A Party for Revelations.
As Drew returned to his telephone, to advise his lawyer of the new and unexpected development, across town great fun was being had at the museum by the entire party of four. For Miss Frobisher, the museum was a delight. It was the sort of resource that she wished she had access to back in her home city; yes, she lived somewhere with a world renowned cluster of museums on the doorstep, but catering specifically to children was not the bulk of their remit, and she often had wondered if a dedicated space like this one might have merit.
What inspired her most was the fact that the roots of the current museum were based in something established by a group of volunteers in the face of financial crisis and budget cuts by the authorities. She was overjoyed to watch the reaction on the faces of the two children as they came across each new exhibit, and she couldn't help but notice that Jeff's face lit up too.
"I can't honestly think why we haven't brought Wes here sooner," he admitted eventually. "He is loving every minute of it, and he is learning so much as he plays. It is just the same for Evie. I will have to speak to Drew and get something organised so we can bring them back up here together some day."
"He is in a much happier place here," Miss Frobisher remarked. "He and Mr Mackenzie are very close, although I guessed as much when he travelled across the Atlantic at a moment's notice to rescue him from that woman."
"They are the best of friends; brothers from another mother," replied Jeff. "What is also abundantly clear is that Ethan has come to love Evie every bit as much as her father does…"
Miss Frobisher nodded. "In some ways, I have to say that it is a pity that their inclinations had not been the same as yourself and Nick. If that had been the case, then all of the heartache and pain could have been avoided."
Jeff smiled, then replied, "Well, I think that we have to accept that everything that has happened to them all was for a reason; all part of some great celestial plan that we as humans can never fully understand or indeed comprehend. It said that Drew had to go through all that he has done, and had he not done so, then the Evie that we know and love might well not be here at all. Likewise, those same planners decreed that Ethan should be without any romantic inclinations at all. He was thus free and able to help out when he was needed the most, not tied down potentially by a partner that would not have understood or indeed approved of all that he had to do. Ethan's connections have been important too, of course, although it did come as quite a shock to all of us when he finally revealed to us all exactly who he was…"
Jeff paused as he saw a puzzled look on the older woman's face, then said, "Of course, I forgot that you wouldn't know this. I don't know if you have ever heard of an organisation called the Mackenzie Foundation; it gave a large amount of money to Great Ormond Street Hospital to build a new oncology centre last year?
"Oh yes, I do recall that!" said Miss Frobisher. "Alas, I only do so because it was that woman's department that was getting the funds."
"Well, Ethan is the chair of the Foundation; his mother had to relinquish the role after his father had a heart attack and she had to concentrate on helping him with the running of Mackenzie Inc, the family business. The company is entirely owned by them, and is worth billions of dollars. Ethan is their only child and therefore, the heir…"
Ten minutes later Miss Frobisher and Jeff were seated at a table with a glass of water, fetched after the lady in question had nearly fainted at the news Jeff had delivered. She could still barely believe what he had just told her; that the young man who had dropped everything to race to his best friend's aid would one day be one of the richest men on the planet, and was doomed it appeared to be without an heir of his own. Her mind had flipped as it did some rapid thinking, and that had triggered her fainting fit. After all, she had said it herself only moments before; he loved Evie almost as much as her father did. Could it be that he might one day leave all of that wealth to that little girl, passing the family business to his best friend's daughter? It sounded like madness, but it would also explain the way he acted around her.
"So at the moment he chairs the Foundation, but has no role in the actual day to day operation of the business?" she asked Jeff quietly, as he kept his eye on the two young charges that they had brought with them.
"That is correct. He told his parents, apparently before he even left for Dalton, that he wanted to make his own way in the world first, then join the business later. He also insisted to them that his true identity was kept hidden from everyone; at Dalton, only the Principal and his wife had any idea who the invisible Mr and Mrs Mackenzie actually were. They are of course very busy people, and conversations of any length with them are even for him a rare occurrence, but at least they saw him during the holidays, and they never neglected to send cards and a gift or two on his birthday."
