Chapter 6

Eli and B sat in the car for several minutes in the driveway. All Eli could do was stare at the door. "Elijah, get your ass out of the car and go tell those people inside your big secret before I do it for you."

Eli shook himself out of the trance he'd put himself in. "Right. Gotta go tell everyone.". He took a deep breath and got out of the car. "You'll still be here?"

"Yes Eli, now go."

Eli shut the door and headed up the walk to his Uncle's door, knocking lightly as he waited for his uncle or someone to open the door. It opened to his grandfather. "Eli? You look scared."

"I am. I have big news and I'm afraid of how you and dad will react."

David's brow furrowed. "What could your news be that you're afraid of me?"

"You'll see."

David stepped back and let his grandson into the house where the family was waiting in the living room. Eli looked out at everyone. "Good to see that everyone is here. Now, I don't have to repeat myself."

"Eli, what's going on son?" Malachai asked as his wife clung to his hand.

Eli sucked in a deep breath. "It's good that everyone is sitting down. I have quite a bombshell to drop on everyone. I'm gay."

There was silence for a few moments before three voices spoke on unison. "I knew it", said David, Brie, and Jordan together.

Eli was confused. "What do you mean, Gramma and Grampa?"

"We've known since you were about ten or eleven. There have been times when you were the topic of our bedtime discussions", Brie said.

"You being gay is no big secret”, David said with a shake of his head. "I've been wondering when you were finally gonna come out."

He nodded and looked expectantly at his parents. "Mom, Dad, what are you two thinking?"

"I'm a little shocked", his father said, "but I'm not upset. Ok, so you're gay. Is that supposed to change my opinion of you?"

"I don't know, Dad. You seemed disappointed that I'm not like Miranda and Isaiah. I was afraid you'd be upset."

"You're doing with your life what you want to. I could seriously careless. Gay, straight, bisexual, transgender; you’re still my child. I love you no matter what your persuasion."

Elijah smiled. "Seriously?"

Malachai nodded. "Yeah, Elijah. I don't care."

"Mama?"

"I have to agree with your father. I'm shocked, but I'm not upset. You're our boy. Nothing will ever change that", Amanda said. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Eli smiled. "I do. Does everyone want to meet him?"

"Bring the boy in", David said. "Why the hell did you leave him in the car?"

"He volunteered to stay in the car to make things easier for me to break the news to everyone." He went to the door and waved to B to come in.

"So? Are we making a run for it?"

"No, you're about to meet my humongous family."

B smiled. "Nice. Granddaddy isn't mad?"

"Nope. He's known for years apparently."

"Sounds like he's a pretty on top of it guy."

"He is. He's pretty observant." B nodded as he took Eli's hand. "Then what are we standing around for?" He pecked him real quick on the lips and Eli led them in.

"Everybody, this is Brandon. He prefers to be called B." Eli turned them to his grandparents. "B, these are my grandparents, David and Brie Draiman."

B smiled. "It's nice to meet you both. Eli has spoken very highly of the both of you. But, I'm having trouble believing that the two of you are in your 80's."

"Believe it", Brie said with a laugh. "Welcome B. Take care of our grandson."

David nodded. "I echo my wife. Take care of Eli."

"I'm trying to, sir. He's making it a bit of a challenge, but it's worth it. He's totally worth every minute of it."

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

"See, you were freaking out over nothing", B said to Eli when everyone split off into different conversations. "Your Grandparents are totally cool with it."

He smiled and laid his head on B's shoulder. "I know. It's a huge load off of my shoulders."

"What did you spend all night freaking out about? That Grampa was going to climb down your throat about being gay?"

"I don't know, honestly baby. I was just on edge about coming out and introducing you to my family."

"I'm glad they're all so accepting of me."

"They're super supportive. I should have known that they wouldn't eat me alive. Oh, did you notice the order in which I introduced you to everyone?"

"I did. Why did you introduce me to Uncle Jake and Aunt Lilah before your parents?"

"I introduced you to the matriarch and patriarch, then the future matriarch and patriarch of the Draiman family. Grampa hates the title, but he's the head of the family."

"And Jake and Delilah are going to take over after your grandparents pass?"

"Yep, which will be anytime now."

"I'll be here for you when it happens too. Now, I noticed something. Your Aunt Jordan has a girlfriend."

"Yeah, Jordan's a lesbian. Another reason that I shouldn't have freaked out. Aunt Jordan is one of those that's a lot like you. She's never really been in the closet. She told Gramma and Grampa when she was still a teenager."

Jordan called out to her nephew. "Eli, can I talk to you for a moment?"

He nodded and pulled himself away from B. "Yeah, Aunt Jordan." He gave B a quick kiss. "I'll be right back."

B chuckled. "I'm not going anywhere. I might take a few minutes and talk to your grandparents or something, but I'm certainly not leaving you here. I like your family. It's huge."

Eli laughed as he walked away. "What's up, Auntie?"

"How come you never came to me?" she asked. She wasn't angry, just curious.

"To be honest? It never occurred to me. I honestly didn't put two and two together.”  He sighed.  “How long have you known?”

“I’ve known for years now.  Are you kidding me?  You’ve been setting off my gay- dar for a long time now.  If I had to put a number of years to it, nephew, I’d have to say about as long as your grandparents have known.”

