Snippet/Short Story/Something (shrugs) Saturday: Home

Zak walked into the living room, his eyes stopping on a head full of blonde hair. He walked up behind the little girl, kneeling and following her gaze toward the picture of Annie and Pete. He smiled, remembering how happy she'd been on that trip to New York, and he put a hand on the little girl's shoulder.

“Daddy, who's that lady in the picture with uncle Pete?” she asked after turning to look at him.

“Annie, that's your aunt. She had your name.”

“That's silly. Why would she have my name?”

“Because, she was special.” Zak looked at his daughter's round face. “Just like you are,” he said and tapped her little nose with each word before continuing. “She meant the world to me, and if it hadn't been for her, you wouldn't be here today.”

The girl's mouth made a little circle. A look of wonder crossed her face. “Oh. Why?”

Zak heard Kevin enter the room, or more so the gurgles of the baby boy in his arms. He turned, smiling at the man who had been his husband the past five years.

“Because, sweetie, if it weren't for your aunt Annie, your daddy and I would have never met,” Kevin said, and the little girl turned her head fast, whipping Zak in the face with her golden locks.

Zak blew and wiped at the strands of hair that had stuck to his mouth, and he laughed. “I wish you two could have met each other. She would have adored you.”

“I wish I could've, too. She's pretty.”

“Hey, you know what?”

“What?” she asked, eager.

“It's not just a name you two share, Annie. Your eyes are the same exact color as hers were. That same blue. It's beautiful. You're beautiful.”

Zak watched as a smile blossomed on his daughter's lips. His little Annie. He couldn't stop the tears that came to his eyes. Both tears of sadness and joy. It had been six years since he'd lost his sister. Four since his daughter had come along through surrogacy. He thanked Jenn, Kevin's cousin, every chance he saw her for agreeing to carry their first child.

He put his arms around her, hugging her tightly to him. Then he stood, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, giving his cheek a quick peck.

“I love you, daddy. Don't be sad.” She put her small hand on his cheek, wiping at his tears.

“Sweetie, daddy's not sad,” he said, looking over at Kevin who gave him an all too familiar look.

“But, you're crying.”

“That's because I'm so full of happiness I don't know what else to do.” He gave her a good squeeze and kissed her forehead before he returned her to the floor. “Hey, I think you should go check out your room. It's down the hall. You can't miss it; the door's open.”

She smiled and scurried away. Zak had been on the fence about giving his sister's old room to his daughter, but in the end, it felt right. It would have been awkward to have given her the master bedroom. He shook his head at the thought, and then he noticed Kevin putting little Ryan in his temporary crib.

“You sure you want to do this? We have more than enough to buy another house,” Kevin said.

“Yeah. I miss this place, and it's already paid for. With lil Annie starting pre-school soon, we agreed that a smaller school would be better. We're doing this for the kids.”

“It doesn't have to be here. I remember how hard it was on you to stay here after . . . I'm just saying that we can rent this place out and get another. I'd rather not see you go down that road. I don't think I can bear to see you that sad again, Zak.” Kevin walked over to Zak and put his arms on his shoulders, linking his hands behind his neck.

“Now's different, Kevin. When I lost Annie, I'd thought I lost everything. I didn't know if you'd stick around. I was horrible. The mood swings. The crying. I still don't even know why you put up with half the shit I put you through. Then you asked me to marry you.” Zak had been looking down at Kevin's shirt, but then he brought his eyes up to meet Kevin's. “Can't you see that it's different. Before I thought I had nothing, and now . . . I have more than I could've ever dreamed of.

“Yeah, I still get sad sometimes. I still miss her, probably more than I should at times. But, I'm more complete now than I ever was. I have you. We're married, and we have two beautiful kids. And if Annie were here today, I know she'd be so proud of me.”

Tears streaked down Zak's face, but his smile was big. He saw a glistening in Kevin's eyes. He maneuvered a hand around Kevin's arms to wipe at the wetness on his cheeks. Kevin just continued to stare at him.

Zak cleared his throat; he wasn't quite sure what was going through Kevin's mind. “We should go check to see how our daughter likes her room.”

Kevin's hands moved from the back of Zak's neck and were on either side of his face almost immediately. “Wait. Have I told you recently how much I adore you? How much I love you? Because I do. I love you so much, and I don't know what I'd do without you.”

Kevin's mouth was on his. A searing heat coursed from where their lips met and spread deep through his body. In that instant he knew they'd made the right choice. He knew they were home.