a Chocolate Lab named Hershey and a Labradoodle named Spaghetti.
He was done looking at pictures when the door opened and closed again. Roger put the paper away and went to help Matthew with his briefcase and the Chinese food. He noticed an attractive African-American woman follow Matthew into the apartment.
"Joanne, this is my husband, Roger. Roger, this is my friend, Joanne." Matthew introduced the two of them. Roger smiled and extended his hand for Joanne to shake.
"From the way that Matthew talks about you and the kids, I felt like I've met you already." Joanne said, her voice like honey.
"I'm pleased to hear that." Roger said, going to the kitchen. "Anybody want wine with dinner?"
"Sure. I'll have a glass." Matthew spoke up.
"None for me, thanks, but could I have some water?" Joanne asked.
"Sure. Two glasses of wine and a glass of water coming right up." Roger told his company. He poured a bottle of white for him and Matthew and was about to get Joanne's water when the monitor went off. "I'll be right back."
Roger went into the master bedroom and carefully picked up Jacob. He was wet and was screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Okay. Okay. Shh. It's okay, baby." Roger soothed as he turned on the overhead light to see what exactly was going on. He frowned when he saw the lining of the cradle was wet. Roger quickly changed Jacob and placed him in the middle of the bed, setting up the pillows so that the little baby couldn't go anywhere.
"Rog? Everything okay in here?" Matthew inquired.
"Um, no. Jacob had an accident and I'm cleaning it up." Roger told his husband. Matthew kissed Roger's cheek and left Roger to clean up the mess.
Ten minutes later, the cradle was spotless. Roger kissed Jacob's forehead as he placed the baby back in the cradle. He then turned the monitor back on and exited the room.
Dinner with Joanne went wonderfully. The three of them had a wonderful conversation ranging from movies to books to Joanne's partner.
"She's a bit of a drama queen, but I love her for who she is." Joanne told the guys, sad to see two men in love while she and Maureen fought constantly about the stupidest little things.
Joanne left a short while later, leaving Matthew and Roger to clean up. It didn't take too long and was done in a matter of minutes.
"What do you think of Joanne?" Matthew asked as he and Roger climbed under the covers.
"She seems like a really nice girl." Roger answered, stifling a yawn. He rested his head on Matthew's shoulder and felt Matthew wrap his arms around his waist.
The following morning, Matthew was at work, the kids were down for their naps and Roger was paying some bills when the phone rang. Not bothering to look at the caller ID, Roger answered the phone.
"Hello?" Roger said.
"Hi, my name is Donald Roberts. Is Matthew at home?"
"Um, no he's not. Did you want to talk to him?"
"If I could, that would be wonderful."
"What's your relation to Matthew?" Roger asked as he scribbled down Matthew's phone number.
"I'm his father."
Roger's heart stopped – this was the man who had disowned Matthew after he had come out to his parents.
"You there?" the voice asked.
"Um, yeah. How did you get this number?" Roger wanted to know.
"Phone book. Can I still talk to Matthew?"
"Um, yeah. His number is 555-2401."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Roger hung up the phone and buried his face in his hands. Matthew would strangle him if he found out that Roger had talked to his father.
The phone rang a short while later. Roger looked at the caller ID – it was Matthew.
"Baby, I'm sorry – I didn't know that he was your father." Roger apologized.
"Roger, what are you talking about? I was calling to see if you wanted pizza from Little Italy for dinner tonight." Matthew said.
"Nothing – forget I said anything. Pizza for dinner sounds great."
"Also, Maureen and Joanne got back together. Can they come over?"
"I was hoping that we could spend some time alone – it's our anniversary."
"That's what I'm asking, doofus. They're coming to watch the kids and have pizza while you and I go to a hotel and have an amazing night to ourselves."
"That sounds wonderful."
"I'm on the city bus and about two stops away from home. Have an overnight bag packed by the time I get there." Matthew purred into the phone.
