In the mid 2000’s the pair had seen the rise in popularity of their brother’s work in murals and art installations in the Bay Area and decided to begin selling the rights to use them—in photo books, as posters, on clothing popular with fashion designers.
The majority of the funds had been donated to LGBTQ+ organizations in their brother’s memory, but they had always set aside a healthy amount for college funds or in case of family emergencies.
Joyce Porter had never seen a cent of it.She’d passed away several weeks after Adrien Porter-Marin had died in the ocean.
“We never published an obituary for him,” David explained when Blake inquired.Their mother hadn’t allowed them to print it in the paper, so the only form of obituary that Adrien received had been contained to the funerary program alone, unable to be searched for in databases.The amount of vitriol Joyce had held for her son up until the final moments of her life filled Blake with repulsion.
“The one thing I’m curious about, though, is where my pygmalion came from,” Adrien asked, looking around at those gathered.“We were able to find out that I came from somewhere called Splashgr—”
“Splashgrounds Manufacturing?!”Jessica cut in, her eyes wide.She brought her hands to her mouth, shaking her head in disbelief.“I… I worked there!Right after you died, I was interning there doing sculpture work for their decorations and I—one day, while I was working, I stepped back and realized that the figurehead I’d been making looked—it lookedso muchlike you, Adrien.I… I didn’t even mean for it to happen.You’ve always been on my mind.I had no idea something like this could have ever happened!”
Adrien smiled, reaching across the small circle of chairs and gathering up Jessica’s hands into his own.“Thank you for giving me this chance, Jess.It’s all because of you that this was able to happen.Because of the selfless love you poured into that carving.”He reached back, taking Blake’s hand once more.“And that I was able to meet Blake.”
“So are you guys gonna get married now?”Olivia asked from where she sat cross-legged beside Blake.His face flushed as Adrien and Jessica pitched forward with laughter.David set a hand on her shoulder, wagging his finger with the other.
“Liv, usually those things take atleasta few years to decide,” he told her.Olivia looked unconvinced, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.David laughed.“They’ve only known each other for a fewdays.”
“Yeah but it’s different if it’strue love,” she insisted in a haughty mumble.“Which is why it’s definitely gonna be a happily ever after, right?”
“That’s right!”AJ cheered.“You got to see Mom and Uncle Dave again, so all that’s left is to go back to the beach, yeah?”
Blake did his best to suppress anxiety from flashing across his features, not wanting to upset the kids—if only it were that easy.There were still a dozen unknown factors that could take Adrien away from them in a matter of hours.
Adrien didn’t say anything.He produced a melancholic smile and stood, reaching out to gather his niblings into his arms, one tucked up against each cheek.He pressed a kiss to their heads in turn, squeezing them tightly.
“I’m so happy I got to meet you two,” he whispered, brows drawing together in desperation.“You’re such great kids.”
He released them, patting AJ’s head once before turning to Kimberly, extending a hand towards her.Kim took it with both of hers, beaming up at Adrien.
“Thank you for taking care of my sister when I couldn’t,” he said, squeezing her hand.“You’re an incredible woman, Kimberly—I’m honored to have gotten the chance to meet you.”
“Thankyoufor raising such an amazing woman, Adrien,” Kimberly said, reaching up to push a tear from her eye with the round of her palm.“I’ve only ever heard such wonderful things about you—getting to meet you like this tonight… I can’t put into words how much it means to us.”
Finally, Adrien turned to his brother and sister.The morose smile he wore faded away, the corners of his mouth drooping, and it was like someone was trying to pry Blake’s heart out with a dagger.
Adrien didn’t need to speak.Jessica immediately stood and wrapped her arms around him, David joining their embrace a moment later.
“Blake and I need to do this last part alone,” Adrien said.His voice was so quiet that Blake could barely hear what he was saying.Jessica nodded into his clavicle, pulling away and holding his face in her hands.Rolling up onto the tips of her toes, she pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead.
“You’ll be back,” she whispered into his temple.“I have every confidence that you will be back, Adrien.”
The three parted and Jessica turned towards Blake.To his surprise, she extended her hands towards him as well, holding his cheeks and gently guiding him down to her height.For a moment, Blake thought she was going to threaten him, but instead she brought her mouth up to his hairline as well, brushing her cool, dry lips against it.
Blake pulled away enough to see Jessica squeeze a small tear out of the corner of her eye.Despite himself, Blake’s eyes misted up as well, lower limbs trembling and numb as Jessica drew him close.In a low whisper, she said:
“Thank you for bringing our brother back to us.”
It was as if a hand had seized Blake’s heart.
If only she knew who had taken him away.
?
In just over an hour, Blake and Adrien had arrived at the outskirts of the city, upon the shores of the Pacific Ocean.They sat in the cool sand of Ocean Beach, watching the moonlight ripple in the waves beyond them.Blake looked down at his phone on the blanket beside him.One-twenty AM.He had an alarm set at the approximate time Adrien was supposed to disappear.They only had ten minutes left.
Blake’s eyes roamed to where the breakwater was, the place in his memory becoming clearer as he reminisced on the end of Adrien’s story.He hadn’t known what to say when he’d realized.Didn’t want to make the confession when Adrien was so anxious to see his family again, or when he’d been spending time with them.
Instead, Blake drew him close.
