Emerge Victorious

Chapter 1

“Dada, what’s wrong?” Bree asked.

Brian slammed the lid on the barbecue and muttered, “Nothing.” The fucking barbecue would be spotless for the Labor Day barbecue or Brian would die trying to make it that way.

“But you were scrubbing the barbecue so hard that daddy told me to come over and make you stop. He thought you’d wear through the grate. We need the grate to barbecue, don’t we, Dada?”

“Yes, I guess we do,” Brian mumbled in response. He picked up a pot that was sitting on the side heating element of the massive barbecue. He looked into the empty pot and said, “Can’t even fucking clean things properly. I’ll have to scrub this too.” He gave the pot a good bang on the side shelf of the barbecue before marching towards the house. He had lots of scrubbing materials in the kitchen, and he had plenty of malice to take out on any wayward pot that came his way.

“Brian,” Justin said as Brian stormed through the sun porch.

“What?” Brian snapped as he kept right on going.

“He’s going to come whether you smash the barbecue or demolish the pots.”

“Fuck!”

“Calm down, please,” Justin begged. “Everyone will be arriving soon.”

“Don’t you think I’d calm down if I could?”

“He’ll be on his best behavior. Susan will keep him on a short leash, and Bree will be here.”

“I don’t give a fuck. How many years have I suffered his glares and his ill will and his downright animosity? How long am I expected to take it?”

“Until Bree gets married and moves away,” Justin said matter-of-factly. “Then you never have to set eyes on him again.”

“Want to bet?”

“What do you mean?” Justin asked in confusion. “I would never ask him here if it wasn’t for Bree.”

“You had to raise a fucking compassionate daughter with the world’s biggest heart. She’s going to invite Craig and me to dinner parties at her house. I’m going to have to fucking be nice to that smug bastard for the rest of my fucking life.”

Justin stifled a chuckle. “The dinner parties at Bree’s are probably ten years in the future. Do you need to worry about them today?”

“You brought it up, and it means I have ten years of putting up with him coming here.”

“Well, maybe,” Justin had to admit.

“How many fucking years have I known you?” Brian demanded.

“Almost twenty. Why?”

“Craig Taylor has hated me for twenty fucking years. And I have been fucking nice to him all that time. How long do you think I can do that?”

“You’ve shown remarkable restraint. I laud you for your efforts.”

“Fuck the efforts! Fuck Craig Taylor! Even I have my limits. I’ve reached the end of my rope.”

“Brian … for Bree,” Justin pleaded.

Brian shook his head indicating that he didn’t want to give in once again. He looked through the glass of the sun porch and saw Bree watching them. She was too far away to have heard what they said, but she didn’t look happy. Her eyes met Brian’s for a brief moment, and then she turned and ran into the Wendy house.

“Fuck!” Brian reacted. “Can you clean this fucking thing for me?” he asked Justin, practically throwing the pot at him. “I have something to do.”

“But…” Justin tried to reply as he grabbed the pot before it hit the floor. Brian was already out the door. “Just come back,” he said to the empty room. Maybe Brian would go to the stream and sit on the big rock for a while. That might calm him down. He could see Brian heading in that direction. Justin headed for the kitchen to make sure that the spotless pot was even cleaner before Brian came back … if he came back.

“Bree,” Brian said sticking his head into the Wendy house.

“Yes,” a sad little voice replied.

“May I come in?”

“I don’t think so, Dada. You’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you.”

“Yes you are. I invited Gampa Craig to the barbecue and you don’t want him here.”

“How do you know that?”

“I hear things.”

“Can I come in so we can talk about this?” Brian asked again. He was hunched over with his head sticking through the small doorway, not the best position for a serious discussion. And his back was already objecting.

“I guess so,” Bree said with a little sniffle.

Brian bent over and entered the Wendy house. Bree was sitting on one of the big cushions on the floor. Brian pulled the other cushion over beside her and sat down. “No tea party?” he asked.

Bree shook her head. “I didn’t mean to make you mad, Dada. I just wanted Gamma Susan and Gampa Craig to be here with the rest of my family. I don’t like it when people get left out.”

“I know you meant well, Squirt,” Brian conceded.

“Why does Gampa hate you?”

“What makes you think he hates me?”

“I see the way he looks at you and how he leaves the room if you’re there.”

“You see that, huh?”

Bree nodded. “Is he a bad man?”