"I-I will." Roger said. He kissed the phone and hung up. He then raced to get an overnight bag ready by the time Matthew came home. The following day was Lewis' funeral, so he needed to pack something nice to wear.
Ten minutes later, Matthew entered the apartment and smiled at Roger. Roger sat in the armchair next to where Matthew was and kissed him passionately.
"Mmm. Honey, save some of it for tonight." Matthew whispered in Roger's ear. Roger let out a sigh and pouted.
A short while later, Maureen and Joanne arrived. Shortly after they got there, Joanne handed Roger the keys to her car and told them to have fun.
Matthew gave Roger instructions to the hotel where their room was waiting for them.
"Happy seventh anniversary." Roger told Matthew, following him into the suite Matthew had rented.
"Happy seventh anniversary." Matthew repeated, wheeling to the bed and climbed in it, Roger right behind him.
Roger brought Matthew close to him and covered him with soft kisses as his fingers undid Matthew's buttons. Roger then tossed the shirt on the floor and kissed Matthew's stomach and torso with kisses. Matthew's hands snuck their way up Roger's shirt and lifted it off his head.
Roger unbuttoned Matthew's pants and smiled when he felt Matthew harden beneath his hand. He looked down at Matthew and French kissed him. Matthew's hands rested on Roger's ass as the two men moved as one.
A short while later, they were undressed and continued to make love well into the night. They only stopped to watch some guy/guy porn that Matthew had rented to get new ideas, have some wine and feed each other green grapes.
Around one o'clock in the morning, both men were starting to tire.
"We'll call it a night – for now." Roger told Matthew as he climbed on top of him. Matthew smiled and kissed the end of Roger's nose.
"You were incredible." Matthew told Roger as they laid in each other's arms.
"So were you." Roger told Matthew, tracing his finger over the tattoo Matthew had gotten of a Celtic love knot. It was on Matthew's right shoulder blade. Roger had gotten a matching one, only his was on his left shoulder blade.
"I know we said we weren't going to get each other anything this year, but I broke the rule and got you something." Matthew said, reaching into his overnight bag and handed Roger a square package wrapped in green paper.
Roger unwrapped the package and felt tears in his eyes as he lifted the picture frame out of the box. It was a silver frame with a picture of Roger and Musetta on Halloween – he went as Belle and Musetta went as the Beast. It was the last Halloween they celebrated before Musetta passed away.
"That's beautiful. Thank you." Roger whispered, tears in his eyes. Matthew wiped Roger's tears away with his thumb. Roger smiled at his wonderful partner and kissed his soft lips. He quickly got out of bed, wrapping the sheet around his body as he dug around in his overnight bag for the gift he got Matthew. He eventually found it and brought it back over to the bed.
"I broke the rule, too." Roger told Matthew, drawing him close. Matthew's eyes teared as he also took out a picture frame. It was gold and in the frame was the first song Roger had ever written for Matthew.
"Thank you, sweetheart." Matthew whispered. Roger pressed a kiss to Matthew's temple and rested his forehead on Matthew's.
The two of them spent the rest of the evening in each other's arms, happy to be together.
The following day, Matthew and Roger had some breakfast before checking out of the hotel and headed home.
Roger pulled into the driveway and turned to Matthew. He French kissed the other man before turning off the ignition and headed inside.
"Hey guys! How was your anniversary?" Maureen inquired as Grace ran out to greet her dads. Joanne followed right behind, carrying Jacob.
"It was wonderful. Thanks so much for doing this for us." Matthew thanked the ladies as Roger unloaded the car and headed inside. He and Matthew decided to get ready for the funeral at the apartment, since the church was an hour's drive from there. From the hotel they were at, it would've taken them three hours.
"No problem. I have to go to work, so Joanne'll stay with the kids until you two come back." Maureen told the men. They nodded and watched Maureen run to where her car was parked.
Twenty minutes later, Roger and Matthew were off to the church. They wanted to arrive early so that they could say hi to Mark, his partner Eric and Collins.
"Hey guys!" Collins greeted Roger and Matthew as they got out of the car and headed into the church.
