Page 134 of The Beast's Heart

“You’re not a sport at all,” Jonathan says. I look at him, shocked. But he’s got his chin sticking out, facing down one of the most powerful men in my world with no problem. My heart swells with pride. “You’re not a sport, you’re theatre. And I don’t think you’ll find a single person who’ll disagree that gays belong in the theater.”

McHoman’s face goes bright red. He points towards the exit. “Out! Get the fuck out of my sight before I call security!”

It would be my pleasure.

Brian, Zane and Elam are all waiting for us outside.

Brian waves his phone at me. “Holy shit, man. I hope your contract included a cut of the streaming take because this is insane. I think you’re going to make the evening news. Years from now they’re going to be featuring today on Jeopardy and shit.”

Elam is also clutching his phone. “Your fandom is very happy. They were already shipping you with the mystery guy from your auction.”

I laugh and hug Jonathan to my side. “I still have a fandom?”

“A rich one,” Zane confirms. “You haven’t seen your auction results yet, have you?”

Later, at Elam’s house, after we’ve cleaned up and had a talk, we call the kids. They’re delighted to see Jonathan and news of the fight has even managed to reach them (via Ray, no doubt). They want to know when we’ll be back.

“My father can’t fly for the next six weeks while he recovers,” Jonathan tells them. “So I’ll need to stay in New York a while.”

They’re all crammed around my chair in the control room. Alisha is sitting with Enrique on her lap and Ben and Mal are peering in from the sides. All four faces fall at this news.

“Does that mean we won’t get to see you again?” Ben asks.

“No, it doesn’t mean that.” Jonathan looks to me. I nod. He turns back to the kids. “We wanted to know if, after, you’d like to live with me and my father in Surrey?”

“What, all of us?” Mal asks, at the same time as Alisha asks, “What do you mean, ‘live’?”

“Live as a family,” I clarify. My heart is beating so hard. What if they don’t want that? I don’t know what I’ll do because I want it so badly, but after everything, after all the upheaval in their short lives, if they would rather stay at the estate, I’ll have to agree.

“Adam too?” Ben asks.

“Adam too,” Jonathan confirms. “It’s a big house with a large garden, close to good schools. It’s where I grew up and… I’d love for you four to grow up there too.”

Alisha holds up her hands. “Wait a minute, what are you saying?”

Ben bounces up and down. “He’s saying he wants to keep us.”

“You want to adopt us?” Mal asks. “Forever?”

“Forever,” Jonathan confirms.

He glances at me and I know the time has come to confess. “Actually, the paperwork is already done,” I say. “But we don’t have to move to Surrey if you don’t want to. We—that is, you four and me—can stay at the estate if you’d prefer. It’s quite out of the way, but if you want to?—”

“—what do you mean the paperwork is done?” Alisha asks.

“I mean that you aren’t going back into the system. I want to be your father.”

The children look at each other and start talking all at once. Alisha tells me they need a minute and ends the call.

I sit in tense silence with Jonathan. We’re on Elam’s couch and I can hear him singing to himself in the kitchen. Jonathan doesn’t say anything. What happens next is up to the kids.

The phone rings and I answer immediately. “Okay,” Alisha says. “We agree. On one condition.”

“You name it,” I say.

It’s Ben who speaks. “Can Ray and Meredith and Lilly-Iris and Angus come visit?”

I laugh, relief flooding through me.

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