The Committee Verdict...
The Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving came along far too quickly for Beats, Elliott and Dante that year. Somehow they had all managed to get some sleep the previous night, all of them having predicted it would be nigh on impossible beforehand. The atmosphere in the house that morning was strange though, as they all tried to maintain a degree of normality in the most trying of circumstances. Dante had risen a little earlier than normal to prepare for school, but his bag was not packed with textbooks and gym kit that morning; instead he had a change of clothes, all the cash that he had been able to gather, an emergency food stash, and most importantly of all, the keys for the Port Jefferson house, with the alarm code written on the tag. He had already memorised the early afternoon train schedule to the town on Long Island, not that he intended to catch a train there directly from Penn Station; he would instead catch a train headed elsewhere, still in the clothes he would leave the house in, then alight from it, find somewhere to change into the other set of clothes, then head back to Jamaica and from there to Port Jeff…
Lachlan would be bringing an extra coat with him to school that morning, and a spare gym bag. Dante had decided to confide in his boyfriend about his intention to run away, but had told him that he was going to head to New Jersey; after all, once his disappearance was noticed, Lachlan would be hauled in for questioning. If all that he was able to tell them was that he had been heading to Penn Station, that would give him valuable time…
What Dante did not know that morning, nor Elliott for that matter, was that Beats also had made a contingency plan. Should the verdict go badly, he was going to request that he be the one to break it to Dante alone. He had already provisionally hired a car, given how busy the agencies would be; he would grab their foster son, bundle him in the back, then drive up to Vermont, to throw himself on the mercy of Cameron and Flora. Even telling Elliott was a no-no, wanting to avoid getting him into bother if he could. He had told the hire company that he was heading to Zanesville, Ohio, to visit his family…
Elliott in total contrast had no plans for escape. He had however made a few extra trips to the supermarket, and unbeknownst to Beats, had filled half the cupboard in the house with canned and dried goods, along with bottled water and candles. He had also visited Home Depot and acquired a quantity of stout wood; he intended to barricade the front door with it, and thus prevent the authorities getting in until they had managed to log a successful appeal…
If the three residents of that apartment shared a longer than usual hug that morning as Dante headed off to school, it went unnoticed. Everything was as normal; no wishing of luck, no talk of the case. Beats and Elliott left not long after their boy, both in their best suits, anxious to be punctual, no easy task in the rush hour traffic of New York, which the congestion charging seemed to have done little to quell. They made their journey to City Hall in silence, taking the 'L' train to Union Square, then changing to a '4' train to their ultimate destination.
As everything ran on time for once, they ended up arriving half an hour in advance of the meeting, so they decided to grab a coffee; no sooner had they sat down with it than they observed Grace arriving. Elliott went to fetch her a coffee too as she approached and sat down at the table beside Beats. She did not need to ask how they were feeling, as that was all too obvious from their facial expressions; they were stressed to the max and worried about how everything would go…
Lachlan's mother, Mrs Rosenfeld, was the next to arrive, and came over to join them. She had something to say to them all that would come as quite a surprise… "My husband and I have been talking since this whole affair came up, and we have decided that should you be unsuccessful in changing the ridiculous rules, then we will apply to adopt Dante ourselves. Lachlan has been so upset since all of this started, not that he has shown any sign of it to anyone except us in the confines of the house… It would not be an ideal situation, given the nature of their relationship, but it would allow Dante to remain in Manhattan and to continue to attend his current school. He would also be able to visit you naturally, and vice versa…"
"I don't know what to say," said Elliott after a few moments of silence. "It is a most wonderful gesture, one which I hope we do not have to take you up on… However, if the worst comes, then it would be a great relief to both of us to know that he would be going to a safe, loving home. It would make the pain of losing him just a little less keen…." Beats nodded, but Grace said nothing; she was not sure that the city would permit such a thing, and even if they did, they might insist on months of checks and scrutiny beforehand; and if they found out about Dante and Lachlan, they would probably dismiss it right from the off…
They headed to the committee room soon after that, meeting Dante's headmaster and Rabbi Hirsch en-route. None of them knew quite what to expect as they were seated, then had to wait for the members of the committee to come in. When they did, it came as no surprise to anyone to see a number of clerical collared men, several severe looking matrons and a retired headteacher in their ranks. That the majority of them were aged over sixty was also no shock, and explained why the rules had remained unaltered as the rest of the world moved on…
Grace knew how the hearing would go and had warned all of her witnesses beforehand; she would be the one that spoke to them in the main, in her position as the advocate of a sort for Dante. She had done her homework on all of the people now sitting before her, and she knew who would never budge from their entrenched position, and who she could possibly convince that they needed to take a more modern viewpoint. The actual makeup of the committee was a fight that would need to be undertaken another day; she fully intended to ensure that was challenged in time, to make it more representative of the city as it was now, not the one that it had been when the membership rules had been written up. The fact that they had not been altered since the Second World War was an outrage…
The meeting was not as long as they had all faired; both sides made their arguments, and the witnesses gave their points of view. Grace finished up her case with one simple statement. "The main concern of this panel should always be the welfare of the child in question, what is best for them. If, as in this case, the child is happiest where they are now, then why are we so intent on removing them and destroying that happiness? We are damaging their welfare in doing so, all in the name of a set of moral standards that were written into law nearly 80 years ago. This city, and the world around it, has moved on greatly since those times; for that reason, the rules of this committee need to reflect that, and be altered."
