The Discovery - 31. Chapter 31

Jacob came down the stairs in a hurry, trying not to panic even though his emotions were so raw from the day’s events he looked like he was going to have a breakdown. He looked all over the house, in every room including his. Outside, the sun had set, leaving a reddish hue to the western sky that only served to make his panicked state grow. “Where is he?!”

Troy put his hands up to slow Jacob down. “Stay calm.”

“Stay calm?” Jacobs eyes were already red and bloodshot as he stared at his friend incredulously. “My son is missing!”

“He’s not missing,” Liz said as she came into the hallway from the front room. “Carter said he saw Matt leave with Sam.”

Jacob looked at her. “Is that supposed to be better? He should be here with his family.”

Troy frowned slightly at his attitude. “He is with family. My dad wouldn’t let anything happen to him.” He decided to change the subject before Jacob got more out of hand. “What’s Kyle doing?”

“He’s still up there in Dad’s room,” he replied with a wave of his hand. “He said he needs to be alone for a little bit.” With his emotions on full display on his face, Jacob slumped onto the couch wondering what was going to happen now. “Oh my God. Fuck.”

Liz stepped closer to him with concern in her voice. “I think being alone right now isn’t a very good idea for him. Do you know if he’s been taking his medication?”

Jacob sighed, mentally adding another thing to worry about on his list. “I don’t know. He’s been busy lately with the trial and—” he stopped in mid-sentence and groaned as he got back to his feet. “Oh, my God. Josh. I have to call him and tell him the news.”

“Later,” Troy said reaching out to hold his shoulders. “That can wait. Right now, we need to take care of you.”

“I’ll be a lot better once Matthew is back home.” He stepped towards the hallway, wishing he could lie down. It would not help even if he could. There were so many things that needed to be done for David’s funeral and he had no idea where to begin. Even if he did know what to do, it would all be worthless without Kyle involved in the planning and right now, he was not in the mood to talk about anything. When Jacob came in to check on him, he found Kyle sitting on his father’s bed with his back to the door, staring at the closet. Jacob didn’t tell him that Matt was missing because he didn’t want to add to Kyle’s problems. But eventually he would have to come out.

Troy put an arm around Jacob’s shoulders. “It’ll be alright, Jacob. I promise. Just sit down and try to relax.”

Jacob grumbled under his breath and went back to the couch. Just as he started to relax like Troy suggested, he heard the back door open. He was immediately back on his feet and moving to the doorway when Andy stopped him. “Calm down. You look like you’re about to tear someone’s head off.”

He sighed and took a step back. “I’m sorry. It’s just…”

Andy shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize for anything. You just need to stay calm. Everything will be alright.” He turned his attention to the footsteps coming down the hall from the kitchen and a small smirk appeared on his lips. “Well, I’ll be damned. Looks like Sam brought you some help.”

Despite Andy’s advice to stay calm, he moved past him into the hallway and followed Andy’s gaze. Relief washed over him as he saw Matt trot down the hall towards him and into his arms. “Oh, my Baby Boy. Where did you go?!” Only then, once he knew Matt was safe, did he look to see who else was behind him. Matt moved out of his dad’s arms to make way for the new arrival. Walking towards him with the familiar cadence of her heels hitting the floor beneath her, Helen walked up to him.

“Jacob,” she began. “I’m so sorry, Darling.”

Jacob looked at her with new tears forming in his eyes. “Helen, I…”

She hugged him warmly with motherly affection. “It’s alright. You don’t need to explain.”

“How did you get here so fast?”

She regarded him with a smirk, as if it were a silly question. “There is very little I cannot do when I put my mind to it.” Helen cupped his head in her hands as she kissed his cheek. “Oh, Darling. You made him so proud. You were everything and more he could have ever hoped for.”

Touched by her words, he felt tears trickle down his face. “It all happened so fast.”

She nodded in understanding. “And it affects us all. But that’s when family comes in handy. To help ease the terrible burden you’ll have to carry.” She looked around the hall and passed Jacob into the front room. “Where is Kyle?”

Jacob looked down at the floor. “He’s upstairs in Dad’s room. He… doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

Helen gave him a knowing look before proceeding up the stairs. While Jacob and the others knew Kyle may have insisted on privacy, no one was going to try to stop her. She ascended to the familiar door to the master bedroom and slowly eased it open. Once she was inside, she closed it behind her and looked at the pitiful sight in front of her.

Kyle sat with his back to her, his head hung low holding his face in his hands. Without a word, she stepped around the bed to sit next to him. “I said, I—” he looked up and blinked in shock. “Mom? What are you doing here?”

“Where else would I be when you need me, Darling?” She put her arms around him and gently pulled him close. Despite his age, Kyle wilted and gave into her embrace as new tears sprung from his eyes.

