Chapter 15

August 21st, 2009

On Friday, Ennis's mother came to Provincetown to see them. Ennis had always been grateful to her for accepting his relationship with Jack despite what his father thought, and Jack knew that keeping in touch with her was very important to his husband.

True to his word, Ennis was there at the airport to pick her up while Jack took care of Junior; both he and Jack had a rare day off. He had always been comfortable about leaving Junior alone with Jack, but now he could be certain that Jack was okay with it. They were closer than they used to be and Ennis was very glad for it.

Ennis smiled when he saw his mother coming through the gate, looking around for him. "Hey, ma."

"Ennis, sweetheart...come here..." They embraced warmly and Ellen smiled at her son. "It's good to see you, an' yer lookin' real well."

"Thanks...so are you," he replied, observing how relaxed she looked. Ellen nodded.

"I like livin' in New York; it's so different from Wyomin'. Glad I got out of there, to be honest."

"Me too," Ennis told her as they headed for baggage claim. "I love livin' out here on the coast, especially since they're so acceptin' of guys like me an' Jack."

"Yeah. When you told me you wanted to move here one day, I admit that I was worried for you both. But seein' it for myself...I'm glad you're somewhere safe. An' I bet Junior likes it here."

"Reckon she does," Ennis told her, nodding. "Things are goin' real well for all of us now...me an' Jack are real happy."

"I'm glad to hear it," she replied as Ennis retrieved her suitcase. "I know it wasn't easy for him when she first came to live with you, but you said things are better now."

"They are. He's doin' great with her, ma. He's even started talkin' about signin' the papers soon."

"That's great. So...um...Alma got in touch with me yesterday. She said that she's comin' to see you..."

"Yeah, called us a couple of days ago to arrange it. Took me by surprise, I'll admit. Never expected her to come by again so soon, especially since she just got married. I know Junior wants to see her, though."

"An' Jack?" Ellen asked as they got into the car. Ennis shrugged.

"He's dealin' with it. I know he's nervous, since he ain't never actually met her. But...we'll be okay. I had to warn Alma that she's gonna see me an' Jack together, an' that we ain't gonna censor ourselves just 'cos she thinks it's a sin. An' you remember our friends, Amy an' Jessica? They ain't gonna stand two feet apart all the time just 'cos she don't like it. We shouldn't have to do that for nobody."

Ellen looked at her son in wonder as he drove; he was so different from the shy, awkward young man that had grown up on their ranch and then left for something new. Now he was confident and sure of himself, ready to defend his relationship with Jack and any other gay couples they knew. She had to admit that she was very proud of him for standing up to Alma like that.

"Ennis...I'm glad you told her. Don't get me wrong; I know you don't hate her an' you can understand her point of view. But you're right...you an' your friends shouldn't have to pretend to be roommates or somethin' just to keep the peace. She knows that you love Jack, so she'll just have to deal with it like an adult. Things are a lot different around here than in Wyomin', so she'll have to keep her opinion to herself."

"Yep. I nearly lost Jack when she turned up at college, an' I coulda lost him when she gave Junior to us, 'cos it really hit him hard. I can't let it happen a third time, ma. He means too much to me to let her get her own way."

"I know, honey. I told her myself when she called me yesterday. I told her that she can't expect you to treat Jack as a mere friend in front of her. He's your husband, an' it's legal in this state so she can't say nothin'. Back in Wyomin', when I told my friends I wanted to move to New York they all started spoutin' about how depraved they are in the city. How sinners run riot in the streets an' cause all the world's problems. They sounded so...convinced that they were right. An' when it got out that my son is gay an' married to another man, well...they didn't like that. Told me to make you get cured of it, like it was some kinda disease. That you an' Jack...well...you don't need to hear it."

"Thanks, ma," Ennis said, glad that she hadn't elaborated. He knew very well what the people back in Wyoming would think of his love for Jack; another reason why he was so glad to be away from there.

