The Masons *Mature Content*

Never-ending Story

BROOKLYN

I looked to my dad who's face had turned as red as the wine that sat still in my mom's glass. She still didn't speak, it seemed like an hour had passed and no one spoke. Why was it so quiet? "Mama? You need to tell Daddy what she's talking about. Is it even true?" Mom was still silent and tears started to stream down her face. "Helen!" My dad yelled, as he banged his heavy hand on the table causing us all to jump. Of course he was sick of the silence, and frankly so was I. "He's Bobby Ray's son." she whispered. "Your brother? "Uncle Bobby Ray is my dad?" Byron asked.  "He's not your uncle." she sighed sucking up air to breathe as she cried so hard. "Bobby Ray was our neighbor growing up. Mama took him in when his mom and dad died in a house fire. She raised us as siblings. I never had a big brother and he protected me, at least until I turned 16 he started touching me; he said he would kill me if I told anyone. I went off to college once I was 18." "That don't explain nothing!" Our dad yelled. Mama shook under daddy's angry demeanor. "I met you and I felt protected, we got married started our family and I didn't feel the need to tell anyone. Well once we had Morgan we were doing good, and it was that time when mama needed me when we had to plan daddy's funeral, he was there he got drunk." she wiped her face but the tears still flowed.  He raped me, he said if he was going in for as long as he was he was gonna need something to think about." Tears fell harder as she reached for my father who now brought her in to embrace her. He held her tightly much like Maurice was doing with me now. "I knew what he did Brooke, and I'm so sorry." she mumbled into dad's chest.

I stood up and walked over to my mother. All of these years she made it seem like I was crazy. She never acknowledged anything, she never comforted me. All I ever wanted was for her to say that she was sorry. I reached out to her. "All I ever wanted was for you to say that." She pulled me into a hug. "I am. I'm so sorry baby." we cried together and soon it was like a football huddle. We were all loving on each other and I've never felt this rush of energy and relaxation from my family.

Morgan

My heart still hurt. My marriage was over and I didn't know what I was gonna do alone without my husband. I looked up from the family group hug that we were having to see my now soon to be ex husband walk into the room. Maurice, Byron, and my dad glared at him. "I just wanted to let you know that "You can have the house, and whatever is left in the joint account." I'll be moved out by the time you get back home." I enhaled deeply. Nicki walked up grabbing his hand. "You ready?" "Yea. I'll meet you at the car." he told her. "I wanna know what were having so you know keep in touch." I scoffed. What the hell did he mean keep in touch? Why did he even have to leave?

He walked away and all of a sudden I felt arms wrap around me. "You're gonna be fine." she had never said anything that wasn't a insult to me. I was shocked. I turned to face her. "What am I gonna do? I can't do this alone." "You're not alone Morgan. You got me." She said. "Me too." Maurice added. "And us." Byron said. He walked over with his fiance. "Morgan this is my fiance Luke. I just thought that I should properly introduce him to you." Luke smiled. "Its nice to officially meet you." I smiled, but my dad grin quickly turned into a frown as tears flowed down my cheeks. "Come on you need to rest." Brooke told me as she took my hand and lead me out the room. I sighed this was gonna be a long journey.

Byron

I let go of Morgan and turned towards the table. My dad was still holding my mom, she was still crying. He looked up, "Sit down son." his voice shook a little. "I'll just wait out here." Luke said. "No. You sit too, please." Luke came and sat next to me, Dad staring us both in the face. "Listen no matter what anyone says, you're my son. Do you understand me?" "Yes sir." Tears filled my eyes. "Luke, obviously my son loves you, he never looked at Nicki the way he looks at you and they've been pretending to be together and I never got the feeling he would propose to her." My dad made light of the situation by laughing. "As long as my son is happy, I'm gonna support him." "Yes sir." Luke said. "Now I'm gonna tell you like I tell the men who mess with my daughters. Whatever you do to hurt my son, I'm gonna do it to you." "Yes sir." "It's nice to meet you officially sir." Luke said trying to give dad a handshake. "No you come give me a hug son." he said cheerfully. He laughed, stood up and walked around the table hugging my dad. "I'm sorry, I'm a mess. Welcome to the family sweetheart." my mom said hugging Luke as well. This was the best moment of my life. "I'm so sorry I never told you Byron." mom said she was  almost to tears again. I shook my head, "I don't wanna get into it Mama it's cool." I hugged her again taking a deep breath.

"Can we eat something now I'm starving." I said trying to ease the tension. Everyone laughed. We also sat back down at the table, completely ignoring the fact Unc was still laid out on the floor. I really didn't care about that though. All was right in my world.

Maurice

During dinner, Unc and Granny left. Byron loosened up and acted how he acted when he was just around Brooke and me. Morgan still seemed sad, but of course she would be sad when her husband just left her.

******

"That was some dinner huh?" I was just out the shower and Brooke was rolling up one. She hasn't talked much since everything happened. "You okay love?" she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm glad everything came out, I'm just upset that Morgan was hurt in the process. I know she's a bitch and all but no one deserves that. I mean come on she has no working skills she's always had a man taking care of her." "She'll be fine. She can always get a job, I'm sure it's something she's good at." "Yea, I guess you're right." she said sighing.

She lit up, in her usual fashion and waited for me to join her. "You okay though?" she shook her head. "I'll be okay."