Chapter 19

While at Uncle Jesse and Patrick's place I invited Rosie, Harvey, and Stan over to meet Avery.

"She's so cute!" Rosie exclaimed. We watched as Avery played with a toy doll by her toy box. Jesse and Patrick had been working extremely hard to adopt her and get her everything she needed. Jesse works full time now as an English teacher at BWU. Patrick works part time in the library there. Avery's mother was a woman named Whitley. Whitley is the same age as my Uncle Jesse and works in a sandwich shop. She actually has two jobs. She was struggling to make ends meet, so every Wednesday and Friday she plays ukulele and sings at the Ski Jays restaurant and bar downtown. Jesse said she wanted to adopt Avery out in hopes of her having a greater chance of obtaining a higher education. Along with many more increased opportunities she presumed she couldn't give her. Whitley says she loves the idea of having a larger family by still being apart of Avery's life. She was currently working so she was unable to join us for the celebration dinner, but she's great friends with Jesse and Patrick, she doesn't care at all that they are a gay, and trusts them wholeheartedly. I can't wait to meet her.

Avery's room was light pink with white baseboards, the back wall was light grey with apple blossoms painted down the walls. In bright white wooden letters it spelled out Avery's name in cursive font over her bed. The floor a gray hard wood. She had a toy box already filled with toys. Stuffed animals galore, and a pink unicorn on her bed. She had a pink bookshelf filled with books from Patrick. A closet and a dresser full of clothes from Jesse. A picture of Jesse and Patrick by her bed side and a fuzzy purple rug in the middle of the room. It was extra cozy, and just right for the 2'5", 30 pound little girl.

"Bry Bry!" She squealed and showed me her toy horse.

"What?" I said and raised the pitch of my voice.

She smiled, beaming her milk teeth at me.

"Play!"

I squated and played with her. Rosie joined us, then Stan. Harvey felt too macho to play with a little girl. So, he just watched. I caught him smiling every now and then. Stan lifted Avery up.

"Super Avery!" Stan shouted and pretended to fly her around the room making whoosing noises.

"Stop! Play princess!" Avery demanded.

"Yes, your Highness."

Rosie, Harvey, and I just laughed at Stan. He was gonna be such a great dad, though I had my doubts. Jesse knocked on the side of the door.

"Dinner's on the table."

"Daddy!" Avery just lit up at the sight of Jesse and forgot all about Stan. She ran right to Jesse and he picked her up. Patrick came in and stood behind Jesse, touching his waist.

"Dinner's ready."

"Yeah I know I was just telling them."

"Hey hunny." Patrick exclaimed and kissed Avery's cheek. She bit her fingers and grinned.

"You hungry Ave?" Jesse asked her and tickled her stomach. "You hungry?" He said again teasing her. She giggled as Jesse squished his face to her cheek and nipped her ear.

"Want food, dude." She stammered. We all laughed.

"Well here go to Pappy."

Pappy or Pap Pap, is what Avery calls Patrick.

"Come on hunny, lets go get some yummy food." Patrick replied during the exchange. He took Avery to the dinning room with him, where the rest of my family was. But of course they still had their cat Nina, she and Avery were thick as thieves. They loved getting into everything together, sleeping together, and playing together.

As for my Uncle Justice and my Aunt Tabitha, they finally moved out of her grandfather's old house, and found a place of their own. Justice is a coach at my school actually. He does that part time, and then teaches physical education at the college campus part time. Tabitha works in counseling, but she does all kinds of volunteer work for local theatres, the community center, animal shelters, and soup kitchens. She also knits, paints, sings, and does dance. They've been too busy living life to the fullest since they got married to even think of children. We all know it's in their near future. She's let it be known several times to my Uncle Justice that she wants six kids. Justice is unsure about that number, but kids are fine. He was probably the most proud that afternoon for Jesse and Patrick. Even more so for his brother, given Uncle Jesse's past.

"Hey Jess." Justice said softly before we started dinner.

"Congratulations, and I'm so happy for you man."

"Thanks bro."

They hugged. Jesse hid his face in Justice's shoulder. We heard Jesse crying, but they weren't tears of sadness.

"I'm so happy Jus." He sniffled.

"I know I'm glad." Justice whispered softly. He then held Jesse's head and kissed the side of it, pecking his temple. The dinner was unforgettable, full of new memories of: good food, family, friends, and life.

The following Friday was our annual Homecoming Dance. The theme was masquerade but animals. Everyone wore an eye mask resembling some sort of animal. All the masks, dresses, and suits were of the same Venetian styles of the Italian Renaissance period to fit our theme.