Kyle wept silently before he could trust himself to speak again. “I just can’t believe it. I mean, he was fine this morning, Mom.”

She kept him in her arms and listening. “It’s never easy, Darling. No matter how it happens, you can never really prepare yourself for losing someone you love.”

He nodded before finally sitting back again and sniffing as he wiped his eyes. “How did you find out?”

“Sam called me first thing,” she explained. “I didn’t know he had passed, but I called in a favor and got someone to loan me his private plane for a quick trip across the country to get here. Sam updated me while I was on my way. I told Al and he is devastated. He was very fond of David and enjoyed his visits. He is finishing up some things and then he’s flying to New York and will be here tomorrow evening.”

Kyle smirked at the ridiculousness of her explanation and how normal she made it sound. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you myself.”

“No need for that now, dear. You have your hands full.”

He huffed and nodded. “So I’m finding out. I don’t even know what I’m doing. I’m supposed to be picking out something for him for the funeral, but I honestly don’t know where to begin.”

She listened patiently to him and smirked slightly before getting to her feet and walking over to the large closet. She went towards the back, looking at the items hanging there before pulling out a suit jacket, shirt, pants and a tie. She set them off to the side and rejoined him on the bed. “There. Now, why are you up here hiding?”

“I’m not hiding,” he insisted. “Just… I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Of course you do, dear,” she said with more certainty than he felt. “You are his son. And that means that you are now the master of this house. And you can do whatever you wish with it.”

“There’s so many decisions I have to make,” he continued. “So many things I don’t know.”

She smiled with the patience of a mother knowing her child is overreacting. “Darling, while your father was many things, he was far from perfect, despite what he wanted everyone to believe. He was kind, generous and compassionate to everyone he met. But he was also stubborn and headstrong. And in some situations, he refused to have things any other way than the way he planned it all out. Just like you, he didn’t know what he was doing or how he was going to accomplish his goals. But he persevered and accomplished what he set out to do.”

Kyle blinked as he watched her rise to her feet and walk over to the window. The world seemed to glow as the sun began dipping towards the horizon. The final day of his father’s life was coming to an end as the apple trees in the orchard slowly swayed in the breeze, patiently waiting for the next sunrise. She turned to look at him, pointed towards David’s beloved orchard before she continued. “Did you know, before you were born, there were maybe two dozen trees out in that field?”

“Really?” He looked at her in surprise. “He never mentioned that to me.”

She nodded. “Of course, he wouldn’t. When he was a teenager, and his grandfather passed away, the orchard had hundreds of trees. But there was a disease that spread, and his father did nothing about it. If Dave were here, he would tell you himself that his father never really understood how to care for the orchard like his father had. Your father and Peter, no more than fifteen years old at the time, spent days chopping down and burning the trees that were infected. But it spread too fast for them and in the end, only a few trees remained.

“David worshiped his grandfather, who taught him everything there was about the orchard and apple trees. And about life. It was the one good memory of his times growing up.” She returned to Kyle’s side before she continued. “When we were first married, he told me of his dream to bring it all back to life. I didn’t share his optimism but knew better than to stand in his way. He had this fanciful dream of having three or four children to help him rebuild it.” She grinned at him. “As you know, that didn’t work out either. But he persevered despite our failed marriage and worked to bring the orchard back to life and create the family he longed for as a child.”

Seeing the silent reaction on her son’s face, she leaned in and kissed his cheek gently. “And all of that, he gave to you. He loved you so much, Kyle. He wanted to give you the world. It hurt him deeply when you left because he saw it as a failure on his part. But he worked hard to give you the family he never had. Full of people who love you and who will support you when you need it. And they are all downstairs, waiting for you to tell them what you want. All you must do is go down there and speak.”

Kyle sighed and knew she was right, even if he felt he was inadequate to the task. “I can’t take his place, Mom. I’ll never be like him.”

“No one is asking you too. Be yourself. You may make mistakes, much like your father did at times, but mistakes and how we correct them is how we grow.”

His lips twitched up slightly, knowing she was right. “Thanks, Mom. Now, all I have are questions that I don’t know the answers.”

Helen’s eyebrow flicked up. “Oh? Like what?”

Kyle rolled his eyes, feeling foolish. “I know it’s stupid, especially right now, but there’s this big debt on the records with no name and I have idea how to pay it off.”

She tilted her head slightly. “How much are we talking about?”

“Well, thirty-four years ago it was about three-hundred thousand dollars.”

It was her turn to roll her eyes. “That man…”

“I know,” he exclaimed. “I asked him about it a few months ago and he just waved me off and told me not to worry about it. For that much money, it must be an investor and it would be worth millions today.”

She nodded, figuring out the interest in her head. “Yes. About two and a half million dollars, I would say. Not that you would be likely to get that sale price. It’s an asset, not cash after all.”