"From what you have told me, my admiration for him has grown even greater. It would have been so easy for him to just take the money, and a role in the family business that would have been his regardless of his level of skill or talent for it. Instead he resolved to prove himself worthy first. I mean, he was already high up in my estimation, but now…"
Back in the West Village, Ethan and Drew had by that time just finished making a video call together. They had decided that as their questions were still at the hypothetical stage, they would not consult initially with Drew's lawyer, or indeed the one that Ethan used for his own personal business. They had decided to speak to someone that they both trusted; someone that they knew was the very soul of discretion in this kind of thing. Grace had been surprised to receive the call, and even more intrigued when they immediately swore her to secrecy…
"So, this has to stay entirely between the three of us for now," repeated Drew. "We want to enquire about the legal position in regard to Ethan adopting Evie as his daughter, whilst we remain unmarried obviously, and I have no intention of dying anytime soon. What we wish to ensure by doing this is a secure future for her should the worst occur."
Ethan then continued, "For my part, guardianship is not quite enough if I am completely honest. I want to be a relation of hers, if not by blood or marriage, then at least in the eyes of the law. I want her to be my daughter as much as she is Drew's."
Grace was shocked at their words, but she did not show it, and as she reflected on it, she could see that this was actually inevitable. "Well, I have to admit that the situation would be a little unusual, but it has been done a few times to my knowledge, when it was deemed to be in the best interests of the child. Adoption sounds a lot more complex, but in legal terms, it is not much higher on the scale than a simple agreement of guardianship."
"I know," Ethan replied, "but I have another reason that I am wishing to embark on this road, although I wish to keep it personal and private for now."
"Well, I personally think it should be approved without any problem, and on a personal note, I think that it is a lovely gesture. However, you would have to be completely certain that this is what you wish to do…"
"I have never been more sure and certain about anything in my life," replied Ethan with a grin. With those words, they thanked Grace for her time, and she wished them well, before ending the call. "Well, that was positive," Ethan said, as he turned towards Drew, but he paused as the look on his friend's face at the moment was a lot less certain than it had been. "Is everything okay? I mean, if you are having second thoughts, and think this is a step too far, then just say…"
"No, it isn't that at all. I am just curious as to what your other reason might be for doing this," replied Drew.
"I would have thought that was obvious to you," said Ethan. "In my situation, with my asexuality, having a child of my own was never really going to be an option, even if we are talking about surrogacy. The whole idea of using a turkey baster repels me as much as the actual act itself! That is also the reason why I need to introduce Evie to my parents. If we go ahead with this, she will become not just my daughter, but their granddaughter too."
"I have no objection to that; you love her every bit as much as I do, and have done since you first set eyes on her, at least once your initial shock wore off! A second set of grandparents would be no bad thing for her either, even if she was hardly ever to see them."
"In those respects, it is a good thing, but there is another implication. If we do this, if she is officially my daughter, then she automatically also becomes my immediate heir…"
"You're not intending to die just yet, so…" began Drew, and then he realised exactly what Ethan was hinting at. If he did formally adopt Evie, and they were her co-parents, then his little girl would one day inherit the whole of Mackenzie Inc. She would end up rich beyond anything he had ever imagined being possible.
His mouth had obviously dropped open, as Ethan said quietly, "That is the main reason why my parents need to know, and why they have to approve. That is why you have to be totally certain that the road we are proposing to embark upon is the right one. If we do this, we change her life forever. So, if you don't relish that prospect for her, then we can forget that this whole conversation ever took place, and I can just be her guardian, as you originally intended."
"If we did that, then you could just make her the sole beneficiary in your will anyway if you felt inclined. No, we go for the formal adoption, but only if it is what Evie wants to do. I think that we do need to mention the whole money aspect too; she might be young, but she does have a good understanding of money, and of the need for responsibility…"
"I agree. Of course, if my parents don't approve, or Evie says no, then the future for Mackenzie Inc will just have to be the same approach as John Spedan Lewis took with his store; I will turn the business into a partnership, and give all the employees a share in the profit and a voice in running the firm. In all honesty, I would be happy enough to do that right now."
"I know; your generosity is one of the reasons why you are such an amazing friend. You only use your wealth to help other people like me. It is why you enjoy doing the work with the Trust, as it gives you an opportunity to be philanthropic."
"That is so true; being able to use all that money to do good rather than make more money is a bonus. So, when do we talk about this to Evie? Do we do it before or after we talk to my parents and get their backing?"