As they drove towards the town, Ellen looked out of the windshield at the surrounding area. "I forget how beautiful this place is durin' the summer. Last time I was here, it was October an' freezin' cold."

"Yep. An' the last time you were here for the summer...it was our weddin'," Ennis reminded her, and they shared a smile.

"Proudest day of my life," Ellen told him, squeezing his arm. "Jack's a wonderful young man an' I'm proud to call him my son-in-law. This is so much better for you than anythin' Wyomin' could've offered. Junior, too. She'll have a better life out here, more chance to be whoever she wants to. Are you gonna get her into kindergarten soon?"

"Yep, we've got an appointment tomorrow," he told her. "We don't need to take her with us, so...maybe you could stay with her while we're doin' that."

"I'd love to, Ennis." She turned to look out at the area again, already feeling very relaxed now that she was here.

While Ennis was out collecting his mother from the airport, Jack decided to take Junior to the park for an hour. The weather was sunny and warm as usual, and he was glad that he could do something for Junior by himself for once.

She held onto his hand as he led her to the park, completely trusting him and making him feel like something of a parent at last. This little girl was in his sole care until Ennis got back, and the responsibility of that made him feel strange, but not in a bad way. She was depending on him to take care of her and feed her, like a child of their own would, and Jack could feel the trust radiating from her as they reached their destination.

When they got there, he let her go and she headed for the slide, leaving him to sit on a nearby bench. He knew from experience that she was very capable of playing on her own here without him needing to keep a close eye on her. He would of course push her on the swings if she wanted him to, but otherwise he felt comfortable about leaving her to it.

As he watched her, he heard a familiar voice. "Hey, Jack." He looked up to see Amy standing there. "What're you doing here?"

"Hey, Amy," he replied as she sat down next to him. "Both me and Ennis have got a day off for once, so we're taking advantage of it."

"I know that; Jess told me. But I thought that Ennis's mom was coming to visit you?"

"She is; he's gone to pick her up. So I figured I'd let Junior get some fresh air. You okay?"

"Yep, I'm great. I bet she's looking forward to meeting her grandma," Amy observed as they watched Junior playing.

"Yeah, she is. By the way, did you hear about who else is coming to visit us? Alma," he told her, seeing comprehension dawn on her face.

"Ennis's ex?" she asked. "Junior's mom?"

"Yep. She married that guy in Wyoming and now she wants to come and see Junior before settling down with him properly. Ennis agreed to it, so she's coming on the thirtieth. That gives us time to brace ourselves."

"Wow. So, um...how d'you think she's gonna react to seeing you guys together? She's never seen Ennis with you before."

"I know. But Ennis warned her that she's gonna see us together, and that if he wants to kiss me or hold my hand in front of her, he'll do it. He said he won't censor himself just because she doesn't like it. Same with you and Jess if she sees you guys; I know you won't spare her feelings, and I don't want you to."

"Good. She's gonna see a lot of gay couples here when she visits; she can't expect them to pretend to be straight for her sake. She...she couldn't decide to take Junior back with her, could she?"

"No; she gave us custody and signed her parental rights over to me. Besides, her husband's family don't approve of her having a child out of wedlock. That's why she gave Junior to us; so that they would let the wedding happen. They're only willing to let it slide as long as Junior's not around her."

"That's horrible," Amy said as Junior started to play with some other kids. "It's not Junior's fault that Ennis chose to stay with you. He didn't even know that Alma was pregnant. She had the chance to tell him and she didn't."

"Yeah. Ennis said that if she'd told him then, he still wouldn't have gone back with her. He would've tried to be involved somehow, but he wanted to stay with me. I kind of feel guilty about that, to be honest..." He'd never told Ennis that; he'd thought it might cause problems for them.

"You didn't know," Amy told him gently. "It was all down to Alma. If you ask me, she's got nobody to blame but herself. She had five years to tell him that he was a father, once the shock of him being gay had died down. But she didn't 'cos she...I don't know...wanted to keep her pride or something. She only ended up telling him because her husband's family didn't want Junior around. If it hadn't been for that, Ennis might never have known about Junior. She could have told him, despite that he was with you, but she chose not to for her own pride. She probably couldn't face the fact that she lost him to a man."

"I know, but...I still wish that things could've been different. If he'd known back then about having a kid, it might have been easier."

"You don't know that. Think about it...you'd only been together a couple of months and everything was still so new. He hadn't yet told you that he loved you, right? That was after he'd broken up with her. I hate to say it...but you might not have survived it if she'd told him. If he'd wanted to be involved, it would have meant going back to Wyoming whether he wanted to be with her or not. He's a good man, Jack...he wouldn't have left Alma to raise Junior alone if he'd known."

Deep down, Jack knew she was right. If Alma had told Ennis she was expecting his child, he would have left to help her out, even if they hadn't gotten back together. And Jack also knew that he would have stepped aside to allow it, no matter how much it would have hurt. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing that Alma had kept it quiet; it had allowed himself and Ennis to stay together and fall for each other even more than they already had. He just couldn't allow Alma to take away what he had with Ennis, so he had to fight to make sure that they got through her visit.

The following day, Ennis and Jack went to enrol Junior in the local kindergarten while Ellen took care of Junior at the apartment. They would be sending her to Veterans Memorial Elementary school near the southern tip of the bay until she turned eleven, so they would have plenty of time until she would have to go further afield for middle school; the nearest one was along the bay near Orleans. At least she could still be close by while still so young.

The pair of them walked along Mayflower Avenue, the street leading to the school; as it was a Saturday there were no children about, but they had informed that the school would be open to enrol new children. It was a low but sprawling building, with plenty of open spaces that they knew Junior would love if she came here.

"Looks real nice," Ennis said, looking around as they walked up to the front doors. There were a few other parents around to enrol their children, including a number of same-sex couples. Both of them were very glad that there was no discrimination in this area; everybody was very accepting of them.

Upon their arrival, they were directed to the main hall to wait for someone to collect them. While they waited, they looked around and liked what they saw.

"I think Junior's gonna like it here," Jack said, and Ennis nodded his agreement.

"Yeah, reckon she will." He then turned to Jack, taking his hand and squeezing it. "I like bein' a parent with you, bud." Jack smiled back at him and then they heard someone calling to them.

"Mr Del Mar and Mr Twist?" asked a woman about ten years older than them. "Enrolling Alma Del Mar Junior?"

"Yep, that's right," Ennis replied, and she nodded, indicating for them to follow her. She led them out of the hall and down the corridor to an office.

"Please, take a seat," she told them, and they sat opposite her. "Okay, then. I'm Kate Booth, by the way. This shouldn't take too long, given your daughter's young age. It's a very simple process." She rifled through her files until she found an empty one, ready to fill in. "Alright...basically you just need to fill in your basic details for Alma, such as address and contact numbers." She hesitated for a moment. "Now, I need to ask...are you two legally married in this state?"

"Yep, we are," Jack replied, nodding. "She's Ennis's daughter, so I'm her stepfather." Ennis smiled to himself as he filled out the form; he liked the sound of that. Kate nodded.

"Okay, I just wanted to check. There's a lot of same-sex couples here today and some of them aren't married, so we have to go through more forms for that. May I ask about Alma's mother?"

"My ex," Ennis told her. "She gave us custody back in June; Junior's been livin' with us since."

"Alright, good. Is she in regular contact?"

"She calls now and then," Jack replied while Ennis continued with the form. "And she's coming to visit at the end of the month." Kate nodded and Ennis signed his part of the form, handing it to Jack for his signature. When they handed it back, Kate looked over it and nodded.

"Right, everything seems to be in order. All we need now is a photograph of Alma for our records. When can you bring her in for that?"

"Would next Saturday be okay?" Ennis asked, and she nodded.

