Brent arrived towards evening the next day. He had brought Mandie flowers and a cute, overstuffed Teddy Bear. Craig just shook his head, it wasn't like his brother to do something so thoughtful as that! Without asking, he was sure that Andrea had something to do with that. They ordered ribs and chicken from a popular smokehouse nearby and Mom, Dad, Brent, Craig, and Mandie sat together around the small table and ate. Then they spent the rest of the evening sitting around the living room talking and laughing, reminiscing over old times. Mom told some pretty funny stories to Mandie about when the boys were younger and the incredible stuff they got themselves in to. At one point Mandie was giggling so hard that her stomach hurt! Mom and Dad left around 10 for the motel and then they were going to be heading back to their little town of Belle Eagle the next day so they said their goodbyes to their two sons and Mandie. Mandie thanked them for coming, she told them they really cheered her up. Brent offered to walk them down to the car. When they were standing by the car, Mom hugged Brent tight and whispered in his ear, "I know you're going to be a father, Brent." She felt his whole body tense and he released Mom. He held her arms and stared at her, wide-eyed. "Don't look at me like that! Do you think I'm blind and stupid?" She asked.

"But, Mom, I, I ..." He stumbled. She made a face and shook her head. "Did Dad tell you?" Brent looked over at Dad who frowned and shook his head.

"No, he didn't. Just for the record, I've been pregnant before, I know the signs!" She said sarcastically. "And your little 'anorexia' story was fairly bogus. Anyway, I just want to say that I'm happy for you two. You going to make her an honest woman, Brent?" A big grin spread across Brent's face.

"Just bought a ring yesterday Mom." She pulled him to her and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Good! Now, clean up your act or Andrea has my permission to give you a whack now and then." She thought a moment ... "As a matter of fact, I think I still have my paddle at home, I'm gonna box it up and send it to her!!" The three of them had a good laugh at that. Mom and Dad climbed in the car and Brent waved as they drove off into the darkness.

He went back into the apartment to find Mandie safely tucked away in her bed and Craig cleaning up the kitchen. Brent went in and said goodnight to Mandie then joined Craig in the kitchen. He sat down at the table and watched Craig moving around, drying dishes and putting them away.

"You'd look really sexy in an apron you big hunk." Brent said in his best 'fag' voice. Craig turned around and snapped his arm with the towel. Brent jumped back and grabbed the site when Craig snapped him. It stung and he rubbed it. Craig laughed. "Damn, that hurt." Brent said.

"If you want more little man, keep it up." Craig said shaking a finger at Brent. Brent shook his head.

"Naw, I can do without the physical violence you are offering." Craig finished what he was doing and then pulled out a couple of sheets and a blanket from the linen closet. He threw them on the couch.

"Hey, look at that, the same accommodations I was offered at your house! But my couch is a lot less comfortable, enjoy!" Craig snickered and joined Brent at the table. They sat and talked a while before Craig said he wanted to check on Mandie.

"Yeah, I know what you want to check on." Brent said getting up and retrieving his bag from the front door where he dropped it when he'd first gotten there. Craig chuckled and hugged his brother. He went into the bedroom and shut the door. Brent got washed up and brushed his teeth. He made his 'bed' on the couch and lay down on it. He grabbed his cell phone from the coffee table and called Andrea. She picked up right away.

"How was your day, babe?" He asked her.

"Busy! How was your ride?"

"Boring."

"I'm sorry I couldn't go with you. I hope you understand. We'll have other times, Brent, I promise."

"Uh huh." There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

"So, how is Mandie?" Andrea asked.

"She appears to be doing well. She's bruised up pretty bad. The one on her face is pitiful. That guy is lucky I wasn't there." Andrea chuckled.

"You woulda messed him up tough guy?" She teased.

"They'd a been picking pieces of him up from everywhere." He said seriously. He was dead set against violence against women. If a man wants to fight there will always be another man he can fight but if he hits a woman, he should be shot. On the other end Andrea cleared her throat.

"So, how were Mom and Dad?" She asked, changing the subject. He told her about their dinner and the stories afterward. She felt a pang of jealously. She would have loved to been there to hear that. She tried asking Jocelyn for the time and Jocelyn just gave her a look that meant, don't even try.

