Paulo's arrival in Australia is the highly anticipated event of the year for the Adams family. Three days after his arrival and Paulo sits down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. Callum walks inside with his long curls in a tangly mess.

"Morning," he greets his dad with a raspiness in his voice.

Paulo takes a sip of the coffee, holding it with both his hands. "Morning. You're up early."

Callum pours a cup for himself and sits down across from his dad. "I need to see someone before heading to the restaurant. How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby. I think I'm finally recovered from the jet lag."

They chuckle at the remark.

"Have you spoken to your sister?"

Callum shakes his head in response. "Have you?"

"Yesterday briefly."

Both the men lower their eyes to their respective mugs and stay in uncomfortable silence.

Josie enters the kitchen with a spring in her step. "Morning, uncle Paulo," she greets cheerfully and takes two mugs from the cupboard.

"Morning, Josie." Paulo smiles broadly and secretly is grateful for her arrival.

Jack also enters the kitchen. "Morning," Jack says hesitantly.

Paulo nods and lowers his eyes back to his mug, avoiding eye contact with his host. Since his arrival, both the men have been avoiding a lengthy discourse with one another apart from general polite greetings to one another.

Josie gives one mug to her father and joins Callum and Paulo at the table. "So, what are your plans for today?" she asks Paulo.

Paulo clears his throat. "Not sure, yet."

"You should drop by the restaurant. You haven't been there yet," she comments.

"That's a brill idea. You'll get to see me working in the kitchen." Callum chips in.

Paulo's eyes glance at Jack that pours a mug of coffee for himself. "I don't think it's a great idea," Paulo says.

"Yes, there are better things your father could be doing." Jack reiterates while keeping his distance from the party at the table.

"Like what?" Josie asks. "Because all it seems is that you two are avoiding one another." She pointedly looks at Paulo. "You've been nursing that jet lag for as long as possible to avoid him." She turns to her father. "And you've been burying yourself in the restaurant or any other excuse to avoid him."

"I sometimes forget Aimee is not around because you sound just like her."

Paulo and Jack release a stifled laugh at Callum's remark.

"But Josie is right. You both are full of shit and this needs to stop now." He looks at Paulo. "You came here to tell me the truth, so don't waste more time."

Josie sits down next to Paulo. "Sit." She orders her father. "This ends now or starts or whatever. Just tell us everything."

Paulo looks at Jack. "I guess Justin's personality didn't just rub off on Aimee."

Jack smiles politely and nods in response. He sits next to Callum.

"Fine. This is the reason I've come here, so let's do this." Paulo says.

However, both men fall silent, waiting for the right tonality to emerge from each other mouth.

Josie waves her arms. "Oh, for god's sake, just say it already!"

"Maybe you should start," Jack says.

Paulo raises his eyebrows, trying to puzzle the words together. "As you know, I met your father when we had just started working for the same company. We both had recently moved to England and immediately we fell in sync with each other. I knew from our first kiss that he was going to be the man I would love for the rest of my life."

Jack looks up and his expression turns solemn.

Paulo clears his throat before proceeding. "Your father, like me, never disclosed his sexual orientation to the family. When we moved in together, he decided it was time for him to come out. He had hopes that his family would embrace him as mine had with me and us..." Paulo glances at Jack and takes a sip of his coffee. "But that was not the case." Paulo coughs awkwardly.

"You need to understand that times were different back then," Jack interjects. "I'm not trying to make excuses, but that is the truth. The country was not as embracing of individuals that were unique from everyone else." He steals a glance at his daughter. "We didn't see them as part of our community."

"So, you're trying to say that you excluded, uncle Justin?" Josie says her eyes visibly hurt at her father's words.

"I..." Jack opens his mouth but cannot verbalise what his heart is trying to express.

"Your grandfather was from a different time," Paulo interjects. "This is about him. Not your father."

Jack raises his hand with his eyes glued to the table, his expression connoting regret. "No need to protect me. I have as much blame. I should have had your back." He raises his eyes from the table and looks at Josie. "My father was a man with set convictions. And he threatened Justin to stop the relationship. It was wrong of him."

"And what did you do?" Josie asks with tears in her eyes.

"My crime is that I did nothin' when he threw my brother out of our family restaurant, in the middle of service, and was told to never show his face again."

Josie gets up, visibly upset with her father, and walks to the sink.

Jack gets up and puts his hand over her shoulder, but she rebuts it angrily. "I was a coward."

