Chapter 18

We had a huge baby shower for Isa, except I wasn't there so I wouldn't know what happened. I went to the Fall Festival instead with Harvey, Stan, and my Dad. Dad was working the booth so we got in on a discount. We sat in this huge pavilion center for about an hour and watched Dad talk to people.

"Bry, this is so boring. We can watch your Dad talk to people any time. Why can't we go ride something?" Harvey complained.

"Shut it Harv, can't you see Mr. LeMay is a very poetic speaker, and he's a strong guy to look after three girls and a boy for many years; all while being taunted by the upper corporate office of big radio business. I must learn from him..." Stan concluded.

"O...kay. Bry are you sure Stan's okay?"

"He's fine. He just wants to learn how to be the best dad he can be. The baby will be here soon. Watching and learning from the best is a good way to start."

"Speaking of the baby, I didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, so I just told Lola to buy the thing a teddy bear. All kids like those."

I started to tell him the gender when:

"First off never call a baby a thing Harvey!" Stan shouted.

"Excuse me! I just said that because I didn't know the gender!"

"Guys!" Dad yelled over them. "Bry, take Stan and Harvey to ride a few rides okay you're scaring people away from my booth."

"Okay Dad. Sorry, let's go guys."

"Sorry Mr. LeMay. I'll watch over them as if they were my own kids. I'll keep them from causing anymore trouble." Stan said with a stern look.

"Thanks...I appreciate that."

"No problem Mr. LeMay sir."

"Stan, call me Charlie. Now go have fun boys. Meet by the animal tent at five, I'll take you all to get dinner."

"Yes sir Mr. LeMay sir...err...I mean Charlie sir." Stan stammered.

We left Dad and walked out onto the gravel of the fairgrounds.

"Sorry about yelling at you back there Harvey."

"It's okay. Sorry I called a baby a thing."

"No worries. It's just I'm so fixed on my little boy you know?"

"So it is a boy?! Alright! We're slowly outnumbering the girls!" Harvey exclaimed excitedly.

Stan threw his arms around me and Harvey.

"I love you guys. Harvey since Bryan's the Uncle you should be the godfather."

"Really?"

Stan nodded.

"Sweet! I'm a godfather!"

We rode the Twister twice, had a blast in the bumper cars, rode the roller coaster, and the haunted house ride. We stopped for a quick snack and got to know Stan better.

"So after mom left, it was just me and my Dad." He explained as he ate from a box of nachos. Harvey sipped his cola as he listened. I ate one of my Grampa's favorites; chilli cheese fries.

"Dad told me that because I was so dumb he'd settle for a strong buff idiot. Someone that shows how tough he is through fighting and bullying. Dad always said I'd never be much else."

"That's awful." I replied.

"Yeah...but just because I started out that way doesn't mean I have to be like that. Dad changed his ways somewhere along the lines too. He realized he took guilt out on me because mom left him for somebody else. I guess he saw a lot of himself in me. How I'd never be more than I was, and all that I was, was all I could be. Until that night you showed me your powers. I thought it must have been pretty hard but brave of you to hide that from everyone at school. I thought if you didnt want to be a freak with powers, I didn't have to be an idiot with anger."

"Well my powers make me who I am. They can be a bad thing sometimes, but for the most part...I love them, but just because I do doesn't mean I just use them whenever and however I want."

"And that's a pretty adult and bold choice Bryan. Your Dad teach you that too?"

I shook my head.

"No my Mom."

I smiled.

"Your Mom is just as amazing as Charlie then."

"She is, and Isa is just like her."

Stan smiled.

"Look you guys...don't just brush off all the bad stuff I ever did or said to you. My sob story isn't worth that. Just promise me...one day you'll look at me and see a guy worth looking at."

Harvey looked at me and nodded. I smiled at Stan.

"We see you just fine, flaws and all. My sister is very lucky to have a guy that wants to learn from his past instead of one that acts like his past didn't happen at all."

I saw a glint of tears in Stan's eyes. He turned away before I saw any further. I knew he was being honest. As if this was his true self. The real Stan finally came true. Just as it did when he saved Harvey and I from the gym debris when the Lunai attacked. Just as we remembered him. He was a good man, a smart man, a loving man. A man I couldn't wait to have as a brother-in-law one day."

Dad took us out to a Mexican restaurant. There was a large fountain in the center of the place just full of pennies, dimes, and quarters. We all had a good supper, and even laughed together. Stan made a wish into the fountain before we left. I know you're not supposed to know what people wish for; or it won't come true. Though I had to know, so I read his mind as he tossed his quarter.

"I wish Isa and our son could live happy and healthy lives."

I just smiled as I watched the quarter hit the clear crystal water, before hitting the stone concrete below. A month later we were all invited to eat at Uncle Jesse's and Patrick's house they had some huge news to share with the family.

"Mom...Dad...Everyone." Jesse began at dinner.

Patrick was nowhere in sight.

"Patrick and I are engaged."

Jesse then showed us his ring. Everyone cheered for him and my Grandma Hope hugged him around the neck and kissed his cheek.

"Congratulations son!" Grampa Ben yelled out over everyone clapping.

"But wait! There's more! Okay Pat!"

Jesse turned and Patrick entered the room carrying a little 2 year old toddler. She had brown pigtails, her hair fair and her eyes a bright shade of blue. She had on a little purple dress with flowers.

"Everybody this is Avery. She's our daughter now."

My mom, my grandma, my sisters and even my Grampa couldn't get enough of this sweet little girl. My grampa Ben held her close and kissed her cheek. I just smiled I was so happy for them. I gained a great Uncle-in-law, and a new baby cousin. I got to hold and play with her all afternoon. She was such a sweetie. She calls me "Bry-Bry."