Eli laughed.  “Wow.  I should have known, huh?”

“Yeah.  Look, Eli, if you need to talk to someone about the weirdness you’re going to feel now that you’re out, I’ll be happy to listen.  I know what it’s going to be like.”

“Thanks Aunt Jordan.  I really appreciate that.”

“It’s nothing really, Eli.  You’re my nephew.  I’m always here if you need to talk.”

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

“WOW”, Ira said to his older sister as they helped prepare for dinner that night, “Eli’s gay.  Did you see that one coming?”

“No.  But, I’m not that close to Eli.  He’s a nice guy and all, but we’re not tight”, Miri said haphazardly.

“You don’t seem like you’re really all that in touch with everything.”

“Sorry Ira.  My thoughts are a million miles away.  I’ve got a lot on my mind right now.”

“What’s wrong, sis?”

She sighed and turned to him.  “The horse we’re hosting, then the guy I’m seeing… it’s just all a mess.”

“Hold on.  Guy you’re seeing?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me about him.”  It wasn’t a request either.  Miri told her little brother all about Shane and the conversation they had the night before. All Ira could do was shake his head.  “Does Dad know about this joker?”

“No.  I don’t know if we’re going to stay together.  I mean, he was so eager to come out here and talk to Dad and get to know him and all that good shit, then he figured out who Grampa used to be.  He started freaking out.”

Ira shook his head.  “Bull shit.  Just because we have a famous grandfather doesn’t mean that people get to act stupid about it.  Damn it!  I’m so sick of that shit.  Grampa’s just a normal guy.  Well, as normal as one can be at 84.  Aunt Jordan’s normal, Uncle Malachai’s normal.  Just because we’re related to rock stars doesn’t mean that people can act like fools.”

“I know, Ira.  He acted like an idiot and now, I’m not sure if he’s going to be able to impress Dad enough to let me fly him out.  And now I have this horse that Gramma and Grampa are letting me host for its rehab.  There’s a lot on my mind.”

“Maybe you need to tell Dad about him and let him make up his mind himself.”

“I told Shane that he would have to impress Dad over the phone if he wanted to stay with me.”

“Stick by that, but let Dad make his own conclusions.”

She smiled.  “Thanks Ira.  When did you become so damn wise?”

“I spent a lot of time listening to Mr. Mason.  He’s a wise man, but he’s a smart ass.  I love listening to him telling his stories of the Utopian War.  I love Gramma and Grampa’s stories too.  I was thinking about using that admission to Loyola to get a History degree.”

“You should.  Room with Tony and Levi.  And you guys can all mess with each other and hang out.  Keep each other in line and I’ll be sure to keep you all in line- Me and Hunter.”

Ira thought about it.  “I guess I should go on and put in my schedule, huh?  But, instead of History, I’m doing into Computer Programming.  You practically have to have one these days to work on vehicles these days.”

“Minor in History.”

He nodded.  “Sounds like fun.  Ok.  I’ll go do that.  You should talk to Dad about that Shane douche.”

She laughed.  “I will, Ira.  I thought I was the older sibling in this little dynamic.”

“You are, but I’m doing what a brother is supposed to do and looking out for you.”

She hugged him.  “Thanks little brother.  You’re a big help.”

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

“Before you and Mom go back to Israel, Dad, I was thinking that we should attempt to have a family portrait done”, Jake said as he sat and talked with David and Brie before he went to help his wife with dinner.

“A family portrait?  Do you realize how hard that’s going to be, Jacob?  There are 48 in the family, not including the people that the kids who have already graduated from high school might be dating.  We have a colony of our own right here.  I’m surprised I haven’t been accused of being the head of a cult.”

Jake laughed.  “Come on, Dad.  They do pictures of entire schools these days.”

“Entire school populations?”

“Yeah.  They did it with the school we all went to this year with Ira’s class for the year book.”

David sighed and looked at his wife, who was quietly curled against his side ignoring the semantics that came with running the family.  “Baby, what do you think?”

Brie looked up at him.  “About what?”

“Having a family portrait done.”

“Is it even possible?”

“Yes, Mom”, Jake said.

“Then book it, I guess.  It would be nice to have a photo of all of us… even though the number seems to be growing by the minute.”

“Just to see how big we’ve gotten?” David laughed.

“No.  Just to have a picture of the entire family.  And you and I could stand to have a portrait done together as well.”

David chuckled.  “If that’s what you want, love.”

“It’s what I want.  Jacob, book the damn photographer and call everyone to make sure that they’re here.  Tell them your father and I said to clear their schedules for about three or four days around the date of the shoot.  Bring their best clothes because I refuse to have my photo taken with a bunch of slobs.”

Jake nodded.  “Aye aye, ma’am.  I’ll start making phone calls in the morning.”

Miri had walked into the room when David had looked to Brie for her opinion on the family photo.  She cleared her throat.  “Excuse me.  I hate to interrupt.”

“Not at all baby”, Brie said.  “You’re not interrupting anything.”

She smiled at her grandmother.  “Then can I steal my Dad for a moment.  I need to talk to him.”

Jake stood.  “I’ll get right on that in the morning, Mom.”

“Good boy, Jake.  Thank you.”