"Josie, remember, these were different times. It might have been the 90s, but it doesn't mean it was easy. I guess we paved the way to the many changes of today, but it was still a rocky ride. Your father is a good man. Don't misunderstand his past deeds for who he is today."

Josie turns around and sees Jack's pained expression.

"He tried to make it up." Paulo looks at Jack. "I know you were only trying to make it up to us."

Jack nods sadly and lowers his eyes to the ground.

Callum holds the mug with both his hands, taking in each revelation. "What do you mean by making it up?"

"You remember when your uncle was in London?"

Callum nods and stares at Jack, that is contorting a kitchen rag to control his nerves.

"You two were around seven, I guess. There was a knock at our door one evening. I thought it was the food we had ordered because your dad was working late... and there he was, standing at the door. Soaking wet. Do you remember how it was pouring cats and dogs outside?" he asks Jack, that smiles and nods subtly.

"I told you I was in a layover, but the truth is I went to London to see you."

"Oh, we knew." Paulo answers.

"What my father did... it wasn't right. The way it tore our family apart... and when your mom passed away... I was lost. I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere and I missed my only brother terribly. So, I bought a ticket, left you with Caroline and Josiah next door, and made my way to London."

"I remember that day. We were playing, and you came into the living room and pai told us you were our uncle. We didn't even know we had an uncle before you showed up." Callum says.

"That was one of our many mistakes," Paulo says.

"You were there for a bit, then dad arrived. You three were in the kitchen for a good amount of time. And then you up and left. We never saw you again until we travelled here."

"They asked politely me to leave and never return," Jack mutters.

Callum's eyes dart to Paulo. "Dad?"

Paulo nods.

"Why?"

"I think the wound was too raw and too deep and your father couldn't see past it. His reception to our guest was lukewarm... I think there could have been a chance if it wasn't for..."

Jack coughs to silence Paulo.

"What?" Josie asks. "What are you not saying?"

Paulo and Jack interchange a glance.

"What are you guys hiding?" she repeats her query.

"They will know soon, anyway. Let's get this over with." Paulo says to Jack, that nods mournfully in acceptance.

"Until Aimee started playing the piano. Once Jack heard her play, Justin's demeanour for his brother changed, and, similarly to his dad before him, he threw Jack on the street. Told him to walk away and never to return."

"When he saw Aimee playing the piano?" Callum's interest peaks with her mention. "I don't understand..."

"Aimee playing at that tender age was a marvel already. But it also told me who you two were." Jack says.

"There was another reason we travelled here together. Something we didn't disclose to anyone, not even to my family." Paulo looks outside the window from his seat. "When Justin was still living here, he had a brief relationship with a young girl in her first year of university. She was travelling abroad for the first time, and he was discovering his sexual identity. He was very fond of her and developed feelings for her."

Paulo gets up and walks to the window facing it. "Almost a year later in his new life in London, he received a letter to inform him he had become a father of twins that were put in an adoption centre here. There was a need for a signature from the adoption agency. He could have just signed the papers and send them by mail. But your father insisted on coming here. Justin told me he wanted to make sure you were in a loving family. So, we travelled together."

Paulo looks at Callum. "You were the cutest babies I've ever seen. And I know he fell in love the moment he laid eyes on you. He told me he loved me more than he ever thought it was possible, but that these two kids surpassed this love, and that he was going to take you both back home to London. He said he understood this was unexpected, but that I needed to understand that you were part of him."

Paulo sniffles, trying to contain the emotion of the long-lost memory. "I've told him I, too, had fallen in love with these beautiful babies and wanted them as my own."

Callum gets up and squeezes his father in an embrace.

"Gay adoption wasn't allowed, so Justin had to disclose his progeny in order to get the papers for you both to be given to him. We also had to contact the birth mother to inform her and get her consent."

"So you know who she is?" Josie asks.

Paulo nods. "I've known all along."

"And I figured it out when I visited you in London," Jack says. "I never got confirmation, hence why I told you guys that I had my suspicions... but that's now over."

"And she just let us go like that?" Callum says, frowning.

"She was nineteen and a student. Don't be quick to judge. Besides, you can ask that when you talk to her. But first I will need to speak with her."

"Why do I have to wait longer?" Callum perseveres. "I think I've waited long enough, don't you?"

"Because it's not just about you or Aimee," Jack intercedes. "There are others involved. She has accepted your wishes and she will oblige, but first, there are other matters to discuss."

Jack turns to Paulo. "Maybe this afternoon?"

Paulo nods.

Jack looks towards Callum. "I've told you I would help you, and I will keep my promise."

Author's Note:

Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash