Kindred Love

Flashbacks And New Beginnings

Jennifer opened the front door and let Brian in the house. She saw the boy standing in front of her with his head kind of down and slightly turned. She realized something was wrong, and bent over, cupping his chin in her hand and turned his face, exposing the bruise.

Jennifer gasped. "Brian! Sweetie, what happened to you?" she asked, her motherly instinct kicking in.

"Well, I..." Brian started to say but was interrupted by Justin.

"Hey, Brian! Ready to go swimming now? Come on, it's really hot outside. Hey, let me show you this flip I can do," Justin said, his words coming out of his mouth almost too fast for them to comprehend. He quickly ushered Brian out to the backyard where the pool was. Brian looked at Justin, and the blond just smiled at him, and Brian understood that Justin had just saved him from having to answer to Jennifer. He smiled back at his friend gratefully.

"So, let's see that flip," Brian said when they reached the pool. Justin gave Brian a mischievous smile, and then pushed the unsuspecting boy in the pool. Brian came up to the surface of the water laughing and splashing about.

"Hey!" he protested.

Justin was laughing hysterically. "Gotcha!" Justin yelled, and then jumped in the pool to join his friend. Brian splashed Justin in the face.

"One day you'll pay for that," Brian warned but continued to grin at his friend. Justin smiled back at his friend.

"We'll see about that," Justin told him.

Jennifer watched the boys play in the pool from the window inside the house. She was concerned for Brian, but wasn't sure how to approach the situation. She didn't want to make things worse for the boy. She decided to talk to her husband that night about it. He would know what to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday morning at 9:00a.m. Brian walked over to the Taylors' garage to meet Craig. The garage door was open, and he immediately saw Justin's father busily rumbling through boxes. Craig looked up when he heard Brian call his name.

"Hey, Craig." The man smiled at the boy.

"Brian, you're right on time. I've actually been out here for a half an hour. I just wanted to get a head start, you know?" Craig said.

Brian nodded and walked into the garage to examine the boxes and clutter that had been spread all throughout the garage. He realized that this was going to take a while, which he didn't mind at all. It would just mean more time away from his family, and he would get more money. He knew that at the end of the day Craig would probably pay him the total amount of money he had earned for the last two weeks. With the money he would earn today plus the rest he had saved, not only would he be able to afford to buy some new shoes and a few clothes, but some school supplies as well. Brian could hardly wait to go shopping. The shoes he had on were so worn and he could tell his feet had grown since his toes had started to feel cramped in the tight space.

Craig gave Brian some instructions on how he wanted to sort through the boxes and how to determine what was to be thrown away and what was to be stored. The two males had been working for three hours straight, when Jennifer walked out to the garage with a tray carrying a pitcher of Iced Tea with glasses, and a couple of sandwiches.

"I thought you guys could take a break and get something in your bellies," Jennifer told them. Craig smiled at his wife and walked over to her, kissing her on the mouth.

"Speaking of bellies, should you be carrying that?" Craig asked, taking the tray from her.

"Honey, it's not that heavy," she assured her husband.

"Just looking out for my beautiful, pregnant wife," Craig said sweetly, which earned him another kiss.

"Well this beautiful, pregnant wife is getting pretty darn impatient. I know I'm getting so close to my due date, but I'm ready to have this baby now," Jennifer complained. Craig gave Jennifer a sympathetic smile.

Brian watched the interaction between the couple and smiled. They couldn't be more different than his own parents. You could see how much they loved each other.

"Well, I'll leave you boys to your lunch. Oh, by the way, Craig, I'm going to pick up Justin from Daphne's around 4:00p.m. Do you think you guys will be done by then?" she asked. Craig thought about it for a second.

"Yeah, we should be done by then, why?" he asked.

"Well, I was thinking that if you paid Brian when you're done, I can take the boys to go school shopping after I pick Justin up," Jennifer said. Brian's ears perked up at the mention of shopping. She had read his mind.

"That's a good idea. Are you sure you're up for it today though, honey? I mean if you're tired I'm sure the boys wouldn't mind going tomorrow," Craig said. Brian spoke up then.

"I wouldn't mind going tomorrow," Brian assured her.

"No, Brian, it's fine. Let's get it over with, that way we can all relax tomorrow. Sundays are for doing nothing," Jennifer said giving a little wink to the boy. Brian laughed.

"Well, it's okay by me, then," Brian said.

"Great. When you're done come in the house and wash up, and we'll leave," Jennifer told him.

Jennifer walked back into the house, leaving the men to their lunch. Craig was quiet for a minute, thinking this was the perfect opportunity to talk to Brian about what Jennifer had told her.

"You know, Brian. I really appreciate you coming over here to help me today," Craig started, taking a bite out of his sandwich. Brian nodded and gave a little smile.

"You're a good boy, son. I want you to know that if there's anything that you ever need, that you can always come to us for help," Craig told Brian seriously.

Brian took a bite of his own sandwich and munched on it nervously. He figured that Jennifer had probably said something to her husband about the bruise.

"You understand, son?" Craig asked. Brian nodded but didn't say anything.