"Now there is a dilemma. We should talk to your folks first I guess, and have them meet Evie, and then, if they don't hate the idea, and she likes them, we can make a start on the next level, safe in the knowledge that all the parties involved will have no objection to what we are doing…"
When Evie returned home that night, full of stories about her day out, neither Drew or Ethan said a word about their discussions that day. Miss Frobisher had been invited to join them for dinner, and it was an enjoyable meal, the conversation filled with respect and affection for each other. Once Evie had gone off to bed, with Ethan volunteering to read a bedtime story to her, Drew finally had a chance for a private chat with his daughter's former teacher. "It was such a shock to see you this morning," he began. "Jeff is so good at keeping secrets."
"He is certainly an extraordinary young man, and he left a big impact in his year in London, that is for certain. Her Majesty is not known for forming close bonds with the people that she meets in her work, but she certainly did so with him. I guess that their shared love of art, and the two drawings that he has produced that have inspired her have a hand in that. I have seen The Happy Couple on display at Windsor Castle, and I believe that he intends to take me to see The Judging Angel at the Met sometime this week. What does make my heart glad is to see you looking so happy and content. Evie is much more carefree now than the girl I recall, and that is probably due to the fact that she knows her father is safe now. She no longer fears the actions of the wicked witch…"
"Yes," replied Drew. "I have never told anyone this, but I do actually regret marrying her now, although the irony of it all is that had it not been for Lucy's abusive behaviour, I might never have had Evie. I am able here to concentrate on making her the best that she can be, on giving her the security every child needs to feel in a loving home…"
"One where there are two people that love her," stated Miss Frobisher. "It is obvious to me that Mr Mackenzie loves her as if she was his own child, and that is no bad thing…" Drew nodded in agreement, and pondered for a moment telling her about the discussion they had had earlier, but in the end he said nothing, and the subject changed…
The following day saw Miss Frobisher accompany Jeff to the Met; Wes was happy to join Evie in the care of Dante, a young man that had impressed Miss Frobisher from the start, with his excellent manners and the way in which he interacted with the younger children. She had been a little surprised when she learnt his whole back story, but was all smiles when she learned the length that Beats and Elliott had gone to, to keep their foster son. "We have a similar situation back home; a prejudice against a same sex couple adopting a child. Ironically, no-one really seems to mind when it is two woman involved. To be able to challenge the old rules, win only a partial victory, and then use the same rules they created to circumvent them and succeed is quite wonderful."
Jeff had smiled, then said, "Well to be honest, that was largely down to Nick's sister Grace. She can be very devious when she needs to be. You will of course be meeting her tonight, along with the one and only Cooper. They are coming to our little dinner party tonight."
"Nick did mention something about that, yes; he also said there would be quite a few other guests joining us."
"Every so often we do like to host a big dinner for as many members of the 'family' as we can assemble. To be honest, I am still not entirely sure of the extent of the guest list!"
The conversation was dropped as the cab they had been travelling in drew up outside the Met; they stepped out then headed up the steps and into the busy gallery. As he had an item in the collection, Jeff had a guest pass to the premises, and could bring a guest in with him without charge. With their coats stowed away in the cloakroom, they headed straight to the one thing they had come especially to see. Jeff stood to one side and let his guest view his work in all of its glory; she in her turn looked on as he was recognised from his picture on social media, and was soon signing a few autographs on tickets and postcards of his own work.
"Does that always happen when you come here?" asked Miss Frobisher as they walked away.
"It didn't at first, but more recently it has become a thing. I used to really detest all that kind of attention, hate all the adulation, but now I have come to terms with it. As Nick says, I should be flattered that people recognise me and want to converse with me about my work, especially when it is a student that is now in the position I was when I drew The Judging Angel. If I can inspire even one of them to produce their own masterwork, then my task has not been in vain. Okay, shall we go and explore some of the other treasures that are stored here…?"
They spent the next few hours just strolling around the building, but it turned out that it was the collection of period furniture, glass, silver and ceramics that enchanted her most, at least until he took her to see the Egyptian temple, which left her silent. There was a part of her that disagreed with the removal of one nation's antiquities and treasures being taken abroad, and she had supported those that wished to take the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum back to Greece. However, the situation here was different, and she acknowledged that; after all, had it not been brought here, then its wonder would have been lost forever beneath the waters of the Aswan Dam…
The party that night turned out to be a larger affair than even Jeff had anticipated. The first people to arrive were Cooper, Grace and the twins. Wes was happy to see his younger cousins and to entertain them, but Caleb bolted for the safety of the studio at once. He had been very wary of Miss Frobisher when she had arrived, but had quickly warmed to her; the two youngsters were another story….
