Headaches
Chapter 7
“Ethan’s sulking in his room.”
Noah looked at Luke. “He’s playing his guitar. He can’t feel all that bad.”
Reid handed a glass of ginger ale to each of his guests and then looked directly at Noah. “He’s playing the blues. The kid only plays the blues when he’s pissed off at someone, or something.”
Nodding, Noah accepted his glass and took a sip.
Mark placed his glass on a coaster. “You guys must be desperate if you want us to watch the twins while you both go to the meeting with Ethan.”
Smiling, Luke stood next to Reid and held his hand. “We picked you two for godparents because we trust you. Besides, you might as well get some on the job experience if you’re going to consider taking the parental plunge yourselves.”
“Luke, the twins are only four weeks old. Are you sure you don’t want Faith or Katie here with us.”
Reid pinched the bridge of his nose. The last thing he needed to deal with was overly humble, undeservedly self-doubting friends. “We have a neurosurgeon who also has a pediatrician’s number on his speed dial. We have someone who cares about Luke almost as much as I do, and therefore would care for Luke’s kids, and protect them with everything he’s got. Do you two have any reason to doubt your abilities to feed, burp, and diaper two nine pound kids? If so, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Mark and Noah stared at one another, smiled, and held each other’s hand. Mark looked directly at Reid. “No concerns here. We should be fine. You two just take care of the moody teen upstairs. When this is over you may want to talk to your daytime nanny and ask if she’d like some evening hours so you don’t need to scramble for babysitters anymore.”
“Duly noted, Dr. Jenkins.” Reid grinned, enjoying a moment of levity until he looked toward Luke once again.
Lowering his head, Luke took a seat in the arm chair Reid usually enjoyed. Noah walked over. “He’s not you; and he’s toying with you if he’s blaming this on you.”
“How can you say that, Noah? You remember what I was like.” Luke ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t even stop drinking after the transplant. I continued to turn to alcohol when things got really bad.”
“Or when I was stupid enough not to back you up and support you as I should have.” Luke briefly stared up at Noah. “I’ve cleared my clouded memories too, Luke. You didn’t have the emotionally supportive advantages Ethan does. The one person you should have been able to turn to when everything was hitting the fan in your home turned his back on you. I turned my back on you, despite knowing you wouldn’t lie to me about that crap with Brian.”
Reid watched as Luke lowered his head further, shaking it all the while. “Luke, Noah’s right. Ethan has us. He has Mark, Noah, Chris, and Katie. And if he needs close friends, Jacob thinks he walks on water and Andy apparently thinks pretty highly of him too, although I do want to meet that kid, and get to know him, under better circumstances.”
“My parents trusted me with Ethan.” Luke lifted his head, staring at Reid with reddened eyes.
“They trusted me too. And now we’re going to make sure our kid has all the ammunition he needs to fight whatever demons are causing him to think alcohol is a viable option for working out problems.”
“Ethan Oliver-Snyder’s parents are not going to turn a blind eye. I won’t mistake something this serious for a phase.”
Standing up, Luke wrapped his arms around Reid, gripping the back of his shirt. “You’re amazing.”
“I know. Now let’s get our son and keep him from destroying his body.”
“I’m right here, Dad.” Ethan stepped out from the hallway at the bottom of the stairwell.
The four men looked from one to the other, no one saying a word for nearly a minute. Involved with their discussion, none of them had noted the length of time that had elapsed since Ethan had stopped playing his guitar.
The kid approached Luke, squeezing his older brother’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to worry you. I guess I don’t remember things exactly as they really were.”
“I was really messed up back then, Eth. Too much was happening and I didn’t think I had anyone to turn to for help. First of all, I was wrong. There’s always someone; I just didn’t look hard enough. I took the easy way out and it nearly killed me.”
Ethan turned toward Noah. “Noah, did you let my brother down? Is that why you two broke up? Luke never told Nat and me what really happened. One day you were just gone and then a few months later Reid was in the picture. I always figured he dumped you.”
Noah appeared to lose his footing until Mark wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “It’s okay. Kids have very skewed views of early childhood.”