Brian sucked in his lips. “No, he’s not a bad man. He just disagrees about Justin and me.”

“But…” Bree said thoughtfully. “How can he disagree? Doesn’t he want you to be married?”

Brian looked into Bree’s violet blue eyes. How did you tell a child that her grandfather was a homophobic prick? “He’d rather we weren’t,” Brian admitted.

“Is that why he and Gamma Jenn got divorced?”

“That had something to do with it.”

“Why do people get divorced?”

Brian drew in a breath. “They get divorced when they don’t agree on things, and they … fall out of love.”

“You and daddy won’t fall out of love, will you?”

“No, why would you ask that?”

“I saw you arguing in the sun porch. And it’s my fault. I don’t want you to get a divorce.”

“We’re not getting a divorce,” Brian said. “I promise.”

“But Auntie Lindsay and Auntie Mel are. I don’t want no more divorces,” Bree gulped as tears started down her face.

“Your daddy and I are not getting a divorce,” Brian said pulling his daughter into a fierce hug. “You don’t have to worry about that. We fight sometimes, but we’re staying together.”

“For true?”

“For absolute true.”

“I love you, Dada.”

“Backatcha, Squirt.”

 

*****
 

“So he’s down at the stream?” Emmett asked. He had arrived with food, and to help set up for the barbecue.

“Yeah, he’s really pissed about my father coming today. I can’t say that I blame him after the way he was treated at Craig’s when he picked up Bree.”

“Can’t Craig Taylor go fuck himself and leave us homos alone?”

Justin chuckled. “Bree keeps inviting him here.”

“Oh! Right, of course. Should I go see if he’s fit to talk to,” Emmett volunteered.

“If you wouldn’t mind. I’ve been dreading going down there to face him.”

“It will be my … pleasure to do so.”

“Pleasure? I don’t think so. Don’t let him throw you in the stream,” Justin advised as Emmett left the kitchen.

Emmett headed for the path to the stream. As he passed the Wendy house he heard voices from inside. He stuck his head in to see what was going on. Brian and Bree were seated at the small table each holding a miniature teacup.

“What’s going on in here?” Emmett asked in surprise.

“Tea party,” Brian said smugly. “Would you care to join us?”

“May I?” Emmett asked with a toothy grin. This was far better than what he had expected to find down at the stream.

“How do you take your tea, Auntie Emm?” Bree asked as she pretended to pour tea from the little china pot into one of the small cups.

“Milk and sugar, please,” Emmett said as he took the last chair at the table.

Bree pretended to fix Emmett’s tea. She handed him the tiny cup and saucer. “There you go, Auntie Emm.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Emmett replied taking an imaginary sip of his tea. “Ooh, hot!” He waved his hand in front of his mouth.

“It’s good to blow on it first,” Bree instructed and then demonstrated what Emmett should do.

“You know, I haven’t been to a lot of tea parties,” he said. “I have so much to learn.”

“I’ll teach you, Auntie Emm,” Bree said with a brilliant smile. “Hudson told me all about tea parties.”

“And Bree’s an excellent teacher,” Brian added.

That’s how Justin found them all some time later. He had begun to wonder if Brian had thrown Emmett in the stream. When he set out to investigate, he found them all having their tea party. Sadly he had to break it up, because Debbie had just buzzed from the end of the lane. Their guests were arriving.

 

*****
 

“And what are you ladies conspiring about?” Brian asked suspiciously when he strolled up to the long table in the sun porch.

The weather had turned a little grey and although it wasn’t raining, the damp had brought many of the elder members of the family into the porch. Debbie, Joan and Jennifer were holding court, deep in a huddle, sipping chilled wine. Several other family members flitted in and out making their own contributions to the conspiracy. Brian knew something was up and it wasn’t his dick.

“We were just all in agreement about something regarding a very special couple,” Debbie cryptically responded.

“A couple of what?” Brian teased as he took a gulp of his beer, pulling up a chair.

Brian’s temper had significantly improved over the course of the day. Craig kept his distance and his homophobic opinions to himself. He happily spent the afternoon playing with his grandchildren. Bree appeared to tolerate Taylor, even allowing the toddler to draw in one of her coloring books. A true sacrifice Brian imagined on Bree’s part. She couldn’t quite get the concept of coloring within the lines through to her young cousin. But she patiently kept on trying.

