Chapter 4
Jon
“Sweetheart, there’s something we need to talk about,” Jon said. They were enjoying a leisurely Saturday morning at home. It was early December, and things would be busy for the holidays, so they were taking advantage of some downtime.
“Uh-oh, that sounds ominous,” Kyle replied, pouring himself another cup of coffee. “Before you start, do you want more coffee?”
“No, I’m good. C’mere, sit with me.” Jon tapped the cushion beside him on the sofa. “It’s nothing bad.”
“Okay,” Kyle said, sitting next to his boyfriend. “What’s up?”
“We both know that my mom has been pushing for us to start a family, and we’ve joked a lot about putting babies into each other.” Jon grinned, then sipped at the brew in his mug.
“You really like that part, huh?” Kyle teased.
“Well, yeah, but the fact is, we really haven’t talked seriously about whether or not we actually want a family, have we?”
“No, I guess we haven’t,” admitted Kyle. “And frankly, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that since we got back from the cruise, but it seems like there’s always something else going on. If you remember, when we were in Phoenix for Thanksgiving, I even promised your mom we’d talk about it.”
“That’s right. But wait, you said you’ve been thinking about it since the cruise?”
“Yeah. One day on the ship I was sitting with Mike and Becky—and Wyatt, of course—and we were talking about this very topic. They asked how things were going between us, and that led to talk of kids. I told them it was something that you and I needed to discuss.” Kyle shrugged.
“I’m sorry I didn’t bring it up earlier. ”
“That’s okay, we’re talking about it now. So I guess the question is, do you want kids at some point?” Jon raised his index finger. “But before you say anything, just remember, there is no wrong answer.”
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Mike and Becky—at first, I wasn’t sure, but after spending time with Wyatt on the cruise, I do want kids eventually.
He was great, and I loved hanging out with him.
I know it’ll be a lot of work, but I also know we can do it.
” Kyle smiled. “And I know you’ll be a great dad.
” Jon’s heart filled at those words, and he smiled back. “And what about you?”
“Yeah, I guess I’ve always wanted to have a family. I’m sure a lot of that was how I was raised. I mean, you’ve met my mom!” Kyle chuckled, and Jon joined in.
“I sure have.”
“And I’ve seen how much joy kids have brought to Bernie and Jeff. I loved babysitting for Jake and Bree, but I never thought I’d actually settle down with someone and get to have kids of my own.” Jon sipped his coffee.
“So I guess we both want kids, huh?”
“Yeah. I mean, we don’t have to decide on anything right this minute, but I would love to have kids with you, Kyle.”
“Oh my God, your mom is going to be so happy!” Kyle laughed.
“She certainly is,” Jon agreed. “But maybe we don’t say anything just yet.
You know that as soon as we tell her, she’ll start hounding us both.
Perhaps we should talk to Mike and Becky about it, and if I can convince Bernie not to say a word to Mom, we could talk to her and Jeff too.
You know, just to get a sense of what we’re in for. ”
“I agree. Plus, we’ll need to research things like surrogacy and adoption to decide which route we want to take. It’s gonna take some time, and yeah, your mom should probably be the last to know!” They both laughed at that.
The following day, after Kyle had ended his weekly call with his dad and Rob, during which no one said anything about the possibility of them starting a family at some point down the road, Jon and Kyle were discussing what to have for lunch.
“I think after we eat we should call Mike and Becky,” Jon said suddenly.
“What brought that on?”
“Well, yesterday we were talking about maybe starting a family, and we agreed we wanted to talk to them about it. And let’s not forget that it’s almost Christmas, so we’d probably be calling them anyway, right? It just seems like the right time.”
“Good point,” Kyle conceded. “I’ll make us a salad with the leftover chicken that’s in the fridge, and after lunch, we’ll call them.”
“Lemme text Mike and see if they’re available for a video call,” Kyle said. They had actually put off calling Mike and Becky for a while since it was three hours earlier in California. They’d gotten some laundry done and tidied up the house a bit before settling on the sofa with Kyle’s iPad.
“Okay, Mike says it’s a good time to call.”
“Hey, guys,” Jon said when the video call connected. Mike and Becky were sitting in their living room, with Wyatt wedged between them. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree could be seen behind Becky.
“Say hi to Uncle Jon and Uncle Kyle, Wyatt,” Mike said, looking at his son.
“Hi, Unc,” Wyatt said, squirming a bit and waving.
“Okay, let me get this guy settled in his playpen,” Becky told them. “That way I can keep an eye on him and still talk to you.”
“So what’s going on, guys?” Mike asked.
“Nothing much,” Kyle answered. “But it’s been a while since we saw you all, and it’s almost Christmas, so we figured we were due for a call. Got all your shopping done?”
“Just about,” said Becky. “Thank goodness for online shopping, or we wouldn’t be close.” She grinned tiredly.
“Kyle and I have been talking about the possibility of starting a family,” Jon added.
“Ah, so that’s the real reason for this call, I suspect.” Mike smiled. “You finally had ‘the conversation.’” He air quoted. When Mike smiled, Jon could see the resemblance between him and Kyle although Mike’s hair was darker.
“Yeah,” Kyle admitted. “The one we started on the cruise.”
“So you’re thinking about kids. That’s great!” Becky was enthused.
“Probably not right away,” Jon said. “After all, we’ve only been living together for a few months, but we both want kids, so it makes sense to start thinking about it now. Plus, I’m not getting any younger, so we can’t wait too long.”
“It’s definitely good to have a plan,” Mike told them.
“You should think about starting up some kind of savings account to put some cash aside if you’re not already doing that.
Not only for the child’s long-term needs like education, but you guys need to think about things like adoption or surrogacy. Those don’t come cheap.”
“Good point,” Kyle said, looking down. “I’m making notes on my phone.”
“We took part of Mike’s trust money and set up our own trust for Wyatt,” Becky added. “And when my folks died, we got some additional money, so we were able to add to Wyatt’s trust.”
“That’s a great idea.” Kyle sounded excited. “I can definitely use some money from my trust for that.” Both Mike and Kyle had received money in a trust from their grandparents’ estates.
“Have you guys thought about whether you want to use a surrogate or adopt?” Mike asked.
“We haven’t gotten that far yet,” Jon admitted. “As much as I like the idea of having a child that shares genes from one of us, there are a lot of kids out there who need to be adopted. I’m open to either.”
“Same,” Kyle agreed. “Oh, and one more thing, please don’t say anything to your dad or mine. You’re the first two we’ve told. But I promise, we’ll tell my dad and Rob soon. Probably at Christmas.”
“No worries,” Becky said. “We won’t say a word. Now let’s talk about diapers, colic, and lack of sleep.” She chuckled. “After all, having a kid isn’t all fun and games, you know.”
They continued chatting, with both Kyle and Jon taking lots of notes on their respective devices.