Chapter 17

"Do you want to go back to Chicago right now?" B asked as he and Eli ate breakfast at their hotel.

"Not really. I want to try to spend as much time with my grandparents as I can when I'm not painting and sketching."

"Ok. Do you want to keep staying in the hotel or get different accommodations?"

"What will your parents continue to pay for?"

"Whatever I ask them too. My parents love me like that. It's all up to you, love."

"So if I wanted to be the eccentric artist and hide in a hotel in my hometown as I work on my new gallery collection, they don't care?"

"Nope. And if they did, you'd hear me fighting with my folks on the daily to make sure that you had what you needed because I love you and know that you have certain needs as an artist."

Eli smiled. "You'd go to war with your parents over me?"

"In a heartbeat. Anyway, if my parents had something to say I'll just go to Nana and Pappy about it and they'll overrule Mom and Dad."

"Your grandparents adore me for some reason."

"They do. I think it has to do with your last name. They donate to a lot of the same causes that your Grampa was a staunch supporter of back in the day, like the Wounded Warrior Project and things like that. I even think they donated monies to the final concert that your Grampa and Disturbed did in Millennium Park 15 years ago."

"Uhuh." Eli nodded. "That's a bit shocking, to be honest. Your Grandparents don't seem like they would be metal heads."

"Oh, but they are. That's why they asked if you were David Draiman's relative in any way."

An "ah-ha" look came over Eli's face. "Oh. That makes sense, I guess." He took a bite of the steak that had come with his meal. "So, if your parents objected to us staying here so I can work and spend time with my elderly grandparents, you'd just go to your grandparents who would tell your parents to stuff it."

"Yup."

"Remind me to paint something special for them before we take the collection to New York."

B laughed. "Make is a painting of the horse your cousin Miri is going to be working with and they'll love you forever."

"Done. I was wanting to get a portrait of that anyway. I'll just do two."

"Are we going over to your Aunt and Uncle's house today?"

"I'd like to so I can at least tell the boys to have a safe trip."

"Where are they going?"

"Vegas and LA."

"Ooh. Nice. I hope they behave themselves though. Vegas PD doesn't play around with unruly behavior."

"They can't drink."

"But I remember distinctly watching your granddad sit them down along with others in the family to teach them how to play different games Vegas style."

"I know. Ira, Tony, and Levi are usually pretty well behaved. They may get a little rowdy but not enough to get arrested."

B nodded.  “None the less, they should still be careful.”  He pushed his plate away and watched Eli eat his food.  “Where do you put all that food?  You’re tall and athletic.  I’m the short chubby one and yet you eat like an elephant.”

Eli laughed.  “I have a good metabolism.  Got it from my Dad who got it from Gramma.”

“All of your family seems to have good metabolism.”

“It’s the blessing of being a Draiman, I suppose.  Though Gramma, Uncle Jake, and Samantha are all diabetics.”

“What?”

“Yeah, not many people know that.  Gramma got it from her Dad and passed it to Uncle Jake.  He passed it to Samantha.”

“Do they take care of themselves?”

“Oh yeah.  Gramma went years without having to use insulin.  Uncle Jake doesn’t have to use it and neither does Samantha but we’re all carriers.”

“Carriers?”

“Type 1 diabetes is genetic, B.”

“Oh.  Sorry.  Had a moment.”  B stared at Eli for a moment.  “But, how do you do it?  You rarely exercise, you eat two massive meals a day and snack the rest of it.  I kill myself with my boxing trainer I’m the one that’s told I’m out of shape.”

Eli smiled.  “Brandon, my sexy man beast is what you are.  I don’t give a damn what you look like.  I love you inside out.  So what if you’re chubby.  You know what my Grampa’s favorite ice cream is?”

“No, what?”

“Chubby Hubby by Ben and Jerry’s.  You’re my Chubby Hubby.  Fuck the other mother fuckers.  You’re just right in my eyes.”

B chuckled.  “And I’m not a slouch, either.”

“Gramma always calls Grampa her chubby hubby even though they worked out every morning together before they retired.  He ate like a horse.”

“Your grandmother doesn’t exactly eat like a bird.”

“She eats a balanced meal.  Sometimes Grampa would go back for seconds and thirds.”

“How does he burn off the calories?”

“I don’t know if they still do, but they used to fuck like bunnies.”

“Bet you don’t have the balls to ask if they still do or not.”

“We’ll see.  If I do ask?  What do I get?”

“I’m sure you can think of something that you’ll want.”

“You’re on.”

---------------

When they got to the house Eli and B found Ira, Tony, and Levi out at Ira's car, leaning against it looking at 

something. "What's so important that it has your undivided attention?" Eli asked.

"Something that Gramma gave me", Ira said, not looking up at his older cousin.

"What did she give you?"

"A picture of her as a baby with her brothers."

Eli chuckled. "Oh yeah. I remember that hunt."

The boys finally looked up. "What do you mean?" Levi asked.

"Well, from my prospective what happened was we had family dinner and Aunt Jordan was being nosy. She asked Aunt Delilah if she was pregnant again and Grampa told her to mind her own. After dinner Uncle James and Uncle Jeremiah went and started digging through the attic as Mom and Dad got me, Isaiah and Miranda ready for bed. When we got up the next morning Uncle Jake told us that we were going to have a new cousin whose name was going to be Ira. I don't know what they did with the boxes though.”

“Apparently they were looking for this picture.”  Ira handed Eli the picture.  “The taller boy is Great- Uncle Matt, the baby is Gramma, and the other boy is how I got my first name.  He’s our Great- Uncle Ira.”

Eli looked at the picture and cracked a smile.  “That’s cute.  How did you come about the picture?”

“Gramma.”

“Nice.  So, you three ready for your trip?”

“Hell yeah”. Anthony said.  “I think Ira just found his good luck charm.”

“A picture is my good luck charm?”

“It could be.  You never know”, Levi laughed.

“Fuck you… all of you.  You’re not funny.”

Eli chuckled.  “Well, you three have fun packing the car.  I’m going to go greet our grandparents and see how Miri and the horse are doing if the damn thing has been delivered yet.”

---------------

When Miri came in for lunch that afternoon, she was in a bad mood already.  The poor horse seemed to be fighting her at every turn.  She sat down at the table and groaned in frustration. "God! What have I gotten myself into?"

Jona, who was the only other person in the room, chuckled softly. "It’s a little tough, I'm sure. Just stay calm and stay gentle, but not so gentle that you let him run you over, of course." She laughed a little.  "Horses also like consistency, so make sure you have a routine for him to follow every day. Most nervous horses will relax once they know their routine. Everything will get better as it goes; you just have to get into the swing of it."