"That must have been good." She offered.

"Oh, uh, Mom knows you're pregnant." He said casually. Andrea was silent on the other end.

"What?" She said finally.

"I think Dad told her. Or else she said she could tell from the way you were acting." Andrea knew it! She sensed that Mom knew. They should have just told her outright ...

"What did she say about it?" Brent told Andrea that Mom was happy for them. He carefully omitted the 'marriage' part. They finished their conversation. After a few 'I love yous' and 'I miss yous' they said goodbye. Brent set his phone on the table and stared up at the ceiling. He draped one arm over his eyes and felt himself relax. There was something missing though, and, after thinking about it a few minutes he realized that it was Rory. Rory was missing. Rory always slept between Brent's legs. Brent chuckled to himself and then lay quiet until he fell asleep.

The next morning, Brent awoke to Craig moving around in the kitchen. Brent got up, slid his jeans on and went over to Craig.

"Hey, bro." Craig said. He was making breakfast. He handed Brent a cup of coffee. Brent 'seasoned' it the way he likes it with cream and sugar and then sat down at the table.

"Whatcha making you big, sexy mayun!" Brent said, again in his 'fag' voice. Craig turned around.

"You up for an ass kicking this morning little boy? Because if you are ..." His voice trailed off as he came towards Brent. Brent held his hands up in front of himself.

"Ohh, I like it when you are rough with me but don't push it too hard into my ass ..." Craig grabbed the dishtowel and twisted it up. He snapped it at Brent. Brent jumped backwards. Craig persisted and snapped him a few good times. Then he grabbed him around the neck and wrestled him to the floor.

"Ouch, ouch, you're hurting me!" Brent mocked.

"Shut up, you'll wake up Mandie." Craig said and punched at Brent. Craig had Brent down on the carpet and was kneeling over him trying to grab his hands. Brent pulled his hands away and Craig couldn't grab them.

"Hey, look at that, too fast for ya old man." Brent was preparing to roll Craig over and gain the advantage when the bedroom door swung open and Mandie was standing there eyeing them sleepily.

"What the hell are you two doing?" She asked. The boys looked up at her, guilty looks on their faces. Craig got up off Brent and Brent stood up too. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Just having some fun. Sorry if we woke you." Brent said. He went over to the kitchen table and sat down by his coffee. Craig poured Mandie a cup and brought it to her. He escorted her back to the bed. She resisted.

"I want to sit down by you two." She protested. He took the cup of coffee from her, set it down next to the bed and shoved her in it.

"You will see us from here. Bed rest, Mandie, bed rest. You were up last night for a long time. You rest today." He leaned down and kissed her. "Think of our baby. He needs you to rest right now so he can grow big and strong." She smiled weakly at him. She knew he was right. He left the room and went back to preparing breakfast. "How'd you sleep Brent?" He asked.

"I woulda slept good but your damn phone kept ringing." Craig felt bad that he'd forgotten to turn off the phone.

"How many times did it ring?" He asked turning on the heat over a frying pan.

"About three. Damn, you gonna do something about that or what?" Brent asked. Craig nodded.

"Today, you and I are gonna go out and get one of those caller ID boxes that tells you who's calling." Craig made crepes, filled them with cherry pie filling and brought some in to Mandie while Brent was chowing down. He sat on the bed next to her while she ate. A while later Craig called the phone company and had the caller ID service started on their phone. The two boys went to Wal Mart and grabbed one of the ID boxes, brought it home and installed it. Brent called the phone from his cell phone and the three of them watched and waited while the phone rang and "cellular call" showed up on the box with Brent's phone number underneath. They all smiled.

"Ok, here we go now ..." Craig said and then put Mandie back to bed.

After dinner, Craig asked Mandie if she would mind if he and Brent went out for a drink. Mandie said she certainly did not and so the boys went to a local bar where Craig and his band played a few times. They bellied up to the bar and ordered drinks. They sat down at a table and drank and talked. Little did Craig know that in the back of the room sat a woman who knew him. She watched him and waited ....

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