Chapter 4

Later that day, after Mimi finished rehearsal, she and Sara went to the harbor and boarded a ferry to Long Island. About an hour later, they were standing in front of Mark and Roger's brownstone house. Sara bounced up to the door and knocked. The door was opened by Roger, who was dressed in ripped up jeans and no shirt.

"Hey Sara, hey Mimi" he greeted them. "Come on in."

"Did we interrupt something?" Mimi asked.

"No, why?"

"Well you just look so undressed." She replied eyeing him. Roger laughed at the insinuation.

"Mark and I were moving furniture into Anastasia's new room. We weren't doing what you think we were." The he caught Sara staring at his toned body. "How you doing Sara?" he asked.

"Huh?" was her response. As she continued to stare, Mark came up behind her.

"Uh Sara?" he said. "You are aware that those rippling muscles and toned abs belong to me right?"

"Of course!" Sara said coming back to the present. "I was just um, yeah." she finished lamely. They all laughed and followed Mark back into the rest of the house.

"Wait." Mimi said, remembering something from earlier. "Who's Anastasia?"

Mark and Roger grinned at each other. "Our new daughter" they said in unison.

"Your what!" the girls exclaimed.

"We passed the application process today and we are going to pick her up in two days." Mark explained.

"Congratulations you guys." Mimi said. "That's so cool, you two are going to be Mommies."

"Ha ha" Roger said dryly.

"So what's she like?" Sara asked.

"Well she's twelve and she's so cute. And she's smart too." Mark answered.

"And she plays the guitar." Roger interjected.

"Well it's good that you are getting a child you both can relate to. I can't wait to meet her." Mimi said smiling.

"We're thinking about bringing her to the Life on Saturday to meet all you bums and Jaylah." Roger said as he walked into the next room with Sara following him.

"So how's the elusive Darren?" Mark asked Mimi. "When do we get to meet him anyway?"

She sighed and lowered her eyes. "Darren isn't someone you want to meet Mark. He's complicated."

Mark nodded grimly. "In other words he doesn't want to meet us right?"

"Well, it's kind of just Roger he doesn't want to meet, and you by association." Mimi said sadly.

"It's because Roger and I are together isn't it?" Mark wanted to know.

Mimi sighed. "Yeah, that's right. He is so stupid sometimes. How can a dancer be homophobic? I mean most men dancers are gay, but he just can't get past the fact that Roger left me when I was sick and the fact that he is with a man only adds fuel to the fire." she said.

"And you're marrying him why?" Mark asked. Mimi sighed again.

"Mark I'm almost thirty. The man I thought I would spend my life with loves you. Darren does love me and I love him, even if he is a pretentious prick sometimes. But what else can I do? I want a family before I leave this world."

Mark shrugged. "It's your life Meems. But it just seems to me that you shouldn't settle for just anyone. Sometimes love is just worth the wait."

Mimi looked down. "Only if you have the time to wait for it." she whispered.

Mark walked over to her, concerned. "Mimi are you okay?" he asked with a worried look on his face.

She smiled up at him. "Are you kidding? I'm great. Never felt better. Just a little depressed is all, but I'll be fine." Mark looked at her skeptically. "Really Mark, I'm fine. Now let's go help Roger decorate Anastasia's room before he messes it up. For a gay guy he has no fashion sense." She started down the hallway.

Mark watched as Mimi walked away and felt a growing sense of worry, but when she turned around and smiled at him he put it out of his head and hurried to follow her. It was her business after all.

The two days were passed in a flurry of shopping and decorating and moving. All of their friends made some kind of effort to help Mark and Roger get ready for the arrival of their daughter. Before they knew it, it was time to go pick Anastasia up.

At seven a.m. Roger was up and getting ready when the doorbell rang. He went to answer it quickly so not to wake up Mark, who had worked until late that past night. Roger opened the door and saw a bright eyed Maureen standing there.

"Whoa, Roger you're up before noon. You must be excited." she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi Maureen, what exactly are you doing here?" Roger asked confused.

"Well," Maureen responded, "I know that when Jo and I adopted Jaylah I was really nervous, even though Jo was there with me. So I thought you might need a little friendly company when you go pick up Ana today. Now are you going to let me in or am I going to have to stand here till Mark gets up?"

Roger grinned at his friend and moved aside to let her in. "Thanks for the company Mo. I really am nervous. That's why I'm up so early."

"I thought so. What time are we leaving, and haven't I told you to stop calling me Mo?"

"Around eleven." Roger answered ignoring the last part of her question.

"Great." Maureen said smiling. "You go get that man of yours up and I'll cook you guys some breakfast."

Roger looked at her warily. "Um, since when can you cook?" he asked.

"Since four years ago when I became a mother silly." She walked to the refrigerator and opened it. Much to her surprise it was stocked with food. "Since when do you and Mark shop?" she called after Roger.

"Since Mark got a job, I got a record deal, and we found out we were getting a kid. Can't live like Bohemians forever." he called back. Maureen laughed and got to work.

Roger walked into his and Mark's room and sat down on the bed where Mark was sleeping peacefully. Roger felt his heart swell with love for that skinny blond man as he watched him sleep. Reluctantly he put his hand on Mark's shoulder and shook him.

"Marky, you need to get up." he said softly. When he received no answer he sighed and tried again. "Mark Davis get up this instant!"

That did the trick and Mark sat up in the bed. "Oh my God," he said sleepily. "you sounded like my mother just then."

Roger grinned at him. "Sorry, but you need to get up. It's after seven."

Mark groaned. "I thought I told you to wake me at six." he said.

Roger wrapped his arm around his love. "True but I wasn't even up until six-thirty and you were sleeping so peacefully I couldn't bare to wake you up. You need your sleep Mark."

"What would I do without you?" Mark asked planting a kiss on Roger's lips.

"You'd probably walk around kissing people with morning breath. God go brush your teeth already." Roger said laughing.

Mark stuck his tongue out at him and then said, "Who's that banging around in the kitchen?"

"Maureen." Roger answered. "She's making breakfast."

"God help us." Mark said back and made his way to the bathroom.