Miss Frobisher had to admit that Grace and her husband seemed an unlikely match on the face of it, but they worked well together, and it was apparent to her from the off that their focus was on their children. Next to arrive were Mike and Tina, who she had heard so much about. The former quickly excused himself to head upstairs with a bag of catnip treats, but returned soon after to rejoin the party. Next to arrive was a face that she recognised in the form of Sebastian, but they had never been formally introduced, and it was a pleasure to meet his husband and children too. The youngest of them was strapped to the actor in a papoose, and was quite obviously the apple of his father's eye…
Only Nick it seemed had been expecting the next guests as Jeff seemed most surprised but delighted to see Trent, Rory and their children on the doorstep; Sebastian too was delighted to see the little group arrive. Nick smiled, and said "I thought that a get together for us four musketeers was long overdue, so I invited them to join us. It is probably one of the best times, because you will be starting rehearsals for Young Frankenstein soon Sebastian, and Trent is due back at the Oval Office full time in two weeks. It also gives you all a chance to meet our visitor, who has heard so much about you all from us…"
"You do have a valid point," remarked Sebastian. "We often see each other at group functions, like Thad's birthday party, but we never get a chance to sit down as just the four of us and chat anymore. It is life I guess; we are all busy, what with our careers, our family commitments, and all those little day to day things. It would be quite easy for all of us to lose touch. We really do need to set aside a day at some point for just the four of us to get together and do something on our own."
"Great minds think alike Seb," said Nick with a smile, "which is why Dave will be sending you off tomorrow to meet the two of us for a trip to Coney Island."
"And it is why I will be taking on child care duties solo so that my husband can join you as well," said Rory. "It is all arranged, my love, so do not even think about arguing, and I will even be taking your work telephone from you too…"
"Rory, you know that I have…" began Trent.
"…to carry that at all times," continued Rory, pressing a button on his own phone as he spoke.
Trent made as if to reply, but the sound of the phone in question suddenly ringing made him jump. He dug into his pocket, and answered it as quickly as he could. He stood with it to his ear in silence for a moment, then said meekly, "Yes, Mr President, I understand." He then ended the call, and handed his phone over to his husband.
"Wait, did you just call…" Sebastian began saying to Rory, but then he just burst out laughing. "Still, I guess that is the only person that could have forced Trent to follow that instruction to hand over the phone. It is definitely worth it for the four of us to have a fun day reliving our youth…"
The remainder of the guests arrived shortly afterwards; Beats, Elliott, Dante and of course, Lachlan; Flint, Izzy and Aaron; Colin and Edward with Seth, who was glad to be having one of his good days; and finally Michelle arrived, but with Thad, not her husband. "Ollie sends his apologies; we were just on our way out when he was called in to assist with the aftermath of an accident involving 4 cars and a 14 wheeler in the Midtown Tunnel," she said as Nick took her coat. her pregnancy was now clearly obvious, and they were all impressed at just how solicitous her brother-in-law was being…
"These things happen; I would guess that Flint and Izzy know all about it too," said Edward.
"It is part and parcel of the job, and we doctors are lucky when we find an understanding partner, as I have," said Izzy, which made Flint smile. At that moment the doorbell rang once again, and Nick hastened away to answer it, knowing that it would be Ethan, Drew and Evie…
As they waited, Jeff encouraged everyone to mingle, and they began to do so. Trent excused himself to go and have a word with Thad, who had taken Michelle over to a quiet corner to have a seat. As he walked up, she gasped, and Thad immediately said, "Are you okay? Do I need to go and get Izzy?"
"I am fine," she replied with a smile. "It was just the baby kicking; you can feel it if you like…"
Gingerly Thad placed his hand on her stomach, then gasped himself; a huge smile grew on his face as he felt the baby kick himself. "Wow… It is so… Do you need another cushion, or a softer chair?"