Miri sighed "It’s just so frustrating though, Aunt Jona. I don't want to hurt him, but he's pressing my nerves enough to want to go into my parents’ room and get one of the shot guns. I love him; I'm just getting tired of him already." She hung her head, slightly ashamed of what she'd just said.  "You wouldn't know of anything that can help me with his issues, would you Aunt Jona. They have him on anxiety medication, but I would really rather do this a more natural way rather than have him doped up in what amounts to Valium."

Jona smiled warmly.  "I know, honey. We all feel like that sometimes. But just think of him as if he was your child... a "furry child" per say. And kids may drive you crazy sometimes, but deep down inside you know you love them and will do anything for them." She looked around to make sure no one else was listening then said quietly.  "Now, who says this poor critter has to be on drugs?  Who’s watching your every move that you have to give him Valium? No one... except us Draiman's and we all know you are capable of making the rightful decisions. If you want flower remedies and soothing essential oils for his nerves and natural feed to make sure he's 100%, then do it. You're the one taking care of this horse and promised to fix this horse, so fix him with what you know is the better route to go."

Miri smiled.  "Thanks Aunt Jona. Think about him as a child. It makes perfect sense. I think of all of my other pets that way. I would like the flower remedies and essential oils for him. I don't want to have to give him those shots. I hate seeing any animal so scared. It seriously pisses me off that his owners beat him like they did. They should have just sold him. I'm sure that there's someone out there that would have taken him and taken good care of him." She took a deep breath. "If you could put together a flower remedy for me and get together the oils, I'd love you forever- not that I don't already. I'm gonna go ask Mom if she has any experience in equine massage. If not her, then Aunt Maddie." She gave her Aunt a quick hug and ran off to find her mother.

Jona smiled.  "Well you're welcome, Miss Miri. I'll get those things to you by the end of the day, I promise."  She accepted the hug with a smile and watched her niece run off thinking,  She's going to take such good care of that horse that when she's done, not only will he be healthier than they could ever imagine, but he'll be so well cared for here that he won't want to leave this yard either.

Miri ran into her mother’s office with a smile.  “Mom, do you know equine massage?”

Delilah nodded, giving the young woman in her office doorway an odd look.  “Yes, I know equine massage.  Done it on a few occasions.  Why?”

“Can you show me so that I can do it for Ranger?”

“Why?”

“To calm his nerves and to help him trust that I’m not going to hurt him.  Aunt Jona’s getting some flowers and stuff together for me to help with his nervousness too. “

“I thought I heard you all frustrated and stuff when I went out there earlier to talk to Dad.”

“I was frustrated because I was treating him like a project instead of like he’s another one of my critters.  I know better now.  Will you help me, please Mom?”

Delilah laughed as she pushed away from her desk.  “When do you want me to help you out with all this?”

“Aunt Jona said she’d have the flowers together for me by the end of the day, so when she gives me the flower remedies for him.  I have to start my classes for the summer and feed the rest of my babies.  He’s had my attention all day thus far.  I can’t spend time with the one while neglecting the rest.”

“Very mature of you, Miriam.  Go take care of your other pets and while you’re doing that, I’ll see if I can find my equine massage routine.  Has he been groomed yet?”

“That’s why I was so frustrated.  He wouldn’t let me clean his hooves, brush his coat or his mane and tail.  He would barely let me touch him.”

“Ok.  Well, I’ll help you out with that the best I can.  Just check on him though the day.  Make sure he’s ok.”

“I will.  Thanks Mom.  Love you.”

“Love you too, Miri baby.  Go do your studying.”

---------------

Miri went out to the stable that had been built for Ranger armed with some tools to help him relax and calm down. She had the flower remedy that her aunt had put together for her and she had talked to her mother who was going to come out and show her how to massage the horse. She had a little hope. She was going to start working with him every day, giving him the flowers and giving him massage until his nerves settled. She slowly walked up to him, showing that she meant him no harm. "Hey buddy. I'm back. I'm sorry for getting upset with you. I just didn't know what to do. Now I have a plan." She slowly approached him and rubbed his snout. "That's it buddy. I'm sorry." She mixed the flowers in with his evening oats. He started getting a little antsy. "Hey now. You're just gonna have to be patient. I'm waiting on someone to come out here help me get you to trust me."  He whinnied and sputtered, stomping his hoof.  “Look at you, Mr. Attitude.  I think naming you ‘Tanto and the Lone Ranger’ was a mistake.  They should have named you after my grandfather.”  She continued to lovingly pet his snout, trying to keep him calm.  The last thing she wanted was him freaking out bad enough that she ended up injured.  “You can hold on, buddy.  Once my Mom gets out here, I’ll give you the oats and you’ll get a massage while you eat.  How does that sound?”  He huffed, but he was still calm.

Delilah approached slowly on the four wheeler, making sure to keep the noise down so as not to spook the animal.  She came in slowly as she listened to her daughter soothe the horse in the stable.  Her voice was calm and as gentle as she could be when she announced herself.  “Miri, I’m here.”

The horse rebelled a little, but Miri handled him like a pro.  “Shh.  It’s ok.  It’s just my Mom.  She’s going to give you a massage.  You’re ok, buddy.”  She rubbed his snout and kept him calm then looked at her mother.  “Approach slowly.  If he tries to bolt, there’s no telling if I will be able to catch him again without having to get out the tranquilizer gun.”

Delilah nodded slowly and took measured steps toward her daughter and the horse.  When she reached them, she introduced herself to the horse and Miri gave him the oats with the proper amount of the flower remedy that her aunt had put together for her. 

Once he was distracted Delilah started showing her daughter different techniques and the signs to look for when Ranger was hurting and when he was enjoying the strokes.  With each stroke of their hands he seemed to relax a little more.  He was a long way from being the champion that he’d once been, but with any luck, Miri would have him close to it by the end of the summer.  The question was, would she be able to let him go back to the shelter at the end of the summer or would she have to find a way to keep him there?

Chapter 16

Miri was up at the crack of dawn waiting for the people from the shelter to come and drop off her horse.  She was so excited.  Ranger was going to be her big project for the summer.  If she could get him calmed down enough to go back to the shelter to be adopted by the time she had to go back to Chicago for school she wouldn’t feel like her summer was wasted.  And he was her only responsibility for the shelter for the summer.  She was glad.  She wasn’t sure if she would have been able to handle her summer online courses that she signed up for the week before, as well as Ranger and other responsibilities at the shelter.  And, thankfully, her work with Ranger would be applicable to one of her classes.

When the truck pulling the horse trailer carrying Ranger pulled up to the house, Miri ran out the door.  “Hey Sheldon!” she said excitedly.

“Hey Miri.  How long have you been up?”