“Do you know who it is?”

She looked at him stoically with her hands in her lap. “Yes.”

He looked at her incredulously and waved his hands. “Well, who is it?” She stared at him silently. A smile formed on her lips that slowly turned into a sly grin as if waiting for him to answer his own question. Kyle stared at her in amazement. “Oh, God. You?”

She nodded and chuckled. “Yes.”

Kyle had never felt so frustrated and relieved at the same time. “Why didn’t he tell me?!”

“Pride, I would guess,” she said. “I don’t think he was very keen on the idea of being beholden to me. I thought of it as child support. It was shortly into my second marriage and while he was a less than ideal mate, he was a good business partner. I got the money from him and gave it to your father. Your father wanted to make sure that should anything happen to him before you became an adult, someone would have some control over the estate so that no one could come in and take it all away from you.”

“And after I turned eighteen, it didn’t matter anymore,” he concluded with an exasperated sigh.

She nodded. “Because by that point, my share of the orchard would be inherited by you anyway, so it’s not a debt at all.” She grinned again and added, “which is why he told you not to worry about it.”

While in the long run it was only money, hearing her explanation seemed to drain some of the stress out of him. He sighed, still feeling a deep ache in his heart from his father’s death, but it felt easier to live with in that moment. He smirked and felt a little confidence return to him. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

Helen looked at him for a moment as if pondering his question. She felt an urge to say more. To break a promise she made years ago. She leaned towards him and hugged him gently as she sighed. “No, dear. You know everything you need to know.” She took a moment to enjoy the act of holding Kyle in her arms, knowing that a moment like this was not something that happened often. Eventually, she knew it was time to get him on his feet and get back to the task at hand. “Now, it’s time to go downstairs and stop hiding. I know these next few days will be hard for you, as they will be for us all. But remember that you are not alone. They love you and will support you when you need them. Just as you are master of this house, you are now the head of this family.”

Kyle knew she was right as he rose to his feet. The loss was still sharp in his heart. Like a blade inside his chest that could nick his heart if he allowed his mind to think of David. Maybe that’s what grief really was, he thought to himself. A pain that never really went away. Only dulling over time so the memory became easier to deal with. “Thanks, Mom.”

She smiled. “Go on. I’ll be down shortly once I change.”

He smirked and walked to the door. When his hand touched the doorknob, he took a moment to take a deep breath and put his grief away so that he could make it through the rest of the evening. Once he felt the troubled ocean of his emotions go calm, he stepped into the hall and went downstairs.

****

Brian quietly walked into the front room and went to sit with Andy. Tanner was already sitting there, leaning against his dad with that same lost and somber look on his face most of them were wearing. Andy’s left arm was draped loosely around Tanner’s shoulders as he looked at his phone in his right arm. Brian sat down and leaned against Andy’s side and looking at the phone in his hands. “You doing okay,” he asked Andy as he put his hand on his husband’s shoulder.

Andy’s face showed a hint of frustration as he answered. “Been trying to text Tyler but I haven’t gotten a reply from him.”

“Well, there could be any number of reasons why he hasn’t responded,” Brian said. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t worry,” Andy pointed out.

Brian smirked with a meaningful look in his eyes. “The way you say it, you’d think he suddenly up and disappeared on you for three days.”

Andy stared at him for a long moment before saying. “Point taken.”

Brian giggled softly and kissed his cheek. He noticed Tanner staring at the floor and reached over Andy’s body to touch the boy’s hand. “Hey, new teenager. How are you holding up?”

Tanner shrugged. His voice sounded smaller and bereft of its usual joviality. “I’m okay, for the most part. Will there be a funeral and stuff?”

“That’s all up to Kyle,” Andy said. “Once he figures out what he wants.”

“I know…” Tanner sighed. “I know this might sound weird maybe. But I’d really like to see him one more time. You know? I mean…” His lips tugged down sharply as the hurt started to rise again inside him. “I know he’s gone. But… I’d just like to see him so… so I could thank him… You know?”

Andy tightened his hold on Tanner and kissed the side of his head. “I know, son. We both know.”

The sound of footsteps coming down from the stairs in the hallway caught everyone’s attention. Troy, Brian, and Andy got to their feet just as Jacob started towards the doorway. He stopped as Kyle stepped into the room, looking at them all. The other three stood a few steps back as Kyle and Jacob looked at each other for a moment before they fell into each other’s arms. Jacob clung to Kyle, finding the only solace in the world that helped ease the pain in his heart.

Kyle held Jacob with their heads on their shoulders. Feeling Jacob’s warmth gave him strength enough to know the simple truth that he whispered into Jacob’s ear. “I can’t do this without you.”

Jacob kissed his cheek and replied, “I’m here. Always and forever.”

