Preston Marks, my attorney, pointed down the corridor to Judge Gerlach, who had just stepped off the elevator. "He's here, Chuck."
Sometimes even I am amazed at what my attorney can accomplish with a few phone calls. Judge Harrison Gerlach would normally be on the golf course at this time on a Sunday afternoon.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen", the judge said as he shook our hands.
We greeted the judge, and then true to form, Harry got right down to business. "Charles, I know you are not a precipitous man. Preston has apprised me of the situation with this boy. And I took the liberty of phoning Dr. Stevens this morning about his condition. The boy is terminal. You do understand that?"
"I understand that, Your Honor."
"Let me ask you this, then...suppose I sign the decree I've got here in my briefcase, and tomorrow by some miracle every trace of this boy's cancer is gone. What then?"
"Harry, look...I know what you're getting at. If that were to happen, I'd be the happiest man alive. I'm not doing this on a whim. And I'm not doing it simply out of sympathy for a dying boy."
"You are fully prepared to assume all the parental responsibilities for this boy should he live?"
"Absolutely. And I pray that he does."
"And you are sure this is what the boy wants?"
I smile crept across my face. "I knew you'd want to be assured of that, Harry. Brian doesn't know about any of this yet. But come on in his room...let me ask him a couple of questions, and you'll have your answer." I pushed open the door to Brian's room and motioned for them to follow me in.
I was pleased to see Brian was awake as we all stepped into his room. The bed-side stereo was playing softly, and Brian was just lying there staring peacefully up at the ceiling.
"Brian, a couple of gentlemen are here with me...they are friends of mine. I'll tell you why they are here, but first I need to ask you something."
Brian turned toward the sound of my voice. "Okay. What?"
"The wish you made yesterday...when you threw the coin in the fountain. You wouldn't tell me what the wish was, but I need to know if it was a wish I could grant. I mean, did you wish for something that only I can grant."
Brian nodded his head, a curious look sweeping his face.
"I thought so," I said. "But, Brian...how can I grant it if I don't know what it is?"
Brian motioned for me to come over beside him. "Lean down," he said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Lean down...I want to whisper something to you."
I looked up at Harry and Preston. They both had rather odd expressions on their faces. I don't know what they had been expecting as far as Brian was concerned, but I suppose they were as taken by him as I had been on our first meeting.
I leaned down, and Brian leaned up in the bed and put his arms around my neck.
"If I have to tell you what I wished for," he whispered, "it will never come true."
I hugged Brian, and he released me and laid his head back on the pillow.
I leaned up, cleared my throat, and smoothed my tie. "Brian, I'd like you to meet Preston Marks, who is my personal attorney, and Judge Harrison Gerlach."
"Hello, Brian", Preston and Harry intoned practically together.
"Hi", Brian said, and I could see the curiosity tinged with excitement creeping into his expression.
"Judge Gerlach is a chancery court judge, Brian. Do you know what that means?" I asked.
"No."
"He handles domestic cases...divorces, custody hearings...and adoptions."
As soon as Brian heard the word "adoptions" he gave us an enormous grin.
"Was that your wish, son?" Harry asked. "That Mr. Vos here would adopt you?"
"Yes, sir," Brian answered, his unseeing eyes searching in the direction of Harry's voice. "Are you the judge?"
"I am. And you seem like a very brave young man, Brian. But adoption is a very serious matter, and it's not something that can just be undone. For that reason, I'm going to ask you some tough questions. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Yes, sir."
I was proud of the firm tone of Brian's answer.
"Okay," Harry said. "Brian, I know you only just met Mr. Vos yesterday. I also know you've been told you are dying. And we both know that is largely the reason for this wish. I'm very sympathetic to your wanting a father, even if just for a little while. But - -"
"What's wrong with wanting a dad?" Brian interrupted.
"Not a thing, son. I know this is hard for you to understand, but I have to take more things into consideration than just what you want under these circumstances. What if you were not dying? Would you still want Mr. Vos to adopt you?"
"Yes," Brian said without hesitation.
"Why?" the judge asked.
"I just would. I think he would make a great dad. And he said he would have adopted me if I wasn't dying."
Harry looked at me as he asked the next question of Brian. "And you think you can love Mr. Vos as if he were your father?"
"I think I already do," Brian said in that quiet way of his.
Harry turned to me. "Charles, do you think you can love Brian as if he were your own son?"
I smiled. "I think I already do," I said, mimicking Brian's answer. "And as soon as you sign the decree, he will be my own son."
Harry chuckled a bit as he set his briefcase up on the serving table beside Brian's bed. He snapped the locks, opened it, and removed two manila folders.
For some reason the solemnity of the moment struck me and I instinctively moved over beside Brian's bed and took his hand in mine. What an enormous commitment I was making to a boy I'd only met the day before. But I knew in my heart that I was not doing this because he was dying and that the commitment would be short-lived. Brian and I had connected in a way that could not and cannot be explained. If he lived to be a hundred, the love I felt for him would never die.
What I was doing was what I had to do, what I wanted to do. It was as simple as that.
I leaned down and put my lips to Brian's ear. "He's going to sign the decree," I whispered.
I felt Brian squeeze my hand.
Without any ceremony, Harry took the fountain pen from his coat pocket and signed the decree for adoption.
Brian McAlester was now my son.
And with that thought, I kissed Brian softly on the cheek and then leaned up and looked into his eyes. They were heavy with tears. "My son", was all I could say.
Tears of joy left the corners of Brian's eyes as he leaned up and put his arms around me. He hugged me with all the strength his weakened state would allow.
Harry cleared his throat. "There's one other thing, Charles," he said.
"What's that?" I asked, as I laid Brian back down on his pillow.
"Preston didn't say anything about it, but I had my clerk prepare a declaration of name change."
I hadn't even thought about that.
"Brian", Harry continued. "You can keep your name, or you can take Mr. Vos' name. It's up to you."
I expected Brian to at least give it a moment's thought, but he didn't. "I want my dad's name," he said.
I smiled and brushed my hand over Brian's hair. "Do you have a middle name?" I asked.
He shook his head no.
"Then why don't we make ‘McAlester' your middle name?"
"Okay."
I looked up at Harry and gave a nod. He was already filling in the name on the form. He signed it, and then slipped everything back into his briefcase. "My clerk will record these first thing in the morning, Charles. Brian, Mr. Vos here is now your father in the eyes of the law. And you are now ‘Brian Vos.' I hope the two of you will have a long and happy life together."
"Thanks," Brian said with a smile. "‘Brian Vos'...I like the sound of that," he added.
"Thank you for doing this, Harry." I reached out and shook the judge's hand.
Harry smiled. "No problem, Charles. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and get in a few holes before dark."
"I'll walk out with you, Your Honor," Preston said. "Chuck, I'll call you later."
"Thanks, Preston."
"Bye," Brian said.
Harry and Preston left the room, and I pulled up a chair beside Brian's bed.
"Charles...I mean DAD...I want - -"
"I've never been called that before", I interrupted.
Brian giggled.
"What did you want to ask me?"
"Will you take me home?"
"You mean my home?" I asked, kicking myself as the words left my lips.
"It's mine now too, isn't it?" Brian asked, pursing his brow.
"Yes, it's yours now too. But I don't think the doctor will let you go home, son. You're awfully sick."
"I'm not sick...I'm dying. Why do they care where I do it? I want to go home with you."
I could see the resolve in Brian's face. He wanted this, and he was not going to be denied. "Let me find Dr. Stevens. I'll see what we can do, okay?"
"Okay."
I got up and headed for the door.
"Dad?" Brian said.
I turned back. "Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too, son."