“Since 5.  I’ve been bouncing.  Ask my poor Grandparents who have had to watch me go crazy pacing.”

Sheldon laughed.  “Are you ready for this skittish horse?”

“I think I am.  I’ve had to calm down a few spooked horses before.”

“Well this one is chronically spooked.  Can you handle that?”

“We shall see, shant we?”

“I suppose we shall.  Can you show me back to the stable?”

“Let me get one of the ATV’s out of the garage and I’ll lead you back.  Can your truck handle the drive?”

“I think so.”

Miri ran into the house and grabbed a set of ATV keys.  “I’ll be back in a little while”, she called as she bolted through the house; only hearing her grandparents laughs as she moved through the house.  After finding the ATV the key belonged to she grabbed her helmet, hit the garage door opener, and roared out of the garage toward the stable with Sheldon on her tail. 

---------------

David and Brie sat on the couch in the living room and watched as their granddaughter sped through the house and vanished with a call out that she’d be back after a while.  “You’d think that the horse had arrived”, David laughed.

“You’d think.  But, there’s no way she’d be that excited over a horse”, Brie responded.

“What are you two going on about?” Jeremiah asked when he came in.

“Your niece.  She just sped through the house and called out that she’s be back later”, David said.

“Why?”

“Her horse is here.”

“The horse she’s going to caring for over the summer?”

“Yes.  She’s been up since 5.”

“How do you two know?”

“I fell asleep on your father’s shoulder again last night and Jake said, ‘Just take the guest room’ to Dad and carried me up the stairs”, Brie answered.

“Why do you fall asleep like that, Mom?”

She shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I guess that because I’m getting older I need more sleep than I used to.  Anyway, I’m making up for all the sleepless nights I spent tending to you and your siblings over the years and the times I jumped up in the middle of the night to go catch a stranger’s baby.”

“I hated those nights.  They seriously sucked”, David said softly.

“I know.  But, I had to do it.  It was part of the job.”

“I told you that you didn’t have to go back to school.”

“Continuing Education was required of all massage therapists in the country to keep our licenses.  I’d done everything I could during the War to keep my license up to date and there really wasn’t too much else I could learn.  I took it in the direction I was going to go in after Malachai was in grade school and went to nursing school to become a midwife because that’s what I wanted to do.  Thankfully, I had most of my core stuff out of the way from the classes I took online during the war while the kids were all in their lessons.”

“How you found the time to do that is beyond me.”

“I’m talented like that.  You didn’t know?” she laughed.

“I did.  I just wanted to be sure.”

“You two are insane”, Jeremiah said with a chuckle as he grabbed an orange from the fruit bowl Delilah had taken to keeping on the coffee table.  “You know that right?”

“Are you just realizing this?” David asked the youngest of the quadruplets.

“No.  I’ve known for a very long time.  This is just one of the first times I’ve said anything”, he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

---------------

“Are we all packed and ready to go?” Ira asked his cousins.

“I believe we are”, Anthony said as he zipped his suitcase.

“Look out VEGAS!” Levi said with a laugh.

“You think they’ll treat us like high rollers because out last name is Draiman?” Anthony asked.

“Tony, we’re David Draiman’s grandkids.  That alone got us a suite set aside”, Ira laughed.  “At the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino no less.”

“What about the Château?  That was another one of Grampa’s party spots?” Anthony asked.

“It was.  There were times when he and Gramma would travel for award shows and they’d go different parties.  Hell, I think he took her to the 48 hrs. Festival out there where he hosted a few after parties, but that was after Uncle Marc and Aunt Jessi graduated from high school.  All the while they were trying to plan Uncle Jeremiah’s wedding, plan for Grampa’s retirement, find a place in Israel, and get ready for Grampa’s being honored with the Kennedy Center Medal”, Ira said.  “Once Gramma retired, she hated to sit still.  She was ready to go at a moment’s notice.  She always had a couple days’ worth of clothes packed at all times in case Grampa said, ‘Baby, I booked us a flight to- insert city here-.  Are you ready to go?’.  When he said in October that year, ‘Hey baby, wanna go back to Vegas?’ she jumped at the chance”, Ira explained.

“Back to Vegas?”

“They were originally married in Vegas.  They took one witness each, I think.  Gramma asked a neighbor she’d befriended that was single to be her witness.  Grampa had Uncle Danny there as his witness.  They said their vows in a little chapel in Vegas then Grampa adopted Uncle Malachai”, Levi said.  “Not too much after they picked him up from Great- Grandmother and Great- Grandfather Cartwright’s house in Tennessee, Gramma discovered she was pregnant with our parents.”

“Uncle Jake and Aunt Jordan?”  Levi and Ira nodded.  “Wow.  How do you two know so much?”

“They always came here for Miri and Matt’s birthdays and Aunt Makayla and Uncle Marc would have to bring their kids that shared the birthday with them here.  We had a lot of time to ask questions.”

“Why Miri and Zeke’s birthday and Matt and Connie’s?”

“Miri and Zeke share Gramma’s birthday and Matt and Connie share Grampa’s”, Ira said.  That got him to thinking.  “I know that there’s a strange story about Miri’s birth, but no one really told me about mine.  I’m curious.”  He looked at his cousins.  “Do you think Gramma and Grampa would know and if so; would they tell me?”

“More than likely.  They make it a point to be at the births of each grandchild”, Anthony said.  “They were even at the hearing when my Mom adopted me.  I’m sure if there’s a story to tell, they’ll know it and be happy to share.”

“There’s only one way find out”, Levi said.  “Why don’t we go ask?”

---------------

The boys all ran down the stairs to the living room so Ira could ask his question.  “Gramma, Grampa, can I ask you guys something?” he asked as they hit the bottom of the stairs.

“When have we ever told you no?” David asked.

“When I asked you about sex”, Ira was quick to reply.

“Yeah, that’s true”, Brie said with a slow nod.  “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t go to your father with those questions?”

“Because I wanted the basics, not having it broken down into graphic medical and anatomical detail.  Thankfully, when you sent me to Dad, I didn’t get that.”

“You’re not about to ask another sex question, are you?”

Ira shook his head.  “No.  I know that there’s a story that goes along with Miri’s birth.  The car wreck that put Mom into labor a month early and it happened to be Gramma’s birthday.  What I’m wondering is if there’s a story about my birth?”

“Your birth, not really.  You were born right here in this living room.  Your father delivered you and I helped”, Brie told him as his cousins listened in.  “How you came about your name is the story.”

“What happened?”

David and Brie laughed.  “Well, your parents took the honeymoon that they had postponed while your Dad was doing his TBI research”, David explained.  “While they were gone, your Dad started having dreams.”

“Like what Miri and Matt have?”

