It’s not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters. – J. M. LaurenceTy showed his driver’s license and official FD credentials. The secretary gave him a strange look and he just smiled at her. He knew the look. He got it a lot when he was holding hands with his wife. Sometimes at the club, they got looks when he was with Jaxon.Even this day and age, people thought that he should date a woman “like” him. His response to that was usually pointing out that he had a boyfriend. And a wife. Yeah, he was the three B’s. Big, black and bi.“She is my sister-in-law.” He decided that was a much easier explanation than telling the whole truth.She’s the niece of the man that mine and my wife’s lover’s mother is dating and she’s also dating my lover’s younger brother. And my wife is pregnant. It might be mine. It might also be his. Either way, the baby was going to be spoiled.Thankfully, Dean came into the office before anything else could be said. The teen headed straight
There is something about losing a mother that is permanent and inexpressible – a wound that will never quite heal. – Susan WiggsDean sat on the couch in absolute shock. The whole room around her was completely silent. Or maybe she just couldn’t hear anything over the soft roar in her ears of her own pulse.Looking up, she saw Helen in front of her. Her lips were moving, she couldn’t hear anything that the other woman was saying. Then a small tumbler was pressed into her hands. Dean looked at the amber liquid and then raised the glass to her lips.The whiskey burned on the way down. Shaking her head, as the alcohol seemed to spread instantly through her, she handed the glass back to Helen. Dean began to cough, and that single action broke the dam that was holding back her tears.JD sat down next to her, and he placed an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him. Grabbing his shirt, she gave into the sobs that began to rack her body. Reese sat on the other side of her and rubb
The most important thing will always be the people in this room. Salute, mi familia! – Dominic Toretto, Fast FiveReese walked down the hall and passed Dean’s room knowing that she would not be there. Just as expected, she was curled around JD in his bed. Completely against the rules, Monster was also on the bed. JD opened his brown eyes and met the older man’s light green ones.Quietly, he moved into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached over and brushed some hair out of Dean’s face before stroking Monster’s head.“When did she finally go to sleep?” Reese whispered.“Maybe a few hours ago.” JD whispered back and then soothed Dean as she moved in her sleep.“The princess club is coming over in a little bit.” Reese said softly. “I’m going to tell them upstairs. She doesn’t need to come up if she doesn’t want to.”JD nodded as the other man stood up and kissed his niece on her head before walking out. He had dreaded telling Dean that her mother was dead. Now he had to do i
The lesson of history is that no one learns. – Steven Erikson, Deadhouse GatesThe courtroom had wood paneling all around the room except for the six-foot space behind the judge. The stone façade had the state seal in the center flanked by the American and state flags. The judge had a monitor on either side of his desk. His assistant sat on his right and the witness stand was on the left.A short wall with swinging gates separated the gallery from the working area of the court. The prosecutors’ table sat in front of the witness stand and the defendants table in front of the clerk. A bank of windows lined the far wall with the jury box in front of it. In place of the jury, prisoners sat in the box.Hank knew the room well. He had sat on the witness stand many times and spoke for the prosecution. He had helped put bad guys away. He had been Jolene’s hero in blue.Now he wore an orange jumpsuit and sat waiting for his name to be called like some common criminal. His mother and father wo
I sat with my anger long enough, until she told me her real name was Grief. – C. S. LewisIt was Friday, and Dean was still in JD’s bed, refusing to get up. Once a day, he made her get up and take a shower. So far all she had done was sit in the bottom of the large shower and cry. Each day during her shower, JD changed the sheets and got her fresh pajamas from her room.JD took the tray to the kitchen with the remnants of their breakfast on it. He looked at the princess in the kitchen. She was tall, probably close to six feet, so he knew she was a Reese. But he wasn’t sure which one. Or if she was a sister or niece. No wonder Reese simply called them all princesses.“Amelia.” She supplied at seeing his confused look. “Gina’s my mom. Does that help?”“Yes, but I’m going to go ahead and apologize, I will probably forget again.” He admitted.“Princess works.” She smiled. “I’m pretty sure that O has a spreadsheet to keep all of us straight. If he doesn’t, he probably should.”“I might do
Fear is just like fire; it can be helpful if you know how to use it. If not, you’ll get burned. – Mike TysonNeo had taken Jolene to her therapy session and doctor’s appointment. There were two reasons for this.He wanted to drive the Tesla.He needed to know if she was cleared to start training.He’d gotten the specific limitations and verified that she could do certain activities. She did not look thrilled when he had asked about jump ropes. On the way back to his compound, he stopped at the sports store. Two hours later, they left with a trunk full of bags and bags. Shelby was arranging for the other items to be picked up and delivered.Once back at the big house, Neo took her to the recently finished gym. Back in the heyday of the old mansion, this had been the ballroom. The hardwood floors have been carefully removed and are currently upstairs waiting to be installed in the new conference room. The floor had been replaced with two layers of gym padding. The back wall was floor to
Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to. – John Ed PearceBunny squeezed Ty’s hand as he reached out and knocked on his parents’ door. His sister had checked and then texted him letting him know that they were home. He reached back and Jaxon grabbed his other hand letting him know that he was not alone.It felt like hours but was probably only a minute or more before the door opened. James Johnson stood in the open doorway with his smile falling from his face.“If you’re still that way, you’re not welcome.”“We just came to tell you that you’re going to have a grandbaby.” Ty said.“Are you sure it’s yours? It could be his.” He sneered and lifted his chin towards Jaxon. “Or whoever else your slut wife has been with.”“As much as I would love to stand here and be insulted,” Bunny said shifting from one foot to the other and back again, “I really need to pee. Can I use the little girl’s room?”He begrudgingly moved out of the way and let them ent
A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society. – Billy GrahamJD had come over and told Reese what had happened between himself and Dean. The younger man was hurt, but he also knew that it was the grief and not Dean that was acting out. It didn’t lessen the pain any.“Don’t.” Amelia said as Reese came through the backdoor of the big house.“She can’t-.”“You’ll only make it worse.” Amelia told him. She never even looked up from the magazine she was thumbing through. “She’s angry, if you go in there, she’ll be angry at you.”“I thought anger was later in the five, seven, forty-two steps of grief.” He replied walking into the kitchen and sitting down.Amelia finally looked up from her magazine, but only to grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl. “They go in whatever order they want to go in. Sometimes, people go through some of the stages of grief multiple times. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve.”“There is