I was right about how crowded the diner would be. It was pretty much empty when I got there. There were a few people at the counter, and the booths were empty except for the one occupied by Ted, Emmett, and Michael. I placed my order at the counter then headed over to sit with them while I waited.

They of course, are in their own little world and don�t see me approaching them.

Emmett is busy sipping his iced tea and relating some kind of story while looking intently at Michael. He�s wildly gesturing with his hands and suddenly he turns hushed.

�He�s soooooo in love with Justin.� Of course, I�m their topic of conversation. I should have figured. �Shut up Emmett� I�m thinking as I stand back to listen.

�Oh Emmett, you�ve been saying that for years. That it�s only a matter of time before they�d be back together. It�s been ten years. They�re definitely not getting back together.� �Shut the fuck up Ted.� What the hell does he know?

�Teddy� How can�t you see it?� Now I�m back to thinking �Shut up Emmett.� I almost laugh not sure which version I like better, the soap opera fantasy that Emmett has of Justin and I, or Ted�s views on the world as he knows it.

�The only thing I see is Brian being Brian. He wants to be in charge. He has to control everything, even Justin�s recovery, again.� �Shut the fuck up Ted. I care about him, fine I still love him, that doesn�t mean I�m ready for everyone to talk about it, Emmett�s version wins.�

�I don�t think it�s any of our business.� �There ya go Mikey.� At this point I decide to make my presence known. I slide in next to Michael and give Emmett and Ted my best smile.

�It�s NOT any of your business. So why don�t you all just shut the fuck up?� I avoid their guilty looks of being caught talking about me behind my back by watching as our waitress comes over and turns my coffee cup over and pours me some. I take a sip and decide to let them off easy.

�So? How is everyone?� I realize I haven�t seen much of them lately, just a few minutes here and there when they�ve been in to see Justin. It�s funny how now that he�s awake their visits seem fewer and farther between.

A weird silence was surrounding the table and Michael was the first to speak up, probably because he knew I hadn�t heard him say anything terrible or just because he�s clueless sometimes. Ted and Emmett both looked grateful that he was breaking the silence.

�I�m doing great. The store�s doing great. Things are pretty much great.� He�s eating a bowl of pudding with a spoon and he�s stuffing his mouth between sentences. I�m suddenly wondering why no one ever taught him how to correctly hold his utensils.

I look over at Emmett. He flashes me a smile and starts chattering on about the latest pieces of disco trash clothing that arrived in at Torso earlier in the day. I�m nodding like I care and find myself looking over at the counter wondering how long it actually takes to cook a cheeseburger and some French fries. I�m almost betting I could do it faster than this and I haven�t cooked anything in over ten years. Even then I was just heating up a can of soup for Justin when he was sick once.

I smile thinking about him. Even now, with his limited vocabulary, our conversations are a lot more interesting than this one is. I groan inwardly as I hear Ted recounting a porn incident gone wrong today on his website. I�m still feigning interest though and nodding occasionally.

�What about you Brian?� Emmett asks cautiously.

�You know me. I�m always fabulous.� I�m surprised when I realize that I actually do feel fabulous today. That hasn�t happened in a long time. I know it�s because Justin�s doing better. Truth be told the biggest reason for my improved mood is because we�re back in each other�s lives finally, just as friends but who knows� maybe?

�How�s Justin doing?� Ted asks, but looks as if he�d wished he hadn�t mentioned him for fear of reminding me of his earlier comments.

�Justin�s doing fine.� That�s all they need to know. �You might try visiting him a little more. He�d appreciate it.�

Ted looked down embarrassed and Emmett�s cheeks flushed as he nodded.

�It�s just hard Brian. We don�t know what to say to him. We don�t even know if he understands us. He doesn�t say anything. How do you know he hasn�t suffered some kind of brain damage?� If he didn�t sound so serious, I�d probably be more pissed off by that statement than I already am

�Michael, The only one with brain damage here is you. So shut the fuck up.� I roll my eyes and can�t believe he actually believes that. �Spend some time with him Mikey, you�ll see he�s just as smart as ever.�

We all sit there in silence until a few seconds later, when my cell phone rings. I pick it up and hearing the voice on the other end I excuse myself from the table. I walk over toward the front door where it�s quieter. I�m positive as soon as I hear her voice that I�m going to need some privacy for this call.

�Brian? Jennifer Taylor. I called my office today and they gave me your message.� Her voice is very cold and I feel myself tense up.

�Hello, Mrs. Taylor.� I feel like I�m standing in front of her condo and she�s telling me that she never wants me to see her son again.

