Open Arms

Chapter Two

"For the last time, you look fine, Angus."

"Is my tie straight enough? I was in a rush this morning an' I don't have a bunch of people dressin' me like she does, I don't trust myself."

"No one I know can tie a tie better than you with all the practice you get," Malcolm said setting a basket of flowers down on a stand by one of the chairs. They were red and white roses, with duplicates lining the path in the middle of the room. White lace backed every other chair while red lace took over the other half. Stained glass windows stood high above the room, painting colors of their own when the sun came in. The sun was always shining on this particular day in December. The chairs were still empty but as the minutes passed they would fill up with whomever they wanted to invite, and those they couldn't ignore. A table stood way in the back with a white cake with red trim, clear glasses lining up beside it in five rows. An empty bowl with a ladle was next to that, the chain on the giant spoon swinging idly. Malcolm had a hand under his chin as he examined the basket he just set down. It was moved slightly to the left, then turned to the right. He smiled at it then turned to face his brother, whose face matched the decorations around them. "We've still got a couple hours, you can do it over again if you want."

"No, I can't waste time on that, I have to stand there and greet everyone who walks through the doors," Angus said rubbing his hands together.

"What makes you the greeter?"

Angus shrugged. "Dunno, it's polite I guess. I mean, it's expected to be nice to your own family, ya' know."

"I know. But-what about Hannah's?" Malcolm asked. He scanned the mass of empty chairs. "We might have brought out too many."

"She had a cousin comin', didn't she?" Angus asked.

"Called this morning. Business meeting in Boston tonight at six thirty." Angus sighed and ran a hand through his hair, and quickly stopping once he remembered he had to look nice. "She said it'll be a miracle if she can get to Los Angeles by midnight."

"Midnight?" Angus yelled. "It'll be over by then." Malcolm gave him a look that said he never would have guessed. "So...no one's comin'?"

"Maybe Hermione," Malcolm smiled to himself. It vanished upon seeing Angus' face. "I know for certain Travis isn't comin', an'...her mum I can't say."

"Don't ever let me hear that name again," Angus said rolling his eyes. "Got rid of that guy a year ago, I don't wanna bring him up."

"No one does." Angus, going against his plan of greeting anyone attending, sat down on one of the chairs in the second row and put his head in his hand. Malcolm sighed and sat next to him. Angus lifted his head when Malcolm draped an arm over him. "He's gone now an' you two are gonna have a different life now. Without him in it. You saw that panic in his eyes. Even he knew he wasn't gonna be let out till death do they part," Malcolm snorted.

"They?"

"Him," Malcolm stood up. "and those bars." Angus winced and put his head down again. Here and there ran a few people hired to decorate the place for the day, and one woman leaving the building for some unknown reason. The row of seats only carried one person now as Malcolm left for the dressing rooms in the back. "Don't worry so much, Ang. Nothing's goin' wrong today. It's my job to make sure of that, remember?"

Angus didn't answer before Malcolm disappeared behind the doors. He was alone now in the big room, soon to be filled with dozens of his kin. Not everyone he invited was he looking forward to seeing. Not all of them had met Hannah, and there would be at least ten questions for her from each guest. Not all of them would be exactly appropriate. He could see his own mother hanging on to Hannah's every word and beaming whenever she said something good about him. Then his mother would proceed to explain in great detail every accident he's had growing up, ones he's heard a million times.