“Yeah.  Like those.  Gramma has them too, if you didn’t know.  Where do you think they got it from?”

“So, Dad passed it to Miri after getting it from Gramma?”

“Yes.  Now, do you want us to tell you this damn story or not?”

“Sorry, Grampa.  Go ahead.”

After clearing his throat, David continued.  “Anyway, while your parents were in Europe on their honeymoon, your Dad started having dreams about you.  He had no idea what your name was supposed to be.  He had the feeling that he was supposed to name you after Great- Uncle Ben and a relative that your grandmother had no idea existed.”

“Really?”

“Yeah”, Brie said with a nod.  “On their way to Auschwitz, we called him to let him know that he’d gotten his approval for his treatment and he asked me to dig through my family records.  After we hung up with him, Uncle James and Uncle ‘Miah climbed up in the attic and got the boxes down for me.  Grampa and I sat down here alone and sorted through everything until I found an article.  An obituary, to be exact, dated four months after I was born.  I had an older brother named Ira Shane Cartwright who died at the age of three from complications of pneumonia.”

“Do you have a picture of him handy so I can see it?  I’d like to see a picture of the person I’m named after.”

“Go upstairs into the guest room where Grampa and I have been staying and grab my purse.  Since that night we found his picture, there’s one that I’ve been keeping in my purse.”

Ira jumped to his feet and ran up the stairs to the room to get the object asked for.  When he returned, he handed it to his grandmother.  “Here, Gramma.”

She took the bag and dug out her wallet.  Setting the bag next to her on the couch, she opened it and pulled out the picture.  “Here boys.”  She held it out to them.

Ira took the picture and looked at it.  “So, which one is Great- Uncle Ira?” he asked.  The picture contained two boys and an infant girl.

“Come here and I’ll show you.”  Ira stood and held the photo in front of his grandmother after leaning over her shoulder.  “This one is Great Uncle- Matt.”  She pointed to the taller of the two boys who was holding the little girl.  “He’s hold me as a baby.”  She pointed to the little boy next to them.  “That’s Uncle Ira.”

Ira took the picture and studied it, looking long and hard after the child he had been named after.  “How old is he here, Gramma?”

“Three.”

Ira reached up and wiped a single tear from his eye.  “Wow.  That is a story.  Is there another picture that I can have?”

“Keep that one.  I don’t need it.  It’s just a reminder of a brother I never knew and a brother I miss dearly.”

“You sure, Gramma?”

“Keep it, Ira.  I’ll get to meet him on the other side when I finally do go.  I don’t plan on it being any time soon, but it will happen eventually and when it does, I’ll finally get to hug the brother I never knew.”

Ira tucked the picture into his wallet.  “Thanks Gramma.  Say, do you know of any other stories that we all might want or need to know?”

They both thought about it, exchanging a look, then shook their heads.  “Not that we can think of off the top, but if we should think of one before you three leave in the morning, we will be sure to let you know”, David said.  “Now, you three run along and go get ready for your road trip.”  They didn’t have to be told twice.  The boys ran up the stairs to Ira’s room to make sure that they had everything in order for the trip they were leaving on in the morning.

Chapter 15

Upon unlocking her door with Will and Isaiah at back, Miranda got settled in after Will cleared the rooms. If Miranda didn't trust the little bastard that she had just broken up with, then Will wasn't taking any chances. Not after what Miranda had told him on their flight out. "You two settle in and I'll set up so I can keep watch."

"Why do you have to keep watch?" Isaiah asked as he dropped his things in the spare room of the loft.

"Until he comes and gets his things and the show is over, I have to protect Miranda. That's what your father asked of me and that's what I'm going to do."

Any other questions?"

"Yeah, if Miranda okay's it, would you object to me bringing my girlfriend over?"

"If it's not objectionable to your sister, then no I don't mind. I do need her name, however."

“Chelsea Goodwin.”

“Clear it with your sister and I’m ok with it.”

Isaiah nodded and walked down the hall to his sister’s room.  She was putting all of the things that Zack kept at her place in a box.  He knocked on the door frame.  “Hey sis.  You need some help?”

She looked over her shoulder.  “If you want to.”  She started loading all of the loser’s clothes into the box from her closet.

Isaiah took them from the bed and started taking them off of the hangers one by one.  “You glad to be getting rid of the moron?”

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it to begin with, to be honest bro.  He’s an ass.  I can’t wait until his shit’s out of my apartment.”

“I bet.  I couldn’t stand that guy.”

“Eli wanted to beat his face in.”

“So did I.”

“I could tell.”  She sighed.  “So, did you want to ask me something?  I heard you talking to Wills out there.”

“Yeah.  Would you be ok with Chelsea coming over and staying with me as long as I’m here?”

Miranda shook her head.  “Just because I’m sleeping alone doesn’t mean you have to.  I’d love to meet her anyway.”

“She went to school with us.”

“Oh, that Chelsea?  Chelsea Goodwin?  Big boobs, bubble ass, and legs that don’t stop?  That Chelsea?”

“Yes Miranda.  That Chelsea.”

“Hell yeah you can have her over while you stay here.  I love that bitch!  Shit, I might just steal her from you.”  She couldn’t help but laugh.

“You can try.”

“Bet I’ll succeed if I do.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken, sister of mine.  She can’t get enough of all of this Draiman goodness.”  He pointed to himself with all of his fingers and traced the hand down his slender body.

“Please.  You’re nothing special, hermano. You just wish you were.”

---------------

“Everything is secure, Malachai.  I know what I’m doing.  My father trained me well”, Will told the anxious father over the phone.

“That’s my first baby girl, Will.  You had better be sure.”

“Who is my father, Malachai?”

Malachai chuckled.  “Morbus.”

“Who trained him?”

“My Uncle Matt.”

“Exactly.  He trained us the same way that Matt trained him.  You need to relax.”

“I can’t, man.  You know that.  I worry about my kids no matter how old they are.”

“Well, the two I’m here with aren’t much younger than me and I’m the youngest in my family.  You freaking out over these kids is going to achieve what?  Nothing.  You letting me do what you asked me to do is going to keep them safe.  Let me do what you asked of me.”

Malachai sighed.  “Ok.  I’ll back off, but please keep me updated.”

“Did my father ever disappoint yours with the details?”

“Touché, my brother.  I’ll talk to you later.”

“Gotcha.  Bye.”  Will hung up his phone and stuck it in his pocket as he shook his head.

“Hey Will, you hungry?”

“A little.  What did you have in mind?” Miranda asked as she set the box next to the door.

“I don’t cook much.  I rarely have the time.  Isaiah and I were just gonna get take out and have it delivered.”

“Anything in particular?”

“There’s this little pizza shop that makes the best calzone.”

