Page 12 of Stay with Me
There was a check inside, made out to him. The amount made him almost drop it. Five-thousand dollars. Brody could feel his mouth open and close and knew no words were coming out.
“Mister Moore, I can’t—”
The man cut him off. “You can and you will. The missus and I never had any kids. Weren’t blessed. We rent to students who seem to need some place safe to make their own. Over the years, there have been a few who have made us think ‘what if’. When they touch our hearts like that, we like to give them something to help them start out in the world and remember us by. Now, you take that and put it away for something,” he said. “And if you’re ever back in this part of the world, stop in and say hey.”
Brody felt goosebumps cover his arms and bit his lip as he felt tears form. He nodded and gently put the check and card back in the envelope. He looked up at Mr. Moore and held out his hand.When he took Brody’s hand, Brody pulled him close and held him tight for a moment. Letting the man go, Brody said, “Thank you for noticing me. Thank you for the safe space you created for me and for others. There aren’t many in the world who give a damn, but you do. I will remember this place as it was the first I felt was mine. It couldn’t be taken away from me on a whim. Bless you and your wife.”
He wasn’t sure where the last bit came from since he wasn’t really religious, but it was heartfelt. Brody could see how his words touched the man as he climbed into his car and closed the door.
§ § § §
It seemed like every time he visited his uncles, Drew ended up sitting on the back porch steps. Dizzy wasn’t running around the yard as fast these days. He remembered sitting in this exact spot when he was debating with himself how he was going to tell his parents that he didn’t want to go to West Point. He heard the screen door open behind him but didn’t turn. He was staying with his uncles since his parents were having the house fumigated for termites. Drew knew that one of his uncles would join him out here when he let Dizzy out. A beer bottle appeared next to his head and he grabbed it without looking. What a change.
“So, you going to share with the class what’s bothering you?” Uncle Danny asked as he lowered to the step. “You couldn’t have sat on the comfy furniture right over there? My bones are getting too old to be sitting on the stairs.”
“You and the others are immortal. Sitting on a step isn’t going to hurt you one bit,” Drew answered before taking a sip of the beer. He’d never been a huge drinker. Hadn’t hit up the parties or joined a fraternity. That thought made him pause.Well, shit. He had joined the biggest fraternity out there with his commissioning.
Uncle Danny almost choked on his own beer. When he got himself together, he pulled out his phone. “Oh, I’ve got to tell the heptad that we’re immortal. I don’t think any of us got that memo.”
“Umm, Uncle D? Didn’t you see the way that Master Sergeant Coffey fell all over himself after I introduced you all? Whether you believe it or not, you, Dad and all my uncles have left a legacy that will impact soldiers for years to come.” Drew never thought that any of the heptad had doubts about their abilities, but maybe they had?
“Oh Spook, Mooney, Mackey, and Mike? They’ve made huge differences. Me? I was a lowly first sergeant when I retired. Just wanted to make a difference closer to home than overseas any longer.” Drew could hear his uncle’s phone pinging but he didn’t pick it up. “It’s up to you and Tristan now. Maybe someday one of the grandbabies will decide to put on a uniform.”
Drew felt his throat start to get tight and his eyes were watering. That right there. How was he supposed to live up to that? “What if—”
“Drew, you have visitors,” Uncle Liam’s voice came through the open door. Before Drew could push himself up, Amy came flying through the door.
“Uncle Drew! Uncle D! I’s here” she yelled as she threw herself at Drew. “We bringed the babies to cuddle.” She put her head against Drew’s chest and exhaled. “Babies are lots of work and don’t play,” she whispered, like she was telling him a secret. Maddy had given birth to the triplets within hours of Nova having Nicole. She was a bit peeved that they hadn’t traveled to Greenville. She and Nova could’ve shared a room. Drewshuddered at the thought of Uncle Mooney and Uncle Mike pacing the waiting room.
“Amy Louise! You know better than to run off on me and Mama,” Cal said as he pushed open the door, holding a car seat in each hand. Drew and Danny both stood and reached for a car seat. Drew shuffled Amy to his hip as he grabbed the carrier from Cal’s right hand. Looking down, he saw the tiniest baby face peeking out from under a little pink cap with a Baltimore Oriole on it.
“Gift from Cam?” Drew teased. At least he knew which baby he had. “Amy, do I have Ryleigh?” he asked the big sister. He knew that Cal and Maddy were doing their best to keep Amy from feeling left out or replaced with three new little ones in the house.
Amy leaned over his arm, almost ending up on her head before Drew shifted enough to keep a hold of her. “Yups, that’s her.” It was all he could do not to laugh in Amy’s face.
Maddy came to the door to save him when she called out, “Little miss, didn’t you need to potty?”
“Yes, Mama. Down please, Uncle Drews,” Amy asked politely. He leaned over, put her on her feet, and placed a kiss on her head.
“As you wish, Princess Amy,” he said before she grinned at him and ran to her mother.
“You heard the queen, Princess,” Cal said, blowing a kiss to Maddy before he squatted down to take his youngest daughter out of her harness. “Uncle Liam has Ryker. You set with Ryan, Uncle D?”
Drew looked over and noticed his uncle had moved to the cushioned rocking chair in the corner of the porch. He had the little boy cuddled against his chest and his eyes were closed.“Hush, now, me and my nephew are bonding.” Drew pulled his phone out and snapped a picture of the two in the corner. He knew that somewhere there were pictures of Uncle D cuddling each of them in the exact position.
Cal stood and held Ryleigh out to Drew. “She’s been a bit fussy today. Besides, you need to get your cuddles in before the grandparents arrive.”
“Shhh, Ryan and I are napping before his grandpa gets here and claims him,” Uncle D whispered from the corner.
“Uncle Mooney and Aunt Debbie are coming over?” Drew asked as he started rocking side-to-side. He hadn’t spent a lot of time with his littlest cousins but muscle memory from babysitting other babies through high school came right back.
“Uncle Liam invited us over to see you again before you leave for Leonard Wood. Mom and Dad should be here soon. Said they needed to stop and pick something up on their way over,” Cal said quickly.
Drew didn’t know what that was all about but whatever. He gently walked down the stairs and onto the grass. He was going to stroll the yard with this little bundle of beauty. Let someone else worry about whatever his uncle and aunt were up to. He was going to put his worries to the side for a night and enjoy his family.
His aunt’s voice startled him as she spoke from beside him, “Drew, Luny’s outside and needs some help. I’ll take Ryleigh if you could help him.”
“When did you get here, Aunt Debbie?” Drew asked as he handed over Ryleigh with a kiss to her head.
