61. Together Again
SIXTY-ONE
Together Again
TARA
With the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade playing in the living room, Tara and Theo helped their mom with any last-minute details for the Thanksgiving dinner meal being served later that day. Every so often, Tara would check in on Nick to make sure he was doing okay. When she finished up the last of the prep work in the kitchen, she found him in the den with Tristan. Tristan had pulled out his old guitar, an instrument he hadn’t played in years. When he invited Nick to play it, Nick enthusiastically took him up on his offer.
“Thanks,” Nick said. “I haven’t had a guitar to play in a couple of years.” Nick strummed a few chords, stopping only to tune it.
“Sorry if it’s out of tune,” Tristan said sheepishly. “I haven’t touched it since I got out of the Academy.”
Nick paused when Tara walked in then he turned back to Tristan. “The academy?”
“Naval Academy.”
Nick turned his attention back to the strings as he plucked a few notes. “My brother’s a Marine.”
“That’s right.” Tristan shot him a genuine smile. “Tara mentioned something about that.”
Nick started playing a few notes, replaying a few chords, then started over. The music that came out of the guitar was some of the most beautiful Tara had ever heard. She exchanged bewildered look with her brother.
To her right, her father rolled his wheelchair into the room, mouth agape as he listened to the music emanating from Tristan’s old guitar. He tapped Tristan on the arm and whispered. “That’s yours?”
Tristan just nodded.
Theo and Helen appeared from the kitchen. Like a siren on a distant island, it drew them all in, only instead of crashing into the rocks, they were left in a happy trance from which they didn’t care to escape.
Tara’s phone buzzed with a text message from Steve, so she stepped into the living room.
Steve: Shift ran over
Tara: Dinner at 1pm
Steve: May need a nap first
Tara: Skip the nap - have a surprise for you
Steve: Surprise?
Tara: You’ll love it. Promise.
Steve: Be there soon
Tara returned in time to hear the end of Nick’s song. No one spoke for a several seconds. The silence was only broken by the Christmas carol being performed by a marching band performing in the parade that was still on in the next room.
“Wow.” Theo muttered, half to himself.
“Nick, honey,” Helen said, bringing her hands to her chest. “That was beautiful. Was that Spanish guitar?”
Nick’s head dropped a little, as if he wanted to escape the attention. “Yes,” he confirmed. His eyes darted around the room. He set the guitar down. “Thanks for letting me play.”
Still in shock at the beautiful music Nick had just played for them, Tristan spoke up. “I don’t think my guitar could ever sound like that.”
Nick’s lips hinted at a smile.
Ken wheeled closer to him. “That was some terrific playing, Nick.”
“Thanks, Mr. Bailey.”
The throaty growl of a motorcycle drew Tara’s attention. She caught Nick’s gaze, and they shared a smile. “That’s Steve,” she said.
Tara peeked through the window just as Steve cut the engine and walked up the sidewalk to their front door. He knocked three times.
Tristan’s voice called out from the living room, “I’ll get it.”
Tara peeked around the corner and watched Tristan opened the door and stand in the doorway. He had the same red hair Tara had, but his eyes were blue in contrast to her green. He scrutinized Steve from head to toe, as if weighing and measuring his overall worth.
“You must be Steve.” His voice was sharp as he sized up the man who was interested in his sister.
“That’s right.”
“And you are?” Steve stood his ground.
Tristan crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m her brother.”
“Tris!” Tara called as she entered the living room. “Let him in.”
Tristan broke out into a smile and extended his hand. “Tristan Bailey.”
“Steve Cook”
“Come on in, Steve.”
Steve set his bag and motorcycle helmet at the door as the entire family converged in the living room.
“Figures a jarhead wouldn’t know when to back down.”
“Squid, huh?”
Tristan narrowed his eyes. “Yeah. Always having to cart you guys around,” he tsked with a shake of his head.