They held each other in silence as if no one else was in the room. Both of them knowing that nothing else mattered in that moment than each other. Finally, Kyle let go of his husband and looked around the room at the others who had expectant faces waiting to hear what he had to say. “So… I guess we need to start planning how this is going to work.”

“Whatever you want or need, we will make it happen,” Troy said with a nod.

Kyle’s smile was muted but genuine. “Thanks. I guess we should plan a day. Maybe Saturday would be best. Mom said Al will be here tomorrow, so two days to get everything settled. We’ll need to find a church.” He nodded at Brian just as he was starting to open his mouth. “Yeah, I know. Your dad will do fine. We just need to get in touch with him.”

“I’ll text him now,” Brian said as he got on his phone and started typing. “He said he would be by later. Don’t know what’s keeping him.”

Kyle nodded. “Okay. We’ll need to find some pall bearers. Usually it’s grandkids, but none of the boys are old enough, so we’ll need to find some volunteers.”

Colt stood from where he had been sitting and spoke up. “You won’t need to do that. Just give me a date and I’ll make sure that’s handled. Your father was honorably discharged from the marine corps. He gave them his service; they owe him for that still.”

Kyle looked slightly chagrined. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’d appreciate it if you could make the call for me. If you need any of Dad’s stuff, I think he has some paperwork from his service time in his study.”

“No need,” Colt assured him. “If a Colonel, retired or not, calls the Pentagon, they do what they’re told. I’ll get you an honor guard as befits Davey’s service to his country.”

Kyle nodded. “That’s a good start.” He turned to the others before saying, “I’m sure most of you know Dad wanted to be cremated. I’ll honor his request, but we will have a casket funeral and then have him cremated after the service.”

“Uncle Kyle,” Tanner spoke up. “Can we… see him?”

Kyle turned to him and smiled. “Sure. But just us. Just…” Remembering his mother’s words a few moments ago, he found his eyes tearing up and he had to blink away the tears rapidly as his voice seemed to tighten. “Just family,” he managed to finish.

Jacob put his arm around Kyle protectively. “We can find a nice picture of him. Blow it up and put it next to his casket during the service.” Kyle nodded in approval. “Let’s just… figure the rest out later. You’re probably exhausted.”

“You can go lay down for a little bit if you want,” Andy offered. “We’re not leaving for a while.”

Aaron wandered into the room and looked around at the sight of everyone on their feet. “Daddy?”

Kyle and Jacob both turned to their younger boy. “What is it, sweetheart,” Kyle asked him.

“When are we eating? I’m hungry.”

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry,” Kyle said before he went into motion. “Let me see what we have.”

“Kyle, wait,” Brian said quickly as he was reading something on his phone. He went out of the room into the hall to the front door and curiously turned on the porch light outside. “Dad just texted me and said he’ll be here in a minute.”

“What does that have to do with making dinner,” Kyle asked as he headed towards the kitchen.

Brian gave Kyle an odd smirk. “Wow. You really should go to church more often if you have to ask that question.”

True to his word, Brian saw several cars in the distance heading down the old access road that led to the house and the orchard beyond. Helen was coming down the steps, wearing just a pair of jeans and a loose blouse, looking at the time on the clock on the wall before wondering at Brian standing near the front door. “Are we expecting mourners?”

Brian looked over at Helen and replied, “he didn’t mention bringing a small army, but it looks like about five cars.”

“So it would seem,” Helen surmised before heading towards the kitchen. Brian stood there and waited as he eventually saw his father approach the front door. Behind him was a small group of people, Brian figured maybe six or seven. “Kyle,” he called out. “You have visitors.”

Kyle came down the hall looking annoyed. “What? Just let them in then.”

Brian gave him an odd look and shook his head. “Normally I would. But in this case, I think you should.”

As Kyle stepped up to the door, he wondered if Brian had some joke in mind. Just as he got near, there was a knock on the door. He looked at Brian but didn’t see any hint of amusement on his face and opened the door to find Harry Whitman on the other side, dressed in his priest’s collar and purple shirt. Behind him, were a set of strangers and what looked like a few more people in the shadows he couldn’t make out. “Harry,” Kyle said politely.

“Mr. Howard,” Harry replied with a slight bow of his head. “On behalf of my congregation, I wanted to express our deepest sympathies to you and your family for the tragic loss you are all suffering through this evening.”

Kyle swallowed hard, feeling the grief throbbing in his chest again. “Thank you.”

“I informed some of my congregation of what’s happened.” He indicated the people behind him. “We come, as neighbors, to support you in your hour of need.”