“Calzone?  Sure.  Sounds good.  You got chips to go with it?”

“I can order them.”

“Meat calzone with sour cream and onion chips?”

“What do you want to drink?”

“Just a coke.”

“Ok… I’ll get Isaiah’s order and make the call.  We can sit around the loft and eat calzone and watch shitty movies.  Sound like a plan?’

“Sure does.  Looking forward to shitty movies.  My wife’s a pain about movies.”

“Does your wife know what you do?”

“Alexa?  Oh yeah, and she knows that the Draiman family is s huge part of my life.  If she doesn’t like it, then she can get over it.  She’s kinda stuck with me.”

“Any kids yet?”

“Expecting one soon.  Little girl.”

“You hoping to be there when she’s born?”

“It all depends on your Dad and the rest of the band and when they decide to go back on the road.  I hear they’re going to go into the studio for a couple of weeks.  Don’t tell your Grampa, but rumor has it that it’s going to be a big Disturbed tribute album.”

“Ooh, that sounds like it’s going to be awesome.  What song is Reckless Disregard going to do?  Do you know?”

“I hear it will either be ‘Remember’ or ‘I’m Alive’.  But, there is a huge library of music they could do.  I know that Wrought Iron is going to do that song your Grampa did for your Gramma on that first album after the Occupation.”

“Oh no.  Grampa’s not going to be a happy camper about that one unless Ryan does it perfectly.  Grampa will flip if it’s fucked up.”

“Oh, I know.  Your Aunt’s been telling him that it’s a bad idea.”

“I hope he knows what he’s doing, that’s all I have to say.  He had better know what the hell he’s doing and not try to make that a Wrought Iron song.  It’s a Disturbed song and always will be.”

“Oh, I know.  And if your Grampa’s dead when the tribute is released, he will turn over in his grave and haunt whomever ruins that song.”

Miranda laughed.  “Him and Gramma both.  I can just see Dad laughing his ass off and saying, ‘Ryan things Mom and Dad are haunting him.  That’s what he gets for not doing Mom’s song right’.  Now, let me go get Isaiah’s order and we’ll chill and watch these terrible movies I have here.”

“Sounds like a plan.  I’ll be right here.”  Miranda walked away and left Will to his thoughts.  He was excited to be able to see the Big Apple.  He was going to be here with Miranda until after the play was done showing. After that he was going home to his pregnant wife.  He couldn’t wait to meet his little girl.  Alana was going to be such a beautiful baby.  He hoped that his surrogate grandparents- David and Brie Draiman- lived long enough for to see his little girl.  Lord only knew when they were going to be called home.  He just hoped that they would get to see his baby girl first.

---------------

Once the food arrived and they were all comfortable in front of a boring movie, Will shared with Isaiah what he'd told Miranda. "That's a really bad idea", Isaiah said. "I'm disappointed in Ryan. He knows Grampa and Gramma's feelings about that song. If he screws that song up he's gonna hear it from both of them, and Dad and Aunt Jordan. He may as well hang up his career after Grampa gets ahold of that ass. And it will be a sight to see too."

"What? You think it will be funny to watch your 84 year old grandfather go off on a 36 year old kid who's been dying to sink his musical teeth into that song his entire life?" Will laughed.

"If I'm there when Grampa goes off on him I'll laugh my ass off."

"That will only happen if he ruins the song", Miranda said as she picked at her calzone.

Isaiah looked at his twin. "You feeling ok, sis?" he asked

"I'm feeling a little weird. I'll be fine. It's ok. I'll eat every bite before bed."

"Ok. I'm just looking out for you sis."

"I know Isaiah. I'll take care of myself. No worries."

They lapsed into silence and watched to B movie. It was the same shitty plot that most B movies had and poor acting to boot. As the movie reached the critical point where things were coming to a head and people had to make hard decisions, there was a knock on the door. Miranda paused the movie as Will jumped to his feet and moved for the door with a hand behind his back. "Who's there?" he called.

"Chelsea", a female voice called from outside the door.

Isaiah went for the door and checked the peep hole, giving Will a nod. "It's her." He opened the door. "Hey baby", he said as he opened the door.

She smiled. "Hey sexy. How was the family time?"

"Good for the most part. My sister's tool of a boyfriend showed his ass at our Uncle's house but that was about it.  Care to join us for bad B movies and nasty take out?”

“Sounds like fun!” she laughed.

Isaiah stepped out of the way to let her into the loft.  “Baby, I want you to meet Will.  He’s my Dad’s bodyguard.  Will, this is Chelsea.  And you know my sister, right Chels?”

Chelsea smiled and nodded at Will in greeting then looked at Miranda.  “Miranda?  GIRL!”

“Hey girly!  What have you been up to?”

“The Marriage of Figaro.  What about you?”

“RENT.”

“Made Broadway, huh?”

“Yep.  Gonna see where it takes me.”

“I like it.  I love the Opera.  You know me.”

“Yeah.  Well, come on in.  Make yourself at home.  If you want some calzone, you can have mine.  I’ve kinda lost my appetite.”

“I don’t want to impose, Miranda.”

“Don’t worry, Chelsea.  You’re not imposing.”

“Ok.  Well, I’ll just drop my bag in whatever room Isaiah’s staying in and I’ll join you in here for the movie in a moment.”  Isaiah showed her where they would be sleeping and they rejoined the movie.  Once everyone was comfortable, Miranda passed her calzone over to Chelsea and curled up with a blanket in her favorite chair.  She must have been coming down with something because she wasn’t feeling all that great.  Once rehearsals started, everything would be fine.  She’d be back in the swing of her normal life and everything would be gravy.  She just knew it.

---------------

It was the middle of the night and Will heard someone messing around outside the door.  He was immediately up and had his pistol out.  He crept quietly over as he heard the person outside cursing fervently under their breath.  “Bitch had the locks changed.  Fucking whore”, he heard.  Will steeled himself to confront the person, quietly unlocked the door and swung it open after grabbing a flashlight.  “WHAT THE FUCK?!” the person yelled.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Will asked in a harsh voice.

“I’m the bitch’s ex and I want my shit”, the man said.  By his voice, Will could tell he was intoxicated.

“So you came over in the middle of the night and decided that you were just going to come in on your own and get it?  You’re stupid.  You do realize you just almost died, right?”

“That gun in my face would tell me as much.”

Will walked wide- keeping the gun trained on the moron at the door- and kicked the box that was sitting next to it into the doorframe.  “Here’s all your shit if you’re Zack.  If you show up here again, you will be shot.  You have been warned.  Take your things and leave.”

The man leaned over and picked up the box.  “Tell the bitch I’ll see her at rehearsal.”

