TK and Carlos slumped up the front steps of the house.
"Bailey's with Judd and Grace tonight right?" Carlos asked.
"Yeah," TK said through a yawn. "Grace is gonna help her get ready for the museum thing."
"Do we have to pick her up or are they bringing her?" Carlos asked, fishing his keys out of his pocket.
"I don't know, it depends on what time she's ready I guess. If anything Judd said that they can bring her," TK said rubbing his eye. "But I kind of want to take her."
"What do you want for dinner?" Carlos asked.
"I don't care. Bed sounds better." TK said.
Carlos laughed looking over his shoulder at his boyfriend as he pushed the door open.
"You would say that." He said.
"Not for that," TK defended but then he thought about it. "Well, maybe for that."
They both walked into the foyer and slipped off their shoes, putting their keys away and hanging their jackets.
"You were just yawning." Carlos said.
TK smirked and slipped in front of Carlos, his hands falling to Carlos' waist.
"I could be persuaded to stay awake." He said leaning in close.
"Oh really?" Carlos asked kissing TK lightly.
"Yeah." TK replied, in between kisses.
"Should I come back? Or…" Somebody spoke up, making TK and Carlos jump.
Carlos turned around and saw Marjan standing in their living room. Carlos opened his mouth but really didn't know what to say, he looked back at TK who was just as confused as to why his coworker was standing in their living room.
"Um, Marjan," Carlos started. "What are you doing here?"
Marjan smiled.
"I am here to get you changed." She said.
"Yeah, that did not clear anything up." TK said.
"TK your clothes are in Bailey's room, Carlos yours are hanging in the downstairs hall bathroom," Marjan instructed. Both men looked ready to argue but Marjan raised a hand to stop them. "I suggest you follow instructions."
TK and Carlos exchanged looks and shrugged.
"I'll see you in a minute." Carlos whispered, pressing another light kiss to TK's lips.
He watched as TK walked up the stairs and then followed his own set of instructions. Hanging on the hook behind the door was a pair of jeans and a nice white dress shirt, a navy-blue blazer hung around it. On the counter a pair of black socks and shoes.
"Okay then." He muttered, quickly changing.
Many of his bathroom products had been laid out for him. Things like his toothbrush, a comb, and his cologne were lined up in a neat row next to the sink. He quirked a brow but didn't exactly want to piss Marjan off so he went down the row. When he stepped out Marjan was no longer in the living room, instead Paul was in her place.
"Okay, how many of you are here?" Carlos asked.
"I was just about to ask the same question." He heard TK's voice behind him and when he turned his breath caught.
TK was dressed similarly to Carlos though instead of a white shirt and blue blazer he words a light blue shirt and a grey blazer.
"Hello handsome." TK smiled running his hands down the front of Carlos' shirt and blazer.
"Hello to you too." Carlos smiled.
Paul cleared his throat gently, bringing the men's attention to him.
"If you'd follow me, you're table is ready." He said, bowing his head and walking towards the back slider.
TK and Carlos followed without argument, at this point curiosity was winning them over. The moment they stepped through the back door they were stunned. Their backyard had been transformed into the most beautiful scene they'd ever seen. Fairy lights were draped along the patio covering and electric candles were scattered around the yard all surrounding a table set for two draped in a white table cloth. A path lined with small lanterns. And behind it all stood Bailey dressed in a black and white dress, her hands resting in front of her. Paul gave them a bit of a push down the path before disappearing back inside. TK and Carlos walked together, hand in hand.
"Bailey." Carlos breathed as they approached their daughter.
Bailey wore a wide smile on her face. She pulled out the two chairs for her fathers and TK and Carlos sat, one in each.
"I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me and it had come to my attention that you were both on shift during your anniversary a couple weeks ago so I planned this." Bailey said gesturing to the yard.
"Bails, you didn't have to." TK said, amazed that their daughter had gone to such lengths for them.
"I wanted to," Bailey said. "And before Paul comes out here with dinner, I have something for you."
TK cocked a brow.
"Does this have something to do with the reason we haven't been allowed in the back shed all week?" He asked.