"You know, my parents divorced when I was about Justin's age. My mother got custody of me and my older brother. Things were really tight, and she realized that she needed a man to help support her. She didn't waste any time marrying the first man she dated since being with my father," Craig said, then took a long drink of his iced tea. Brian sat and listened to the man talk.

"My stepfather was not a nice man, Brian. In fact, he was downright cruel, and on more than a few occasions he felt it necessary to show my brother and I just how much he didn't like us." Craig's face revealed a look of pain and sadness, as he spoke to Brian. He noticed that Brian immediately looked down so as not to have to look Craig in the eye. Brian couldn't bear seeing the pain in someone else's eyes.

"My mother refused to leave my stepfather because there was no way we could make it on our own. Besides, she didn't really know how bad it was for us boys, since she was never around when the beatings happened. When she saw the marks on us, Tom would tell her that we had done something bad. Mostly though, he left bruises in places that wouldn't be visible to anyone; places that could be covered by our clothes."

Brian nodded in understanding. He himself, had gotten pretty good at hiding his own marks. One time he even sneaked into his mother's make-up kit and tried to cover up some of bruises with liquid foundation.

"My brother and I never told anyone about our stepfather. It wasn't until years later when I was an adult, that I finally told my mother. She was so upset and disgusted. She left Tom after that."

They were both finished eating now, and just nursed on their iced tea while Craig told his story.

"I always regretted not saying something to someone," Craig continued. "It might have stopped it from continuing. And even if it didn't, at least I wouldn't have felt so alone; I would have had someone to talk to about it."

"My dad..." Brian spoke for the first time since Craig started this discussion. Craig sat up, ready to listen to what Brian had to say.

"Well, I think he hates me," Brian said. "He is mad at me even when there isn't anything to be mad about. He finds excuses to be angry with me, and after he hits me, he gets more drunk," Brian admitted.

"What about your sister?" Craig asked. Brian just shook his head.

"She can do no wrong in his eyes," Brian said sadly. "He's never laid a finger on her."

"What does your mother say?"

"Well, sometimes she tries to stop it, but I think she's too scared because he has hit her a few times. Not very often. Just the times she has tried to defend me. It would make him more angry and he would lash out at her."

Craig listened carefully to what Brian was telling him.

"I heard Jack once say that if I had never been born then everything would have been fine...that I ruined everything," Brian said, trying to keep a strong face on.

Craig felt for the boy, and leaned in to hug him. Craig was a little surprised that Brian started to cling to him as if his life depended on it. He realized that Brian had probably never had someone to care for him, and that he probably hadn't been hugged in a very long time.

Brian felt his tears start to fall, but for once did not try to stop them from flowing. Everything that he had kept bottled up inside was now being released, and by doing this and talking to Craig about it, he felt the relief hit him as he got it all out.

Craig rubbed circles on Brian back, as he let the boy cry in his arms. He felt himself get teary-eyed as he remembered what it had been like for him growing up in an abusive home. He never wished that life on any child. When he had married Jennifer he knew that he would spend the rest of his life making her as happy as he could, and when they had children, he would be the best father he knew how to be, and would always make sure he was there for them.

Brian's crying had finally slowed down, and he was just left with little sniffles, as he pulled away from Craig.

"Thank you," Brian said softly.

Craig gave him a small smile and patted him gently on the back.

"Can you do me a favor?" Brian asked.

"Sure, kid," Craig replied.

"Please. Please do not talk to my parents about any of this. It won't do any good. It will just make my father upset. A teacher tried talking to them before, as well as the police, and it just made things worse. Okay?" Brian pleaded.

"Brian, I will agree to that on one condition." Craig warned. Brian nodded and waited for the man to continue.

"If it ever gets to the point where you think you can't handle it, or you're scared. I want you to call us right away or come over. I'm going to give you a key to our house. If we're not home and something happens, you need a safe place to run to."

Brian couldn't believe what Craig was saying to him. He trusted him enough to give him a key to his home, and he cared enough for him to let him come to their house when he was in trouble. He agreed to the condition, and the two men went back to working in the garage.

They were just about done for the day, when Jennifer came out looking a little distressed.

"Uh, honey?" Jennifer said.

"What's wrong?" Craig asked right away.

"It looks like we'll have to put off school shopping for a little while, because I think that Molly is finally ready to join us," Jennifer said a little shakily, but with a smile. "My water just broke," she said.

"Oh, my God! The baby..." Craig exclaimed. "Umm, okay. Now let me think what to do..." Craig babbled.

"Craig, calm down," Jennifer told her husband. "Now, I just called Daphne's mother and she said that she could drop Justin off at the hospital, so we can leave now and they'll meet us there. I also called my mother, and she and dad are on their way as well."

"Can I come?" Brian suddenly asked.

Jennifer smiled at the boy she had come to love as a second son. "Of course, honey. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Brian gave her a big smile. They left for the hospital, all excited for this day that they had been waiting for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They arrived at the hospital shortly, and was met by Justin, Daphne and her mother. Justin gave his mother a hug, and was so excited and talking a mile a minute. Jennifer's parents then walked into the entrance of the Maternity ward.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Justin called to his grandparents, giving them a hug. They waited for Jennifer to be checked in and then she was immediately sent to a room. Craig followed her, and the rest of the family was left in the waiting room while Jennifer was getting prepped for delivery.