Kyle watched and only just noticed they were all carrying boxes in their arms as they stepped up to the door. Without thinking, he moved aside for the first person who he didn’t know. A younger looking woman with a kind smile who stepped inside and asked where the kitchen was. As he pointed the way, it dawned on him that out of compassion, they had come to feed them. One by one, they stepped inside and followed the person in front of them. Jacob stepped into the hallway, looking at the people walking through the house. He gave Colt a slight nudge who took the hint and went to the kitchen where the people were headed.

Andy and Troy soon came to the door. “What’s going on?”

“They made dinner for us,” Kyle said simply.

Andy looked and noticed a familiar face. Colleen stepped up to the door with a sympathetic smile and a dish in her hands. “Kyle, I’m so sorry about David.”

Kyle nodded and gave her a tired smile. “Thank you.”

“I’ll help keep things in order in the kitchen, so don’t worry about that.” She then turned to Andy and said, “I brought something special for you.” She smirked and tilted her head towards the door before walking past him on her way to the kitchen.

“Huh?” Andy looked back at her, wondering what she meant before turning back towards the door and seeing two more figures approaching in the darkness. As they got closer, his heart eased, and a smile came to him as their faces were revealed in the light over the door. “Tyler.”

Tyler came inside and went to Andy to give him a warm hug as Sean stepped in behind him. “I’m so sorry,” Tyler said softly as he hugged Andy tightly.

Andy squeezed him and said in a soft, mournful tone. “I wish I could’ve seen him one last time.”

“I know,” Tyler said. “Mom called me this morning and we spent all day getting here as fast as we could.” He let go of Andy and turned to Kyle. “Kyle, I’m so sorry.”

Kyle hugged him with a small smile. “Thanks for coming. It’s been a long day.”

“All the more reason for you to go sit down and get something to eat.”

“I’m not really all that hungry,” Kyle said.

Sean stepped up next to his husband. “Probably. I knew I felt the same way when my dad died. But you still have to eat.”

Brian put a hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “Come on. It won’t kill you.”

Harry stepped inside and Andy closed the door behind him. In the kitchen, Colleen was setting up the food for everyone. Warming up some of the dishes in the oven while organizing the people she came with from the church. Troy and Colt were getting plates and silverware ready while Jacob was getting the younger children together. Kyle allowed himself to be led by Brian into the front room and then went to find Jacob, taking over for him in caring for the boys, and telling him to go be with Kyle while they took care of everything.

In the next few minutes, everyone was scattered around the house, having an informal meal. Kyle ate without really feeling anything, though he did appreciate the effort from those in Harry’s church and thanked them before they left. He sat next to Jacob and ate while occasionally reaching for his husband’s hand. It made him feel better knowing Jacob was next to him.

“Kyle,” Andy asked from his spot across the room. “Is this going to be a problem with your trial?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I had Kevin call the judge and request a long recess. Considering the circumstances, the judge will probably hold off for four days to give me time to… to take care of all of this.”

Jacob looked up suddenly with his eyes wide. “Oh, shit.” He looked at Kyle and said, “Josh. We haven’t told him.”

Kyle groaned softly and put his head in his hands. “God. I totally forgot about…” There were so many details he knew he was missing. Not even a full day since his father’s passing and he was already overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.

Jacob squeezed his hand slightly to keep him from feeling guilty about it. “I’ll call him and tell him.”

Helen looked over at her son as she finished eating, as if reading his thoughts. “Delegate, darling.”

Kyle smirked and nodded. “Yeah, yeah.”

She watched him with a careful eye as he continued to pick at the food that was left on the end table next to him. Without a word, she stood up and gracefully headed out of the room. As she moved through the hall, her eyes glanced at the pictures on the walls. David loved taking pictures of his family. He had frequently sent her copies of them, telling her all about what happened that prompted his need to capture these moments that hung on the walls. They told a story of a life that was lived in the service of those he loved more than himself. First days at school, swimming events, graduations, engagements, weddings, births, and the passage of time that marked their growth. She wondered if Kyle and the others truly understood how much he had given them.

The dining room had a few people gathered around the table eating quietly. She scanned the room and saw who she was looking for. “Andrew?”

Andy rose from his spot at the table. “Ma’am?”

“Could you come here for a moment?” She looked at Tyler and the others who had been sitting near him at the table. “I apologize for intruding, but I need to borrow him for a few moments.”

With a note of curiosity on his face, he followed her into the hall. “Something wrong?”

Helen lowered her voice slightly so as not to be overheard. “I’m concerned for Kyle. I know all of this is hard on everyone, but he needs you and the others to take some of the burden from him.”

“Well, we’re all willing and able,” he said. “We’re just waiting for him to say so.”

“I’m afraid he had his father’s pride,” she explained with a sympathetic smile. “Asking for help in all of this is not something that will come naturally or easily for him.”

Andy smirked slightly and nodded. “Okay. So, what do you need me to do?”