"Hey Collins. I'm so sorry to hear about Lewis. I know how much he meant to you." Matthew told Collins. Collins squeezed the other man's shoulder as he embraced Roger.
"Thanks. He really loved you two." Collins told the guys as Eric and Mark arrived. "Is either Joanne or Maureen coming?"
"No – Maureen had to work and Joanne's watching the kids." Matthew said before Roger could say anything.
Mark, Roger, Matthew and Eric ended up sitting towards the middle of the rows of pews. Besides Lewis' family and Collins' friends, the church was pretty empty.
After the service, there was a lovely reception that was held in the banquet hall just off the sanctuary. Matthew and Roger ended up sharing a table with not only Mark and Eric, but Benny and his fiancée, Mimi.
"Wow – you are just as pretty as Benny described you." Roger told Mimi.
"Thanks. So, what do you two do?" she asked, taking a bite of her macaroni salad.
"I work at a law firm that specializes in getting same sex couples things that they need – protection from an abusive partner, things like that. Roger stays home with our kids and he plays guitar." Matthew spoke up.
"You two have kids? How old are they?" Benny inquired.
"Our daughter, Grace, is almost four and our son, John, just turned one." Roger answered.
"Did you adopt them or have a surrogate?" Mimi wanted to know.
"I have this rare condition that allows me to have children. It's kind of hard to explain." Roger answered, slightly embarrassed. Matthew squeezed Roger's hand, letting him know that everything was going to be okay.
"That was so embarrassing!" Roger whined as he drove them back to the apartment.
"Don't be silly. You did fine." Matthew assured Roger, squeezing his hand.
"I felt like an idiot in there." Roger complained.
"Honey, stop your complaining – it's okay."
"Oh God – I don't feel well." Roger announced, pulling over to the side of the road. Matthew watched as Roger stumbled out of the car and went to the bushes. He threw up for about five minutes before walking back over.
"Sweetheart, are you all right?" Matthew asked as Roger put his seatbelt back on and drove them home.
"I think so." Roger answered, his voice slightly hoarse. Matthew brought Roger's hand to his lips and gently kissed it.
"Thanks honey." Roger thanked his wonderful partner.
"You're welcome." Matthew said, squeezing Roger's hand. Roger squeezed Matthew's hand back lovingly.
"This one's cute." Roger said as he and Matthew looked at cribs. Roger was pregnant again and was five months into his final pregnancy. After this baby was born, both he and Matthew were having vasectomies.
"It's too pink – and expensive." Matthew pointed out. Roger frowned and followed Matthew down another aisle when someone called Roger's name.
"Mimi. Hey." Roger greeted her.
"Hey guys. What are you doing here?" she asked, placing both hands on her bulging belly.
"Looking at cribs – Roger's five months pregnant." Matthew told Mimi.
"Congrats. Are you having a boy or a girl?" she inquired.
"Girl." The men announced in unison.
"I'm having a boy. Benny wants to name him Benjamin Coffin the Fourth, but if I have my way, his name is gonna be Christopher – I've always liked that name." Mimi said.
"We're naming our daughter Christina Gloria." Roger said.
"That's pretty." Mimi said.
"I picked it out." Matthew boasted. Roger waddled over to a bench and sat down. His feet were killing him and his legs were sore.
"Looks like Roger's tired, so I'll let you two finish shopping. It was nice to see you again." Mimi said as she waddled off.
"Rog, baby – are you okay?" Matthew asked. Roger nodded.
"I'm ready to head home now." Roger told his beloved. Matthew kissed Roger's temple and helped him outside. They decided to take the city bus back to their apartment and finish packing. Matthew had bought his parents house and they were moving in at the end of the month.
"There. Final box unpacked." Matthew announced, rubbing his hands together. Roger moaned from his spot on the couch. Matthew frowned and wheeled over to Roger. "Baby, are you okay?"
