Home Chapter 2

Hope you enjoy!

After dinner Ashley had the kids finish their homework and go upstairs and get ready for bed. My kids are never good about bed time, they are to nosey like Ashley to be away from either of us. I cleaned up the dishes and told her to go stretch out on the couch. "Stop looking at my ass" In what I heard her yell as she walked away. I immediately started to blush as she walked away but turned to look at me and wink. I heard the pitter patter of little feet scamper down the steps all ready in their clean Pjs. "Goodnight mommy" I heard from behind me just as I got done cleaning up. I scooped up my children and kissed them each on the forehead as Ashley took them upstairs. I shook my head and laughed as I heard the fighting begin about who was being put to bed first. I got myself a beer and laid on the couch waiting for my wife. I began to think about how we got to where we are today.

" A family of 4 were gunned down and killed today in their southern Californian home" The news announcer told me through my TV and I wonder to myself how the world go so screwed up? So many things were going through my mind as I sat on my couch alone watching the 10 o'clock news. Ashley had to get up early so she had gone up to bed before me, but promised to be awake when I got there. As I watched the news I see all the destruction and chaos this world has in it. I realize my children one day will experience all the violence and hatred just like Ashley and I did. It is defiantly time for bed I say to myself as I turn off my TV and go into my kitchen to throw out my can.

I walk down my hallway and can't help but look at the pictures on the wall. I stop for a second and look at all the familiar, loving faces staring back at me. Ashley loves pictures and insisted that she hang up as many as possible all through our home. This hallway is where most of Ashley's favorite pictures hang. Most are of our family and friends, pictures from our wedding, the first pictures of our children and right smack dab in the middle is the most important picture of all. I look and reminisce of the time that has gone by and see the people we all once were hanging in the frames. "Wow, where did the time go" I say to myself almost above a whisper. I smile and look at the picture the biggest and yet in some way the most important. Ashley had it blown up for my 20th birthday; she knew how much I loved this photo. It was of my prom night 14 years ago, it's me and my 6 best friends in the door way of my adolescent home. We were getting ready to leave and my dad being the man he was, wanted to capture everything so he yelled to us to turn around were all making funny faces and just enjoying being young and loving life.

"Clay" I blink back the tears that I realized have formed as I look at my oldest brother in the picture. Clay Joseph Carlin, my favorite brother, I know you're not supposed to have a favorite brother but I couldn't help but love him in a totally different way than Glen.

[ Flashback]

I was 6 years old building a huge Lego city in our living room back in Ohio where we were originally from. Glen being the darling older brother he was kept knocking down everything I was building. "Glen leave your sister alone!" I heard my mom yell to us from the kitchen. I grinned at Glen knowing I had won that round. Just then my dad walked in with a little boy. He looked different then the rest of us because his skin was darker than ours. Glen and I threw our blocks down and ran to our dad. "hi guys, I have someone important for you to meet, but first I have to go fill out some paperwork so everyone play together." And with that my dad rushed away to his office but not before he kissed me mom hello.

The boy was really shy at first but followed Glen and I into the living room to keep playing with blocks. "Hi I am Spencer Marie Carlin, what your name?" I asked the little boy who I wanted to become friends with. Before he could answer Glen knocked down another one of my cities, but this one was the "tallest building in the world". So I did what every other 6 year old would do I cried, and Glen ran away. As I was crying I felt a hand on my back I looked up and found myself looking in the prettiest brown eyes. "Hey don't cry ill help you fix it. By the way I'm clay" He said with a big smile. We had started to work on my city when I felt a pari of eyes on me I looke dup to find Clay looking nervous like he wanted to tell me something.

"Are you alright? You look like glen does when he eats to much ice cream and rides a rollercoaster" we both giggled and I could see his body relax. Spencer, umm I don't know if any one told you but I am your new brother" he smiled and fumbled with his shoes. I sat there for a while trying to figure out how I got a new brother without mommy's tummy getting big, but then decided I didn't care.

"You are?!" I squealed in my child like voice "So you're going to stay forever and ever?" I searched his face for an answer hoping for the one I knew it would be "forever and ever" he smiled " common Spence lets rebuild your city" he said as we started to play. Never knowing we were creating a bond that would last us our whole life.

[End Flashback]

"Forever and ever" I whispered to myself thinking of my brother and how much I really do miss him. It made me think about that night. That horrible night that changed mine and everyone I loved lives forever. The night my 18 year old brother was shot and killed at our own prom, and the love of my life was almost lost to another. It's a night I try to not think about often because it brings back such bad memories. I can feel my stomach turn with every though of those memories coming back. I turned away from the picture; I couldn't go back to king high and that night. I had to leave those memories and thoughts behind even if it meant leaving Clay with them for just a little while.