Truths Chapter 3

Brass

Grissom pulls the door open and smiles benignly like there's nothing wrong. Like he invites us to his house all the time.

We march in single file.

We follow Grissom into the living room which is connected to his kitchen and the smell tickles my stomach. What a spread Grissom has laid out. There's food on every surface and nice plates stacked in some fancy thing. Fresh flowers on the window sill and in the counter. Warrick lays his gold eyes on me. Definitely a woman. If it were up to Griss we'd be eating chocolate covered grasshoppers and knocking back shots.

"I know you're all hungry." He starts out soft and gentle like when he's pulling a perp in. "I just wanted to tell you all," he clears his throat and gestures, "the people that are most important to me, that I there have been some big changes in my life."

Like that shirt and those jeans. He almost looks cool. I wonder if anyone else has noticed the band on his left hand. Maybe I can get to Cookie before Greg does. Greg loves her but he can be so insensitive sometimes.

"About a year ago, someone came into my life that I never expected. Actually two someones came into my life and they changed my life for the better. You all know that I am not very good at this kind of thing, that I am better at showing people how I feel than telling them, and I appreciate your understanding that about me. This person means a great deal to me, and before I did not think it was possible for me to feel this..."

Warrick shifts nervously. Catherine's grinning like a fool. Nick looks pleased but wary and Greg looks like me- like he wants to throw up. I work hard at listening to what Grissom is saying. I should try to be happy for him but I can't because I feel like I'm in the middle of a divorce. If there's a custody battle Sara gets to keep me.

He is edging towards the doorway now grinning like and old fool, dropping to the floor and reaching his arms out to some unseen small person. "I would like to introduce you all to my grandson Jonathan and my daughter Thandie."

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle.

Thandie

I am overwhelmed by cuteness. That's the only way I can describe it. How did so many good looking men end up working together?

To say they were shocked is an understatement. They were good at covering it up though, and after a brief explanation they seem to be taking to me well. They've got to be wondering where Sara is.

I stick my hand out to Warrick first. "'He's the only one that can reach above the lockers. He's cool and smart, still coaches a basketball team from his old neighborhood and his grandmother makes him got to church every Sunday.' You must be Warrick Brown."

He kisses my hand and says, "What a pleasure."

I cut my eyes to Catherine whose smile slips every so slightly. Moving on. No need to hover here, even Gil knows how those two feel about one another.

I turn to the shorter man who stands to his side. "Nick 'Nicky' Stokes He's brave, loyal, and honorable. Prince among men. He's kind, generous, the scientist with a heart. Comes for a big family. Every mother's dream. Sports fiend. Always sees the best in people."

He is grinning widely and I think he looks a bit like Superman, hair and all. "I sound like a puppy."

I decide that I will not say, "If they had you at the pound, baby I would take you home." Gil looks skittish. I can't imagine what it must be like to watch me ogle his friends.

Next up in the wild haired genius that Gil says he practices parenting on. "Greg Sanders. Stanford, surfing. Punk rock. Peroxide. DNA."

"Who knew Grissom could produce something that looks like you." He gives me a quick hug and a soft brush on the cheek. I take a good whiff off his cologne. Nice. He's bigger than I imagined. His touch is strong and his shoulders are broad.

Brass is my final man. Just adorable is the only way to describe him as he stands there in his well cut suit. "Jim BrassA man's man, a guy who can take a good punch as well as give them. Loyal, wisecracking, and blunt."

"I sound like a Micky Spillane novel." His small hands make a sandwich out my right hand. "I'm so pleased to meet you. You'll never know."

Greg is feeling left out so he chimes in. "Can we eat and then we can find out all about you since you got the goods on us."

Its tough turning away from the man feast but for Sara I do it. "I think he has something else he wants to tell you."

Gil clears his throat and this seems to be a bit harder for him. I certainly understand. How do you tell your friends that you have been married to another friends for weeks?

"I would also like to introduce-well that's not the right word. I would like for you to know that I have gotten married."

Faces go slack, and you can nearly see them lean back like in Asian cultures when you have shamed the family. Oh dear. It never occurred to me how loyal they must all be to Sara. They see she's not here and surely they know how they feel about one another. It's not funny but I want to laugh at the thought of my dad with anyone else but Sara.

Jonathan breaks the silence by calling out. "Sareeee! Come out, come out, wherevah you are!"

Long legs that I would give my left arm for are seen first as she breezes in the room looking cool and elegant in a way only the very tall and very thin seem to be able to pull off.

It's a madhouse now. Someone, Greg I think, starts a round of hip hip hooray. People are hugging Sara and clapping Grissom on the back. Jonathan is being smothered in tickles and lifted onto shoulders. Currently he resides on top of Warrick, his tiny hands disappearing into thick, coffee colored hair. He'll be going on and on about this for days.

"Warwreck, you hair is funny," he is saying as they drift to where the food is.

"Yeah, well, your legs are funny."

"Nuh uh. My legs like Poppop's." Jonathan says with proud determination giving Warrick's shoulders a little squeeze with his small rounded legs.

"Poppop!" Nick exclaims still holding onto Sara around the neck. "Aw this is better than the Super Bowl."

Greg is busy pilling fruit on one of his two plates. "I say we get all his CSI stuff monogrammed with 'Poppop'. Overalls. Hats. The works."

"Greg," Gil warns playfully.

"Aw come on boss. This is priceless. You gotta let me have something." He filling the second plate with turkey sausage links and fried potatoes from a large heavy bowl. "A wife, a kid AND a grandkid, boss, come on. I've been good for months. I haven't worn any evidence. No whoopie cushions, no hiding your spiders, I have even been nice to Hodges."

"You have twenty fours hours Greg, to say what you are going to say and do what you are going to do. After that I better not hear Poppop anywhere but out of a certain 3 year old's mouth."

"Me!" Jonathan has managed to maintain his mountain top view from atop Warrick shoulders munching on a strawberry that Nick has just handed him.

Brass is standing very close to me. He moves so lightly one hardly knows he's there. Dad does the same thing. "So the big question is for Mrs. Grissom. Are you gonna let him keep wearing that dam hat?"

TBC