Reid took a step behind his son, watching Noah look to Luke for permission to speak. Luke tilted his head then nodded.
“Ethan, I was really serious and mature about a lot of things, but having a solid relationship wasn’t one of them. I had grown up in a family where any flaws, major or minor, were considered serious character deficiencies and in immediate need of changing, rather than in a family that accepted that flaws made a person human and even built character. I even thought I was flawed because I liked guys more than girls.”
Noah took a step closer to Ethan. “I tried to change the things about Luke that made him the terrific individual he is. And when your brother did do something I didn’t like, I made sure to punish him with words, or by shutting him out, and even snitched on him, the outcome of which was getting him kicked out of college. I was the bad guy in our relationship. It took me a long time to realize what I’d lost and by then Reid was in the picture.”
“Did you want to get Luke back?”
Noah huffed. “Sure I did, but your brother is really smart and he listened to his heart. Reid, your dad, is right for Luke.”
“Like Mark is right for you.”
“Yeah, buddy, like Mark is right for me.”
“Did you ever drink when you were upset -- you know, to make the bad things go away?”
“No, not really. Mostly because I learned from witnessing what Luke put himself through what that choice could do to me.” Noah sighed. “Your brother is one of the strongest people I know. Don’t use Luke’s behavior from when he was a kid and too confused to find a person to help him as your example; look at how he lives his life now and use that as your example instead and let the people who love you in.”
Mark stood next to Ethan. “There are lots of ways to channel pain that can ultimately be productive.”
“Such as.” Reid was concerned when he heard the edge return to Ethan’s voice, but didn’t stop Mark or Noah. What was it about Noah that made the Snyder men listen?
“Such as running, talking to one of your other siblings if you feel like it, or playing your guitar.”
“You didn’t mention anything about hanging out with Andy.”
“Until you’re a lot older, boyfriends will come and go. Stick with the people who you know will always have your back.”
“I thought you were a brain guy like Dad. When did you get so smart about kids?”
Reid snorted.
“Watching how well your dad deals with you, Luke, and now your two younger siblings as well.”
“He can be a pretty cool guy when he isn’t acting like a science-geek.”
Facing Ethan, Reid smiled. “I am a science geek, but more important right now is that I’m your dad and we have a meeting to attend.”
“Okay.” Ethan turned to Luke. “If this is too hard for you, I can go with Dad.”
Luke patted Ethan’s back. “I’ll always have your back, Eth, tonight included.”
As the three started walking out of their home, Ethan turned back for a moment and called over his shoulder. “Thanks, Noah, for being honest with me. You gave me a lot to think about.”
Before the door completely closed, Reid heard one of the babies crying. “That would be Miri -- you’re on boys.” He chuckled as he closed the door.
Looking at Luke and Ethan walking ahead of him toward the car, he noticed both of them appeared to be standing taller and prouder than he’d seen either one in several days. He hoped a crisis had truly been averted.
After the night’s meeting he was going to try to convince Ethan to invite Andy over. Reid didn’t want this kid to be a stranger if he was going to be Ethan’s first... whatever.
As Luke started the car his cell phone rang. “Reid, can you grab it?”
Before looking at the caller ID, he picked it up. “Yes, Reid here.”
“Hey, Reid, I thought I called Luke.”
“Jason, why are you calling my husband, especially after hours?”
“Because just as Casey and I were sitting down to dinner after getting the rest of his stuff here, Allison and Aaron dropped by and left something for us.”
“So, if you don’t like it, throw it in the trash.”
“It’s Andy -- backpack, duffle, and all.”
“Damn. We’ll call you after our meeting.”
“That’s tonight? Sorry.”
“No problem. We’ll call on our way home.”
Luke continued to drive after Reid disconnected his phone. “Why was Jason calling?”
“Not an emergency. I’ll tell you later.” Reid glanced toward Ethan, sitting in the back seat. “How are you doing?”
“Better.” He sat back comfortably. “I can honestly say, much better.”
“Good, I hope it stays that way.” Reid closed his eyes wondering how they were going to help Jason and Casey with their new roommate.
[TBC]