"Yes, that's fine. I think that's all for now. I will be Alma's teacher for this year, as I teach kindergarten. Here's a map of the school; it's highly recommended that you go over it with your daughter before she starts."

"Okay," Ennis replied, taking the map from her. "We'll bring Junior by next week."

"Good. I'll see you then." She stood up and they shook her hand, leaving the office together. When they emerged into the corridor, Jack linked his arm through Ennis's.

"That was easy enough," he commented. "Who knew?"

"Yeah, she was real nice," Ennis agreed, and they walked back through the hall and to the entrance. "Wonder how they're doin' at home..."

"I bet they're just fine," Jack told him as they walked out into the bright sunlight. "You wanna get some lunch? I'm sure your mom can feed Junior."

"Sure; I'll just call her an' let her know." Ennis dialled his mother's cell phone to inform her that he and Jack were getting something to eat, asking for her to give Junior lunch. He had a suspicion that she was enjoying spending time with her granddaughter, especially since it was their first meeting. Besides, he wanted to have some alone time with Jack before Alma's visit; he wasn't yet sure how that would go.

They ended up in the small café on the front, eating from a large sandwich platter and watching the world go by. The day had been productive and they were very happy with the result; Junior was bound to make more friends at kindergarten. Since she would be there all day until they finished work, both men had realised that they could spend the entire lunch break together, or maybe even go back to the apartment for a little fun while it was empty.

"I've gotta say, Ennis," Jack began as they were eating. "I'm nervous about Alma visiting. But with days like today, I reckon we'll be fine."

"We will, Jack," Ennis assured him, nodding and covering Jack's hand with his own. "She can't say or do nothin' to hurt us no more. She'll probably just see Junior a few times, maybe walk around the area a little an' then leave. She might not even bother us at all, okay? She knows how it is around here an' she knows to keep her mouth shut, even though she don't like us or what we do."

Jack nodded, trying to ignore the doubt in his mind.

That night, Ennis and Jack were lying in bed together, kissing and letting their hands roam under the sheets. This was without a doubt the best way for them to relax, and they needed to unwind after a long summer's day. Ellen was back at her hotel and Junior was sleeping, so they felt as if they were the only two people in the world.

Ennis cupped Jack's face in his hands the way he knew Jack liked it, kissing him deeply and silently. There was no need for them to rush things along; they loved taking it slowly and all night if they felt like it.

"Ennis," Jack sighed as their lips pulled apart. "Love it when you kiss me..."

"Me too," Ennis replied, going for his neck. He planted soft kisses on the warm skin, and Jack tilted his head back to give him further access. "Love everythin' about bein' with you, Jack...especially this..."

"Mmm..." Jack smiled and wrapped his arms around Ennis's neck, happy to give himself over to this wonderful man. He had always been very trusting of Ennis, even when they first met. There was just something about him that told Jack he was somebody to lean on. And Jack did so whenever he needed to; Ennis had always been his rock. He was a solid, dependable man whom Jack could trust no matter what, and Jack knew that.

Ennis straddled Jack and nestled one of his legs between Jack's, indicating that he wanted to take things further. Jack knew the sign and rolled onto his back, pulling Ennis over him as their bodies moulded together. They were warm and cosy between the sheets, yearning for each other. Jack kissed Ennis's neck as he reached for the lube, opening it with trembling fingers.

"Here..." Jack said softly. "Let me." He took the tube from Ennis and opened it up, smoothing its contents along Ennis's erection and smiling when he saw Ennis biting his lip at his touch. "Okay...come on..." He widened his legs and Ennis got into position, starting to push in as gently as he could. Jack gave a soft gasp and raised his hips, needing to feel Ennis fully inside him now that the first contact had been made. As soon as Ennis penetrated him, he just needed to feel all of it.

Ennis worked his way inside, finding his home within Jack's body and sighing. "Darlin'...always feels good...bein' inside you..."

