Constellation

Days passed since David and his soldiers rescued Javier from Carver's clutches. At that time, Javier rarely left his childhood room, only leaving it to use the bathroom or get more medicine.

The clock struck 2:04 in the morning. Everyone was fast asleep in bed, except for Javier.

Javier's eyes were tightly shut as he carefully closed the back door behind himself, not wanting anyone to hear him leave the house. Once it was closed, Javier sighed before walking through the backyard and through a wooden gate, walking to a small forest that was near the Garcia home. Javier found himself in a clear spot in the middle of the small forest, wind blowing through his shirt as he looked at the many, many, many stars in the night sky.

Javier pointed to the stars in the sky until he found those that formed the Big Dipper. For the first time in days, Javier smiled. The Big Dipper was his favorite constellation out of everything in the sky. Javi took a deep breath and orally released it, feeling somewhat lighter now.

"Couldn't sleep either, Javi?" David suddenly inquired, with a bit of cockiness in his voice.

Javier's throat hitched, turning to his left to see David confidently slanted against an almost dying tree.

Javier's toes curled as his left hand slowly became a fist, nodding to David, "Yeah."

"How are you feeling?" David asked, slowly and steadily closing in on Javier.

"Like I still have some shit in me," Javier softly answered. At that point, Javier could see smoke come out of David's body. However, David pinched his nose bridge, beginning, "I'm sorry that Carver took you. Had I known—I would have had Rufus and Max guard you."

Javier put his hand before David, protesting, "No, David. You couldn't have stopped it. I feel like Carver was gonna get me no matter what you did."

David pressed his lips together, shaking his head slowly and ominously as if a demon was in his head. Javi backed away slightly, wondering if he should get Kate or a priest.

However–-David looked straight at Javi like he had before, admitting, "Javi, Kate is pregnant. You're gonna have another niece or nephew soon."

Javier's eyes went wide, not anticipating what he had just learned. "I didn't know."

"Javi, listen. We need you here; I need you here. If I die before that baby is born, Kate will need help taking care of it." David began, voice becoming commanding with every word. "Leave the stripper club behind. That baby doesn't need to know that its uncle gets naked for money."

Javier sighed, "I can't David. I've made so many friends and fans there. I swore to myself I wouldn't become a mobster."

David half-smirked, "No, no. You ain't gotta do no crime. Ava's sister runs a gym, she wants you to be the receptionist. You have shit that a receptionist needs to excel. You have the looks, the people skills, and the care people want to see at the front desk. You can help Kate whenever you're off the clock. You think you can be that?"

Javier looked at the ground. He imagined himself carrying out the tasks of a receptionist and the whims of an uncle with pure ease. "Yeah."

David patted his shoulder, "That's the spirit, Javi. C'mon, let's get back to bed."

The two brothers returned home, David's arm keeping Javier close to him, refusing to let anyone else take him away from him and his family.