A/N: I am so sorry for that this story has somewhat fallen by the wayside. My goal is to (hopefully) have this finished real soon. See the first chapter for the disclaimer. I hope you enjoy this one, and please review. :)

Chapter 6

The drive to Phoenix was silent, as the five people in the car weren't up for talking. Adam drove while Greg slept in the passenger's seat. Caden and Alexa watched a movie while Nancy watched the scenery through the window.

About three hours into the trip, Adam stopped for gas, which caused Greg to wake up. Greg offered to take the wheel for the rest of the trip, but Adam insisted he was fine.

And Greg wasn't about to argue.

The group arrived at the hotel, checking into their rooms. Once settled, Nancy went with the kids down to the pool, while Greg and Adam wandered around the hotel grounds. Neither one spoke, as Greg knew Adam was lost in his own head and would say something when he was ready.

"I shouldn't be here."

Like now. "Why do you say that?" Greg asked quietly.

"I don't know if I can do this."

"We're all here for you."

Adam shook his head. "I don't know that I can stand to listen to everyone eulogize him as this great, wonderful man. He was a bastard! A fucking bastard! And I hate saying that, because he is my father, but…"

"He abused you and your siblings," Greg finished for him.

Adam nodded. "I swear he's the reason Molly killed herself."

Greg furrowed his brow. "Molly?"

Adam stopped walking, and Greg followed suit. "I never told you about her, did I?"

Greg shook his head.

"Oh." Adam sighed, looking toward the ground. "Molly was my sister. Older. She… she committed suicide when I was in high school. Hung herself in her closet." Adam shook his head. "She was sweet. Smarter than me."

"Doesn't take much," Greg joked with a wink.

Adam smiled slightly in appreciation. "She had a bright future," he continued. "Then, one day I came home, and she was hanging in her closet. No warning. No note. Nothing. I wondered if there was more to it, but everyone always told me there wasn't."

"We could find out, you know."

Adam shrugged. "I've been tempted, but I'm not sure I should. After all this time, what good would it do?"

Greg said nothing.

"I appreciate the offer, though."

"No problem."

Neither one spoke again as they started walking. After a while, Adam's cell phone rang, and he glanced at the caller ID before answering it. "Hey, Mom," he answered.

Greg looked away.

"We're here."

Greg vaguely began to think of what they would do for the night.

"Yeah, he came. So did his kids and his mother."

Greg furrowed his brow.

"I don't know, Mom…"

Greg stopped walking again as Adam did.

"If you're sure there's enough, I'll run it by them…"

Greg had a feeling what that meant.

"Okay. I'll call you back."

Greg started walking as Adam hung up.

"She invited all of us to dinner tonight," Adam explained, walking beside Greg.

"Even my mom?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure what she knows about you and your family, but she said that she wanted to meet you, Nancy, and the kids."

Greg shrugged. "I'm sure Mom'll be okay, but we can check it with her."

Adam nodded as the two of them headed for the pool.

"So, who's there right now?" Greg asked.

"Keri, Mike, and Steve," Adam replied. "They're cooking, for some reason, and I guess some of the neighbors have been bringing over food too. She said there'd be plenty."

"Now, Steve is…?"

"Mike's husband."

Greg nodded. "Does your mother know that?"

Adam shrugged. "She didn't say anything to me about it on the phone. And I don't know that she would say anything to me. She knows the three of us are still pretty close, considering the distance thing…"

"Keri's still in Miami, right?"

"Yeah. And Mike and Steve live in Santa Barbara."

Greg nodded again. "Yeah, you guys are pretty spread out there."

Adam quirked his shoulder up and down. "We get together when we can… maybe once or twice a year. But we talk all the time, so that's a bonus."

"Yeah."

"But this… this might be the meet for the year."

Greg shook his head. "Nah, there'll be a happier one around the holidays."

Adam looked at him. "Oh yeah?"

Greg smirked. "I can see it now."

"Okay, Miss Cleo," Adam said.

"I can predict your future!" Greg exclaimed in a thick accent.

Adam chuckled as they reached the pool. Nancy took notice of the two younger men and the amusement at what she had guessed had been a joke, and she smiled to herself. "Hey boys," she addressed them.

"Hey Nancy," Adam replied, still smiling slightly.

"Hey Mom," Greg said. After a hug and a kiss on the cheek, he said, "Adam's mom invited all of us over for dinner tonight."

"She said she wanted to meet you, Greg, and the kids," Adam added.

Nancy shrugged. "Sounds like a plan, if she's sure there'll be enough…" she said.

"My sister, brother, and brother-in-law have been cooking all day, and the neighbors have been bringing over food."

"Good. Because Caden'll eat you out of house and home."

"Huh," Greg said. "Suddenly that explains the hole in the back screen…"

"Be quiet, you," Nancy said.

Adam smiled.

"What time does she want us over there?" Nancy asked.

"Not sure," Adam replied. "I told her I'd call her back after I checked with everyone."

"I'm sure the kids won't mind."

"Yeah, they're not picky about what they eat," Greg said. "Just that they eat."

"Okay," Adam said. "I'll let her know." He walked away to make the call, and Nancy turned to Greg.

"How's he doing?" she asked.

"He's holding up," Greg replied.

"Is that a good sign?"

Greg shrugged. "It's not a bad sign. I mean… we can have dinner and we'll see from there," he finished as Adam walked up.

Adam rolled his eyes. "You suck at hiding things," he said.

Greg quirked a shoulder. "Sue me."

Adam shook his head, turning back to Nancy. "She said any time we want to head over is good for her."

"Well," she started. "Let's get the fish out of the water so we can get there some time tonight…"

"Lexi's decided recently to take forever getting ready," Greg explained.

"I noticed that," Adam said.

"Takes her half an hour to get out the door now," Nancy said.

"On a good day," Greg added.

Nancy stood to corral the kids, and Adam turned to Greg. "You do realize that I know Nancy's gonna ask you about me rather than ask me herself, right?" he said.

Greg shrugged.

"She's like a second mom," Adam continued.

"Hmm," Greg said. "Tonight should be interesting, then."

Adam snorted. "That's one way of looking at it."