They all sat anxiously. Justin introduced his two friends for the first time. When Brian had extended his hand out to Daphne to greet her, Daphne giggled shyly.

"Can I be your girlfriend for the day?" Daphne asked. Brian laughed at the cute girl with brown skin and curly hair.

"Daphne!" Justin yelled as he elbowed her lightly in her side. Daphne just continued to giggle.

"What! He's cute!" Brian continued to laugh, amused at the situation. He figured he'd humor the girl. There was something about her that he liked.

"Sure," Brian finally agreed, and kissed her cheek, then linked his arm in hers. Daphne blushed a deep red, and giggled some more.

Justin looked at them in disbelief. He realized that he felt weird. Was it jealousy? He'd never felt this before. He wasn't sure what it meant. He shrugged it off. It wasn't as if they were really boyfriend/girlfriend anyway. Brian was just playing along.

"Just so you know, only for today, Daph," Brian informed the girl. "I'm too young to settle down," he said.

The adults who had been watching the whole scene among the kids, laughed. Daphne claimed her temporary boyfriend and possessively took his hand in hers, clasping her fingers through his.

After two hours of waiting, Daphne's mother stood up to collect her daughter from Brian.

"Honey, it's time to say goodbye. We need to get you some dinner and into bed soon. You can come visit tomorrow," Mrs. Chanders told her daughter.

"Aww," Daphne complained, not wanting to leave her new boyfriend or miss the excitement of the baby being born. She looked at Brian with longing in her eyes.

"Well, darling, I guess it's time to say goodbye," Brian told Daphne. He gave Daphne one last kiss on her cheek and watched her blush again. What he didn't expect was for her to throw her arms around him for a big hug and then planted a big loud kiss right smack on his lips. He jumped back in surprise, and didn't miss the devilish smile of the girl who was proud to have shocked him.

"Bye," she whispered.

"See you later," Brian laughed.

"What about me?" Justin asked Daphne. "Don't I exist anymore?" Daphne giggled in response.

"Justin, you'll always exist to me," she said, giving the blond a slobbery peck on the mouth as well.

"Yuck! I shouldn't have said anything," Justin said wiping his mouth, but nevertheless, had a huge smile planted on his face. He didn't feel so left out now.

Mrs. Chanders rolled her eyes and laughed "Daphne, you still have a few years yet to be a heart breaker," she told her. "Come on, let's go home." Daphne and her mother then left.

Three hours later, Craig finally came out to the waiting room where they all patiently waited. He had look of pride and was all smiles.

"Well, Justin, you have a new baby sister," Craig beamed at his son. The whole group started cheering and congratulating.

"Can we see mom now?" Justin asked his father.

"Sure, how about you and Brian first. Then Grandma and Grandpa will go in after you." Justin nodded happily, and grabbed Brian's hand.

"Come on, Brian," Justin urged and pulled his friend's hand. Brian followed the blond to the room where Jennifer was. They walked in to see a very exhausted but content Jennifer holding her newborn daughter. She smiled at the boys when she saw them walk in.

"Hey guys," she greeted. "Come meet Molly," she said softly. Justin walked to his mother's bed, Brian right behind him. They peered down at the sleeping tiny baby, who seemed just as exhausted as her mother.

Justin reached out and stroked the baby's soft, fine, blond locks, then picked up her little tiny hand.

"She's so small," Justin said, amazed. This was the first time he'd really seen a baby up close.

"Well, don't worry, she'll be as big as you before we all know it," Jennifer assured with a smile. "Time flies when you're a parent."

"Can I hold her?" Justin asked hopefully.

"Sure. Just be very careful, honey. Make sure you support her head, like this," Jennifer said, and showed her son how to hold the baby correctly. Justin held Molly in his arms and smiled widely, so excited that his baby sister was finally here. He rocked her in his arms softly and then kissed her forehead. Molly remained in her sweet slumber. After a few minutes, Justin noticed the look on Brian's face, which showed how happy and amazed he was by Molly as well. Not wanting Brian to feel left out, Justin spoke to his friend.

"Brian, do you want to hold her?" he asked.

Brian gave a nervous look. He'd never held a baby before. As if reading his mind, Justin said, "It's okay. You'll be fine. Here." Justin started to hand Molly over to Brian, and his friend held out his arms to receive the sleeping baby.

Brian took all of Molly in, inhaling her baby scent, and looking over every part of her body; checking out her ten little fingers and toes, and her little sleeping face. He beamed at Justin and his mother.

"Hey, Molly," Brian whispered.

Feeling someone was watching her, Molly suddenly stirred, and then opened her bright blue eyes and looked up at Brian, curiously. This surprised Brian, but made him smile even bigger. The little baby's eyes were the same beautiful blue color as Justin's. They stared into him with such trust.

"She's beautiful," Brian finally said, rocking Molly in his arms a little, and letting her grip his index finger. Brian would remember this moment forever.