Bailey laughed, walking around to the other side of the planter and nodding.
"It does, I could risk you guys seeing it before it was done. I only finished it late last night and to be honest I was a little worried that it wouldn't be dry in time," She said picking up the canvas and holding it backwards as she walked over to the table. "I hope you like it."
When she turned it around TK's breath caught. It was stunning to say the least. Bailey's silhouette pieces were well-known by everybody close to her since she was always working on them but this was unlink anything they'd seen her do before. Instead of an inanimate object it was TK and Carlos, forever captured in a moment of pure love.
"I don't know how many pictures I went through before I found one that I liked but Grandpa had a picture on his phone that I kept coming back to," Bailey explained. "So, I decided to use it."
"Bailey, it's beautiful." Carlos said standing and pulling her in for a hug.
TK took the painting from Bailey's hand and examined it further, running his hand over the paint, feeling each individual brush stroke that he knew she put so much thought into. Though the one thing that brought tears to his eyes was her signature at the bottom right corner of the portrait. In Bailey's neat hand, a white BRS was painted.
"TK are you crying?" Carlos asked, moving behind his boyfriend and resting his hands on TK's shoulders gently.
"Yeah." He choked out pointing to the signature.
Bailey smiled.
"You saw." She said quietly.
Carlos saw the signature and smiled.
"Bailey you signed it-"
"Bailey Reyes-Strand," Bailey said for him. "I figured it was about time I started using the name. It belongs to my family after all."
TK put the painting down against the table and stood, pulling Bailey into a tight hug.
"I love you daddy." Bailey said, wrapping her arms around her father.
"Love you too sweetheart." TK said
She felt another set of arms and she automatically knew it was Carlos.
"I love you Papá." She said.
"Love you mija." Carlos replied.
The 126 and Grace all watched through the kitchen window as the small family hugged in the backyard.
"Should we bring out dinner now?" Mateo asked.
Grace waved her hand at him.
"Give them a minute." She said.
As soon as the group separated Grace nodded to Mateo and Paul to take the food out. She saw Bailey gesture for her fathers to sit back down before giving them each a kiss on the cheek and gracefully bowing out to leave her them to their dinner. She ducked inside where Grace immediately embraced her.
"You did good honey." She said.
Bailey looked up at her and smiled.
"You packed and ready to go?" Grace asked.
"Yeah, Judd put my bag in the truck while I was helping set up earlier." Bailey confirmed.
Grace turned to her husband with a cocked brow.
"And her dress Judson?" She asked. She'd had a heavy hand in picking out Bailey's dress for the Museum event and as such, was rather protective of it.
"Hanging from the grab handle in the back seat as instructed." Judd said.
"Good, I'm going to go to the bathroom and then we can head out." Grace said.
Bailey nodded, moving into the kitchen to help Paul, Marjan, and Mateo clean up the kitchen. Bailey was wiping down the counter when she saw Judd grabbing an apple from the bowl in the middle of the dining table.
"Judd those are-"
"Ah ah ah, he'll figure it out." Marjan said, stopping Bailey from warning Judd that the apple he was so happily about to bite into was ceramic, an early art project from the beginning of the school year.
The moment Judd tried to bite into the apple he recoiled.
"What the hell?" Judd said, examining the apple closely.
"They're ceramic." Bailey said, a small laugh escaping her.
Judd gave her an incredulous look before carefully yet angrily putting the apple back into the bowl. "I'll be in the car." He muttered, mumbling unintelligible nothings as he walked.
Grace walked out of the bathroom just as Judd shut the door. She looked from the door then to the group in the kitchen.
"What happened?" She asked.
And in that moment nobody could contain their laughter.
TK and Carlos dug into their dinner as soon as Paul and Mateo set it in front of them. Paul had made chicken parmesan and, like always, it was delicious. TK looked up from his plate for a moment, catching Carlos' gaze.
"What?" TK asked.
Carlos smiled.
"Nothing, just admiring the view." He said.
"You're so cheesy." TK laughed, taking another bite of his chicken.