"Not really – I can't feel her moving." Roger said. Matthew placed a hand on Roger's stomach and felt around. Something kicked his hand, making him smile.
"She was just sleeping. She's fine, baby, and so are you." Matthew told Roger, placing a kiss on Roger's temple.
Four months later
"I love you so much, Matthew." Roger said as he kissed Matthew's stomach. The two of them were in bed. Roger was naked, Matthew had his shirt off and his jeans undone. Roger's hand was between Matthew's legs, when Roger felt a cramp in his stomach.
"Rog, honey. Are you okay?" Matthew inquired. Roger shook his head.
Since it had snowed the previous night and the roads hadn't been cleared yet, there was no way for them to get to the hospital.
"You're gonna have to perform my C-Section." Roger told Matthew.
"What? Are you crazy? I can't cut you open! I can barely cut a straight line!" Matthew exclaimed. "We'll find you a way to get to the hospital."
Matthew went to dial an ambulance while Roger walked around the one-story ranch house. In the center of the house was the kitchen and dining room. On one end of the house was the master bedroom and nursery. On the other end of the house was Grace and Jacob's rooms. Off to one side was the living room/den and on the other side was the dining room.
"Rog, honey. There's an ambulance on its way." Matthew told Roger. Roger let out a deep sigh and turned so that he was facing Matthew.
"How are they gonna get through if the roads aren't plowed?" Roger questioned, placing his hands on his back.
"There's a snowplow that's gonna be ahead of the ambulance, plowing a way for us to get to the hospital." Matthew explained. Roger laid down on the couch and Matthew stroked his hair until the EMTs arrived, which was a short time later.
Half an hour later, the ambulance arrived at the hospital. Matthew wheeled into the emergency room while the doctor and some nurses took Roger to the operating room.
Twenty minutes later, Matthew arrived in the operating room and held Roger's hand while he slipped under the anesthesia. Matthew kissed Roger's hand as soft crying greeted Matthew's ears.
"Oh my God – she's beautiful." Matthew whispered as he cut the cord of his new daughter. She was wrapped in a pink blanket as the nurse handed her to him.
"What's her name?" the nurse inquired.
"Christina Gloria Davis-Roberts." Matthew answered, rubbing a thumb up and down Roger's knuckle.
The nurse placed the new baby in an incubator and wheeled her to the nursery. Matthew stayed with Roger in recovery – he wanted to be there when his love woke up.
When Roger was awake enough, the nurse wheeled him into a private room and brought in Christina. She placed the infant in Roger's arms and exited the room.
"She is so beautiful." Roger said, looking down at his beautiful little girl.
"I know." Matthew agreed. He looked over Roger's shoulder and admired his little girl.
"I love you." Roger whispered, looking at Matthew. He kissed Matthew ever so gently on the lips.
"I love you, too." Matthew whispered back, returning the kisses.
Roger had the room nurse put Christina back in the incubator so that he and Matthew could have some private time before the kids came to visit.
Roger helped Matthew into the bed and instantly climbed on top of him. Matthew moaned as Roger kissed him everywhere his lips could reach.
"You're such a wonderful dad." Roger told Matthew, his hands sneaking up Matthew's shirt and pulled it over his head. Matthew untied Roger's hospital gown and pressed his body to his.
"You are, too." Matthew whispered in Roger's ear, gently nibbling on it. Roger let out a moan and fell back on the pillows, a pained expression on his face.
"Ow – we need to stop! So much pain!" Roger whined. Matthew climbed off of Roger and put his clothes back on. He then retied Roger's gown and held Roger.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart. I forgot that you had major surgery." Matthew apologized.
"It's all right, honey." Roger told Matthew, kissing his temple.
The following afternoon, Roger, Matthew and Christina were allowed to come home.
Roger and Matthew felt the unconditional love they had not only for each other, but for their children and dogs – two-year-old Husky/Lab mix named Rico and four-year-old German Shepherd named Sabrina. Both dogs got along with all the kids, which Roger and Matthew loved.
They were now a family and nothing could take it away from them.