It was quiet in the Statehouse.
Georgia finished heating up something and took the mug out of the microwave. He shut the door of the machine with his hip and walked out to the living room.
"The Silver Bush folks had suspected for some time that Rae was going to be the beauty of the family and at last they were sure of it. Martin Madison, who had three ugly daughters, said contemptuously that Rae Gardiner was only two dimples and a smile. But there was more to her than that. Tillytuck considered that he had put it in a nutshell when he said she had all the other North Glen girls skinned a mile. There was some "glamour" about her that they didn't have. She really had a headful of brains and talked of being a doctor . . . more to horrify Judy than anything else since she had really no especial hankering for a "career." And she was clever enough to conceal her cleverness, especially from the youths who began to come to Silver Bush . . . boys of the generation after Pat, whom they regarded as quite elderly...." Kentucky read softly, to a pale, and sickly looking DC as he laid his head on his shoulder. DC hummed a little as Kentucky turned the page, not taking noticing of Georgia sitting down next to them.
"Rae was full of life. Her every step was a dance, her every gesture full of grace and virility. She went about looking for thrills and always found them. Pat, looking at the exquisite oval of her little unwritten face, sighed and wondered what life had for this dear sister. She was far more worried over Rae's future than her own and mothered her to what Rae considered an absurd degree....why that sounds like what we're doing to you right now doesn't it?" Kentucky said with a smile.
"Peaches?" Georgia said softly. "Peaches I want you to have some broth." Kentucky gently closed the book and helped DC sit up, so Georgia could put a small spoonful of broth in his mouth.
"There you go....my mama's special recipe now. She used to make it when I was sick." Georgia explained.
"Well he throw that up?" Kentucky asked fearfully.
"Nah Tucks, he hasn't in over two hours and his fevers broke, I think he's on the mend." Georgia said softly, putting another spoonful of broth in DC's mouth. He brushed some hair away from DC's face, and cupped his face with his hand. His head clenched at the involuntary flinch from the fed.
"It's alright peaches, you're safe I promise." Georgia whispered. DC closed his eyes, and let Georgia run his thumb down his cheek.
"Tell ya what, I'mma go grab some pajamas for you and you can be comfy, okay?" Kentucky suggested. He was about to get up when DC let out a timid cry, making him sit back down.
"Or I'll stay with you, that's fine." Kentucky said with a smile. DC opened his eyes again, tears beginning to pool. Two hours ago he was throwing up, sickly with a fever, severely dehydrated, and worse for wear. Kentucky and Georgia didn't hit him, didn't order him back to work, they took care of him; forced him to drink and eat small foods they knew he'd throw up but had him eat anyway to get some strength back. Kentucky had spent nearly two hours reading to him; big books with words he didn't understand, small legal books, anything to take DC's mind off his sickness. He stumbled over words and had to skip pages but he powered through. Georgia cleaned up, made sure DC wasn't wet or messy for too long, and kept a constant streamline of water going down his throat. He kept track of his temperature and how long it had been between being sick, and fetched anything DC might need; be it another book for Kentucky to read or something of his partners to bring him comfort.
DC felt strange, he felt a different kind of love then he felt with his partners.
He felt....safe.
"You should get comfy peaches, I'll let Tucks finish that chapter but you need to rest." Georgia pointed out.
"Yeah, and your partners will be home any minute." Kentucky said with a smile. Georgia gently let DC go back on Kentucky's shoulder, much to his surprise, he looped an arm around Kentucky's arm and snuggled into his shoulder.
"Hon?" Kentucky whispered.
"Dad." DC whispered into Kentucky's shirt. Kentucky and Georgia looked at one another in shock.
"A-Are you sure his fevers broke?" Kentucky asked, scared.
"Lemme check." Georgia said quickly, grabbing the thermometer off the table. He gently helped DC up and popped the thermometer in his mouth. After a few minutes the little machine went off, and Georgia took it out.
"He's not feverish." Georgia said with a whisper.
"He....he called me..."
"I know Tucks, I know." Georgia said softly, grabbing the mug and taking out the spoon. "Peaches I want you to have some more..."
"I...I'm sorry....I threw up on you earlier....dad." DC whispered looking at Georgia with glazed over eyes. Georgia's heart clenched again; he briefly looked over at Kentucky who was watching them both with shock, before smiling wildly.
"That's alright peaches." Georgia smiled. "You was just a little sick is all. Take some more broth, okay?" DC nodded and let Georgia feed him again. After a few spoonfuls, Georgia could tell the fed was getting sleepy, so he let him rest against Kentucky again, who this time put an arm around his shoulders and held him tighter.
"Pat shivered. She suddenly felt like a very small cat in a very big world. The gold was fading out of the evening sky. A great white moth flew by in the dusk. The spruce wood on the hill had turned black. The moon was rising over the Hill of the Mist. Far down the sea shivered in silver ecstasy. Everything was beautiful but there was something in the air . . . another chill of change. Rae had suddenly grown up and Sid belonged to them no longer. Then one of her April changes came over her. After all, the world was full of June and Silver Bush was still the same. She sprang up.
"You got him asleep?" New York asked surprised later that night. In a whirlwind of bodies DC's boyfriends came tumbling home, rushing back after finding a 'DC's sick' text from Georgia on all their phones. They arrived home to find DC warm, fever-free, and safe, snuggled up in his bed looking on the mend.
"It was easy after the fifth cup of broth." Georgia said with a tired laugh, holding Kentucky's hand.
"Thanks so much, I....I know it wasn't..."
"It's fine." Kentucky said running a hand through his hair. "It wasn't that much trouble." Georgia watched his boyfriend bite his lip.
"He called us dad." Kentucky whispered.
"He did?" Florida said with a bright smile. Kentucky nodded.
"I mean....maybe he still has a slight fever." California pointed out.
"Last temp check was an hour ago, he's fine." Georgia announced.
"Goodness gracious, do you think..." Texas whispered.
"The most important thing is do you feel comfortable with it? Because we....I mean we can call Gov and IDC...." New York pointed out.
"Why are you trying to stop this?" Louisiana gasped shocked.
"This is good for Dee!" Florida argued.
"We don't want to stop it blossom, but Kentucky and Georgia may be uncomfortable." California pointed out.
"We are." The five states turned to the border and southern states in shock.
"Kentucky, Georgia don't feel obliged to do this." Texas said.
"We're not." Kentucky said softly, squeezing Georgia's hand. "I....I always felt close to him....and....wanted to give him what he never had."
"Both of us do." Georgia said with a smile. Silence passed.
"I'm going to call IDC and tell her DC's okay." Texas mumbled turning into the kitchen. One by one the boyfriend's dispersed; an exhausted Kentucky and Georgia went to retire to their rooms when a voice called out.
"So...are you going to be Dee's dads?" Florida asked, and his voice was full of emotion and eyes full of hope. He wanted this for his partner for so long.
"I guess we are." Kentucky said with a softly as Georgia drew him into his arms. "Wanna raise a sad fed together?" Georgia chuckled and kissed Kentucky's head.
"Let's do it."