"Thad, I really am quite okay here…"
"Sorry, I just worry; I guess it is natural…"
Trent chortled then, and said "Anyone would think that he was the father, and not the uncle!" As neither Michelle or Thad had seen him there, they both jumped, but what was worse was Thad's expression. Trent couldn't help but see that as he said those words in jest, the Head Warbler's eyes had opened wide for a few moments in shock…
Then Ethan and Drew walked in, apologising for their late arrival, which Ethan told them was down to making a phone call to his mother. Nick smiled, and told him that he had assumed, as always, that someone would be held up on their way. Then he announced that if anyone was hungry, the buffet was ready for them all in the kitchen. It seemed that everyone was, as there was an exodus in the direction of the other room. Trent told Rory to head down, staying with the children himself, knowing he could go himself once his husband had collected some food. He smiled again as he heard a more composed Thad asking Michelle what she would like, and then he hastened off to fetch it for her.
The moment that he was away, Michelle looked across the now deserted drawing room at Trent, and beckoned him over. Content that the children would be okay, he headed across. "I can see all the cogs moving in that head of yours," she said quietly as he arrived at her side. "I know that you saw that expression on his face. You know, don't you. You can't tell him that you have guessed, or mention this to anyone else. Ollie doesn't need the world to know that he is infertile; Thad doesn't want the world to know that he did a beautiful thing and offered to be our donor. He is Uncle Thad, and as far as everyone is concerned, Ollie is the father. I know I can trust you to keep the secret."
"I will not breathe a word," replied Trent, still shocked that he had wondered about was actually true. "I do think that it is a pretty selfless thing to do, and just so typical of Thad…" The conversation between Trent and Michelle came to a halt then as Thad returned, the first back despite being the last to leave. "Did you threaten people with Mr Bangy again to get to the buffet table first?" asked Trent as the Head Warbler presented the plate of food he was carrying to his sister-in-law. "If you did, then I doubt your husband would deem such behaviour as appropriate…"
"I merely stated that I was collecting food on behalf of a pregnant lady, and as all of us here are such gentlemen, they moved aside to allow me access," retorted Thad. "Now if you will excuse me, I am going to collect some food for myself!" Trent watched as he headed back out again, then smiled as he saw his own husband return carrying two plates….
With a smile to Michelle, Trent headed back to where he had been sitting with his husband and children, leaving her shaking her head. She had to admit that she had always thought that one of the Warblers would find out what was going on, and she was glad that someone was as reliable as Trent had been the one to work it out. She did think at one point that David would be informed by her brother-in-law, but as far as she knew, Thad had not confided in his best friend. She pondered on it all as she waited on Thad coming back, and when he did eventually reappear, the first thing he did was scrutinise her plate; she was glad she had managed to eat a few items, as otherwise he would probably have told her off for not eating…
"Dearest brother-in-law, I am eating, so there is no need to stare at the plate as if you are counting the items upon it," she said as he sat down, then in a quieter voice continued, "Also, I would advise you never to play a high stakes game of poker with Trent. You have a tell, and he saw it right away when he made that innocent remark. The long shot is that he knows, but I have sworn him to secrecy, and I think he can be trusted…"
"He knows!" hissed Thad. "How on earth..?"
"Your eyes widened with fear of discovery when he made that remark about you being the father; just a little, but enough for our Mr Nixon. Honestly, he is wasted in the Oval Office; he should be in the Secret Service. Innocent looking, but sharp, deadly and dangerous…"
Thad took several deep breaths, careful not to let the revelation upset him in front of everyone. If there was one thing that he knew for certain in life, it was that Trent could be trusted to keep a confidence. He would make no mention to him of what he now knew, and probably would not do so at any point, at least until Michelle gave birth. For that reason, he agreed with Michelle that there was no point in informing Ollie that Trent knew. As the evening wore on, he realised that actually Trent knowing was a good thing; it gave him someone that he could talk to if things felt rough after the baby was born. He had Wes, of course, but in some ways he was too close to the situation, being Michelle's cousin…
Around him the other guests mingled happily, catching up on each other's news, and admiring each other's children. The biggest surprise of the night though would come from Mike, who having cleared it with Tina, casually told Sebastian that he was going to be a father himself in November; in moments the whole room knew, and everyone was congratulating Mike and Tina. She accepted it all with a smile, as she had done the previous day, when the two of them had gathered the New Directions alumni of their generation on Skype, and shared the news with them…
