Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.
Chapter Sixty: The Power of Silence
My brother was about to make a mistake.
When he was a kid he hated to be wrong he'd carry points on for hours and try from every angle to convince you he was right. Most of his arguments were on stupid things, things that had no right or wrong; favourite tv show, song, comic book, baseball player, hockey player. He'd try and make you believe his way his opinion was right. He was currently trying to do the same thing with Dylan.
The nicest thing I can do as a brother, as a son, and as an uncle right now would be to buy him time to calm down and gain some perspective. To give him time to realise that choosing wrong here would forever change his and Cindy's life. He needed to realise he was fighting a losing battle. Brenda was never going to accept his opinion on Dylan, and after getting to know him on the phone and watching him with his family these last two day's she was right not to. Dylan was a good man and he clearly loved my niece, he looked at her like she hung the moon.
"Look I think we are all running on emotion, why don't we put a pin in this so everyone can calm down. Bobby, Brandon, Steve, Val you guy's all had plans to go have fun, and Steve said he needed to pull some strings to get you on the door of that club. You shouldn't let his efforts go to waste. Mum, Bill and Arlene you were saying how you wanted an early night, and I'm sure Brenda could use one as well after two nights of performing. Jim and Cindy why don't Marjorie and I walk you to your car?"
Thank god my son and nephew were so quick on the up take. Immediately as I finished, Bobby was moving around to Val and asking her if she could go and help him choose a shirt, and Brandon was moving forward now that Val was leaving the room, and putting a hand on my mother and Arlene's shoulders asking if his grandma's wanted tea before bed. Dylan had moved closer to Brenda who was still holding her dad's eyes, he wrapped her once again in his arms, "Baby?"
She sighs and shakes her head clearly disappointed by her father's and mother's lack of response, she then turns around to Dylan, "share a bowl of ice cream with me?"
As I move over to Jim, and Marjorie to Cindy, as we begin to subtly guide them out, I hear Dylan respond, "can we have a piece of pie on the side as well?"
"As long as you don't hog the crust."
Jim had sighed and then left the room, when we were outside he launched at me. "Allan I didn't need for you to step in."
"Jim any response proclaiming that you would always want to be in your daughters life needed to be made immediately, your pause, the fact you needed to think on it-"
"I didn't know if she was serious that she would permanently choose Dylan over us, it's-"
"Completely normal. Is there anyone you would choose over Cindy? Is there anyone you would give your wife up for?"
"Allan we are married-"
"They are as well, they're just missing the license. Jim you'll lose. Cindy and you will lose her, your grandson, any future grandchildren, and Brandon. He may keep in contact slightly but it will be this house he will be at every holiday, it will be his twin he will support. Do you dislike Dylan enough to willingly lose your kids and grandkids forever? Look no one is expecting you to think of him as a son, but you can be civil to him, you can be polite and put aside your anger-"
"And when he gets her pregnant again, risks her life again, are we supposed to just watch her die so he can have more kid's? Are we supposed to then watch as he turns into his father and destroys their lives too?"
"Well if that did ever happen, and let's knock on wood that it doesn't, but if that did happen wouldn't you and Cindy like to be known to your grandchildren, be a stable force in their lives? You can't be that if you have no place in their lives, and let's be honest if you were out of Brenda's life and anything did happen to her he would never forgive you." I give my brother a moment to think on that, he hasn't hit back I hope that means I'm starting to get through. "Go home and sleep on it, and why don't you turn up on Sunday for family lunch if you think you can put this animosity for Dylan behind you, put it behind you so that you can be a part of your daughter and grandchildren's lives."
Marjorie and I watch them drive through the gates and once they are out of sight she shakes her. "Cindy is very upset, they are like us after Bobby's accident they are looking for something to blame and well we couldn't really blame snow, so we yelled at the universe and god, but without a target we had to let the anger go, and our son needed us to prioritise him, he needed us to help him get through his recovery. They found their target, and maybe with Brenda moving in with Dylan straight away they didn't need to get past it. Brenda didn't need them to be strong and calm, Dylan did that for her. They've been left to stew for months in their sense of injustice that she randomly got sick and that they have nearly lost her, they've been left with a clear target and they believe it's all his fault. They've stewed rather than accepted that life can just be unfair for no reason."
"Well if they don't get out of that thinking soon they'll risk losing their family. Let's hope that we've planted seeds that by Sunday has them, well probably not accepting Dylan that seems too far of a leap for my brother, but hopefully at least accepting that he is not going anywhere so they'll have to bare him."
