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Phoenix muttered, “If I agree to go back to work for you, I’m writing a ‘no chicken-sitting’ clause into my contract.”
Harper perked and asked, “So you’re actually considering taking the job?”
“I said ‘if’,” Phoenix muttered. “There’s still time for me to come to my senses.”
Eventually, we pulled up in front of a huge, blocky building with a mural on the front of it, depicting kids on a playground. A sign told us it was The Zane Center for Art and Music. I stood on the sidewalk and looked up at the exceptionally well done mural as I asked Gabriel, “You said a friend of yours founded this place?”
“Yeah, my friend Christian.”
“I’m still astounded by how incredibly rich some of your friends are.”
“Christian happens to have a famous dad, but he’s totally down to earth. He’s using his money to run this place, which offers free art and music lessons to kids, adults, and seniors who couldn’t afford them otherwise.”
In other words, this guy was both rich and a saint. It was pretty tough not to develop an inferiority complex around Gabriel’s social circle.
It was also impossible not to like Christian the moment I met him. He had a wide, friendly smile, and he was dressed in worn-out Levi’s, flip flops, and a paint-stained, faded Rage Against the Machine T-shirt, not exactly what I’d expect from a silver-spoon type. He grabbed Gabriel in a hug and told him, “It’s been too long!” His light brown curls were pulled back in a short, messy ponytail, and the sides of his head were shaved. I couldn’t help but notice a thick scar above one ear.
He hugged me when we were introduced. Phoenix and Harper got hugs too, and Christian told the actor, “Dude, you’re awesome. I loved that Robin Hood remake you were in last year, and normally I hate shit like that.”
Harper chuckled and said, “Yeah, me too. I literally took the job just because I wanted to learn archery from the best in the business and get super good at it.” Phoenix was standing behind him, and he rolled his eyes so hard, I thought he might tip backwards.
Christian led the way into an open and airy central workspace with high ceilings and bold artwork on the walls. When he introduced us to his tall, handsome husband Shea, I almost told him he looked exactly like the actor who played Captain America, but I was pretty sure he heard that all the time.
Three people were playing guitars on a stage at the far end of the huge room, and we were soon joined by two more men who both had dark hair and slight builds. Gabriel yelled with excitement and grabbed the younger man in a hug. Then he said, “Zachary, this is Riley. I’m so happy the two of you finally have a chance to meet!”
Zachary studied me carefully as we shook hands, and he said, “What an absolute miracle that you two found each other again.” He seemed friendly but cautious, and I got the impression his big, brown eyes didn’t miss much. When I was introduced to his husband TJ, he came across exactly the same way.
Suddenly, an absolutely mind-blowing electric guitar solo rang out from the stage and I turned to see who was playing. I squinted at the man with long brown hair and a beard and blurted, “Holy shit, is that Zan Tillane?” Zachary nodded, and I asked, “What’s he doing here?” The man was a huge star and an absolute legend, and had been for at least three decades. He also happened to be one of my favorite singers of all time.
“My dad and his husband Gianni flew in to spend the weekend with my son,” Christian said, with a lopsided smile.
Before I could ask a million more questions, Gabriel blurted, “Wait. Your son? When did that happen?”
Christian glanced over his shoulder at the trio on the stage, and I followed his gaze. In addition to Zan and a man with dark hair who must be Gianni, there was also a skinny little boy of maybe eight or nine, who was perched on a stool with a kid-sized guitar. It seemed like he was struggling to follow Zan’s instructions, and after a few moments the boy jumped up and exclaimed, “I’m terrible at this! I give up!”
As Zan knelt down and patiently talked to the boy, Christian said, “Shea and I had been talking about opening our home to a foster kid for a long time, and we finally decided to take the plunge. A few weeks ago, Cooper came into our lives and stole our hearts. We knew right away that he belonged with us, so we started the adoption process. There’s a long road ahead and a lot of hurdles to jump through, but we got the best lawyers we could find, and they’re doing everything they can to make sure we get to be a family.” There was a lot of emotion in his green eyes as he watched his dad and son.
