Chapter 5

Matt and Sarah

"Boy won't mom and dad be surprised that we got in a week early," Matt told Sarah as he opened the door to his parent's home to let their 4 year old twins in the house.

Their home in New York they had sold had closed a lot sooner than they had planned. They had to scramble and get out of there rather quickly. Packing that house in two days was not an easy task, but somehow they managed to do it. When they were done they figured the best thing to do was head to California early.

They felt it was a better idea if they flew instead of driving because cross country driving with the twins didn't seem like the best idea. When they walked in the front door, they realized that no one was home, (but then with his youngest brothers in school mom had her own activities she took care of now during the day and because of this they were not too surprised that no one was home). The movers are driving cross county and hopefully should be here sometime this week with their furniture and the van.

When they arrive in Glen Oak they will have their things put into storage here until they find a place. But at least they will at that point have their own transportation and can return the rental car. Until they find their own place they are staying with his parents instead of Sarah's because it was much closer to the hospital & the OB/GYN practice of Uncle Hanks (Dr. Hastings) that they were joining. Since his brothers Sam and David were the only kids left living in the house with mom and dad there was plenty of room for them to be there.

"Well looks like we have the place to ourselves" Said Sarah. "Let's get settled and put our stuff upstairs.

Brian's Friends

Deena spoke with Bridget and Dave spoke with everyone else. Jimmy and Ivy owned a bar (called of course Ivy's) which they all frequented they decided to have a party for him there. Of course by now it had been all over the news about the scandal of Brian's dad so everyone knew.

They all had hoped that this party would help Brian, make him feel like at least his friends (and sister) cared about him, and to help him forget at least for today about what his father Michael had just done. But only Nicole, Bridget, Dave, and Deena knew of the adoption issue. Both Bridget & Dave tried a few times during the day to get a hold of Brian they both left him messages, it wasn't like him not to answer or at least call back. They were getting worried. Bridget had even stopped by the apartment and he wasn't home.

Dave said to the group" I am going to try to get a hold of him again" but when he called after several rings it again went to voicemail.

Back with the Camden's

Brian's cell phone was going off for like what seemed the 100th time. He had put it on vibrate because he didn't want to be disturbed while he was with the Camden's He again ignored the call and let it go to his voicemail. Now Lucy had wanted to spend time with her brother but she knew her parents needed to be alone with him right now more. She also knew that it was still early so Sam and David wouldn't be home school then baseball practice until close to 4:30

"Dad why don't you and mom go home with Brian, I will cover things here at the church". Lucy told them.

So they all got in their cars, Brian followed them a few blocks to their home. When Eric pulled in at the house he saw a strange car in the driveway.

"I wonder whose car that is?" he asked Annie.

"I have no idea I do not recognize the car." She replied. They parked and then Brian pulled in behind them. He got out and headed to them and they walked towards the house.

"Have you had lunch?" Annie asked Brian.

"No I really haven't eaten today; food was the last thing on my mind." Brian replied

"Oh my gosh we have to do something special for you it's how could I let it slip my mind it's you birthday today "said Annie "Oh am I overstepping do you already have plans"

"No not really," Brian said, "when my girlfriend Bridget left the apartment this morning she stated about wanting to do something for me but I haven't spoken to her since then, so nothing that I am aware of yet anyway."

"Well come in and we can talk about it while I make something for us all to eat." Annie told him.

Eric went to open the door and found it unlocked, so someone with the house key was definitely here. Eric went in first, he found no one was down stairs so while Annie and Brian went into the kitchen, he went upstairs to investigate.

He got up to the top of the stairs and walked right into his grandsons. "Hi Grandpa, surprise we're here." they hugged him around his legs.

"Oh boy this complicates things." Eric said softly almost inaudibly.

Matt & Sarah emerged from one of the bedrooms. They explained quickly why they got there a week early. They could tell he was only half listening.

So Matt asked him. "Dad it's not a problem is it that we are here early. I mean if it is we can stay the week at Richard & Rosina's (Sarah's Parents)."

"Matt, it's not really a problem; I just wished you had let us know. I need to go downstairs and talk to mom, could you stay up here until I come back up." Eric pleaded.

"Ya OK dad" Matt said with a puzzled look.

Eric went down the back stairs to the kitchen where Brian and Annie were and she looked up as he entered the kitchen and seeing the panicked look on his face asked him.

"Eric what's wrong?" She asked him

He paused for a second "I found out whose car that is and who is upstairs."

"Who?" She asked.