Grace's words had been impassioned, as had been the case with the words said by all of those that had supported their case. The presence of one of the city's better known rabbis had been noted, as it showed evidence that some religions had more tolerance for the changing times; the presence of the headmaster of one of the city's more prominent public schools had been remarked upon as well. He had talked about the changes that had been brought about in Dante as a result of his new, more settled circumstances.
"His file stated quiet bluntly that he was an ill-behaved reckless troublemaker, with a dire attendance record and an equally abysmal academic one. In normal circumstances I would have rejected his application for a place at once, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and interview him. I found it hard to connect the young man I found before me to the boy in the file. He was polite, articulate and well turned out. So I decided to delve deeper into his school records, and discovered that whilst he had been in elementary school, he had been noted as a high achiever; in the top 5% of his class. I decided therefore to give him a chance, and now he is in the top 3% of his year across all of his subjects; the very top in two of them. He is a candidate for head of school in his senior year. I believe that taking him back to the Bronx; resettling him in a home there because it is the city's policy is wrong. Do so, and you will potentially destroy his future, one which is at the moment very bright indeed. I can see the argument in stating that a stable family life is the ideal for all young people, but a married couple does not guarantee that these days. The divorce statistics speak volumes, and some of my highest achieving students come from single parent or same sex couple families. This city leads in so many ways, but in this I fear we lag far behind, and continuing to do so will risk the very children that you claim to be protecting."
From Mrs Rosenfeld came more of the same, albeit she was careful to inform them that she was there as head of the school PTA; she did not mention her particular connection to the young man at the heart of the debate. She did, however, bring up the subject of Dante's sexuality. "A young gay man like Dante is under so much pressure from his peers and society; his interests as surely best protected by having a same sex couple who understand what he is going through as his guardians. A heterosexual couple may tick all the correct boxes in public, but in private they might subject him to bullying and physical harm. That is why I, and so many other parents at the school back Mr Harper and Mr Gilbert in their challenge. Dante is one case, but how many other cases are there that we don't know of where the circumstances could be similar?"
When it had been the turn of Beats and Elliott to speak, they had tried hard not to bring out all of the emotion that they felt, anxious not to appear overwrought; in the end, as they gave their joint statement, it became too much for Elliott and he started to cry. Beats had merely placed a comforting arm around him, and had carried on reading out the statement they had prepared together on his own, his voice trembling from time to time as his own emotions threatened to show. As he spoke, he noticed the sympathy that was on the faces of the few younger members of the committee, and to his delight he also noticed it on the faces of two of the older women; these were the people that they needed to win over to make success a possibility. One of the clergymen also seemed to be reflecting for the first time on the actual human impact of their rules, seeing the raw pain that they were causing first hand…
In all, the hearing lasted just under 90 minutes; the chairperson thanked them all for attending, then stated that the committee would now adjourn to consider and discuss the evidence before them, and that a decision would be given to them at approximately 11.30am. They all filed out, with a little hope in their hearts as they had seen the reflective looks on the faces. Dante's headmaster had to head back to the school, but asked them to keep him informed; Rabbi Hirsch and Mrs Rosenfeld however were able to stay with Grace and the two foster fathers. The two ladies went to fetch coffee for them all, then sat with them in contemplative silence as they awaited the appointed hour. It came and went however with no news, and they all realised that had to mean one thing; their had been a disagreement within the group, and that gave them all a little optimism. After all, the longer they talked, the more hope there was of a positive outcome…
At precisely 16 minutes to noon, the committee clerk opened the door, and invited them back in. Grace headed in quickly, but Beats and Elliott suddenly felt no need to rush, as those feelings of dread had returned to haunt them. Thus it was only Grace that saw that there had been a spy in the committee room; was the only one that heard Blaine whisper, "You will be needing those documents I am afraid. It could be a lot worse. I just hope that they add things up and get to four all by themselves, and quickly…" Grace kept her smile fixed as her angelic brother-in-law vanished before his two friends walked in. She ushered them hastily to their seats, then sat down herself to hear the result of the committee's discussions. By the sound of it, it was going to be exactly what she had been told…
"We have listened to the very compelling evidence that was set before us today," began the chairperson, "and to be honest, it has made several of us realise that we have been stuck in a rut as the world changed around us. Whether all of the changes have been for the better is debatable, but what is important to the welfare of a child has not altered. They need stability, and they need love. With that in mind, we have decided that the rules governing the adoption of children in this city do need to change, so that they better reflect those that we use to foster the same children. To that end, we have agreed by a small majority that we will permit adoptions to be made by same sex couples…" - Beats and Elliott gasped, huge smiles blooming on their faces at those words - "…as long as they are married in the forms that are legal and acceptable in this city."