“Asshole,” Debbie muttered. Brian smirked at her, egging her on.

“Brian, stop teasing,” Joan admonished her son.

“If I have to,” he huffed with a put upon sigh. “So is someone gonna fess up and tell me what’s got your knickers in a bunch?”

“No, we’re not,” Jennifer stated giving her son-in-law a poignant look. “We haven’t finished our plans so there’s nothing yet to tell.”

“So you admit that you’re planning something,” Brian declared as he sat up straight in his chair scanning the women’s faces. “And you have no intention of telling me, do you?” he asked the determined women.

“No, we don’t,” Debbie declared.

“I don’t like surprises,” Brian growled.

“Honey, we would never do anything that you wouldn’t like. We promise,” Debbie gently vowed. “I can tell you…” Debbie ventured as she glanced at her fellow conspirators before going on. Seeing no objections, she continued, “What we have in mind is not only for you but for Sunshine as well. Something we think will make him very happy.”

Brian’s expression softened. He had no doubt that the ladies in his life would never do anything to hurt his Sunshine. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it,” he said polishing off his beer then getting up to begin the next round of grilling. “But I’m warning you,” Brian began in a moment of clairvoyance, “if your plan involves me and Justin having to put up with that homophobic prick for another afternoon, I will NOT be happy.”

Brian Kinney left the sun porch.

“Whoops!” the ladies said with a nervous chuckle when Brian was out of earshot.

“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?" Joan asked her fellow conspirators.

“Of course we are,” Debbie declared confidently. “He’ll get over it.”

“Eventually,” Jennifer deadpanned as she poured the ladies some more wine.

 

*****
 

“Candy, how’s your mom doing?” JR asked Candy.

The teens with one ‘tween, Patrick, were all sitting at one table in the garden. Janet and Candy drove up with Lacy and Katerina. Nick and Hunter rode up with Debbie and Carl in their mobile hotel. Debbie and Carl had decided to travel northward into Canada after the barbecue, coming home to spend the holidays with the family then heading south for the winter.

Janet and Candy had indeed been adopted by the family. The family all thought it amusing how Michael cowered under Lacy’s gaze. Lacy was determined to make sure Michael lived up to his part of the bargain. Candy who never traveled without her sketch pad, showed some of her sketches of a potential new heroine to Lacy.

“She’s okay for now, I guess. Today’s a good day. Being in the new apartment helps a lot. The doctor said she was getting dehydrated in our old apartment and that was making her more tired. This new place has real air conditioning that works!”

“You’re on the first floor, right?” Gus asked. He was sitting at the table leaning all over Ray. In between making kissy faces at each other, the older boys participated in the conversation.

“Get a room,” JR grumbled. As Gus stuck his tongue out at his sister, Ray nipped at it. “You two are just disgusting. Ignore them,” JR said to the rest of the table that consisted of herself, Candy, Gus, Ray, Curtis, who came with his dads, Richie, and Patrick.

“Yes, Mr. Ted set us up. It’s easier for my mom; she gets tired on stairs.”

“We’re right next door. You can come over anytime if you need something,” Richie volunteered. Emmett and Drew had already impressed upon Janet that she was to call on them. Lacy and Katerina said the same thing, as did the rest of the Tremont apartment inhabitants. Candy wound up with a schedule so she knew who was home and who wasn’t, and she had all pertinent phone numbers.

“When I’m home, I’m on the top floor,” Gus added when he came up for air.

“Don’t you guys ever get enough?” JR asked her brother.

“Never enough,” Gus and Ray replied laughing.

“You sound just like Uncle Brian,” JR remarked.

“Who sounds like me?” Brian asked as he came up to the table to bop Gus and Ray on the back of the head.

“They do,” JR said snickering. “Ha ha!” she teased.

“What was that for?” Gus asked with a pout, rubbing his head, which really didn’t hurt.

“You’re scaring the phobe,” Brian explained as he tossed his head toward Craig’s general direction. “And since we’re all playing nice,” Brian hissed through his teeth, “I’d like you to tone it down or take it someplace else.”

“But...” Gus was about to protest. Edna’s Treasures was his home too.

“Sonny Boy, you’re about to preach to the choir. I don’t like it either but I promised Justin. For the sake of your sister, keep it on a low simmer.”