Steve smirked and eyed him sideways, but the glint in his eye made it clear he was joking. “Yeah, so you can kick back and relax on your luxury liners while we do all the real work.”
Tristan broke out into laughter and slapped his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Come in and meet everybody. This is my wife, Emily.” She stood up and greeted him with an enthusiastic hug, which he returned, probably figuring it was best to go with the flow. “Watch out, she’s a hugger.”
“This is our Grams, Evelyn.” Steve nodded at the petite woman as she sauntered up to him.
“Oh no. You can’t get away so easily.” She greeted him with a hug, too.
Tara wrapped her arms around Steve’s neck to lean up for a quick kiss.
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hey, you.” His voice dropped so only Tara could hear.
“Hi,” she said with another kiss.
Tristan pulled them out of their shared daze. “None of that, now. Yuck.”
She made a face at her brother. “Shut up, Tris.”
“Yeah,” Emily gave her husband a friendly elbow to the ribs. “Shut up, Tris.”
Tristan feigned shock at his wife’s comment, then gave her a loving smile that was only for her.
“Oh.” Tara extended her arm. “This is our younger brother…”
“We’re both her younger brothers.” Tristan laughed while wrapping his arm around Emily’s shoulders.
“By a whopping seven minutes, Tris.”
“Still younger.”
Tara cleared her throat. “This is our younger brother, Theo.”
A barely-old-enough-to-legally-drink Theo stood up. He sported blue jeans and a green Ohio University sweatshirt with his thick dark red hair pulled back in a short ponytail. “Good to meet you, Steve.”
“You, too.”
Steve walked over to Tara’s dad. “How are you doing, Ken?”
“Fantastic.” Ken’s grin was mischievous, but he lowered his voice and motioned for Steve to lean closer as if sharing a secret.
Tara could have sworn her dad said something about doing wheelies later.
“You will do no such thing, Kenneth.”
“Busted!” Ken pretended to rein in his mischievous smile as soon as Helen scolded him.
“You’re getting rid of that thing soon, right?”
“Yes, Steve. He is.” Helen pulled him into a warm embrace, both of them smiling. “It’s so good to see you, honey.”
“Thanks for having me…” Steve’s comment trailed off when his eyes met a shy smile just a few steps behind Helen. “What…” He stopped for a moment, not caring that his jaw just hit the floor. “Nicky?”
Holding his hands on Helen’s upper arms, he pulled back from his hug and stared right at her, wide-eyed like a deer in headlights. She was grinning from ear to ear despite a hint of tears welling up in her eyes.
“What? How?” He attempted to ask, but broke out into a huge smile.
“Go!” Helen nudged him toward his brother.
“Nicky!”
“Stevie.”
Tara wiped a tear from her cheek as Steve stepped around Helen and pulled his brother into an enormous hug, which Nick enthusiastically returned. They held the embrace for a long minute to the sound of sniffing behind them.
“You’re home,” Steve’s voice cracked. I can’t believe you’re here.” He pulled back just long enough to double-check that this was really happening, grasping Nick’s grinning face with both hands before pulling him back into another hug. “God, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Thanks, Stevie,” Nick whispered. “Thanks for finding me.”
“Anything for you, little brother. Anything for you.”
He pulled back again, leaving one hand on his brother’s shoulder. He wiped his eyes with the palm of his other hand. When he turned around, he saw everyone was watching them. There was not a dry eye in the house. Steve shot a grateful look toward Helen, then Tara, then back at Helen, he couldn’t even speak. With a swallow, he found his words. “Thank you.”
His voice cracked again, but no one seemed to care.
Helen clapped her hands together with a sniff. “Well. We all know what we’re thankful for this year, don’t we? Theo? Tristan? Make sure the table’s all set. Dinner’s going to be ready soon. Tara? Fix the glasses.”
Tara and her brothers snapped into action as their mom dabbed a tear from her eye on her way back to the kitchen. She passed Steve just as he and his brother embraced again, not letting each other go until they were all called to dinner.