BRIAN

I listened to Emmett and Ted prove that lying would never be something they'd excel at. I know they think they're helping, but they also don't realize that without Justin, nothing matters anymore. I waited until they left my office to come out, so Michael wouldn’t pitch a fit and expect my attention. I'm still trying to figure out the Wyoming thing.

Cynthia was standing outside the lobby when the piece of art, a MacTaylor sports car drove by. She came in shaking her head at Ted and Emmett. I went back into my office, hoping to avoid Cynthia’s tirade on all of us kissing Michael’s ass. Not that she didn’t go out of her way to make sure I heard it.

“He runs through here like a marathon runner, then has you two helping him limp out and paying for his cab. Are you not seeing what he does?” She asks them.

“It's easier on all of us to just leave it alone.” Emmett tells her.

“It's easier to cater to his ass? I guess I like having a life, unlike you.” She tells him.

“If we did what we wanted, Deb shows up, and no one gets peace until we do what she wants.” Ted tells her.

I walked out to save Ted and Emmett from Cynthia venting her frustration at the way Michael treats her. Only to find out she wasn’t letting me off the hook this time.

“You guys are adults last I checked, why cave to mommy dearest? I’ll never understand what Michael offers that gets you all to kiss his ass. Maybe it gets you off to listen to bitching and whining. Just understand, today was the last time I let him treat me like his personal assistant. If I wanted that there are enough job offers out there that I don’t have to endure Michael.” She tells me, making her point clear to me.

“I’ll tell him that he needs to respect you the way I do.” I tell her.

“He doesn’t respect YOU, if he did I wouldn’t be answering calls every hour on the hour. Every call is telling me to make sure your schedule suits his needs. I would understand if you and Michael were married. I really love the calls telling me that I need to start giving the out of town trips to Ted, so Blake can see what Michael has to up with. Is any of what I’m saying getting through? Blake and Ted are together in a relationship, and Michael compares you and him to them. If he ever gets what he wants, I'm taking the job Vance keeps offering.” She tells me.

“We have a business, which means get to work.” I tell her, not willing to even go down that line of thought with her. “Really? Wyoming?” I ask Ted.

“I was listening to talk radio this morning and they commented about how no one ever says they’re from Wyoming. It sort of just came out because it was the last thing I heard when I turned off my car. Speaking of cars, did you see what was in our parking lot this morning?” Ted asks us, practically jumping up and down.

“I went out to watch the ‘Michael limping for sympathy’ show, but yeah seeing a MacTaylor really made my day. Did you figure out why he came here?” Cynthia asks Ted.

“He said he wasn’t here for business, then left. I forgot to get his name.” Ted tells her.

“Leeland MacAllister, part owner of MacTaylor.” Cynthia tells us. “Learn to read more than accounting magazines, Ted. Leeland, and his partner Cole, started the company with the trust funds they inherited, they wanted to prove they were more than airheaded heirs of their families. That came from a gossip rag, which I read for entertainment purposes only. They built the first car and sold it to a movie director, who in turn used it in a movie. Everyone wanted one but they didn’t want it to become one of thousands of cars but one that was built for people who were serious about their cars. There is a rumor they are about to add affordable cars and mass produce them, but right now it’s folklore. I thought maybe he came here because even though the line would sell, they were doing something that would need advertising this time.” She tells us.

“The individual cars never need them?” Emmett asks.

“No. But more because they are sold before they are made, but if they used an ad firm, they could have tripled their orders. The consumer they lean towards likes to see what they can’t have, and would’ve tried to outbid the original buyer.” I tell him.

“The other partner, Cole, is stubborn, he doesn’t even let the buyer change the color. He stated in an article that each design and color were designed to make the car stand out.” She tells us.

“It’s why Brian never went after the account, he knew he couldn’t win it.” Ted tells them.

“Want to make a bet on that Ted? I win and you get to answer for Cynthia when Deb calls.” I tell him.

“Why not, it’s a bet you’ll lose. I win and you donate to Blake’s clinic. They need a new building.” Ted tells me.

“When I win, I’ll even throw in half the amount, just because Blake is the better half of you two.” I smirk, suddenly feeling like I have a purpose for getting up every morning.