Eric proceeded to tell them "Matt and Sarah are here. Their house closed earlier than they thought so they are here a week early.

Even though Brian was excited at the prospect of meeting his lookalike brother, he saw how panicked his parents were. "Should I come back after you have had a chance to explain things to him?" Brian asked.

"No you stay." Annie Replied "We want you to meet Matt and Sarah; we just need to explain it to them first. I have a favor to ask, if you wouldn't mind, while we go upstairs would you mind cutting up the stuff for the salad?"

"Ya ok sure." Brian replied "how much do we need?"

"Enough for 5 adults and 2 kids." Annie told him, she had hoped to keep him busy so he wouldn't duck out when they went upstairs.

Brian started with the food glad for something to do. Annie took the calendar off the wall as she passed it on the way as they went upstairs. They went into the room that Matt and Sarah were in.

The twins ran over an yelled "Hi Grandma" and gave her a big hug,

Annie bent down gave them each a kiss and asked them "would you guys please go play in Sam and David's room, we need to talk to mommy and daddy for a bit and it is just for grownups but please stay upstairs."

"Okay" they said and ran off to play.

"Ok what's going on, Sarah and I figured something was up by Dad's strange reaction to us being here that's not like him" Matt said.

Annie started by saying "I don't even know where to start" she put the calendar in front of them and pointed to today's date circled it red. It's time to let you know why we circle this day and have circled it for 35 years."

Then Eric started "35 years ago today your mother gave birth to a son, OUR son and because we were still in high school we had to give him up for adoption"

Matt and Sarah were stunned by this revelation. While Eric was still talking Annie went into their bedroom and grabbed her lap top to log into the national adoption registry & brought it back to the bedroom where they all were sitting.

She told them, "We joined this registry a long time ago because he would be able to contact us when he turned 18, so every year on his birthday we always checked and he never had, the reason we are telling you now, when I logged on this morning, he had registered only yesterday his name is Brian. She proceeded to let them see his profile.

"Oh my God, he lives in Venice Beach" Matt exclaimed.

Then Eric said "Scroll down and look at the picture attached"

So Matt did, he couldn't believe what he saw it was as if he was looking at a picture of himself, Sarah saw it too and said "you could be twins"

Annie whispered to Eric "go downstairs and check to see how Brian is doing"(she wanted to make sure that Brian didn't leave.) Eric got up and told them

"I have to run downstairs for a minute." So he left the room.

He got down stairs to find Brian pacing back and forth in the kitchen. He looked up.

"How is everything up stairs" he asked.

Eric answered, "they reacted about the same way Lucy did in shock but they will be ok with it. She is going to tell him you are here are you ready to deal with that?"

"Yes I am nervous about it but I am ready. Hey in person does he really look like me?"

Eric answered him "Just wait and see because oh boy yes he does."

Upstairs Annie was still talking to Matt & Sara and asked Matt "how are you doing with all this information?"

he replied "overwhelmed, stunned, angry well maybe not angry, I don't know what I am supposed to feel. I just found out I have another brother. I do not even know what to say. I mean all that talk about abstinence, which by the way I still feel is the right thing to do. What I want to know is how could you preach that if you didn't even wait?"

Annie answered him "It was precisely because of what we went through what we why we always insisted and even rammed it down all of you throats. Why we were so upset when Simon did what he did in college. We never wanted any of you to ever know that kind of pain"

Matt and Sarah both thought about the boys, they couldn't imagine having to give them up.

"I guess you are right mom I guess it will just taking a bit of getting used to the fact that I am not the oldest anymore the fact that I am someone's little brother, is a bit hard to swallow. I have a question though, so what do you do now? Have you contacted him yet?"

Well actually on OUR profile it listed that dad is a minister and of what church. Brian looked it up and showed up at the church today dad let me know and I went there too and met him too" she thought she had better wait to tell him Lucy met him.

"Mom I REALLY want to meet him" Matt said

"I am very glad you feel that way, Annie added, "you remember when your dad came up here earlier and was acting the way he was, it was because, he wasn't sure what to do. You see Brian is down stairs right now."

"Oh my God he is here now downstairs right now?" Matt jumped to his feet and bolted for the back stairs that lead to the kitchen he wanted to meet his brother. Down stairs in the kitchen Brian and Eric heard the footsteps coming down the stairs they looked up to see Matt emerging from the stairwell.

"My God you do look like me" Matt heard Brian say.

They stood there and just stared at each other without saying anything sort of in a state of shock.

Finally Eric broke the silence "Matt I want you to meet Brian, Brian this is Matt"