“Okay, Pop,” Gus groaned. He and Ray separated a little. Ray patted his boyfriend’s back then leaned over to whisper something into Gus’ ear. Gus smiled broadly as Brian shook his head then moved off to mingle at the next table.

 

*****
 

“Mom, this is Janet Cummings. I told you about her and her daughter,” Justin introduced Jennifer to Janet then moved on to another table.

“Yes, I remember,” Jennifer said graciously. She had Justin’s old high school yearbook at home and had looked Janet up the minute Justin told her about their meeting. “How are you?” Jennifer asked as she poured them some lemonade.

“I’m hanging in there, Mrs. Taylor.”

“It’s Mrs. Harris,” Jennifer gently corrected. “Justin’s father and I divorced shortly after the...”

“Oh, yes, I remember. Lots of things changed after that.”

“Yes it did.” There was an awkward silence for a moment. “I saw your daughter’s entries for the Emerging Artists Show. And the family has been buzzing about her contributing to Rage.”

“I know. I can’t believe it. I just wish...I mean it would be nice if her father could be more accepting of her,” Janet said changing her thoughts mid statement.

“I understand. Justin and his father don’t see eye to eye either. Does...”

“I’m interrupting?” Susan asked as she came over to introduce herself. Susan felt a little like an outcast amongst Justin’s loyal family although no one was ever rude to her. But her patience was being tested today and she had had enough of Craig’s snide remarks for the moment.

“Not at all. Susan, this is Janet Cummings,” Jennifer said as she took over as hostess. “Janet shared a few classes with Justin during high school.”

“Oh, were you close friends?” Susan asked as she shook Janet’s hand. She couldn’t help notice Janet’s weak grip.

“Um, no, not really. I was a cheerleader for the football squad,” Janet said hesitantly.

“Football?” Susan was making the connections. “Oh,” she said when it all fell into place.

“Justin is sponsoring Janet’s daughter in the Emerging Artists Show. Perhaps you’ll get a chance to go.”

“Yes, I’m planning to. I did see some of the new exhibits when we were there for Justin’s preview. What’s your daughter’s name? Maybe I already saw her work.”

“Cassandra but she likes to be called Candy.”

“Candy. Oh wait! I think I did see something of hers. Um, a sketch of Justin’s henge.” Janet smiled as she nodded. “But the artist’s name was C. Hobbs,” Susan said as her eyes opened wide. “Oh my!” she gulped as her hand flew to her mouth. Janet’s eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Does she know?” Susan whispered. Janet nodded. Janet couldn’t keep the truth from her daughter although she gave Candy a watered down version of the story.

“And Justin is sponsoring her?” Susan looked into Jennifer’s eyes as she continued to whisper. Jennifer nodded. “Justin is...”

“A beautiful person,” Janet quickly finished the statement.

“Yes, he is, and very generous. Just like his mother,” Susan added. Jennifer’s eyes warmed. “Uh, are you all right? You look a little pale.”

“I think I need to lie down.”

“Let me take you inside to Bree’s room. I have it on very good authority that her bed is very comfortable,” Jennifer offered. Susan got up to help, instinctively sensing that Janet was not well.

“Nick,” Jennifer called out as they passed another table. Nick looked up at Janet as she leaned on the women while they walked her toward the cottage.

“I’ll go get my bag,” he said as he scurried off to the mobile home. Justin came to his mother’s side.

“I have her, sweetheart, but can we borrow Bree’s room for a while?”

“Sure, I’ll go turn down the bed,” Justin said as he sprinted into the cottage making sure there was a clear path to his daughter’s room.

When they got Janet settled they all went back outside.

“I hope I didn’t make her sick,” Susan said more to herself then anyone else.

“No, you didn’t,” Nick reassured the woman. “She’s very ill and she may have overdone it. She’ll be fine after she rests in a cool dry room for a while.”

“It is a little sticky out there,” Susan agreed. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked sincerely.

“Not at this point. She may need hospice care in a month or two but for now, keeping things as normal as possible is the best medicine.”

“What about shopping and cooking, things like that?”

“We try to take turns bringing her and Candy meals. Candy likes to cook but doesn’t have the knack for it. Emmett’s been helping with that. The problem is most of us work during the day. My hours are crazy at the hospital. Same with Hunter and Katerina. Lacy’s at the diner and Emmett’s busy with his restaurants and his catering business,” Nick explained.

“Maybe I can help,” Susan said as she walked back toward her husband.
 

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