JUSTIN

Quinn came in the kitchen, hanging all over Daphne, the two of them make me miss Brian. They both forget anyone exists when they see each other. I moved out of the way when they almost ran into me, still attached at the lips.

“Sorry, we didn’t see you.” Daphne tells me, pushing Quinn into a chair and turns to me.

“I was thinking of getting my own place. I’m sure you both would like your privacy back.” I tell them.

“It’s fine, I didn’t want you to be alone until you were ready.” Daphne tells me.

“I ended a relationship that wasn’t going to go anywhere, not learned I was dying.” I tell her.

“You loved the guy. I know I would want you to help me if I left Quinn.” Daphne tells me.

“We don’t say anything that doesn’t include Daphne wants to spend the rest of her life with Quinn.” Quinn tells her.

“Of course…” Daphne then lost all ability to speak when she turned to see Quinn holding a ring.

I knew it was time to let them have their home, for the family Quinn dreamed of in his head. I kissed Daphne’s head, and patted Quinn’s back before leaving them to celebrate the life they were about to head into. I got in my car and rested my head on the steering wheel. When would he stop being the only thing I wanted? I tried to stop comparing the few men I agreed to date to Brian, but I couldn’t stop myself, so I quit dating. I argued it was too soon, and still can’t see a time when he’ll just be someone I could leave in my past and move on.

There were so many times I wanted to drive to Pittsburgh, it’s not like I was that far from him. It’s why Pittsburgh shocked me, we’d been a state away from each other and never knew because we didn’t talk about it. I had family that lived in Harrisburg and drove there from West Virginia often. I’ve even been to Pittsburgh for dinner with Daphne’s family. Yet neither of us talked about places where the other had been, Brian didn’t mind talking about the places we went on vacation before we met, but if it ventured into revealing where he was from, the barbed wire appeared and he fucked the conversation closed. I know why I never went to Pittsburgh to confront him, I didn’t want him looking through me and acting like I once again crossed a line he set at the beginning.

At the office, I picked up my messages from Molly, then tried to get past her before she cornered me out of concern.

“So, Mom called and said as her children, we get to shop for her wedding with her. I told her of course we would, because she deserves to be pampered. Be ready to go in a hour.” She orders me.

“I have things to do.” I argued.

“Nope, because Lee took the day off and said he changed your password on your computer and won't change it back until Mom is happy.” She tells me.

“He'll cave once I get a hold of him.” I tell her.

“Which he knows, so he left town.” She enjoyed telling me.

“I'll pay for whatever Mom wants, but I'm staying here. I need to look for a place, Quinn proposed to Daphne.” I tell her.

“I'll let him know it was about time, but you don’t get out of helping Mom. She deserves to be happy after dad died.” She tells me.

“How do you manage to guilt me when no one else can?” I ask her, hugging my vibrant sister.

“I'm cute, and nobody likes to disappoint the baby of this family.” She tells me, dragging me back out the door.

“Where is she making us shop?” I ask.

“Some boutique a friend of hers raved about. Apparently the owner doesn’t just plan fabulous weddings.” She tells me.

“Tell me he isn’t gay and you and Mom aren't trying to hook me up.” I beg.

“Why would you think we'd do that?” She asks, as if they didn't try every time they met a gay man, who would be ‘perfect for me’.

“Just to get it out of the way, I'm not interested.” I tell her.

“That's good, because the guy’s boyfriend would most likely show you why other football players run from him.” She tells me, trying to take my keys to drive my car.

“No one drives Britin.” I remind her.  

LINDSAY

Gus and I were running around so I could get things for the dinner I planned for Mel and me. Brian, as usual, wanted to spend time with Gus, and said that Mel and I needed to have nights where we could do all the lesbian shit we did. I had my bags stored in Gus’s stroller and was going to look at an outfit to drive Mel nuts tonight when there was Michael, walking around as if he forgot to limp.

He made me want to beat his ass for using the accident to bludgeon Brian with. I thought if only Brian could see this Michael, he might stop giving in to him. I looked down at Gus who had my phone laying next to him, and wondered when I forgot my phone has a camera. I smiled as I picked it up and started recording until Michael hopped into a car without the usual fear we all see when Brian or Deb is around. I could show Brian, but right now he still wants to believe Michael wouldn’t do something like that to him.