"You love it." Carlos teased
TK shrugged, relenting to the fact.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't." He agreed.
Carlos chuckled, taking a drink of his water, his eyes flicking towards the house momentarily, no doubt he'd caught somebody looking at them through the kitchen window.
"Who?" TK asked.
"Bailey." Carlos laughed.
TK smiled.
"Of course." He said.
Carlos' smile widened.
"Can you believe that she's really ours?" He asked.
TK shook his head.
"No," He admitted. "But, I am so incredibly grateful that she is."
Carlos nodded.
"Me too. And I am so proud of her for everything that she's accomplished." He said. "Do you remember when she got the letter from the museum last month?"
TK laughed.
"Yeah," He said. "She screamed so loud that I thought somebody had busted through the door."
"You almost fell down the stairs trying to get to her." Carlos said, laughing so hard that TK could barely understand what he said, not that he needed to be reminded of his near catastrophic foot fumble.
"Please don't remind me." TK laughed.
"Oh I will be reminding you of that until I am blue in the face babe." Carlos said.
TK's brow arched.
"Two can play at that game, Carlos. You're aware of that aren't you?" He said.
"You don't have anything nearly as bad-"
"Last week." TK interrupted.
"What about las-"
"Bailey's new paint set." TK continued.
"TK." Carlos said, realizing where TK was taking the conversation
"Your new shirt and pants." TK continued.
"Okay, okay," Carlos said holding his hands up in surrender. "I get it, you can play too."
"And…" TK prompted.
"What fall last month?" Carlos resigned.
TK couldn't help but smile.
"Your dessert." Paul said, a fake British accent putting a brownie sundae and two spoons in from of them.
TK laughed at Paul's accent but smiled.
"Thank you, Paul," TK said, then looked at his colleague with a sincere look. "For everything."
Paul nodded.
"Thank your daughter, she's the one who put all of this together. Speaking of which she asked me to tell you that she is good for the night, she, Judd, and Grace left about fifteen minutes ago. The rest of us will be leaving shortly, leaving you two alone," Paul said folding his hands behind his back before delivering the final instruction he was asked to relay. "I was also asked to inform you that after you are finished out here please head on inside and follow the roses."
Carlos' brows arched but he nodded.
"Thank you, Paul, have a good evening." He said.
"You too." Paul replied, a smirk on his face.
Paul made his way inside and when he heard the slider shut TK looked to Carlos with a furrowed brow.
"Follow the roses?" He asked.
Carlos shrugged.
"Don't look at me," He said with a laugh. "But, I do want to enjoy this evening so, let's eat this beautiful dessert and then we can discover whatever it is that is inside. Okay?"
Something in Carlos' eyes made TK just want to forgo dessert all together but he nodded.
"Okay." He agreed.
Carlos smiled. It took them little time to eat the brownie but TK would have been lying if he said that he really tasted it. His eyes had been drawn to a much more…enticing dessert. When Carlos met his eye TK couldn't help but blush, his eyes dropping to his hands. Carlos chuckled.
"What do you say we head inside," He said. "Figure out what those final instructions mean."
TK nodded.
"That sounds lovely." He agreed.
Carlos stood first, holding out his hand for TK to take and together they walked inside, TK leaning easily into Carlos' side. When they got inside they found that the instructions were more literal than they really had anticipated. A path of rose petals trailed through the living room and up the stairs.
"Follow the roses." Carlos echoed.
TK grinned, turning swiftly and looking at his boyfriend, his eyes gleaming. They followed the trail all the way to their room where when they pushed open the door they found their room had been set to a relatively provocative mood. The lights had been turned low, electric candles were scattered around on the night stands and dresser. More petals were scattered on the bed and on the pillows. The couple laughed quietly but neither could deny the appreciation that welled up in them.
"God I hope that Bailey didn't plan this part." Carlos said.
"Oh no, this has Grace and Marjan written all over it." TK laughed.
"Well," Carlos said, his arms slipping his arm around TK's waist, pushing him against the door jam. "I'd hate to see all of their hard work go to waste."