“Leave.  I’m not telling you again.”

The guy walked away, heading down the hall to the elevator that would take him to the bottom floor.  Will shut and locked the door then went back and laid down on the futon.  He couldn’t believe that moron would actually show up at Miranda’s front door drunk and think that he was going to just waltz into her apartment like that.  That guy’s a real winner.  Why am I not surprised that none of the Draiman men approved of him?, Will thought to himself as he tried to drift back to sleep.  He didn’t really have an answer, so he pushed the thoughts from his mind.  Miranda had told him that if there was a point where he was having trouble sleeping that he could turn on the TV to wind back down again.  So that’s what he did.  It didn’t take long to distract himself enough to go to sleep again.  The moron wasn’t worth his time.

Chapter 14

The next morning, Isaiah and Eli did exactly as they said they were going to do. When they saw that Miranda was away from Zack for a couple of minutes they grabbed Ira, Levi, and Anthony, and cornered Zack after explaining what was going on to their younger cousins. "Hey asshole", Isaiah said. "Listen real close because I'm not going to repeat myself. You need to grow a set if you're going to continue to be with Miranda. She's a strong girl and she needs a strong guy. Stop being a pussy and be a man."

"My relationship with Miranda is really none of your business. I assure you that we're just fine. Thank you for your concern though, boys", Zack responded to the young men that were now surrounding him.

Ira shook his head. "No, joker, you don't seem to understand. Treat Miranda like the strong independent woman she is or we're going to beat your face in. Act like a man or we will beat the boy out of you. That's what we're trying to say. Are you comprehending any of this or do we need to break into song?" Ira was being a sarcastic ass but he was good at it.

"No. The song won't be necessary. But, I will say butt out one more time. It's between myself and Miranda."

"Hurt her in any way, Zachary, and you won't live long enough to regret it. You will die a very painful death", Elijah said. The tone in his voice was one of disdain and distrust. He was almost positive that Zack was going to hurt his big sister somehow and when that happened, he hoped his father called him. He seriously wanted to beat the loser. He could already tell that things weren't going to end well between the douche standing before him and his big sister.  And when things did end, Zack was going to have the entirety of the men of the Draiman family on his ass.

“Just heed our warning”, Levi said.  “Hurt Miranda and you’ll be very sorry.”  The boys walked away and went to watch their parents having their pictures taken again with their grandparents.

When Miranda came back over to where Zack was standing, he looked at her.  “Your brothers and cousins need to step off.”

“No they don’t.  They’re looking out for me.  That’s what we do in this family.  No matter what walk we’re on, we all know we’re not talking the walk alone.  We have 50+ people right there with us.  You don’t like it?  Take your punk ass back to New York.  I’ll see you at the theater.  Get your shit out of my apartment too, mother fucker.”

“Excuse me?”

“BITCH, DID I STUTTER?” she screamed in his face.

All of her Uncles and her grandfather were there in no time, David walking at a relaxed pace as his boys separated his granddaughter from the guy she’d brought to meet him.  Once he reached the site of the fight, his boys parted the way and he looked the young man in the eyes.  “You grew a back bone but it went in the wrong direction, son”, he said with the shake of his head.  “You don’t disrespect my granddaughter like that.  You now have two choices.  One, you can walk off of my property on your own.  Two, my sons and her brothers can throw you off of the property.  Either way, I’m sure her father has a few very choice words for you.  So, Zachery, which will it be?”  The look on his face was peaceful.  He didn’t care either way as long as the boy left.

Zack pulled away and shook off the Draiman men that had ahold of his clothes and arms.  “I’ll walk thanks.”

“Oh hell no you don't, you little bastard”, Malachai said angrily.  “Like my father said, I have a few choice words for you before you leave.  You made a HUGE mistake coming onto my father’s property and talking to my daughter like that, you little piece of shit.  Who the fuck do you think you are?”  He paused for a moment to see if the boy would respond.  “You know what?  Never mind.  Don’t answers.  If you speak to Miranda again, I will beat the shit out of you.  My boys won’t mess with you because I’m going to take your fucking head off.  I know you’re in that play together, but come near her other than that and I’m going to dismantle you.  Now, step.”  Malachai pointed down the driveway and stared daggers at the boy.

“This is that last you’ll hear from me.  I couldn’t stand you people anyway.”

Isaiah and Eli jumped like they were going to bum rush the boy but Malachai held his arms out in front of them and stopped them with the shake of his head.  “He’s not worth the energy boys.  He’s worthless.  He has no idea just how good a girl he just lost.”

Zack walked down the driveway and headed toward town, hoping he’d see a taxi he could flag down to take him to the airport.  Fuck the Draiman’s, the thought.  They’re all idiots anyway.  I hope I never have to deal with Miranda or the rest of her fucking family ever again.  After RENT, I’m going to audition for the lead in that new show that’s opening in a couple of months and I’m going to skyrocket.  I don’t need Miranda.  All she’ll do is hold me down.  His stride became more determined as he headed toward the town.  But he had no idea just how far out in the middle of nowhere the Draiman family actually lived.

---------------

As the day continued on, Miri kept an eye on her older cousin.  Miranda had always been there for her.  It was her turn to be supportive of her cousin.  “You ok, Miranda?” she asked.

Miranda nodded.  “I’m just sick of douchebags treating me like dirt.  You know what I mean?”

“Yeah.  My dad just went off on one of those douche bags.”

“I heard about that.  That was funny.  So, when do you get your horse?”

“As soon as all this is over and Grampa gives the word.  The barn is ready and I have all of the supplies I’ll need.  Gramma and Grampa even bought me a saddle.”

“Nice.  Are you gonna let me ride him?”

“Not until he’s not so easy to spook.  It’s gonna take a LOT of patience to get him there, but I’ll get him there.”

“I know you will.  You love animals so much.  I remember when you got Kimiko from Aunt Jona and Uncle ‘Miah.”

“I know.  I’ve always loved that damn fish.  And she was a hatchling when I got her.  She was a minnow.”

“I remember that too.”  She sighed.  “Miri.  Is it ever gonna get better?”

Miri laughed.  “Aren’t I supposed to be asking you that question?”

Miranda laughed.  “True.  I just feel so discouraged right now.  The guys I keep meeting are assholes.”

“I know the feeling.  But you know what?  All I do is look at my parents, and our grandparents, and I know that my prince is out there somewhere and that I’ll find him somehow.”

“Easy for you two say.  Your parents have always been perfect for each other.  Mine used to fight all the time when I was around Rina, Abby, and Gabe’s ages.”

“I know.  But that’s life.  I’m sure my folks fight.  They just never did in front of us.”

“Like Gramma and Grampa never fought in front of our parents, or us.”