“Just… be his friend.” Giving him a knowing look, she continued, “as much as he loves Brian and Troy, the two of you share a special kind of bond.”

“Oh? What makes you think that?”

A flicker of her aristocratic amusement passed over her face. “Do you really believe that it’s just a coincidence that the two of you share a name?”

Andy blinked in mild surprise. He had noticed it when they were kids, but he had always just believed it to be random. “Wait. What do you mean?”

With a chuckle, Helen put her hand on his shoulder and leaned closer. “Shall I tell you a story? About a little boy who was picked on and made fun of every day in school because the other children thought he looked silly and strange with his worn clothes… How a group of boys used to chase him and hurt him for being different. Would you like to hear how it all ended the day another boy stood up for him and made the bullies stop and from there, the two of them formed a bond that lasted their entire lives?”

Andy smiled hearing that. “David stood up for my dad when they were kids, huh?”

“No,” she corrected him. “The other way around. David was the shy, quiet boy in the thrift store clothes living alone with no friends out on his grandfather’s orchard. He was picked on and bullied all the time until Peter, your father, stopped them. From that moment on they were nearly inseparable.”

Andy was both surprised and touched. “I had no idea. Dad never mentioned it to me. I always knew they were close. Closer than they were with anyone else.” What he didn’t say was that his dad and David seemed as close in their friendship as he was with Brian. Knowing about David’s relationship with Colt, he wondered if his dad and David… he shook his head, banishing the thought and focused on what was happening now. “Okay. I’ll stick next to him the rest of the night.”

Helen smiled and gently kissed his cheek. “Thank you, dear.”

Jacob made his way to the kitchen after leaving the bedroom at the back of the house. Talking to Josh was never easy. While he had come to accept Josh as a part of his life, there was still this awkward gap between them, although he did feel that their visits were helping to close that gap. Having to tell him of David’s death didn’t make that any easier but he was surprised at how Josh’s first question wasn’t about David or even Kyle. “Are you alright?” It was not the words he expected to hear but he could tell Josh’s question came from a genuine concern for him. They talked for a few minutes and by the end, Jacob felt a little better. Maybe it was more conversations like that that would lead to a genuine bond between them in the future.

He stepped inside and found Colleen standing at the stove nibbling on some food while Matt and his friends sat around the table quietly eating. She shared a concerned look with Jacob before turning her eyes to Matt. The unsaid concern didn’t go unnoticed as Jacob went over to the table and leaned down next to Matt. “How are you doing, son,” he asked quietly.

Matt turned to look at his dad with pouting lips and shimmering eyes. “We were supposed to play catch today,” he said in a whisper.

“Oh, baby.” Jacob put his arms around him and picked him up. “I’m sorry. I know how disappointed you must be feeling right now with all of this.”

“It’s not fair,” Matt said in a choked voice.

He smiled despite himself as Matt wrapped his arms around his neck. “You’re right. It’s not. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want. I know you have some big feelings inside you right now. But me and your dad love you and we’re here for you and your brother.” Jacob held him for a few more moments until Matt’s tears subsided. As he comforted his son, he realized what a double-edged sword it was to love his children so much that their joys were his joys. But their pain was also his. And in the coming days, he would have to deal with not only his own grief but that of his children as well.

While Jacob was dealing with Matt, Andy wandered into the front room and found Kyle sitting there with an empty plate on the end table nearby and a far-off gaze staring at the wall across from him as if he was deep in thought. He sighed and slowly crossed the room, joining his friend on the couch. Carefully, he put an arm around Kyle’s shoulders to get his attention. “Hey,” Andy said to him.

Kyle looked at him and offered a weak smile. “Hey. Do you need something?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a nod. “I need some time with my best friend because I’m seeing him staring off into space.”

Kyle’s smile widened a little as he looked down. “Sorry. Just… thinking about everything that needs to be done.”

“That’s probably a lot,” Andy commented. “More than one person can manage on their own. How about you make a list, and we can divvy out everything you think that needs to get done. I hear you’re pretty good at writing shit down.”

Kyle leaned closer to him, resting his head against Andy’s. “Wish it were that simple. It’s like, I get one idea started and then ten other issues come out of nowhere and I forget what it was I going to do next.”

Andy nodded in understanding as he put his arm around Kyle and held him closer. “No one expects you to have David’s funeral planned out by the end of the night. Take as long as you need. But remember that me, Brian, and Troy are willing and able to pick up what needs to be picked up.”

“Is Matt okay,” Kyle asked. “I haven’t seen him since Mom got here.”

Andy nodded. “He’s fine. In fact, I might get Tanner to get all the boys together and have him and Chase keep an eye on them all. Emily is with Liz; Aaron is sitting with Colt in the dining room. Troy and Colleen are in the kitchen with Matt, Carter and Blake.” He leaned closer to Kyle’s ear and whispered. “Everyone is okay. You don’t need to worry about them. Let’s just focus on you for right now.”