Those last few words wiped the smiles from the faces of the two men immediately. They had come so close to achieving their desired outcome, but it had just been snatched back from them with a cruel twist right at the end. It felt like a slap in the face, a hard punch to the stomach. They sat there speechless as Grace nodded at the chairperson, and then the committee members all filed out. Behind them, Rabbi Hirsch and Mrs Rubens sat in devastated silence at the events that had just taken place. "They will no doubt call that a 'compromise'," the wise rabbi eventually said, "but I feel that this was a calculated result, an attack on the two of you for having the audacity to challenge their authority and force the issue out into the open for the first time in decades."
"What will happen now?" asked Mrs Rosenfeld.
"They can appeal of course, force another rethink but that will take months, and by then that poor boy will be back in the system again," responded the rabbi sadly.
"Not if I can help it," said Grace forcefully. "Yes, this was not the grand victory we wanted, and I agree, it would not surprise me at all if this decision was just a veiled attack on Elliott and Beats. However, we can take their victory from them, if the two of them are willing… There is something that they could do to show the committee that their efforts were futile. Let us just recall that we all pledged that we would do whatever was necessary to ensure that Dante remained where he was happy. Let us also note that the committee's only proviso for eligibility to adopt is a marriage certificate; nowhere do they say how long that marriage has to have been. Furthermore let us not forget that a couple that have been fostering a child become the preferred adoptive parents the moment that they apply to adopt, and that is written down in the committee's own rules."
Rabbi Hirsch had been silently listening, and suddenly she let out a little gasp, the allowed herself a small smile. "You are quite right, Ms Hummel-Warbler. It really is just down to how far these two young men are prepared to go for that boy."
"We will do anything for him," exclaimed Elliott, "but we have failed. There is no way that they will let him stay with us."
Beats said nothing, all the wheels in his brain spinning. Grace was hinting at the solution to the entire situation, what he and Elliott could do to stick one finger up at the authorities, but it was a big step, a reversal of all they had ever said…but they had said they would do anything, and Elliott had just repeated that statement… "When do you think they will take Dante from us?" he asked.
"Unless there is a material change in the circumstances in the next day or so, I would expect they would arrive on Friday; Monday at the very latest," said Grace. "That change could be brought about that quickly, if all the relevant paperwork was around, and I do happen to have it here…"
Elliott turned now to look at Grace in total exasperation. "I am sorry, but it can't be that easy. What on earth are you talking…"
His words stopped as Beats got up from his seat, then knelt before Elliott on one knee.
"Ell, we have both said, time and time again, that we didn't need or want to get married like our friends. However, that little bit of paper is now the one thing that is the key to the future happiness of someone more important than either of us; Dante. He can be adopted by a married gay couple, and if we marry, then they can't refuse our application. I am guessing that the paperwork Grace is referring to is that that we need to apply for a wedding licence; I am guessing that she had heard that this might be the way things would go. Anyway, Elliott Gilbert, will you marry me, because of Dante, and also because you are the man that I love and will love for the rest of eternity?"
Elliott just gawped at him for a moment, then said, "Nate, this is mad, and you are right, it is against everything we have ever said, all I have ever believed in, but yes, I will marry you, and the sooner, the better."