"I think for that to happen maybe we should spend some more time with them tomorrow, go to dinner with them and talk it out further. They need help, and impartial adults may be the last chance before they make the worst mistake of their lives." I wrap my arm around my wife's shoulder and kiss the side of her head, I've alway loved how kind she is and how she always wants to help.
"I'll call and invite them out tomorrow night, hopefully we can get through to them, but now we should get inside I want to make sure my mum and Arlene are okay."
By the time the clubbers had left with a decision to sleep down the hill at the guy's house rather than risk waking up the girls when they get home, Bren's grandparents were in bed, leaving Uncle Allan and Aunt Marjorie to explain what happened outside to Brenda and I. I didn't know them then but Bren seemed to understand what they were saying about their behaviour after Bobby's accident.
"Mum was the same after Aunt Shelia, she was strongest when helping my grandparents and focusing on observing Sheila's wishes for her funeral but even now she blames the chemotherapy making her too weak. She still has a lot of anger there and a lot of blame. I never really considered how surprising them at Christmas with my illness and with Art, with you all sharing your stories of those months so they wouldn't feel left out, and would understand why you hadn't informed them, and then the doctor's appointment… in hindsight all that in just a few day's, it probably was too much too quick."
"Bren it only really became a problem when you collapsed at The Pit less than a week after arriving home. They started to want me permanently out of your life from there, up until then your father at least acknowledged my place in Art's life and yours as a co-parent."
"Being unable to fix your child, to help them to tell them honestly they'll be okay, it's the worst feeling as a parent. Dylan you've been calling Arlene and my mother in law because you were worried about Art teething, you know that pain will be gone in a few day's that it's natural but you worry none the less. Your child seriously injured or sick… well I never want either of you to know that pain. I'm not saying what Jim and Cindy have done is right any of it, and I know that they have a complex history with you both as a couple but I am saying that fear, the fear of losing a child can put some crazy thoughts in your head."
"I'm fine now though."
"Yeah but those thoughts have already found a home there and found a target, someone they can hold accountable for it all. It might take them a while to see they aren't right that it was just by chance you got sick, well if they can ever be rational about this again. Look let your Uncle and I see if we can try and help them to let some of that thinking go, or at least get them to realise that this is serious and you aren't playing around."
I wrap an arm around Bren's shoulder and nod at Marjorie, "thank you I don't like Bren and Brandon having no or even strained relationships with them because of me-"
"Dylan, it's not you it's them doing this."
"Dylan, my niece is right, my brother is causing the problem not you, and from everything I know he formed his view on you based on your father and meeting a confident sixteen year old teenager. He needs to move past that."
Once we are in our room Bren decides that after the play and the emotional exchange with her father that she needs a bath before bed to settle her. I of course don't want her lonely or having to strain to wash her back so I climb in there with her. She discusses the play and the next two nights of her performances, she also discusses that she feels she should attend Kelly's matinée performance on Sunday. The only two reasons not to would be because of their history but she feels if any other person was playing that role she would attend, and the second because it would mean leaving right after Sunday lunch and before we need to bring the family back to the airport.
On the first I advise her if she doesn't know if she should go then just check with Roy, by then there will be day's of glowing reviews on her performance and he might worry it could be intimidating for the understudies to perform in front of her. As for the second point, our family they'll understand her need to leave for play requirements forty minutes before I bring them back to the airport.
We don't talk about her parents as there is nothing left to say, it will be up to her uncle and aunt now if they can talk sense into them and if not then we will have to deal with those repercussions then.
We sleep in on Saturday as much as Art let's us. Thankfully though he has inherited my love of snuggling in bed with his mother so he is happy once he is changed and fed to spend some time laying on the other side of her playing with her hair and babbling away to himself. Eventually though I surrender my hold on my woman and collect my son to bring him out to begin breakfast, Bren tries to go with us but I tell her to sleep if she can for a little longer. Erica and Lottie come bouncing out of the den into the kitchen not long after, their early night giving them way too much energy.
"Dylan can Lottie and I go for a swim?"
"Sure we aren't leaving for sightseeing until ten hopefully that will give Aunt Val enough time to wrangle Brandon, Bobby and Steve back up the hill."