�Oh God. What�s wrong?� Something about my voice must have clued her in.

�Relax, he�s okay. Well, he�s okay now anyway.� I sigh and slide into an empty booth.

She�s getting hysterical on her end and she hasn�t even heard me actually say that anything is wrong. She assumes and now she�s freaking out, jumping to conclusions and I�ve already told her that he�s okay. She�s calming down a little and repeating �I never should have left the country.�

�Mrs. Taylor.� If she�ll shut up for a minute, I�ll continue. I light a cigarette and the waitress is now at this table pouring me another cup of coffee. Jennifer finally is silent and lets me continue.

�He�s in the hospital. Head Injury. He�s awake.� For some reason I can�t get out much more than that. Her hysteria has rubbed off on me some I suppose.

�I�m coming home.� I nod as if she can see me. �How is he? You said he�s okay.�

�Yeah, he�s okay. He was in a coma for about five weeks, but he woke up about two weeks ago.

�Why didn�t anyone contact me?� She sounds as if she�s accusing me now.

�Jennifer I tried. I left this message for you seven weeks ago. You don�t fucking check your messages for two months and that�s my fault?�

I inhale some smoke deeply and exhale slowly trying to stay calm. Between Mikey�s comments and now Jennifer�s accusing tone; my fabulous mood is slipping away.

�I�m sorry Brian. I�m not blaming you, just calm down.�

�Yes you are. You�re always blaming me for something and I am calm.�

�Brian, I don�t want to argue with you again. Are you there with him now?� She asks.

�No. I�m at the diner picking up dinner for him.� She sighs heavily into the phone and I�m sure it�s because I�m spending time with him and that terrifies her.

�I�m going to go now. I�ll call Justin at the hospital to let him know that I�m on my way home as soon as I can make arrangements to get a flight out of here.�

�Don�t.�

�Excuse me?�

�Don�t call him.� As soon as those words are out of my mouth, I realize I�ve nearly raised my voice to yelling. The boys are staring at me now. I scowl at them and they turn back to what they were doing.

�Why?�

�He can�t talk to you. It�ll only upset him.�

�What do you mean he can�t talk to me?�

�I mean he can�t. It�s a part of his injury; he�s lost a lot of his vocabulary. He can�t verbalize what he�s thinking. I�ve talked to a specialist; it�s going to be fine. Justin�s going to start working with him next week and he seems positive that it�s only going to be temporary. He�s just frustrated right now and you calling, even if you think it�s just to talk to him isn�t going to help things right now; it�s going to make it worse. Trust me.�

�Brian?� Her voice is softer now; she�s almost too calm for words.

�Yeah?� I see the waitress heading my way with my takeout order.

�Tell him that I�m coming home.�

�I will. I�ve got to go.� The waitress sets down my order on the table and I fish some money out of my wallet and hand it to her. �Our food�s done and I need to get back there before it gets cold.�

�Thanks.� She says and it sounds like more than a thank you for giving him my message. It�s more like a thank you for taking care of him. I don�t want to deal with her mixed signals so I choose to ignore it.

�No problem. I�ll tell him. Bye.� I close my phone and pick up the food and head toward the door. Michael, Emmett and Ted are leaving as well and they catch up to me outside as I�m getting into the jeep.

�Brian?� Mikey is looking at me trying to read my face. I just look at him hesitantly and wide eyed.

�Are you okay?� He looks genuinely worried about me.

�I�m fine. Why wouldn�t I be?� His hovering can be rather annoying so I�m sure my words are sharp and perhaps filled with a trace of anger.

�Who was that on the phone?� I sigh as he stares at me like a mother hen.

�Jennifer Taylor.� I make a face and he laughs.

�No wonder you look like you�ve been in the middle of a prize fight.�

I grin. He�s seen Jennifer and I go round and round with each other. For eight years I had to deal with her. I was the monster that corrupted her son. Then the person she tolerated for his sake. Eventually I was just the asshole who kept hurting him and making him miserable. She probably never knew she was one of the main reasons that I let him go. She finally got through to me one day and made me see how much I kept hurting him. She�s the one that made me see what I was doing to him. Damn her.

�It was fine Mikey. We were on our best behavior.� I smile rather unconvincingly.

�Yeah, I�m sure. That�s why you were yelling at her.� I grin.

�That is my best behavior Mikey. You know that.�

He smiles and turns with a little wave as he walks off toward his store. I get into my jeep and head back to the hospital and back to Justin.

To Be Continued