Grace smiled, then said, "Good. I am glad that you worked that out on your own, because I was dreading having to spell it out to you. Beats, you are right, I did hear a rumour that this would be their likely finding, and so I made plans. I do indeed have the licence application form here, all filled out and just requiring your signatures. There is a fee, but I have already attached a cheque for the amount; call it a wedding gift from myself and Cooper. If we go right now, we can have the licence by noon, which is good…"
"Why is it good?" asked Beats, shaking his head.
"Because you are booked in with the city clerk for your wedding ceremony at 1.30pm. Thankfully I was able to make an appointment since they changed the rules last year; before that, we might have had to wait for hours and risk everything. I also spoke to a judge friend of mine, who signed a judicial waiver for me, so you don't have to wait the 24 hours that is usual. She remembered both of you from Hunter's trial… Anyway, all of that will allow you to present your marriage certificate and the application to adopt, which you have already completed at my behest, to the relevant office by 2pm, and that will secure Dante staying with you."
"I'm sorry," said Elliott, standing beside Beats, who was just staring open mouthed, "did you just say that we are booked in for a wedding at 1.30pm today!"
"Yes, and it is short notice, but if you get the application in today, then there is no way they can remove Dante. Leave it until after the holiday, and the order to remove him will have been issued, and he could be gone…"
"I guess all this means we are getting married in under two hours," said Beats quietly, his brain still getting round how his entire world had just been turned upside down.
"Only if we get you two to the licence office in the next ten minutes, as they close at noon for lunch," said Grace, getting up.
Beats and Elliott both rose to their feet as well, still in shock, but just as determined now that they would go along with it all, for the sake of Dante. They were as good as married in any case when they thought about it, and all any of this meant was that they would have a slip of paper to prove it. If becoming husbands was what it took to keep Dante safely with them, then it was not an issue. The only problem was the speed at which events were proceeding…
That speed was something that really hit home for both Beats and Elliott as they dashed along the corridor to the office that would endorse their wedding licence application. In normal circumstances, a wedding would take place after months of meticulous planning, an almost military operation to ensure that all the guests were in place, from rarely seen family to close friends; that the clothing was just right, and that there would be a reception afterwards that was a fitting celebration for that most joyous of states. They on the other hand had a little less than 100 minutes before their ceremony as they joined the back of a thankfully very short queue to be seen.
"This is madness!" admitted Elliott bluntly. "It is for a very good cause, but it verges on insanity!"
"The whole getting married in less than two hours, not the whole marrying me thing I hope," said Beats, and Elliott nodded at once. "Do you think that it would be in bad form for us to declare a Warbler emergency? I mean, we do need to at least try and gather a few people to watch us get hitched other than Grace…"
"Oh God! Josh! He will never forgive me if he isn't around to see this! I need to call him now!" squealed Elliott as realisation hit.
"I need to call Flint for exactly the same reasons. My parents…well they will be disappointed, but they will understand the reasons for our haste…" replied Beats.
Grace smiled as she watched Elliott pull out his phone and call up his brother, who would currently be at his work in Brooklyn, an hour away on public transit. At the same time, Beats dialled up Flint's work number, and as always when he did, he nearly laughed as his best friend used his posh telephone voice to answer…
"Enough of that Flint, it's me. Look, this is an emergency. I need you to get down to 141 Worth Street and meet me yesterday!"
"Oh no! Is the case going badly?" asked Flint anxiously.
"It's complicated… They agreed to allow same sex couples to adopt if they are married, so…"
"But you're not…"
"Basically I will need a best man at 1.30pm today at the Marriage Bureau…"
Flint gasped, then said "Heck! Right, I am on it! Do any of the others know yet?"
"Elliott is calling his brother, but other than that…"
"Right, I will try and gather the guys. I am leaving the office right now, so should be with you… Wait, what are you doing for rings?"
It was Beats' turn to gasp then. "Oh Lord, we don't have rings Flint!"
"Leave it with me. I will be passing several jewellers on my way, so I will go in and grab something appropriate. I am leaving now; you concentrate on getting yourself ready."
Flint hung up then, and Beats turned to Elliott, who had also just ended his call. "Flint is on his way; he will grab us rings of some sort, and he is also going to try and round up the guys."
"Josh thinks we are insane, but he is coming too; he is calling Scott, and grabbing buttonholes from somewhere…"
"And I will sort out the two 'D's' for you," said Grace. At their confused expressions, she just laughed, and said, "Dani for a start, as she would also never forgive you, Elliott, and of course, the most important person of all; Dante."