Tyler and Sean wandered into the room and looked around. Sam was sitting at the far end of the other couch, looking around the walls at all the pictures while Andy and Kyle were on the other side, talking quietly to each other. Tyler smiled slightly and went to sit next to his old boss. “You seem to be deep in thought,” he commented.

Sam turned to Tyler, his lips twitching in a vague smile under his beard. “Just thinking. All my old friends are gone now. Except for the Helen, that is.” He chortled softly to himself. “That and thinking about all of this almost didn’t happen.”

“How’s that exactly,” Tyler asked curiously.

He motioned towards Andy and Kyle who had turned their attention towards him. “When Davey was a teenager… Maybe sixteen or seventeen, I had him and Pete taking a summer job at the company back when my dad still ran it. Just some spending money and something to keep them out of trouble.”

“Trouble,” Andy asked with a smirk.

Sam snorted as he looked at the younger man as his voice dripped with sarcasm. “Yeah. Because your dads would have never dreamed of breaking curfews or drinking beers out of the back of a pickup in the middle of a field at midnight.”

Kyle blinked in surprise. “Wait. What?”

“Oh, come on, Kyle,” he said with a knowing look. “Teenagers are always finding new and inventive ways to get into trouble. Just because he was your dad doesn’t mean he didn’t do some stupid shit in the past.”

Despite himself, Kyle started to chuckle slightly. “Okay. Fair point. But what does that have to do with any of this not happening?”

Warming up to the story, Sam went on. “Well, like I said, Davey and Pete spent part of the summer working on a team doing all sorts of stuff. One day, they went out to help patch a roof. Your dad, being young and stupid, was wearing sneakers as he and Pete were with a couple of other guys up there. I was down on the ground, organizing stuff when all of a sudden, I hear a scream. I look up just in time to see Pete grabbing the back of Davey’s shirt and pulling him back so hard they both fall over. Turns out, your dad’s feet slipped because it was steeper than he thought, and sneakers aren’t the best thing to wear when you’re standing on a roof. If Pete hadn’t grabbed him, God knows what could’ve happened.”

Andy grinned and said, “the morel of the story being, don’t step too close to the edge of the roof.”

Sam looked at him with a slight frown. “Yeah. Too bad I didn’t tell you that lesson sooner, huh?”

Tyler and the others chuckled as Kyle playfully rubbed the top of Andy’s head. Helen stepped into the doorway, watching them all with a small smile on her lips. Her eyes met Sam’s for a moment as they silently shared their own personal memories of the friend they lost.

Before anyone could speak, an urgent beeping sound from the hall interrupted their shared moment. Kyle got to his feet with a sober expression as he walked out of the room. Helen turned as he walked down the short hallway to his father’s study, watching curiously. “What’s that?”

“The security system around the orchard,” he said as he stepped up to the panel attached to the wall. He tapped the screen to see the report. The view from a security camera near the public entrance came onto the screen and he groaned quietly. “There’s a bunch of people at the entrance.” Without another word, he turned and headed towards the kitchen with a determined look on his face.

Tyler overheard from his place in the room and as he saw Kyle walk away, his eyes widened in alarm. “Kyle!” He jumped to his feet and hurried after him. “Kyle? Wait!”

Andy reflexively started to follow as Tyler continued to call after Kyle, wondering what was going on. “What’s happening?”

Tyler glanced back but didn’t stop, knowing what Kyle was probably planning on doing. “Stop him.” He walked faster, trying to prevent a bad situation from getting worse. “Kyle! You can’t.” As focused as he was, Tyler didn’t notice that some of the others were watching them as Tyler started running once he saw Kyle go out the back door.

Kyle wasn’t thinking or listening to who was calling to him. All he knew was that he had to get this crowd out of his dad’s orchard. Or maybe it was his orchard now. The idea of them getting in and damaging anything gave him a sense of panic and a need to take control of the situation. He was just starting down the ramp when a hand grabbed his arm and forced him to stop and turn around.

Tyler held Kyle’s arm in a firm grip, not trying to hurt him but to get him to listen. “Kyle, you can’t go out there,” he admonished Kyle gently. “Those people are out there probably holding a vigil or something. You go out there with guns blazing and God only knows what will happen next.”

“I have to talk to them. Get them to leave.”

Speaking with a tone not unlike a parent admonishing a child, Tyler pressed on. “All the more reason for you to not go out there. They’re mourning David as much as you are. They’re not harming anything and they’re more likely than not just showing their support. You can’t go out there right now, and you know that.” When he sensed his words were getting through to him, he loosened his hold. “Your father died today, Kyle. No one expects you to go out there. And besides, each person in that crowd has a camera and you’re in no position to talk to anyone outside of this house. You’re hurting and you’re grieving. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t a news camera with a reporter out there somewhere to and the last thing you should be doing is answering a reporter’s questions.”

