Written In The Stars: Book Two

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: FAMILIAL BONDS

Jeremy looked to be a few years younger than himself, as well as a few inches shorter, with a fair build. The genetics were strong with this family, as he looked like a younger, cooler version of his father. It was a bit like looking into a warped mirror, as every man in this family seemed to be different variations of the same person.

"Jesus, you're tall," were the first words Elijah heard to come out of Jeremy's mouth, not so different from his dad's first words to him. "What are you, six foot four?"

"Give or take." The guy was only off by an inch, so it wasn't worth correcting. Elijah looked around the house, and it was honestly impressive. It was also abnormally empty. "Where the hell is everyone?"

Jeremy shrugged as a smile formed on his face. "I sent everyone to the backyard. Figured it might be easier for you this way."

"I appreciate that." And he really did. Since he wasn't a sociable guy by nature, even the ride here filled him with impending anxiety. "So, I heard you're in construction."

"That I am," Jeremy told him with a growing smile. "My dad told me that was another family trait, the first being-."

"Appearance?" Elijah guessed. "Yeah, I noticed that too. You own your own company."

Jeremy nodded. "That I do. Started it right out of college. My dad gave me the startup funds. I know you had to quit your job to take care of your girl, by the way. As soon as you're ready to rejoin the workforce, just call me. I know it's a drive for you, but it'll bring in the paychecks for as long as you need. I could always use experienced workers, and I think it'd be good for my brother to see what someone can do with their life after sobriety.

"I get if that's too personal of a topic for you, man, and if I overstepped, I apologize. But my dad was singing your praises all week. Don't get me wrong, you scared the shit out of him at first, but the day you spent with him afterwards made a real impression."

"The first year of sobriety's the hardest," Elijah told him. Maybe it was getting a littler personal, but the situation itself was about as personal as it got. Plus, he was used to the topic with AA meetings and therapy. "No matter what drug it is, when you lose yourself in it, you wreck pretty much every relationship you have. Even if they stay in your life, everything about it's shifted. During that first year you're sober, you're basically tip-toeing around, trying to figure out which bridges are burnt forever, and which ones they can mend.

"Basically, if you don't take 'one day at a time' to heart, you just feel yourself drowning in fear and shame. It takes a while for that fog to lift, and be able to find confidence in the person you want to be. Facing the bridges becomes easier, cutting out the relationships that dragged you down becomes essential. That confidence is key, though. Once you gain that, everything makes a little more sense. Your brother will get there."

"I hope so," Jeremy replied with a nod. "He's a great guy, and crazy smart. But you hit the nail on the head. He's showing up for work and making small talk, but there's tip-toeing going around for sure. But like I said, I think seeing how you turned out will help him find that confidence."

There was an uncomfortable quiet that passed between them, but Elijah supposed it was inevitable. For a few moments, he just got lost in the tapping sound of Jeremy's wedding band against the can he was holding. "So, I heard you're married and have a kid."

"Been married for five years. Her name's Julie, and right now she's in the kitchen with your lady, who seems awesome, by the way. I thought my dad talked about you a lot, but he was a huge fan of Maddie. Said she has this crazy ability of turning you into a puppy, which I'm looking forward to.

"Our daughter's name is Mya, and she's three. She doesn't know what the fuck is going on. I'm pretty sure she thinks it's her birthday, or something. She's outside with her grandpa.

"Speaking of which, I think it's time you go out there and face the music. If we get too intense, I've got a fully furnished basement off the kitchen if you need to disappear for a few minutes. We won't take offense, I promise. The good news is that everyone is just as interested in meeting your family, so that should take some of the weight off for you."

Jeremy placed his hand against his back, ignoring Elijah's flinch, and led him through a hallway, past a dining room, and into a kitchen. Madeline was sitting in the breakfast nook with a pretty blonde, laughing up a storm until both women spotted him.

"You must be Elijah," the blonde said as she got up from her seat, then held out her hand. "I'm Julie, Jeremy's wife. It's so great to meet you, really."

Like Madeline, Julie had a smile that couldn't be resisted, causing his own smile to appear despite his best efforts. "It's nice to meet you. I see you two are getting along."

"She was kind enough to keep me occupied and thoroughly entertained," Madeline spoke to him with a laugh. "My sweet ride doesn't exactly do well in the grass since it rained yesterday."

"How long are you in that thing for?" Julie asked her.

Madeline shrugged at the questioned. "The accident was two weeks ago, and I guess the shoulder takes around six weeks to heal. My doctor was me using this chair for another couple of weeks after that, though. Then I can move on to crutches. This Humpty Dumpty has another few months before she can start walking again, but up to a year before I'm all healed up. The bruises are healing, though, and Elijah's been taking excellent care of me."

Jeremy gave him another slap on the back. "Speaking of you taking good care of her, I heard you stole her from another guy."

Apparently, no topic regarding his life was off the table for this family. Elijah supposed he did it to himself when he opened up to Kevin the week prior. "He's got no one to blame but himself. All I did was visit her at the hospital. The rest was all on him."

Elijah did a bit more than that. He'd been the first one Madeline asked for, but she was stoned, and that hadn't been Elijah's fault. Still, Johnny boy went and took it personally. And Elijah also invited Madeline to stay at his apartment to heal, but Johnny hadn't been aware of that, and it didn't seem like he was making any plans to take care of her. None that he was sharing with the rest of the class, anyhow.

The implosion of his relationship was entirely the fault of his own actions, though realistically, if Madeline had taken him up on his offer, they still would have ended up where they were now. The only way you can avoid fate was to run like hell from it, and with all the little steps forward, Johnny never stood a chance. That, along with a lawsuit against his father's company because of his actions, Madeline was bound to find out the truth of his infidelity.

"Well, you ready to get thrown into the lion's den?" Jeremy asked him.

The guy was right. Starting out slowly helped, and Jeremy seemed like a genuinely nice guy. I little pushy like his father, but he meant well. It allowed him to gain his bearings, and Elijah figured there was no point in putting off the inevitable.