When the Walls Come Crashing Down

4 Years 2 Months Later

Christmas that year was at Faith and Joe’s house. Lizzy and her fiancé, Ethan, had flown in and were staying with Meg, who had moved into a house just a few houses down the street. Lizzy and Ethan were in the process of looking for a home down there as well.

Over the years Meg would babysit Bryson and Kevin and Dani’s twins, Eric and Carrie. The twins were in Meg’s daycare class, where she had gotten a fulltime job after Vivienne noticed how well she fit in while she took over for Faith when she was on maternity leave. Bryson was in pre-school and thriving.
Faith was in the kitchen with Denise making hot chocolate. She looked over her shoulder when she heard Bryson laugh, smiling as she watched Frankie tickle him. The whole family was hanging around except for Nick and Charlotte, who were on their way.

Joe picked Bryson up and put him on his shoulders, bringing him over to the tree to look at some of the higher up ornaments. Faith brought them some hot chocolate then sat on the couch with Danielle to help the twins make paper snowflakes. She looked up when Kevin opened the door and smiled as Nick and a very pregnant Charlotte walked in.

“Bryson, look who’s here,” Faith said excitedly. Joe turned and set Bryson down with a smile.

“Uncle Nick!” Bryson cried, running over to Nick who scooped him up in his arms, their curls bouncing almost identically from the movement. Joe sat on the arm of the couch next to Faith and wrapped his arm around her as they both thought of that day.

***
3 Years 11 Months Ago

Joe and Faith had waited until Thanksgiving to have their engagement party so Lizzy would be able to join them on her break from college. She was standing in the kitchen telling Faith and Danielle all about this new guy she had met. Joe was chatting with Frankie and Kevin when Nick suddenly tapped his glass with a knife.

“Sorry for the interruption, but I’d like to say something,” he said and everyone quieted down. “Faith, Joe, could you sit here please?”

Faith handed Bryson to Charlotte and she and Joe sat down at two of the dining room chairs that had been brought into the living room. Nick cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“I know the last year has not been… the easiest,” he said with a slight laugh. “But I think there’s been a lot of healing and acceptance between the four of us, especially the past few months.”

“I’ll say,” Joe mumbled causing everyone to laugh.

“I know in my heart, that you two have truly found your soulmate in life. And I have too,” he said, glancing at Charlotte who smiled as she bounced Bryson. “So, in light of your wonderful engagement, I have a gift for you.”

“Oh Nick, you didn’t have to get us anything,” Faith said as Nick pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket.

“Of course I did,” he said, handing her the envelope and taking a step back. She looked at him quizzically and opened the envelope, silently reading.

“Nick,” she said quietly, her right hand moving to her mouth as her eyes moved across the paper.

“Babe?” Joe asked, rubbing her back.

Faith shook her head, unable to speak and handed him the papers, resting her elbows on her knees and cradling her head in her hands, unable to comprehend what she just read. Joe sat next to her, silently reading as everyone waited. When he gasped everyone looked at each other, confusion settling in.

“What is it?” Frankie spoke up.

“They’re… legal documents,” Joe said, choking up. He cleared his throat and rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand. “Nick signed over his parental rights to Bryson.”

“What?” Denise gasped, raising a hand to her mouth.

“Nick, are you sure about this?” his father asked. Nick wiped away some tears and nodded his head.

“It’s not a done deal yet, my lawyer spoke to a judge who would need to meet with Joe and Faith and their lawyer should they need or want one. But yes, I’m sure,” he said.

“Why?” Kevin asked, unable to comprehend what was happening with his brothers.

“I thought a long time about this. Three months, actually. And Charlotte and I have talked about it, a lot. I almost didn’t go through with it,” he admitted shaking his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets. “But this is what’s right. He’s your son, Joe.”

“Nick,” Joe said quietly and Nick shook his head again and cleared his throat.

“Included in the envelope is a statement from my lawyer explaining everything if you want to proceed without a lawyer. If you agree to go through with this, you will be able to legally adopt Bryson. Your name will be put on the birth certificate. He’ll grow up knowing you as Daddy, and I’ll be his cool Uncle Nick.”

“Nick, you don’t have to do this,” Faith finally spoke, barely an audible whisper, the lump in her throat making it impossible for her to speak any louder.

“Yes, I do. Before he gets bigger and starts developing memory. I had the time of my…” Nick said, his voice breaking. “The time of my life, helping raise him while Joe and Charlotte were gone. But we both know this is what’s right, especially when I go back to making music. Why start off with a broken home and shuffling between houses when he can have one home with two parents who are happily married?”