"Yeah," Jack breathed, shuffling until he was comfortable. He wrapped his legs around Ennis's waist and locked his ankles together. "Ready to go?"

"You bet, darlin'." Ennis rested his hands on either side of Jack's head, taking Jack's hands and lacing their fingers together. He started thrusting slowly, eager to make this last and to enjoy every moment. He loved watching Jack's face as they did this, seeing that he was making him feel like this. He loved knowing that he could give Jack such a gift. "I love you, Jack..."

Jack opened his eyes and smiled at him, feeling Ennis moving and pushing up into him, trying to make them one. "I love you too, Ennis...always..." He raised his hips in time to his husband's movements, hoping that they would cross the finish line together. It felt so precious to share that moment; to come at the same time and see into each other's hearts. He knew that Ennis was his soul mate, the one he was supposed to be with for the rest of his life. Nobody else could make him feel like this, ever.

Ennis buried his face in Jack's neck once more, kissing as he moved and gently biting at the sensitive skin. "You trying to brand me?" Jack asked in amusement.

"Yep..." Ennis replied, and Jack grinned.

"Go right ahead...I'm yours, Ennis..." He copied the motion, biting at Ennis's neck and drawing a low groan out of him. Ennis kept thrusting into him, sensing that it wouldn't be long.

With just a few more thrusts, Ennis could feel himself coming and grabbed hold of Jack, jerking him off quickly. To his delight, he felt Jack bucking underneath him and shooting onto his stomach as they came together; just like he had wanted.

He sank down onto Jack's chest, sweat on his forehead and darkening his blonde hair. "Oh, darlin'..." he sighed, running his hand over Jack's skin. "I love you..."

"Ennis..." Jack replied in a low, soothing voice. "Same to you, bud. Always great with you...ever since we were in college..."

"Mmm..." Ennis lifted his head to look into Jack's warm, caring eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jack was touched by how much Ennis cared about his wellbeing, even after sex. He knew that Ennis cared about him a lot and just wanted him to be happy, and every day he tried to show Ennis how happy he was with him. He got the feeling that Ennis needed to know it. "You?"

"Just fine, darlin'." Ennis pulled out of him and rolled onto his side of the bed, stretching and yawning. Jack moved closer to him and Ennis put his arm around him, always eager to hold Jack after sex. It was always so intimate between them, so their relationship had always been more than sex. Sometimes they just wanted to hold each other close and appreciate the love between them.

"Jack...I really liked today. Enrollin' Junior with you. Like...we're real parents. I mean...I never really felt like that before. Not 'cos of you or anythin', but...up to now we've just been lookin' after her. Now we're actin' like parents, with school an' everythin'. It's different."

"I know what you mean," Jack replied, nodding and kissing Ennis's chest. "I feel it too." He rearranged the quilt over them so that their upper bodies were covered and he sighed contentedly. "We've got a damn good life, Ennis."

"Yep, we sure have." Ennis kissed Jack's forehead and they settled down, closing their eyes and wondering what the next day would bring.

On Sunday, Ennis's mother was due to leave and go back to New York. She had enjoyed her stay and meeting Junior, and she expressed a desire for them to visit her in the city sometime.

"Maybe at Christmas, ma," Ennis told her as they waited with her at the airport. Junior had loved meeting her grandmother and was sad to see her go. Ennis was also saddened by her departure; they had grown close over the last few years, ever since she had come to see him and Jack at college. It almost made up for the absence of his father and the fact that Ennis could never reconcile with him.

"Grandma, when you comin' back?" she asked, large brown eyes gazing up at her. Ellen knelt down so that she was at eye level with the little girl.

"Honey, you'll see me soon. Promise. Yer daddy says you might come to New York at Christmas. How's that?"

Junior grinned and nodded. "Okay." Jack smirked at Ennis.

"Looks like we're definitely going now," he commented, and Ennis shook his head.

"Yep, guess so. It'll be fun, anyway. Maybe we could go ice skatin' at that Rockefeller Centre or somethin'."