The panic inside him began to subside as he glanced over Tyler’s shoulder and saw Andy and the others standing there watching. His shoulders slumped as he sighed. “You’re probably right.”

Tyler lowered his voice, relieved to see that Kyle was listening to him. “I know I’m right. And from what I hear, you’re in the middle of a pretty important trial. If you’re caught on camera having a breakdown, that could complicate things far worse than you can imagine because I promise whatever you do or say will be online in seconds.” He could see the look in Kyle’s eyes turn sad as he lowered his head slightly. Tyler stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. “I’m sorry. But you can’t go out there.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “How’d you get so smart?”

“Well, that master’s degree in communication turned out to be useful after all,” he replied with a hint of playful sarcasm.

With the mix of anger and frustration dissipating inside him, all that Kyle had left was his sorrow. He wished his eyes would stop tearing up every time his thoughts randomly drifted to some memory of his dad. “Well, someone needs to do something,” he said in a tired voice.

Jacob came around and put his arm around his husband. “We’ll think of something.”

Tyler knew what the obvious and best answer was, even though he hated to admit it. With a sigh and a reluctant roll of his eyes he said, “I’ll go.” Jacob and Kyle looked at him in surprise. “It makes sense,” he continued. “I’m not part of the community here, I have the training and no one’s going to ask me any personal questions if I tell them I’m just a spokesperson for the family.”

Kyle was uncertain until his eye caught the smirk on his mother’s face. As their eyes met, she subtly nodded in approval. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s see what we come up with. But you’re not going out there by yourself.”

“I’ll go with him,” Andy volunteered. “I’ll just stay inside the gate and make sure it’s locked when we head back.”

Kyle nodded as they went back inside. “So, what do we do,” he asked Tyler.

The younger man pulled out his phone and opened a screen. “Now, you tell me what you want them to hear and what plans you have so far. I’ll ask you a couple questions that I figure they will ask me, and we’ll see what kind of answers we can give them.”

Over the next few minutes, Kyle and Tyler worked out a statement, opting to keep it short and simple, allowing a chance for some questions if there were any and enough assurances to the people outside that their efforts and intentions were appreciated by everyone. Armed with the information he needed, Tyler turned to Andy and said with a shrug, “let’s go.” The two friends headed outside and through the small familiar gate, talking together as they made the long walk to the western side of the orchard.

“I’m glad you came,” Andy said.

Tyler gave him a curious smirk. “Where else would I be right now? I wasn’t as close to him as the rest of you were, but he was still a good person who helped me once when I needed it. Not to mention I knew you and Jacob would be in pieces about it.”

“You and your hubby looking for a new place to live down in Atlanta,” Andy asked.

Tyler smiled. “Not live. Rent, maybe. He’s got a thing down there for the next nine months. And, no, I can’t talk about it. As for me, I’m still looking for work. Not that I don’t have a lot of offers, mind you.”

“Sounds to me like married life is treating you pretty good,” Andy quipped.

“Yeah…” His smile brightened. “Took me long enough, I guess.”

Andy snorted. “Bull. You’re not even thirty yet. You still have lots of time.”

“I know,” he said confidently.

They stopped talking as they approached the gate. Tyler looked at him and took a breath before stepping out into the dimly lit entrance of the orchard. Andy stayed in the shadows of one of the trees and silently watched and waited to make sure Tyler stayed safe. As he had predicted, a camera and lights came on before Tyler began to speak. Andy smirked and made a note to tell Kyle that Tyler had been right about everything. His smile softened as he listened to Tyler give his prepared remarks. The voice he heard was different from the one he heard that first day they met so many years ago. That was just a little kid who was unsure about himself and his place in the world. Now, there was this man speaking with a measured and confident voice with just enough authority to tell him that that young boy who could barely bring himself to accept a free lunch was long gone. Replaced by a man who stood with an air that made him a better person than he used to be. A feeling of pride swelled up inside Andy mixed with melancholy from the day’s events.

Tyler was only gone for five minutes before he slipped back through the gate, making sure it was locked. “Well, that’s that then.”

“You did good,” Andy said with a little pride in his voice.

“Thank you. Let’s get back to the house.”

They fell into step together. The dark shadows of the apple trees around them could have made finding the way back to the house difficult as the paths were mostly uneven and could send a stranger off in the wrong direction. Fortunately, Andy had been navigating these paths all his life. “So, what’s next, I wonder,” Andy pondered as they continued down the path.

Tyler sighed sadly and replied soberly, “now, we ensure David gets the funeral he deserves.”