OCTOBER 2025 Brian Kinney, along with his lover Justin Taylor, was having a wonderful day, even if he was in a hospital waiting room. But this time he was in a waiting room for a good reason, his son Gus, who Brian usually called ‘Sonnyboy’, was going to become a father for the first time. Brian tried to ignore the fact that this meant that he was going to be a grandfather. All four of Gus’ parents were in the hospital waiting for the birth of their first grandchild. Katherine’s parents lived in California and so weren’t there in person but they were there in spirit and waiting for a phone call from the Pennsylvania grandparents once the birth occurred. The remainder of the Kinney pseudo family, Michael Novotny and his mother Debbie, Emmett Hunnicutt, and Ted Schmidt were also in the maternity waiting room. Justin’s mother Jennifer was at her home waiting for the phone call announcing the birth of her first great-grandchild. Lindsay Peterson and Melanie Marcus, Gus’s mothers, along with Brian and Justin were trying to keep Gus from getting overly worried at the length of time Katherine had been in labor. “Brian why do you have a shit eating grin on your face?” “Do I, Justin? I guess I’m just remembering all of the times that brought us to this point in our lives.” “Well don’t keep them to yourself, tell us; after all we have time to kill.” “Sunshine have I ever told you that you're very bossy?” “Not that I can remember.” Justin answered with one of his patented sunshine smiles on his handsome face. “All right then I’ll tell you, if just to shut you up.” Brian grinned at his lover. “Of all the times I’ve jacked off; who'd have thought that the time I shot into a cup would be so important. I certainly didn’t. I agreed to do it as a favor to Lindsay. She insisted that I was the only man she would consider to be the sperm donor for her child she wanted to raise with Melanie. Not that Melanie was thrilled at the choice.” “Well Brian I came to accept it about the time Gus became his own person and started running all of our lives. I couldn‘t imagine having a different son then and if he hadn‘t had you as his father then he would have been a different child.” “Mama I never ran your lives.” “Sonnyboy from the day you ran your first plan, that got Justin and I back together, you've been running all of our lives one way or the other.” “Well I had to get the two of you back together so that the two of you would be happy again. But running that plan doesn't explain the idea that I ran all of your lives.” “Don’t worry, if Katherine doesn’t have this baby soon we'll probably tell each other every story we ever knew while we're waiting to become grandparents and then you'll know why we think you've run our lives since that day in the sandbox.” “Dad!” “Augustus Brian when are you ever going to learn when your chain is being pulled?” “I don’t know Uncle Justin, probably never.” "It's interesting Gus that you give that same answer every time I ask the question." "I have to let you think you've some control over your life, and letting you think I don't know when you're pulling my chain is just a little item I can let you have control over." "Good answer Gussy." "Thanks Aunty Em." “God I‘m never going to admit to being a grandfather. I was thinking I’ll just have the child call me Brian, that way strangers will just think it's an uppity child instead of me being old enough to be a grandfather.” “Brian you'll never change will you? You aren’t old and you never will be, you're Brian Kinney for fuck’s sake.” “Justin mind your language in front of your baby boy.” “Dad! Though to be truthful it always surprised me when Uncle Justin cussed though it never seemed out of the ordinary when you used the same language.” “Where was I? Oh yeah I never once thought that I'd have anything to do with the child I agreed to father but once I looked into his eyes and held him that first time I was lost. I never even thought of not having you in my life Gus. You became Sonnyboy almost immediately and I've never regretted having you in my life. There were times when you were nothing but aggravation but they were always outnumbered by the times you were a joy by about 10 orders of magnitude.” “What?” “Remember your algebra Gus, that was the only subject that you ever had problems with in school.” “I’ve never used it in the real world either.” “Tell us that when this baby is taking Algebra in school which will be about next week the way time is passing.” “We haven’t even figured out a name yet, how do you think I can think about how I'll deal with school problems?” “You haven’t picked out names yet? What? Are you expecting some blond twink to come through the door and tell you what to name the child?” “Brian Shawn Kinney, how could you say that?” “Easy Justin Craig Taylor, because I love you.” “Another story I don’t remember, right?” “Well Gus you should remember that one I’m sure Melanie told it to you once or twice.” “Brian you asshole!” “Mel I’m just trying to kill time remember.” “On with the history." “Thanks Mikey, I could always count on you to keep me on the straight and narrow.” “Brian you asshole.” “Now now Mikey don’t sound like Mel.” “Get on with the story Brian.” “OK Emmett. I guess the next big step was when Gus tricked Justin and I into getting back together. If he hadn‘t then we probably would've been too stupid or proud to do it on our own. If we weren‘t a couple then Gus‘ life is totally different and he doesn‘t even meet Katherine let alone marry her and get her pregnant. I wouldn't be sitting here worrying about being old enough to be a