Chapter 8: Gilbird (reprise)

Gilbert felt a small hand pulling on the back of his shirt. Turning around in his seat, it was their daughter. In a moment of nostalgia, Gilbert gaped at how fast time went, and how she had grown. He noticed she had been talking.

"Ah, sorry, what did you say?" Gilbert asked sheepishly, unaware that his husband had slipped into the kitchen as well. The smell of pancake mix filled the kitchen, and all was good.

"Daaaadddyyyy I asked where you picked my name from?" she pouted, whiny that she had been ignored. He looked up at Matthew, eyes asking who wants to tell her. Gilbert groaned, he had lost, again. He could never win in staring contests, not in the 12 years they had known each other.

"I'll tell you, don't worry, sweetie," Gilbert announced, half annoyed he couldn't eat his pancakes until he told her. That's what Matthew's eyes had said. He never used to think that his eyes were expressive, but man, they were, if you looked hard enough.

"Well, I had a very special bird name Gilbird, back when we weren't together. He landed on your dad's head, and it was obvious that Gilbird took a liking to him. That's what first led me to liking your dad. Eventually, his nickname became Birdie because of that," Gilbert explained, and he paused, knowing Matthew would want to jump in.

"I was confused, too, why he called me Birdie. Like, I got that Gilbird liked me, but still. And one day he told me it's because I'm a free spirit or whatever, like birds. To this day, I still don't really get it, but whatever."

"Are you done cutting in the story I was supposed to be telling?" Gilbert teased his husband. Matthew half heartedly glared at him, before turning back to making the family's pancakes. "Good. Anyway, my life has revolved around birds and Birdie for a long time, now. Gilbird was special to me, and my Birdie will always be special. You had to be special, too."

He paused, smiling fondly at their daughter. Gilbert picked her up and placed her in his lap. He pushed the strands of hair out of her face before tickling her slightly. "So, that's why. Now you're our little bird, Dove."

Dove smiled and snuggled into her daddy's chest. She mumbled something about 'when will the pancakes be done?' The two husbands laughed, she could be so cute. She got it from Matthew, of course.

Serving the family their pancakes, Matthew cut Dove's pancakes into smaller pieces for her to eat. He hummed, thinking. He smiled and looked at his beautiful family. Gilbert, Dove, and they even had another bird for a pet.

"It always comes back to Gilbird, huh? Full circle. How poetic," Matthew remarked, a wistful smile on his face.

"Poetic," Gilbert echoed, grinning. "I like that."

End