"Can we go now? Lottie say's it's never really that warm in Minnesota to swim outside at seven am." Erica says it all while giving me her big eyes, I blame Brenda for modelling that as an effective way to get what you want from me. I'd say nice try and tell her the eye's are only completely fool proof from Bren but I don't want to encourage her to keep doing it- even on her they are hard to not cave to.
"Grandma and Grandpa Beevis are looking after Lottie on this trip for Aunt Paula, so I think we should check with them first. While you both wait for them to get up why don't you help set the table for breakfast." As I'm saying it I'm struck with an overwhelming sense that I sound like such a Dad right now. It's a feeling that is reinforced as Erica dramatically sighs on not getting her way and Art blows avocado bubbles beside me- I assume in defence of his honorary sister paternal aunt.
A few minutes later Bren walks into the room in more pyjamas than she ever goes or stays in bed in, and before I can ask why she isn't sleeping in for longer Erica and Lottie immediately swoop in and ask her about the pool. I roll my eyes at the girls attempting to get the answer they want, based on her response Bren must clock my reaction, "what did Dylan say?"
The defeated tone in Erica's voice is clearly a sign she was hoping Bren wouldn't ask that, "to wait for Lottie to ask Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Beevis when they get up."
"Well then we wait. In the meantime maybe you both could watch Saturday morning cartoons," she sees me pointing at the table, "once you finish setting the table for breakfast."
When she makes her way over to me for another morning kiss and hug she mumbles, "you really want four more to play us off each other?"
"At least. I think we are pretty good at reading each other, even when outnumbered we should still have the advantage."
"Baby we will have to develop ESP to have the advantage over six."
"I thought we already had, you've always seemed able to read my mind-"
"That's because you pretty much have a one track mind of-"
"I'm sorry I wasn't the first to bring it up. You did on our second dat-" she instantly understands the reference.
"It was the first one that I wasn't stood up for."
"Was I the one who brought it up at the lockout?"
"I was being sensible-"
"You were. A bit forward but very sensible, and it became clear to me that night and has continually been reinforced since that it's always the quiet midwestern girls who have the dirtie-" the whack in my stomach is quick.
"Baby if you feel my mind needs to be cleaned that can be arranged." She turns away huffing, I've wrapped her in a bear hug and am whispering in her ear before she can take a second step.
"Don't you dare. I'm loving that with each year older you get it keeps going up a notch. I'm thinking that at this rate I should invest in a private library collection just so I can keep up." She huffs but doesn't make a move to leave my arms. "Now do you really think that's all I… okay it's mainly what I think about in our room but do you really think my mind is that one track?"
She turns in my arms and then rests her forearms on my shoulders as she begins to play with my hair just above my neck, "no I was actually going to say for most of high school it was surfing, me and reading, now it's family and me."
"Okay maybe we need to work on the ESP because you got it wrong. For me Bren it's always been you first. You are the first place my mind goes to because you are what I always need and want. Our kids are an extension of that, they are the extraordinary magic that we create when we are together."
"You are a romantic Mr McKay a very sweet romantic, but do you know our little extraordinary magic right now has decided that he wants to attempt his Dad's signature hair style and is currently behind you running avocado hands through his hair?"
I groan and put my forehead on hers, "great an emergency morning bath spent removing food hair globs. He is going to be loud in his protesting."
She tries to not giggle at my frustration, "no longer magic?"
"No magic still he just takes after us. Our hair is our thing has been from our very first conversation."
"Maybe the next one won't be so pedantic over it?"
"The genetics of you and me, and then with Brandon on top of that… maybe we should invest in a hair company because there is no way any of our girls aren't going to be little diva's like their mother over their hair-"
"Or our son's being little terrors like their father unable to leave the bathroom until they get just the right volume or wave."
"If they take after the male Walsh line like my Arthur and James then wait for the drama when it starts thinning out, the obsession becomes almost manic then." Bren and I immediately separate like we just got sprung and look over at her two laughing grandma's. "You two are very sweet together, have you always been like this?"
Before we can answer Erica and Lottie are running over. "Yes, they are always like that just usually with more kissing. Grandma Beevis can Lottie please go for a swim with me now?"
The morning is spent having a lazy breakfast whilst watching the girls swim, and untangling my son's hair of avocado which he felt was an injustice that was only forgivable once I took him too for a swim. The clubbers arrive just after nine-thirty with all three men wearing sunglasses and obviously feeling the effects of a late night of drinking, Val is her usual sassy and bright self.