grandfather. Don't get me wrong guys, I'm happy to be a grandfather I just don't like the idea of being old enough to be a grandfather and I certainly don't want to look old enough to be a grandfather.” “Dad! Enough with the old crap. Get on with the story so I don't have to think about the fact that I'm going to be a father in the next few hours.” “OK Sonnyboy and you really don't think that you run our lives. Next in the timeline Gus got me and my mother back together which made me a much better person and thus made my relationship with Justin even stronger.” “You can say that again especially with that fine Irish lilt you use when you think about the trip the 3 of us took to Ireland just before she died.” “Don’t interrupt me when I’m on a roll Sunshine. Then came the great Prom plan. Gus have I ever gotten even for that ridiculously romantic plan you put us through? Which led to Gus deciding he was going to marry Katherine the day he met her. That was one of the few times Sunshine didn‘t know what to say.” “Brian!” “Well you didn’t, at least for a few seconds.” “Brian wait until we get home.” “Promise or threat Sunshine? Then we had the disaster with Craig, luckily love won in the end. I'm glad Justin that you and your father were able to at least talk to each other before he died.” “Well Gus was finally able to convince me that he was truly sorry for what he'd done and said to me and I wish that we'd more time to get to know each other again but that's water under the bridge. Thanks again Gus for giving me those few months with him in my life again.” “Can I get back to the story? We then had the horror of the kidnapping but in the long run it made us a stronger family. Of course we came up with the rule that Gus couldn’t come home unless he called first to let us know that he was coming home. That bothered you some didn’t it Sonnyboy?” “Only a little and only when I got in trouble for not remembering to follow the rule and that only happened once. What bothered me more was your insistence on asking me every time I came home, and whenever I called home as well, if I was going to propose to Katherine this time.” “Well we had to keep you on your toes, you were following the family tradition.” “Brian!” “Sunshine I’m eternally grateful that you chased me and chased me. I’m just so sorry that my demons made me make you choose to move out of the Loft. I am also so happy that Gus made us see the light. Just wait Gus; someday this new child in the family will do something to make you fix a poor choice you'll make. It's a part of life that our children save us from ourselves at least once. I still remember Gus proposing to Katherine while he was in his cap and gown following his graduation from Penn State. Why so public Gus?” “I just didn’t want to have you ask me again when I was going to propose. Besides it was Katherine‘s idea anyway.” “What?” “Sure, she proposed to me the night before, told me she was tired of waiting and wasn’t going to let me off of the hook. Then she came up with the idea of me proposing just after the graduation ceremony in front of all our friends and family.” “That brings us to the wedding itself. I thought that there was going to be a problem when Justin refused to have a commitment ceremony with me as part of your wedding. Why did you ask us to do that Gus?” “I just thought that it made sense, you two'd been together for over 20 years it was time for you to tie the knot in the only way possible and I wanted to share my special day with two of the most special people in my life. I love you both so much I can’t tell you. When Uncle Justin just flatly said no, he wouldn’t even think of taking something away from Katherine and my special day I was flabbergasted. But I learned from the disaster with Grandpa not to push Uncle Justin and I just let it go. Can you tell me now why you were so against it Uncle Justin?” “No I can’t, other than the same reason I gave you at the time, I didn’t want to take anything away from your special day.” “It wouldn’t have taken anything away Uncle Justin.” “I disagree and it's in the past so lets just get on with waiting.” “Did anyone bring a deck of cards?” “Gus you and Katherine really haven’t picked out names?” “Well we've a few ideas but we're waiting to find out if it's a boy or girl Mama.” “What are the choices?” “Aunty Em you'll find out when we decide, we do want to surprise you.” Finally a nurse came and got Gus so he could be with Katherine for the birth of their first child. An hour later Brian, Justin, Lindsay, and Melanie were called into Katherine’s room. The rest of the gang followed and stood in the doorway. Katherine was sitting up in the bed and Gus was holding their child. “Everyone I want you to meet your grandson, Taylor Kinney Peterson-Marcus.” "Gussy that's a wonderful name but not really all that surprising." "Isn't it a surprise that it isn't surprising?" "He's got you there Em." "Shut up Teddy." Gus then took the baby around the room to introduce him to his grandparents. “Tay this is your Grandma Linds and Grandma Mel. Here's your Granddaddy Brian, don’t listen when he tells you to just call him Brian, and this is Uncle Justin.” “Gus I’m finally ready to be called Papa.” Gus stared at Justin then gave the baby to Brian and grabbed his Uncle Justin in a bear hug. “Papa, oh Papa---I’ve wanted to hear that for over 20 years.” Everyone in the room was thrilled at this stunning announcement. Gus just started sobbing with joy in his happiness at finally hearing what he had wanted to hear since he was a boy. Taylor just gurgled in his Granddaddy Brian’s arms.