“Exactly, if they fought at all.  Though, I have heard stories about Grampa calling Gramma stubborn and Gramma calling Grampa a hot head.”

“Oh, I’ve heard those stories too.  They’re pretty funny.”  Miranda smiled.  “I want what Gramma and Grampa have.  I want a relationship that’s easier than breathing.  It’s just natural, ya know?”

Miri nodded.  “I know.  I want that too.  But, how can we know exactly what we’re looking for unless we date a few lemons?”

Miri had a point and Miranda know it.  All she could say in return was, “Touché, little cousin.  Touché.”

---------------

Finally, the pictures were done that evening.  There would be no more.  Brie and David were sitting in the living room enjoying a movie as Jake settled up with the photographer.  “You know Dr. Draiman, I think I’m just going to have to develop a group rate for things like this”, she said with a laugh.

“I completely understand that.  If you ever have a group this big again, it would probably behoove you to have one”, Jake said with a laugh as well.  “So, what do I owe you?”

“Let’s just call it $3,500.  That will be my new group rate.”  She just couldn’t stop laughing.

Jake’s chest shook in laughter as he wrote out the check.  “Here you go.”

“I’d tell you don’t worry about it, but I’ve got to pay the bills somehow.”

“No.  I totally understand.  Don’t worry about it.  If we need you again, I’ll be sure to give you a call.”

She smiled.  “Sounds good.  It was a pleasure.  Never a dull moment.”

“Not supposed to be one.  When were we going to go through the shots?”

“I like to print off test photos or each shot, then I’ll come back and we’ll all look at them so you can choose the ones you want.”

He nodded.  “When can we expect you?”

“I’ll call you.”

“Would you like my personal number?  The number you have is the one I use for my practice and when I’m getting called for consults and stuff.”

“Sure.”  He gave her his personal number.  “Ok.  We’re good for now.  I hope you like the work I did.”

“I’m sure we will.  Have a good day, Kelly.”

“You too, Doctor.”

Jake laughed.  “She’s a trip!” he said as he took a seat in the arm chair next to the couch.

“She is.  I just hope her work is good.  It would really look bad if you shelled out $3,500 for shitty work”, David said, never taking his eyes off of the TV screen.

“True.  She said she’ll call me back after she’s done printing off all of the test prints.  From there, she’ll bring them here and we can pick the ones we want.”

“Sounds good”, Brie said.  “I can’t wait to see the pictures she got.  I hope they’re good.”

“You and me both.”

“Why did you pay her $3,500 if you weren’t sure if the work was going to be good?”

“Because the girl came out here three days in a row and put up with the chronic chaos that is this family.  She deserves some sort of compensation.”

“You’re too nice some times, Jake”, David said.  “I wouldn’t have paid until I saw the work.”

He shrugged.  “So sue me.  That’s one of the differences between us, I guess Dad.”

David nodded.  “Guess so.  Glad you’re sticking by your decision, just like your mother and I taught you.”

“Of course.  Why would I waver.  It was my decision.  This was my gift to everyone.  Now, are you and Mom going to eat in here tonight?”

They exchanged a look and Brie shrugged.  “I don’t care, David.  Whatever you want to do.”

David smiled at his wife.  “Do you want to cook tonight?”

“Not really.  I’m kinda tired.”

“Then you’re staying in here.  Are you sleeping in here?” Jake asked.

“It depends on if your mother passes out on my shoulder tonight”, David said with a chuckle.

“If Delilah cooks a dinner that puts me to sleep, then we’ll probably be staying in here”, Brie laughed.

“I’ll make sure Delilah puts extra sleeping powder in the stuffing”, Jake said with a laugh.

“Don’t make threats, Jacob Micah, that you won’t make good on.”

He laughed and walked away.  “Yes ma’am.”

---------------

Miranda was finally packed. It was time to go back to New York. She needed to get back for rehearsals and she wanted to be sure that Zack didn't take anything that wasn't his. She wanted to make sure that the locks got changed on her loft too so that he couldn't just walk into her house. That wasn't about to happen. "I'm ready to go, Daddy", she said as she pulled her suitcase behind her down the stairs.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go back with you?" her father asked.

"Isaiah's going back with me, Dad. He'll keep Zack in line."

Malachai sighed and shook his head. "I don't like it. I'm gonna call Travis to go with you two. It's not that I don't trust Isaiah, but Travis is trained to handle thus kind of stuff."

She nodded. "Ok Dad." She knew not to argue with her father. It was pointless. He would get what he wanted whether she wanted it or not. He was extremely protective of his daughters and had to make sure that they were ok. He trusted his boys, but he wanted the extra insurance. It was one of the few times that Miranda was thankful that Morbus had retired ten years before. Se shuttered to think of how Morbus would handle Zack.

"Travis is unavailable the moment, but Will will be here shortly", her father said, interrupting her thoughts

"Ok, Daddy", she answered.

"You seemed like you were deep in thought for a moment, baby. What's on your mind?"

"I was just thinking about how I'm glad Morbus retired. I shudder to think what he would do."

"Oh, I'm sure if I asked Grampa to call him for this, he'd meet you in New York."

"I know Daddy. That's what has me scared."

Malachai laughed. "As tempting as it is, I'm not going to do that to you. As much as I would love for the boy to be beheaded, Will scaring him shitless will do just fine for me. Now, go get Isaiah and let him know what's going on."

"Yes sir", she said with a smile and disappeared back up the stairs.

Malachai sat back in his favorite chair for a moment and thought about actually calling Morbus and asking for a favor. He thought better of it. Interrupting Morbus's retirement would be dangerous to his health and he knew it. But, Morbus would have really come in handy at the moment. Zack Winfield needed his face rearranged for the way he'd treated Miranda.

Malachai had no clue that in just a few weeks his daughter would drop a bomb on him so huge that he would want to kill the boy himself... and he almost would.

Chapter 13

Miranda lay with her head on Zack's bare chest. "That was great", she chuckled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it", he chuckled.

She pressed her lips to his sweat covered skin. "So, are you ready to head back to New York for dress rehearsals?"

"Oh yeah. I'm ready to get this play over with. I'm tired of living and breathing RENT."

She laughed. "You act as though being Mark is a bad thing. Is it that you're playing a character that's watching everybody or that you're playing my ex?" She looked him in the eyes.

"Well, I think it's because of both. I'm gonna have a camera in my face most of the play pretending to record the whole thing. Watching characters die and leave and I have to just record it all.  There nothing I can do to prevent any of it."

Miranda sat up on her elbows and looked at him with a face that asked if he was serious. "Really? Get over it, Zachary Scott. You're acting like a child."