No one would understand why I’m angry at what Michael is doing, but it’s because I can see it as something I would have done when I first met Brian. I was still trying to figure out if I liked women or men, which in truth, I love both. I thought if I could, then Brian didn’t have to just want men, but women too. He drove the women in college crazy because he was unattainable, but made the exception one night for me. Until the morning after, I spent my time believing he was the man I loved more than anyone. The morning after, like any morning after, the blinders were off and what we did was fucking, nothing to do with love. I let him become what he’d been the whole time, my best friend. When I met Mel, any thoughts of Brian being the man my family would approve of ended, because Mel was everything Brian couldn’t be for me.

When the accident happened I was angry, because Brian was screwing his life up, not because Michael got hurt. I didn’t like Michael, because I knew he did things to keep Brian from seeing the shit for who he is. Deb likes to believe Michael is this caring man who looks after everyone. I think it’s funny how only when Michael does something that pisses her off, does she take off her blinders where Michael is concerned. It only lasts until one of the guys does anything that upsets Michael, then she forgets and mama bear comes out again. Which, maybe seeing the proof will get her eyes to open to her son. With that in mind, I decide Mel never needed an outfit for me to drive her wild, just me.

We got to the diner and I wasn’t thrilled that Michael was already there rubbing his legs and getting Deb in her ‘Brian owes his life for hurting her baby’ mode. I sat down and decided it was time to bring out the WASP that I learned from the ice queen.

“Did you hurt yourself? I saw you in town and you didn’t seem to be having a problem running around and jumping into a cab. I almost went to see if you needed me to help you in the cab since cars scare you, but you didn’t have any problems, you know, like you do when Brian and Deb are around.” I tell him.

“I wasn’t in town, like I told Ma I had to rest and went to my apartment.” He tells me with a pained look, rubbing both his leg and head.

“Lindsay, can’t you see Michael is hurting?” Deb asks, coming over and rubbing his temples for him.

“It’s fine Ma, she thought I was running around town, but like everyone knows, I can’t do that without help.” He tells her.

My phone was burning but I knew Deb would ignore what she sees as long as Michael was around to make excuses. My inner bitch wasn’t happy, because he won this round. I grabbed my purse and looked through it while Deb practically ripped Michael’s scalp massaging it, probably giving him a real headache. I found the bottle I was looking for, deciding it was time to get rid of the bag pretending to be a purse, when I found the diaper cream I couldn’t find in Gus’s diaper bag.

“I was saving this for Brian, since his headaches are adult sized but I can get him more.” I tell Michael handing him the Excedrin I keep to deal with Michael’s bitching. “Off to show Mel that I appreciate the things she does for me. I never want her to feel like it’s only what I want that’s important.” I throw at both of them.

“No one should ever feel that way, good for you.” Deb tells me, missing the point.

I got outside and looked at Gus, who everyday looked more like my best friend. “Mommy’s trying to help, but they just don’t get it.” I tell him. Gus wrinkled his nose, agreeing. “Make your daddy’s day, while I take care of Mama for you.” I kiss him and take off to Kinnetik.

MEL

I heard a voice I hadn’t heard in years outside my office. Leeland MacAllister, in the flesh, was standing there. I jumped into his arms, as he caught me knowing it would happen.

“I figured I look you up since Leda told me you settled here.” He tells me.

“It feels like a lifetime since I last saw you.” I tell him, pecking his lips.

Leeland was the one man who made me think I wasn’t entirely opposed to the opposite sex. It’s something Lindsay never knew, because when I met her Leeland became a man who, like Brian for her, would never be more than a life I couldn’t have. I wonder how he and Lindsay would get along. Leeland didn’t believe in limiting himself to one sex, but was open to the possibilities. He was the one who, if I had a child, I would want as the father, but never contacted because Brian was who Lindsay wanted. I will never regret that decision because Gus was the result.

“How about I take you to lunch and you tell me about this family you managed, when you used preach you’d never live in the burb’s.” He teases me.

“You could come to dinner tonight, Lindsay and I were going to eat in. I could invite the guys in our lives. I want you to meet the love of my life, and Lindsay too.” I joke.

“Sure, I’m sort of hiding from my partner right now. He’s going to kick my ass for being here. I can at least lie and say it was to meet up with you.” Leeland laughs.