“But Nick,” Faith protested and he crouched down in front of her and Joe, taking both of their hands in his.

“I’m not going to change my mind, Faith,” he said gently. Joe stood up and pulled Nick up into a tight embrace.

“Thank you,” he sobbed into Nick’s shoulder. Nick gave him a squeeze then turned to Faith.

She was staring at the paper again, tears still falling. She looked up at him and he gave a soft smile, reaching for her hand. She lifted her hand to meet his and he grasped it, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Charlotte walked over, Bryson still in her arms. Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple.

“Joe, here’s your son,” she said, handing Bryson over to Joe.

Joe held him to his chest and kissed the top of his head. Faith stood and Joe wrapped his free arm around her, going back and forth kissing her and Bryson.

***
Present Day

The whole family came out when they heard Nick and Charlotte had arrived. The twins ran over to Charlotte who bent down to kiss them. Nick turned back to the door to haul the giant bag of presents to the tree.

“Talk about St. Nick,” Kevin joked and Nick shook his head with a laugh.

“You should see our house! He spoiled little miss and she’s not even born yet,” Charlotte said, rubbing her stomach and everyone laughed.

“You still have a month to go!” Lizzy cried and Charlotte nodded, giving her a hug.

“Nothing wrong with getting a jump start,” Nick said, shrugging his coat off.

“She is going to be one happy little girl,” Faith said, squeezing Charlotte’s hand as she helped her onto the couch. Bryson came over and Faith put him on her lap. He put his head on Charlotte’s belly and kissed it.

“Aunt Charlie?” he asked, turning his head to look up at her. She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling at his name for her since he couldn’t say Charlotte yet.

“What honey?”

“Are you and Mommy going to have your babies at the same time?” he asked and Charlotte laughed.

“Oh Bryson, your Mommy doesn’t have a baby in her tummy.”

“Yes, she does,” he said sitting up and nodding his head, looking up at Faith then back to Charlotte. “She and Daddy told me this morning.”

“What?” Meg gasped as everyone turned to Faith and Joe.

“Surprise!” Faith said awkwardly while Joe laughed.

“I told you we should have just told him with everybody else,” he said as Faith kissed the top of Bryson’s head.

“What’s so funny?” Bryson asked, jumping off Faith’s lap and running over to Joe who picked him up, setting him on his hip and kissing his cheek.

“You are silly goose.”

“Are you excited to be a big brother?” Danielle asked as Denise and Meg both stood to hug Faith. Bryson excitedly nodded his head.

“Do you want a baby brother or baby sister?” Kevin asked and Bryson tilted his head to think before shrugging his shoulders.

“I don’t care. I just want a baby!” he exclaimed and everyone laughed, the excitement taking hold of them. Lizzy sat on the couch next to Faith and they wrapped their arms around each other.

“So how excited was Joe?” she whispered and Faith had the biggest smile overcome her.

“Absolutely thrilled. We’ve been trying for a year now so for it to finally happen…” Faith said shaking her head. She caught Nick’s eye behind Lizzy and they smiled at each other.

They had never talked about him giving up his parental rights once the whole process was over. He refused. They did find out from Charlotte that that is what he had been whispering to her in the airport that day she and Joe returned from tour.

He had told her he didn’t want to keep it from her any longer and they would talk more in depth but he needed her to know what he had been struggling with for two months. Charlotte had said he told her he loved Bryson very much but he didn’t want her or Joe to feel awkward later on and knew it would be easier for everyone.

But Faith couldn’t help but notice Bryson’s similarities to Nick. Bryson absolutely loved being the center of attention, just like Nick. He was constantly making up songs about what he was eating or what he saw on walks. And of course, the hair.

But everything else was Joe. His mannerisms, his sense of humor, his eyes.

As glad as Joe was in the beginning after Nick gave them the papers, he had a hard time adjusting. There would be times when Joe would wake up to attend to Bryson in the middle of the night and nothing would work. Faith would have to get up to help. He was convinced it was because Nick had already established a connection with him while Joe was gone. It took a while for their bond to solidify, but once it did, there was no separating them. They were like two peas in a pod.

“Mommy?” Bryson asked, pulling Faith away from her thoughts.

“Yes?” she asked, cupping his cheek in her hand and rubbing it.

“Can we open presents now?” he asked and the twins jumped up excitedly.

“Presents!” they shouted in unison and Faith laughed.

“Yes, we can open presents,” she said as the three children ran over to the tree and Lizzy and Ethan helped make sure they opened the right ones.

Joe came and sat next to Faith wrapping his arm around her. She leaned into his chest and smiled as she watched their family. This was it. This was happiness.