Jack nodded. "That sounds good. Maybe you and me could go for a romantic dinner one night," he added, sliding his hand into Ennis's and squeezing. Ennis smiled back at him as Ellen hugged Junior goodbye.

"Okay, you be good for yer daddies, won't you?" they heard her ask, and Jack noticed the terminology she used. Everybody considered him to be one of Junior's parents, and he was finally starting to feel like that.

Ellen then hugged her son, proud of everything that he had done with his life so far. "I love you, sweetheart. You've got a good man an' a wonderful little girl. Be sure to look after them."

"I will, ma," he murmured back, squeezing her a little. It didn't matter how old he got; he would always be grateful to have his mother in his life. As much as he loved Jack, nothing could quite replace a mother's love. She was a unique woman and he knew it. "Gonna miss you..."

"Me too, honey. Take care of yourself as well." She kissed his cheek and let him go, turning to Jack. "Honey, come here..." Jack hugged her warmly, glad to be considered as her son-in-law. He knew how much she meant to Ennis after everything they'd been through.

"Have a good flight," he said to her. "Tell Lureen hi from all of us. And my brother." Ellen had found Lureen not long after moving to New York, and the pair of them met up with Jack's brother James and his wife Emily from time to time. Both Ennis and Jack liked how their families and friends came together as one, because of their relationship. Now they had an even bigger family together, which Ennis had always wanted.

"I sure will," Ellen promised him, hugging him tightly. "An' please...take care of my boy an' Junior. They both need you, Jack." As she was pulling away, she whispered in his ear, "Thank you for makin' him happy."

Jack smiled at her and nodded. "He makes me happy, too." Ellen nodded and turned to Ennis.

"Well...guess I'd better get a move on," she said, looking around at the little family. She sometimes wished that they didn't live so far away from her; if only the entire family could live closer together. But she had heard that absence made the heart grow fonder, and it was true. She knew that she could trust Jack to take care of her son and granddaughter. "Bye, then."

They bid goodbye to her and then watched as she ascended through the airport. Once she'd disappeared from sight, Jack turned to the others.

"You wanna get something to eat?" he asked, and Ennis nodded.

"Yeah, reckon we should. Where d'you wanna go?" They started walking back to the entrance, Ennis holding onto Junior's hand and linking his arm through Jack's.

"Dunno, first place we find." They left the airport and headed down the street to a small café. It was a cosy place and they figured they could get something for lunch here before heading back to Provincetown.

They slid into the booth and Jack grabbed a menu, looking over it. While he was trying to decide what to have, Ennis was thinking of his mother. He was so grateful to her for accepting him and his love for Jack; it had been a welcome change from his father disowning him and telling him not to return to the ranch. And he could remember dancing with her at his wedding while Jack danced with Karen; they'd had so much fun back then and it had truly been the happiest day of his life.

As they ate their lunch, Jack reached over with one of his feet and wound it around Ennis's ankle, silently showing him some support. He knew that Ennis was missing his mother.

"I'm sure we'll see her again soon," he said softly, and Ennis nodded, trying to eat.

"Yeah. Glad I've got you two to distract me," he replied, smiling a little. Jack winked at him and carried on eating, both of them keeping an eye on Junior to make sure that she was okay.

"So...got our appointment to have Junior's photo taken next Saturday, remember?" Jack asked, feeling a need to break the silence.

Ennis nodded. "Yep. Shouldn't take too long, I reckon." He looked fondly at his daughter, who was making a little mess but looked very happy anyway. "She's growin' up fast."

"They do," Jack told him. "I remember seeing my little sisters growing up...turn away for a moment and you could miss a whole lot."

"I wanna see everythin'," Ennis told him. "I want both of us to watch her grow up, Jack. We're gonna be raisin' her now..."

"Yeah," Jack replied softly. "We're really parents, aren't we?" Ennis nodded and squeezed his hand.