I want to say THANK YOU to all of you for your unwavering support and for your kind words of encouragement...and otherwise. I know some of you
say these little journeys were...and are...a form of escapism in these unprecedented times. But I have to tell you, they are that and much more to
me. My life can be so hectic and so overwhelming sometimes, that if I wasn't doing these stories I don't know what would become of me. Your
reviews bring happiness to me in so many ways, and especially in the form of laughter. Big hugs and much love to you and yours...always.
I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own Stuck-Up Suit.
EPILOGUE
MERCEDES
Madison slurped her frozen hot chocolate as we sat together at Serendipity 3.
Sam was texting me...again. And has been for the last half hour.
He was freaking out because he was stuck in traffic, after spending some time with Meme.
He was so sweet, he took to her first day back at Jazzercise class.
I knew he wanted tonight to go perfectly, but I reassured him that his daughter was content and that there was no reason for him to rush.
Of course, I understood why he was anxious. He had to do something he'd never done before.
But to Madison, it was just like any other night having dinner out with us.
"Can I have a sip?" I asked.
She nodded and repositioned the straw to face in my direction.
"Mmm. That's so good. No wonder why you like it."
She rested her chin in her palms and confessed,
"My mom got mad at me this morning."
"Why?" I asked with my mouth full of the beverage.
"I wanted pink hair like you."
Wow! That bitch must love me...like cats love mice.
"Uh oh. What did you do?"
"I tried painting my hair with my watercolors."
I bit my lip trying my best to hold in a laugh, and smiled inwardly. It touched me that she wanted to be like me.
"Madi, please don't try to paint your hair again. It doesn't work anyway, as you probably discovered, right? Someday, I'll do it for you the right way if you still want pink hair by then."
She beamed, looking exactly like her handsome daddy in that moment.
I loved when I could see Sam's expressions in her face.
"You will?"
"Yeah. But not anytime soon. Let's just give your mom time to get over this episode, okay?"
She nodded. And I made a mental note to look for some hot pink clip-in extensions for the next time when we play dress up.
Madison and I had a ton of fun on weekends when she stayed with me and Sam.
She loved to put on my dresses and attempt to walk in my heels. I was sure Jennifer would've flipped if she knew half the things we did.
Whatever.
To Madison, I was more like a fun big sister than a disciplinarian. And I enjoyed every moment I spent with her.
A few months after reuniting with Sam in Hermosa Beach, I moved out of my Brooklyn apartment and into his condo.
While I liked having my own space, it didn't make sense to keep the apartment when my insatiable man insisted I spend every night in his bed.
So, I gave in and honestly, it made life easier, since now he only had to go back and forth between two places...Madison's house and ours.
When Sam walked into the restaurant, he was weaving around tables, looking flustered.
"You made it!" I smiled.
"Damn traffic!"
"Damn is a swear, Bug," Madison chided.
"Sorry sweetheart. Now give me some sugar, Sugar Cookie," he said to her as he leaned his cheek in for a smooch.
Afterwards, he gave me a chaste kiss on the lips then sat down.
He was sweating and took a napkin to his entire face.
Seconds later, I caught him looking at me and I placed my palm on his knee.
"I love you," I mouthed.
It was an effort to support him and calm him a little. But fresh beads of sweat formed on his forehead, anyway.
He was nervous. A first for him.
But this was a big...not to mention...scary moment. And it could go either way...fast.
After the waitress brought him a water and a menu, Sam began nervously ripping apart a different napkin.
But when he started to click his watch back and forth, I knew he was about to come clean.
To his daughter.
He began to speak...
"So, Madi, there's something I need to talk to you about tonight," he said.
She just continued to sip her drink while she looked at him innocently with her big doe eyes.
He continued,
"I've been keeping something from you. But not on purpose."
"Did you take one of my toys home by mistake?"
He laughed nervously.
"No. It's about your dad."
"What about Daddy?"
Sam inhaled slowly then exhaled.
"Your father, Callum…he loved you very much. And I know losing him was hard. And he'll always be your dad. But there are different kinds of dads. Sometimes, children can have more than one. Like your friend, Chloe, for example. She has no mother but two dads who are married. What I'm trying to say is…I'm actually one of your dads, too."
Madison went silent for a moment, then said,
"Were you married to my father who died? Mom told me having two dads is called being gay."
"No." Sam looked at me, and we both couldn't help but giggle a little.
He continued,
"I was with your mother before Callum. She and I made you together. I didn't know about it at the time, though. Then your mother and your father, Callum, got married. He fell in love with you and became your dad. He believed he was your only dad. But I only found out you existed after he passed away. When I saw your face, I knew you were mine. I know it's confusing, sweetheart." He placed his hand on her chin. "See how much we look alike? That's because you're my daughter."
Madison reached her little hand over to Sam's face and began to examine his features.
It was adorable when she said,
"I always thought I knew you from somewhere."
"Yeah. From the moment we met, right? That's because we're connected."
He smiled.
"You're really my dad?"
"I am," he whispered, his voice shaky.
"Wow!"
She stayed still for a moment as she processed everything. Then, without warning, she leapt into his arms.
