Chapter Three: Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End
Time moves at warp speed again. Eric decides that he's done all he can working for his father, so he resigns, with his father's blessing, and enrolls in a refresher course of classes, to decide what he would like to do with his life. Nothing strikes him as particularly interesting until he does some community service for a class with children- and something clicks. He narrows his search until he comes across early childhood education. Since he's already a college graduate, and Philadelphia has a special program for adults who decide to go into teaching, it only takes him three years to be in his own classroom at his old elementary. Teaching fills something in him that he didn't know was missing, and he goes home everyday fulfilled and happy.
Meanwhile, Cory and Shawn are busy in New York. Shawn's latest book is still on the New York Times bestseller list after 45 weeks, and Eric and Jack are so used to seeing him and Cory on the society pages that's it's almost surprising if they're not mentioned.
One day, before Jack and Eric are about to go their separate ways for the day, Jack stops Eric. "I want to talk to you tonight, okay?"
"What about?" Eric asks, distracted by the morning news.
"That's for tonight." Jack kisses Eric quickly and runs out the door.
Eric almost forgets about the conversation until he arrives home and sees a candlelit dinner laid out. Casting a surprised look at Jack- they're not usually about the sweeping gestures- Eric sits down at the table and waits. True to form, Jack doesn't make him wait long.
"I guess the only way to say it is to say it," he laughs softly. "Eric, um, I guess my biological clock is ticking. We've been together for almost ten years now. I want a child."
Trying to defuse the tension in the room, Eric jokes, "You're not pregnant, are you?"
Jack casts him a mock-evil look. "Yep, that's exactly it. You knocked me up. No, I'm serious."
Eric sits back in his seat, mind churning furiously. Sure, he likes kids- after all, they are his life's work- but to have one of his own...
"Okay," he says aloud, surprising himself. "Let's look into this."
After they decide that they want a child, Jack and Eric want to go the surrogate mother route. But they can't decide on who should be the natural father, so then they go the adoption route. They both want a boy, and even pick out a name. They combine their two first names and come up with Jarick, because as Eric explains to Cory and Shawn, "Erck doesn't flow as well."
They hadn't expected to meet up with a teenage girl, barely Josh's age, already heavily pregnant. There's something about her that reminds them of Topanga, and as they agree to adopt her baby, they all cry.
A month later, she gives birth to a eight pound, five ounce girl. Eric takes one look at her and whispers, "Hi, Jerrica."
A year flies by, full of late night feedings, teething, first smiles and steps, and love. Jerrica's taking toddling steps around the house when the phone rings one evening.
"Hello, whoever you are. Hold on, I'm chasing my daughter." Eric sits the phone down and dives to grab Jerrica before she runs into the kitchen and plays with the dishwasher, her favorite thing to do at the moment. He scoops her up, making her giggle, and picks the phone back up. "Okay, I'm back."
"Hey, Eric," Shawn says, sounding highly amused. "I take it Jack's not around?"
"No, he's at the store, doing a diaper run. What's up?"
"Nothing serious. We were just wondering when we could see our favorite niece."
"And at the moment, only," Eric points out.
"Not Morgan's fault she keeps popping out boys. Anyway, I just found out that Angela and her daughter are coming to the States for a visit, and I thought it'd be cool for everyone to see them, you know, like a mini-reunion."
"Sounds good to me. As long as school's not in session, I'm open, and Jack's due for some vacation time."
"And Rachel's back here for now. Can I call you back with firmer details?"
"Sure." Eric hangs up and moves the phone out of Jerrica's reach before she can dial Turkey, or something like that.
Jack comes in fifteen minutes later, carrying several plastic bags. "Just remembered some things we needed," he explains. "What's up?"
Eric tells him about Shawn's phone call. Jack nods and smiles at the idea. "That would be nice, seeing everyone."
"And we can show off our bundle," Eric gestures to Jerrica.
Before they know it, everyone shows up in New York. After they coo over Jerrica, and comment how Shawna's taller than her mother, they settle down to catch up on each others' lives. Angela's still happy in London, with her husband and daughter. Her job in interior design apparently keeps her happy and busy. Rachel's finally out of the Peace Corps, and she's temping while she looks for something more permanent.
"Do you think she would have been happy?" Angela asks out of the blue.
No one needs to ask her who the her is in her statement, and everyone falls silent, thinking. Cory finally speaks up. "I like to think so," he says slowly. "I imagine that she would be a lawyer that would set the world on fire, and that I would be there every step of the way."
"We all would," Shawn adds quietly.
"But I think, somehow, that this is the way it's supposed to be. Where everything's different, but not really."
"I agree with that," Eric says, taking Jack's hand.
"Yeah." Jack squeezes and whispers for Eric's ears only, "Love you."
"Ditto." Eric replies, chuckling slightly.
"Next time, let's not go too long before seeing each other, okay?" Rachel smiles and takes in the whole group. "And maybe next time, I'll have someone to show off for me."
As everyone falls back into conversation, Jack thinks about the statement that he told Eric, the night that they started this. And how change affected them all, and they turned out better for it. He smiles as he focuses on the group, his family, and how fortunate they are.
Even after they go their separate ways, the feeling stays with him. He tucks in Jerrica, and whispers to her how lucky he is, because of everyone around him.
"What did you say to her?" Eric asks after Jack comes back to bed.
"Just how lucky I am."
"No, I'm the lucky one. After all, you told me so."
"When did I tell you that?"
"The first night."
"As I recall, I just said-"
Eric shushes Jack with a soft touch on his lips. "Nuh-uh, if you say it, it won't come true."
"It already did." Jack kisses the fingertips lying on him.
Prologue: After the End
This is a typical day.
Eric Matthews gets up, kisses Jack, and goes to pick up Jerrica before she gets too restless. He changes her and passes her on to Jack to feed her while he gets ready. After that, he and Jack sit down to their breakfast and discuss the events of the day. Then they go their separate ways. Jack takes Jerrica to the daycare in his building, and Eric goes to school.
Every day, he does the same thing: stops in the teachers' lounge, gets one of the complimentary papers and a cup of coffee, checks his mailbox, and gets to the classroom on time. The kids keep him active and going, but the day goes pretty smoothly. By the end of the day, he's exhausted, but in a good, satisfied way.
He goes home, usually beats Jack in, and starts dinner. After that, he grades papers until Jack comes in with Jerrica. He plays with the baby until dinner is ready, and then he puts her down for the night before he and Jack sit down to dinner. Dinner's low key, with Jack telling Eric about things at work, and Eric telling Jack crazy stories about his kids at school.
Sometimes, Shawn will call, asking about them and wanting them to attend yet another book event. Or it might be Cory, just checking in and venting about his job. Other times, it's Morgan, or Mr Matthews, who's finally seeing someone, or Mrs Matthews, with news about Josh. Whoever it is, Eric and Jack both get on the phone and talk.
When they get ready for bed, they turn to each other and smile. Eric gives Jack one last kiss before sliding underneath the covers. He is asleep almost before his head hits the pillow.
This is a typical day.