"You didn't drink Val?"
"I did I just know how to hold my alcohol and know my limits, messy drunk is not me."
"B was messy?"
"No he wasn't messy just ranting about Jim, and then his own stupidity in senior year, though once he was dancing he was fine."
"You got him to dance? Only Kelly and Nikki have ever accomplished that and only for like one song."
"Yeah well let's not compare me to either of those two. Brandon has been dancing with Brenda and I all his life. This is a junior high developed paranoia, and I'm not indulging that rubbish. This is him taking himself way too seriously and my husband needs to lighten up and stop trying to be perfect at everything."
I can hear D and Val's conversation from the sun lounges, and clearly I wasn't the only one. "Oh Valerie has grown into such a smart, beautiful and strong woman. You should be dating her, she like Brenda understands the need for high expectations on their partners, especially on men like you and Dylan. Your grandfather was just the same."
"Grandma you just like my twin and Val because both are exactly like you. Powerhouses that are on one side of the coin charming, beautiful and kind, and on the other stubborn, fearless and unable to tolerate fools."
"Yes well if Arthur was still with us today he would tell you it was those characteristics that helped him start his own business and be a respected member of our local council. Dylan I'm sure will tell you that it makes him focus on school and building a future for his family, and not bumming around surfing all day long. And you, well I don't think I need to tell you what Val brings out in you I think you know."
"We are just friends." We were getting closer but we hadn't decided yet to risk it, though it was getting hard to resist.
My grandmother never willing to suffer fools sasses me back, "yes and I'm entering the Olympics next year." She shakes her head, "Brandon if you were just friends you wouldn't have instantly moved to her side last night even before your parents had opened their mouths. You can't fight instinct, just look at your sister and Dylan."
"Yeah but they have known from the first moment they met, it's different with them."
"Well yes they met as teenagers with hormones rushing, you've known Val all your life therefore of course it's going to be different. Brenda and you were always like a married couple as kids, always so connected for siblings, but neither of you had any hesitation of letting Val in. Brenda took her as a sister, and well you married her as a kid. From what I understand you were the same when you met Dylan he was a brother straight away and Brenda well I've watched them in person if they had been eighteen-"
"they'd have been married right away." I look over and watch Val and Brenda try and get the girls to stop swimming so we can go sightseeing, "I have a pretty bad track record Grandma, what if I stuff it up?"
"Of course you have a bad record, it's supposed to be like that until you meet the one otherwise we would marry just anyone."
"And you think Val is the one?"
"I don't know that but you know her nearly as well as Brenda does, you would definitely know by now if you felt she was only ever going to be just a friend."
"My parents won't like it."
"James and Cindy… well my son at least has used up all his parental judgment powers. I think he is done sharing his opinions on either of your lives."
I smile at the fierce matriarch of our family, "Grandma I didn't know there were limits. Do they reset for every grandchild?"
"Young man do not think those dimples will hide your sass from me. I share my opinion like sprinkles of salt a little told at the right time goes a long way, and at the other times well don't underestimate a good silence or meaningful look, you'd be surprised how people can create a whole internal debate around those and see the error of their way's without you having to say a word."
"Is that how you are going to treat Dad, through silence?"
"Over the year's and more recently you've said your piece, your sister has, Dylan, Iris, me and Arlene on Friday night, your Uncle last night and he will try again tonight with Marjorie but James and Cindy are not listening. Words may not be enough here, silence and well a carefully timed disinvite may finally scare them."
"Disinvite?"
"Well my great grandson and hopefully my honorary great granddaughter will be in Minnesota for the Fourth of July along with all my grandchildren," she gives me a meaningful look- shit she knew I had been avoiding that invite. She waits quietly, I eventually nod in agreement indicating I'll be there- okay silence definitely works. "Valerie of course will join you," another look and silence from her eventually earns another nod from me. "And Steve and Samantha if they can. But with the McKay's there… well I'd hate for such a family reunion to be spoilt by uncomfortableness, and Arlene feels the same."
"Is that a once off or will you freeze them out until they come to their senses?" She gives me an innocent look and then quietly goes back to sipping her tea.
I have no idea if her and Grandma Beevis would take it that far and isolate my parents until they accept Dylan, but I guess that is what she or they are both counting on- my parents fearing that no Dylan could mean limited relationships with everyone. Both sides of the family were loudly putting their support behind Dylan maybe he was the favourite grandchild now.