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't stutter. You're being a wimp. Stop complaining. Mark is actually a relatively simple role. I've done this play before. He's not overly complex. You're just being a wimp. I'm playing an overly dramatic bisexual who wouldn't understand the meaning of commitment if it bit her on the ass and thinks she always has to be the center of attention. That's exhausting."

Zack looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you saying that because your character is more eccentric your character is more vital?"

"No. I'm saying that my character is more complex. Your character is vital because he's the anchor and you're being a wimp by complaining about watching it all happen. You should treat it as an opportunity to learn from the other characters. Now, I'm going to go clean up. I think you should sleep in the spare room my Dad offered you. I want my bed to myself tonight."  She grabbed up her robe from the floor and slipped into it before heading for the door. "Oh yeah, be sure to dress a little bit before heading to the room. I do have younger sisters still in the house and I'm sure that none of my brothers that are in the house want to see your junk. Have a good night and I'll see you in the morning." She headed out into the hallway and down the hall to the bathroom to get a shower. She was slowly starting to discover that Zack was probably not going to be the guy she'd spend the rest of her life with. He just didn't have enough of a back bone to be a member of the Draiman family.  It took a certain kind of person to be in her family.  She just hadn’t had the luck to find him, and she was nearing 30. 

As the hot water beat down on her skin, she silently wondered if she would ever find the missing half of her soul.  She was getting that the point in her life where she needed that kind of devotion, especially if her career took off the way she was hoping it would after this stint on Broadway. 

She thought about the stories she’d heard about her grandparents, recalling how her father told her that they didn’t find each other until her Grandfather was almost 40.  It took them that long to find their other half.  Maybe it was gonna take her that long.

She wasn’t sure, but sure knew one thing, Zack Winfield either had to step up and grow a set, or after the play he was a goner.

----------------

“I don’t like him”, Elijah said as he spoke with his older brother over the phone about their sister’s boyfriend.  “He has no spine.”

Isaiah laughed.  “I agree with you there.  But, Miranda seems smitten with him.”

“She’s a fool.  He’s not Draiman family material.  You and I both know it.  The men need to have the balls to tell the women when they’re being stupid.”

“Have you ever heard Grampa tell Gramma that?”

“No, but I’ve heard him call her stubborn.”

Isaiah chuckled again.  “Well, that she is.  They both are or they wouldn’t still be here.”

“I know that’s right.  Now, what are we going to do about Zachary?”

“He’s already met Gramma and Grampa.  What they think of him, I don’t know.  But, I was thinking that if we wanted to make a lasting impression on the nitwit, we need to go about it with brute force.”

“Ooh, I like it.  How do we wanna go about it, big brother?”

“Just corner the little fucker and tell him that we’re watching him.  The moment he steps out of line we’ll be all 

over him like a fat girl to cupcakes.”

Eli laughed.  “That’s mean.  Some of my closest friends other than B are thick girls.”

“There’s a difference between fat and thick.  My girlfriend’s sister is thick and full figured.  Skinny chicks are for wimps, she says.  A fat girl is one of those girls that’s weighs so much she can’t get the hell out of bed and has all kinds of health issues because of it.”

“Touché.  So, we’re gonna give him hell tomorrow during the final day of Family Photo Week.”

“Yep.  And I dare him to say something stupid to me.  Give me an excuse to knock his fucking teeth out.”

“Isaiah, what would Dad say?”

“Don’t tolerate anyone being stupid and saying stupid shit; stick up for your sister no matter what.”

“Touché again, bro.  Ok.  Well, B is sitting on the bed begging me to come join him to cuddle and possibly other nefarious activities.  I will see you in the morning.”

“See you at Homestead, bro.  Good night.”

“Night.”  Elijah padded across the floor to the bed and stripped down.

B looked at Eli.  “What was that all about, baby?”

“We’re gonna give Miranda’s boyfriend hell tomorrow.  He’s a worm and he doesn’t deserve to be with our sister, so we’re gonna scare the hell out of him.”

“You gonna get any of your Uncles involved?”

“Doubtful.  We wanna keep this just the two of us.”

“You talking about scaring your sister’s boyfriend is kinda sexy.”

Eli smiled as he climbed into bed.  “Really now?”

----------------

“Malachai, I think you might be judging him a little harshly”, Mandy said chidingly.

“Oh?  So you’re ok with our oldest child getting with a young man who’s gutless?”

“Why do you say he’s gutless?”

“First of all, he never bothered to come out here and introduce himself.  He waited for Miranda to ask him to come out.  Second, he didn’t have the balls to approach Dad himself.  Miranda had to drag him over.  That’s gutless if you ask me.  And third, he hasn’t spoken to either of the older boys.  Hell, he hasn’t spoken to anyone unless Miranda’s forced him to.  He’s gutless.”

Mandy nodded from where she sat on their bed.  “I see where you’re coming from I suppose.  He does need to grow up.”

“Exactly.  He doesn’t deserve to be with our daughter and I don’ know if she sees that he’s useless.”

As Mandy tried to find the words to put her husband’s anger to ease, there was a knock on the door.  He moved across the floor to answer it.  “Miranda?  What are you doing down here?” he asked.

“I wanna talk to you and Mom, Dad.  It’s about Zack.”

“What’s he done now?”

“He’s being a douche.  I didn’t see it until he came out here.”

“What do you want me to do, baby?”

“I don’t know.  Tell him to step up and grow up?”

“I think Isaiah and Eli are planning something like that.”

“Then I’ll just leave them to it.  If he doesn’t start acting like he’s worth a damn he’s gone.  I can’t do this.”

“I don’t blame you”, Mandy said.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“No, sweetie”, her parents said in unison.  “You didn’t see that he’s a wimp until you got him out here”, Mandy continued.

“I think what Uncle ‘Miah would say in this instance would be something like, ‘Dr. Maya Angelou said, If someone shows you who they are, believe them’”, Malachai said with a chuckle.

“I do believe him.  I just don’t like what I’m seeing.”

Her father shrugged.  “Then do something about it.”

---------------

Zack finally laid his head on the pillow that Miranda’s parents were letting him use.  He had to figure out what the hell Miranda’s problem was.  She hadn’t been like this when they were in New York.  She wasn’t this bitchy, that was for sure.

Maybe she’s pregnant; he thought then shook away the thought.  Oh no, I can’t do that.  A baby would throw a monkey wrench in my career.  No way.  If she wants to be with me, she’ll get an abortion.  No, no, no.  No babies for me.  But then, she may want to keep it.  Perish the thought.  Would her family hold me responsible for being a father to the baby?

Little did he know, but by the time the play they were doing was over not only would she be carrying his child, but he would be alone.  She wouldn’t want him in her life of that of her child’s.  And he had no idea the hell that would rain down on his head.