Chapter 2

Mimi rolled out of bed at twelve noon that same day. She and Darren had done pretty much the same thing Mark and Roger had that past night. They were going to be married in lest than a month and they were very ready.

She remembered that today was the day Roger and Mark were meeting with the people about adopting a child. So she picked up the phone and called their house. Joanne had answered and they had finalized the plans for the dinner on Saturday. When she hung up Darren was looking at her.

"Who was that baby?" he asked.

"Oh that was my friend Joanne. I was actually calling for Roger to wish him luck. You know him and Mark are trying to adopt a child."

"Well if he'd find a woman he wouldn't have to worry about adoption now would he? So as I see it, it's his own fault for liking some dude." Darren replied scornfully.

Mimi heaved a sigh. "Darren let's not go down this road okay? These are my friends, and I love them. Besides you are in the wrong profession to be hating on gay guys. They are everywhere in the theaters. So just drop it." she scolded.

"I'm sorry baby." Darren said. "I know how close you are to your friends. Come back to bed and let me make it up to you."

"I can't" Mimi said simply. "I have to be at work in an hour. Those dancers won't choreograph their selves." and with that she headed to bathroom for a shower. It was funny. A year ago she'd been fantasizing about Roger in this very shower. Now he was pretty much married to Mark.

Collins was babysitting Maureen and Joanne's daughter. She was so much like her mothers that it was scary. Like Maureen, she was loud and chatty, she came up with all kinds of crazy statements. But like Joanne, she was actually able to back them up with evidence. Collins was so tired of her that he let her go outside and buy an ice-cream cone from the vendor down the street by herself.

Thirty minutes later she came back.

"Where have you been?" Collins exclaimed when she came in. "It doesn't take anyone thirty minutes to buy ice cream."

"No it doesn't." Jaylah said calmly. "But it does take at least twenty to discuss music with the vendor's son. We had very interesting conversation about which was better, the old back albums from The Well Hungarians or Roger's recent music. Needless to say I had a better view point than Arty, being that I actually know Roger."

Collins sank wearily down in an armchair. "Who's Arty?" he asked tiredly.

"The vendor's son. Weren't you listening to anything I just said? Jaylah replied.

"Look Jaylah," Collins said. "You stay here okay? I'm going outside for a minute. I'll be back." He took his cigarettes out of his pocket and went out the back for a smoke.

Roger, Mark, Maureen, and Joanne arrived at the Adam Anthony State Adoption Agency only five minutes late. They went up to the receptionist and gave her the names and were told to go on into the office. Inside their caseworker Ms. Wilson was waiting.

"Ah, Mr. and Mr. Davis." she said as they came in. "It's good to see you again. And who are your guests?"

"This is Joanne Jefferson our lawyer and her secretary Maureen Johnson." Mark said quickly.

"Okay." said Ms. Wilson. "All the paper work seems to be in order. All that's left is to discuss your living situation and have you meet the child. Now gentlemen, I want you to know that we are all for giving children to people with your uh- unique marital status, but only if we can be sure that they will have a good home."

"Of course." Mark said. "Roger and I live in a brownstone house on Long Island. It's a wonderful neighborhood and there's a great school less than five miles away."

"That sounds good." Ms. Wilson said nodding. "What about income? I assume you both have jobs."

"Well," Roger said speaking up. "Mark is the owner of the television show Buzzline and I am-,"

"Oh I know who you are and what you do Mr. Davis." Ms. Wilson said smiling. "You're quite the star."

"Actually," Roger said. "I'm not anymore, but due to the payment options I worked to with my agent, I still get checks periodically and money whenever someone uses one of my songs. So I guess you could call that a steady source of income."

Ms. Wilson nodded again. "Well all that seems to be in order. I have to file this paper work for board approval, but it looks good. If the board approves your application, you should be proud parents in about a week. Would you like to meet with the child now?"

Roger and Mark looked at each other and smiled. "Yes, we would." they replied simultaneously.

Sara walked quickly down the street and up to the Pascal Theater. She was running late for her dance rehearsal and she didn't know who was going to be running it today. As she came into the dance room she heard a familiar voice calling out "And one, two, three, four, kick, back, three, four."

So Mimi was running it today. Sara thought with a grin. She ran over to her friend and Mimi signaled everyone to take a break.

"You're late Sara." she said with mock sternness.

"I know Meems. But Maureen was yakking my ear off about how Mark and Roger are going to be parents in like a week.'

"A week!" Mimi exclaimed. "That's crazy."

"Apparently they passed the application process. All they're waiting for is board approval and the kid is theirs." Sara explained as she shed her outer wear to reveal her leotard.

"Wow, that's incredible." Mimi said. "I might have to take the ferry out to their house today and congratulate them." Then she motioned for Sara to get into position and started the rehearsal again.

Author's Note: I know nothing about the adoption process so I'm not sure if this is how it goes. But it's the best I can do. Oh and I know I've been leaning on the actors real names lately. (The Pascal Theater, Rapp-Heredia Records, Adam Anthony State Adoption Agency.) It's because my brain is stretched in so many different ways these days. I have a fifteen page research paper due in 5 days. Anyone know anything about Carl Sandburg?