Harvey and Lola went as The Dog. They each had on a dog eye mask, with a snout. Their masks were a gold rustic ember color around the eyes, with brown ears, white snout and black nose. Lola's dress was a large flowing ball gown that was gold and sheer white on top. With what resembled a depiction of golden wheat stocks along the trim. Her sleeves were bell shaped and puffy. Her hair half up, and half down straight down her back. On her ears; dangling gold earrings, matching a pair of gold heels. Harvey wore a prince charming costume piece suit with gold trim and buttons. His pants were velvet blue with black boots. His hair pushed back from his face.

Stan and Isa went as The Peacock. Both of their eye masks were very flamboyant. Like something out of Vegas but very classy. Their eye masks were dark blue with golden sequins around the trim, and the added bonus was the large peacock feathers on one side of the masks. Isa wore a light blue silk ball gown, that elongated at the bottom like a mermaid dress. From the stomach down were olive green peacock feathers. Her pregnant belly glowing through the mid-center. She wore a gold crown and had her beautiful hair in an updo, her toes were painted bright red and shown through her clear open toed heels. For Stan he wore a tuxedo with a dark blue tie and an olive green pocket in the jacket's chest to match Isa. They wanted the spotlight on them.

Mira and Colton went as The Cat. They both had on a white eye mask that resembled a cat kabuki mask from Japan. It had pink apple blossoms on it. The cat's nose was gold. I was shocked. Mira was actually wearing a dress and that it was pink! She's slowly getting out of her tom boy phase. Her dress was a strapped bright pink dress with silver sequins and glitter. She wore pink flats with it, and put all of hair up into a top knot bun, with curly ringlets of hair at her ears. She was also wearing make-up! I had never seen Mira with makeup before. Colton had on a stain pink button down with brown slacks.

Anna and Garret decided to go as The Fish. The masks they wore were light purple and sequined all over. Anna's dress had several different colors in it meshed together like blues and purples. It was a mermaid dress that had tons of glitter on it, and the bottom looked like a fish tail. The top near her breasts resembled sea shells. She had glitter eye-makeup and her hair was big and wavy. She wore pearls and clear high heels. Garrett wore a silver costume pant suit that reflected the light, and a long light blue tail coat, that went down to his ankles.

As for Rosie and myself we chose The Raven to honor her mother's name and memory. Our masks were pitch black with a long beak. Her dress was a black A-Line princess sleeveless halter beading mini dress with a black tutu bottom. Her hair still its short fire red pixie. She had on a pair of silver studded earrings, and black heels. My entire suit was pitch black. My button up shirt was even black. I wore a long london fog black coat over it and leather gloves. On my wrist was the watch Rosie gave me.

The gym floor was decorated to the fullest. We couldn't even see the ceiling because of all the white, black, and green balloons. Strings were hanging down everywhere. There were tables set up with candles, the main gym lights, and the party lights for the basketball half time shows lit up in various shades of blue and purple. There was a DJ station, an entire buffet of food, and a photo session outside in the hallway. There was even silver reflective glitter that covered the gym floor. Since our school loved our sports teams, the Homecoming Dance was always better than any prom Bellwood High had.

Several girls had already ditched their shoes and were cutting up the dance floor. The buffet was being raided by people, and laughter filled the place. The music echoed and jumped off the gym walls. It was Friday night, and definitely the place you wanted to be. I slow danced with Rosie on the dance floor. The song "Carry You" by Novo Amor was playing.

The blue and purple lights faded in and out around her, the bright glitter from the floor reflected out of the corners of my eye mask. The song played loudly but I could still hear her heart. She slowly looked up at me with her beautiful blue grey eyes. My eyes a dark honey through my mask. She smiled shyly, and took off her mask. I could finally see her loving face. She pulled me close placing her cheek to my chest. I lowered my head placing the beak from my mask on her shoulder. We swayed slowly back and forth. We then locked eyes again. She gently lifted my mask so she could see my face. I had a bit of sweat at my fringe that she stroked away with her hand. I grabbed her delicate hand and held it close to my cheek and kissed it. She just blushed. As the music drew closer to the end, I put her hand on my heart and leaned down to kiss her. She passionately kissed me back.

The time I spent growing up, I never thought it would lead me to her. My grampa Ben fought to have my grandma Hope by his side. My dad even though he knew it could be dangerous contiued to hold Momma's hand. For me, Rosie and I could be in the middle of hell and fire, or in a gym full of gitter and it'll always feel the same. I loved her. When we stopped kissing she gasped softly and looked at her hand. There on her left index finger was a ring.

I leaned toward her ear. She had tears streaming down her face.

"Marry me babygirl?" I whispered in her ear my voice hot.

"Yes..." She whispered back and held onto me by the neck. I embraced her, and continued to sway with her until the music ended. She cried happily into my shoulder. I kissed her cheek my lips able to taste the sweet salt of her tears.