After the funeral, I rode with Bobby and Jack to Jerry's house, my luggage and guitar already moved to Bobby's car.
"So what have you guys been up to?" I asked, Bobby was driving fast through the streets, the opposite way that Jerry had drove and I was clinging to the passenger seat as he weaved in and out of traffic.
"I've been a freaking college professor what do you think?" Bobby laughed, trying to stay strong like he had throughout the whole funeral.
"I doubt that." Jack said from the back.
I smiled in return, "What he said Bobby."
Bobby rolled his eyes and parked on the side, "What about you Danny? I mean, you graduated college, you should have some great job."
"Actually I've been getting a lot of gigs lately. And guess who showed up at one a couple of days ago." I smiled.
"Who?" Jack sounded curious and leaned forward between the seats to look at me.
I smiled, "Do you guys remember Kevin?"
"That guy that helped you move in with us?" Bobby parked on the side of the road and looked at me too.
I nodded, "Yeah, he and that chick broke up a while ago, they have a little baby boy and he saw that I was performing at a club and apparently decided to check it out. So afterwards, he took me out to dinner and we talked for a bit. He looks exactly the same as he did five years ago, it was crazy."
"That's great." Jack stepped out of the car, Bobby and I watched him as he walked to Jerry's house.
"I just pissed him off didn't I?" I said, watching him.
Bobby sighed, "Go run after him Danny, you always did that anyway."
"Don't be an ass." I punched him in the arm and got out of the car, running toward Jack.
"Jackie wait up please!" I yelled.
He stopped, "What?"
"Why did you get all pissed off huh?"
Jack shook his head, "I'm not mad."
"You're not mad? Jackie, I know you better than that." I stepped in front of him and poked him in the chest, "You're a jerk."
He smiled slightly and we started walking again, he grabbed my hand and Bobby appeared behind us.
"When are the two of you going to grow up, huh? Just go out already."
"Bobby not right now man, our mom just died." Jack turned to look at him and I rolled my eyes.
"I know, I'm just saying, mom would have like to see you two together you little fairy."
I tried to hold back a laugh but failed.
Jack pushed me with his shoulder and we walked to the funeral party hugging Jerry again as we walked into the backyard.
"Did Angel show up?" I asked.
Jerry shook his head sadly, "No, I figure he just decided that it wasn't worth his time."
"Asshole." I said annoyed.
Bobby nodded in agreement and then we followed Jack over to greet Jerry's daughters.
"Hey you must be Daniela." He smiled at the little girl and Bobby smiled over at the puppy in front of the two girls.
"And you must be Amelia. I like your dress."
Amelia laughed at Bobby, "I'm Amelia."
"I know you probably don't remember us but I'm your Uncle Bobby, this is your Aunt Danny, and that is Cracker Jack." Bobby gave them another smile.
"Man, don't teach them that." Jack sighed in annoyance.
Daniela looked slightly unsure, "You can't be our aunt and uncles. You're white."
"Grandma Eva's white." Amelia said to her sister annoyed.
Bobby nodded, "That's right. You see we're a different kind of Aunt and Uncle. Your grandma, she adopted us just like she adopted your daddy."
I smiled at them kindly and they ran off to go play somewhere. Bobby stood up and looked behind his shoulder, some sort of weird reflex he got when cops were around or something.
"Alright everyone you're all under arrest." Officer Green walked in with some loser following him around.
Bobby stood up, "What about me Green, you gonna arrest me too?"
"That depends Bobby, you keeping straight?" Office Green smiled.
Bobby shrugged, "Straight-ish."
They hugged, "Thanks for coming Green. Ma would've been happy you made it to the service."
"Shit, your mom would have been happy that you made it back for her funeral."
"I didn't come for no funeral."
I sighed, "Bobby, can we not do that right now? I mean really, we have nothing to go on."
"We?" Bobby looked at me as if I had gone crazy for a moment.
I nodded, "I'm not missing out on all the fun Bobby."
Officer Green sighed, "Let's not talk about this in front of a pair of cops now okay?"
"Forget that Green, I used to make a good living around here because cops like you couldn't find tits in a strip joint."
I let out a laugh and then saw the look on Green's face.
"Hey Jackie, let's go."
We walked away, leaving Bobby with Officer Green.
I sat in the living room with Bobby, Jerry, and Angel. Sitting next to Bobby I began to doze off, being eight years old and having to watch a hockey game was a bit boring.
"Mom wants us to clean the house before the new kid gets here." Jerry stood up and began picking things off the table.
Bobby sighed and I got off him, following him around as we tried to pick up, I was bad about following Bobby around, I felt safe near him, not that I didn't feel safe with Angel or Jerry, but I'd seen Bobby yell at my mom, and that really brought me to like him.
He was like the father-figure I had always craved, not that he liked the idea when I accidentally called him dad, but he understood, I needed someone like a father because I'd never had one of those.
Bobby sighed, "Hey Danny, why don't you go sit down okay, we'll finish this really quick."
I nodded and then sat down.
…
An hour later, the brothers and I were sitting in the living room again, continuing the hockey game when we heard the sound of the front door opening.
"Boys." Miss Evelyn call. They stood up and walked into the hallway, I followed close behind Bobby and stood behind him, halfway hidden as Miss Evelyn introduced the boy that was going to be staying with them.
The kid was my age, and really skinny in an unhealthy way and the white cast around his arm was held down at his side, his other hand holding a shiny lighter that he opened and closed nervously. His clothes seemed to be about three sizes too big for his frail-like body. He also had a large bruise of his cheek, something that he was trying to cover with his messy blonde hair. His blue eyes held a scared look as he looked at the three boys in front of him.
"Jack, these are my sons Bobby, Jerry, and Angel," She smiled down at him and I stepped out from behind Bobby, "And this is our next door neighbor Danielle, she stays here most nights with us."
I waved and smiled at him, trying to get some other expression but fear to appear on his face, but he just looked even more alarmed that I was even paying him any attention. So I shrunk back behind Bobby and bit my lip, trying to think of some way to make the situation…not as awkward.
"Anyway, I'm going to go cook dinner, Danny you and Jack can go into the living room and watch some tv and I would like the three of you to come help me." She smiled again and I walked down the stairs motioning for Jack to follow me into the living room.
"Hey Danny, what're you thinking about?" Jack came up behind me from where I was sitting, making me jump.
I turned around and looked up at him, "Just your first few days at the Mercer house."
"Jeez, that was forever ago."
I smiled, "About thirteen years."
"And you used to be so screwed up." Jack returned my smile half-heartedly.
I raised an eyebrow, "I'm the one that was screwed up?"
"Yeah, you really were."