While having just been released from prison, due to a night full of misfortunate mistakes, Red McCoy witnesses an old friend of his, son being kicked out of his apartment in the middle of the night.
Beverly Reid had been living on his own since he...
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Beverly had been having a rather confusing conversation with Cole, one of Red's younger brothers. It started when he asked about New Jersey, and if there were lots of Italian's there, then he proceeded to ask if any of the Italian's owned family-owned pizza restaurants.
That was when the young dreamer had lost Beverly in conversation. And although the two were both twenty, Cole seemed a lot younger and lively than Beverly ever was.
Red took a seat beside his mother, who wouldn't stop asking about his life back in New Jersey. And although it wasn't much, she seemed so proud. So proud that her boy, as she called him—was more than okay.
"Matthew, word's cannot describe how hard it has been to go on without knowing how you were, if you okay, if you were eating, if you were safe. And the list goes on." Gina whispered lowly, watching her son display a guilty expression.
"I know, ma, and I'm so, so sorry. I-I was just afraid to come home, or call. I didn't want you to think was anything like pop. Because I'm not—"
"I know that, baby, and that is why I think you should come back home." Her words are left hanging in the air, as Red tries to grasp onto what they mean.
"What do you mean?"
"I think you should come back home, here, in Brooklyn. I mean, not necessarily to this house, but one near here. I've already lost ten years with you, and I don't want to miss anymore. And sure, Jersey's close, it's just—I don't want to have to cross state lines just to visit my boy."
Red blinked, taking in her words before realizing that she was right. He hadn't seen any of his siblings in years. He hadn't even met his younger sister's daughter, his niece.
But he knew Beth didn't want to see him, the two had always bumped heads, since they were younger. And him going away for years, and missing the birth of his first niece was icing on the cake of all of his mistakes.
"But what about Beth? You know she doesn't want me here, ma." His words were sad, but true.
But Gina only smiled. "Don't worry about her, she'll come around. And I know deep down she wants you to meet Rue. Oh, that baby is just the cutest."
Red was surprised to hear his mother talk so fondly of the youngest child in the families daughter. Monica had told him how angry his mother was when she found out that Beth, a seventeen year old, was pregnant.
But now, she looked after that baby as though it was a second nature.
"Alright, ma, I'll think about it."
• • •
Red took a seat beside Beverly, who had been engaged in a serious conversation with Monica. Beverly laughed loudly, as Monica told another embarrassing story about Red's time in middle school.
"Oh, please, Mon," he scoffed, "you're stories are way worse than mine."
"Whatever, but anyway, who are you?" She asked Beverly, a genuine look on her face as the three of Red's siblings listened in. "I mean, like, when did you guys meet? Are you guys best friends?—"
"Uh, no, I think we're together." Beverly eyes almost bulged out of his head at Red's words. "Yeah, we're definitely together. Right, Bev?"
"Uh, yeah—right." Beverly couldn't help the grin that curved his lips.
Red's siblings tried their best to hide the surprise that had overwhelmed them, until Cole spoke up. "Dude, since when are you gay?"
"Cole!" Monica hissed, tossing a fist into his side.
Cole hissed, as Red laughed loudly. "I don't know what I am, man. But we are together."