Sam closed his eyes, looking so happy and relieved in that moment. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
And I...I just sat back and enjoyed the visual of them hugging tightly...with tears stinging the backs of my eyes.
Madison's reaction confirmed that we'd made the right decision to tell her tonight.
Jennifer had originally given us trouble about it. She wanted to be here.
But Sam adamantly said no and promised to sit down with the two of them after he dropped Madison home later.
I sighed.
There was a reason for the timing of this conversation.
There was more news to share.
And when Sam flashed me a questioning look over Madison's shoulder, I nodded, giving him silent approval to give her the other piece of news.
"So, Mercedes and I sort of have something else to tell you, sweetheart."
Her eyes widened with excitement.
"You're taking me to Disney World?"
"No." He chuckled. "But we'll go there someday, alright?"
I chimed in.
"You know how you always said you wished you had a brother or sister?"
"Yeah," she said, eagerly nodding her head.
Sam placed his arm around me and picked up where I left off.
"Well…that's about to happen. Mercedes and I are having a baby. That means you're going to be a big sister."
At first, Madison didn't say anything, but when she started to jump up and down for joy in her seat, Sam and I let out a collective sigh of relief.
She got out of her seat and walked over to me.
"Where is it?"
"It's in here." I pointed to my belly as she placed her hand on it."
"Is it going to come out with pink hair?"
I laughed.
"No. But we'll find out who he or she looks like in six months."
She started to speak into my stomach.
"Hey, in there! I'm your sister." Sam and I looked at each other and smiled. But when she looked up at me, I nearly lost it myself...when she said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, baby. Thank you for being so sweet to me."
The truth is, if Sam's daughter hadn't opened her heart to me, I didn't know that he and I could have lasted.
But her innate goodness made that possible.
The waitress came by and asked,
"Is everything okay over here?"
And Madison proudly exclaimed,
"Yes. I'm gonna be a big sister, and I have two dads. I'm gay!"
She'd clearly misunderstood what her mother had explained about her classmate's parents...interpreting it to mean that any person with two dads is automatically gay.
We'd have to explain it to her later.
However, the waitress thought it was adorable.
Sam interjected,
"You know, the word gay means happy, sweetheart."
Madison smiled with her head still on my belly, even as she said,
"Then, I'm very, very gay."
SAM
Seven months later...
Dear Sue,
It's been a while since I've written to you. You might remember me as Stuck-Up Suit, Celibate in Manhattan, Screwed in Manhattan and Fifty Shades of Evans. Same guy. Well, tonight, I'm happy to say I've earned a new name...Poopface in Manhattan. That's right. I just looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and noticed that I literally have shit on my forehead. Don't ask me how it got there...though I could hazard a guess. But you know what the funny thing is? I've never been happier in my life. That's right. This guy with shit on his face is deliriously happy! That realization prompted this message. You remember that smart-mouthed girl I met on the train...the one I used to write in about? Her name is Mercedes. Well...I knocked her up. Can you believe it? She gave birth to my son a month ago. I've trapped her forever, and now she's producing little blonde-haired, Evans'. I have a son, Sue. A son! Thus, the shit on my forehead right now. Pretty sure it's from when I changed his diaper a little while ago. Yes, the poop is still there. I haven't wiped it off yet because…have I mentioned…I'm deliriously happy? I haven't gotten sleep in six days. SIX DAYS, Sue! I didn't even know humans could survive on no sleep, but apparently you can! I'm proof. You know why it's all good? Because I'm DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY. On no sleep. There's one thing, though, that my life is missing. See, Mercedes won't let me make her an honest woman. She thinks she has to lose all this baby weight, fit into a fancy white dress and walk down an aisle. Our date is set for six months from now, but I just can't wait another day. I want her to be my wife...like now. I know we don't need a piece of paper to validate what we have, but I'm selfish. I want it all because I love her so much. So, my question to you is…what can I do to convince her to marry me tomorrow?
-Poopface in Manhattan
I pressed send, and Mercedes' phone chimed. Then I watched as she read the message I'd just sent...not to Sue's email account...but directly to her.
She was sitting right next to me in bed with her big, beautiful tits hanging out as she fed our son, Raiden.
Lucky kid.
He's doing what I'd like to be doing right now.
She laughed to herself then typed away on her phone for a while before hitting send.
My phone vibrated.
Dear Poopface,
Perhaps a better name for you would be Sleepless in Manhattan because from the sound of your rambling message…you are wired. I think while you are 'deliriously happy' your son keeping you awake is turning you into part zombie, part spaz. By the way, no one has ever looked sexier with shit on their face, but please wipe it off. That said, you are officially the best father in the world to our children, Madison and Raiden. That poop on your forehead right now is just another example of that. And I've never loved you more. I'm starting to realize that if making it legal means that much to you, then it's the least I could do to thank you. I say tomorrow we head down to city hall and make me an Evans.
Love always, Mrs. Evans in Manhattan.
P.S. We'll take the train.
I will try to do a couple outtakes...when they told Meme, when they took Madison to see her etc. I also have a few stories lined up...including an original, but I am hesitant with that one. I want to finish all my originals first...I just need some time to do it.
Anyway, I should have something new out tomorrow.
Stay safe!