---

---

Previously...

“I want to call my mom!” Benny said in protest as they were led into the school.

“I suppose the condemned man is due his phone call. What about you, Mr. Brunetti? Shall you be calling your father or shall I?”

“Go ahead. I don’t care.” Jason had come out on top, both physically and perhaps in stature, but he felt horrible. He turned back and glared at Kim; his expression saying without any doubt, ‘I hope you’re satisfied.’

Kim watched Jason disappear through the front doors of school. Only then did the moment catch up with her and she leaned back against the wall and began to cry.

---

Paul’s home….

“Your brother is facing a real crisis,” Annie sighed as she sipped her coffee. Paul shook his head.

“Tell me about it. And it’s only going to get worse.” He stared at his fiancé and smiled. She shrugged her shoulders.

“Your nephew Jason? He’s quite a kid. A handful and a half, but there’s so much more to him than just sullen and sulky.” She looked out the front window of the townhouse, a bit distracted by the rain that cascaded off the eave. It suited the moment, since Annie felt that the boy had seemed to be only a moment away from crying, despite his near-bored expression.

“It’s been hard on everyone, but Pete just makes it worse for the boys by pitting them against Petey and their Mom.”

“Well, he’s not without company, no matter how you look at it. Between the divorce and your niece’s issues?”

“Well, when you put it that way….” He laughed softly and patted her wrist.

“It feels like this is almost orchestrated, you know?”

“Like from above? Well, it’s not a surprise to me, but then nothing surprises me anymore.” She laughed back at him in a tease. Even as a professional, her faith meant a lot to her, even if it banged hard against her education. She made it work because her faith didn’t ever dictate how she approached working with her charges, but it guided her approach to her view of humanity. That it conflicted a great deal with whom she was, at least in the way others practiced their own faith, just made her life that much more interesting.

“I think having them over again this Saturday should be very interesting.”

“Well, it’s important for so many reasons for all of us, but I think it’s so …”

“Vital?” It wasn’t the word that came to Annie’s mind, but it fit completely, since what they needed to discuss was so needful for the boy’s lives and Pete’s lives and the life of the Brunetti family.

---

Pete’s home...

“In school suspension again? For fighting?” Pete shook his head and then glared at Jason.

“Benny was picking on Petey.” Joey said as he stared at Jason.

“So? I would have thought you’d at least have stayed out of it.” Pete shook his head. Jason got up and started down the hall to his room.

“Where are you going? We’re not through here!”

“You don’t get it, do you? Fuck it.” Jason pivoted and walked past his father to the front door.”

“Where are you going? Get back here!”

“NO.” Without another word, the boy opened the front door and was gone.

“What the …why is he so pissed off at me? What did I do wrong?”

“Benny wasn’t just teasing Petey, Dad. He was pushing him around. Jason’s right. You don’t get it.”

“You stay right here!”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Joey got up and walked over to the couch. Picking up the remote, he turned on the TV and a moment later was playing FIFA 16. Pete stared at the door, expecting somehow that Jason would walk through the front door, but honestly it was more than anyone could hope for at that point. Pete felt lost in his own home; no longer feeling that anything was in his control. He would discover how vitally important that loss of control would be for his family…all of them.

---

Later that week, Brandon Middle School…

“Stymied?” A voice spoke from Donna’s office doorway. She looked up from the folder she had on her desk.

“It’s just a damn shame. The kid is so….” The woman looked nervous; she practically hid behind the door frame and her expression seemed almost apologetic. Kate was too involved for Donna’s sake. Being one of the girl’s teachers was one thing, but this spilled over into personal territory. Kate and Donna might still share an apartment, but that was all; at least for the present. And seeing each other frequently at the school did nothing to remove Kate’s anxiety or assuage Donna’s guilt. Kate pressed through the awkward moment anyway.

“Adjectives fail a bit. Courageous? Determined? And that’s not even going into sweet and kind.” Kate was struggling with her own words. She wanted so much to see Kim Brunetti delivered from the hurt and rejection, but looking at Donna, she couldn’t help feeling the same for her. But as clever and witty as she could be with her students, lately she had become tongue-tied around Donna Andrucci. She smiled politely and shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m sorry, but it’s just so frustrating. The family is broken and it’s just so hard to watch.” Donna was practically aloof even in the midst of sharing something so important. Their issues safely ‘parked’ off campus while they continued to work together.

“I know. Joey seems to take all of his cues from Jason; both are good kids I think deep down but the tug of war the parents are playing make it hard for any of them to get some solid footing. I think Joey wants to do the right thing; especially when Jason wanders over the line into sympathetic with Kim, but the father seems so adamant. And that’s the real shame. Other than being so damned stubborn, he actually seems like a nice guy….just wants to protect his child.

“But Kim doesn’t need protecting from who she is, Ms. Chen.” Donna sighed. Kate felt hurt that Donna was so ‘formal,’ not just because of their problems, but because even being professional could still allow for human feelings like warmth and being polite. She sighed back.

“I know. You know. The trick is to get him to realize that Kim being Kim is exactly what she needs. I’m not sure I even know where you stand regarding faith, but short of a miracle or just an answer to prayer, I can’t see things changing…..” She sighed. Donna looked away for a moment. Turning to Kate again, she half-frowned. Kate hadn’t meant her words to be a rebuke, but Donna still felt hurt,

“I…I’m not putting much hope in divine intervention, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t owe me an apology, Babe. Your beliefs are your own.” Donna cringed inside at the endearment but even more at the word ‘own.’ At one time she would have been the first to pray. The first to hope. The first to believe. But after Maria died, her heart lost all interest in hoping against hope, so to speak. The softest, most pliable souls often become hard and inflexible if they feel betrayed. Donna Andrucci trusted God to deliver her sister from heartache and pain, and perhaps he did, in a manner of speaking, but Maria’s deliverance from hurt meant something much different and disappointing than Donna could have imagined, leaving her indeed feeling betrayed.

“I know you’ll find the answer, Donna.” Kate sighed a bit and nodded with a half-smile. She noticed the picture on the book shelf. Hopefully whatever pain Donna could not express, even to her best friend and lover, might be finally relieved. Maybe things would get better. Donna might have given up on hope, but Kate had never given it a second thought. She smiled again.

“See you at home….” She wanted to add the word ‘dear’ but thought better of it and just waved goodbye as she left. Donna bit her lip and shook her head before turning her attention to Maria’s picture once again. She didn’t have the strength to get up to close the door and she hoped she could keep from crying as her eyes fell upon the smile her sister would forever display, no matter what heartache had dwelt inside.

It's been wonderful and crazy knowing you
and I hope that I can always see the teenage girl in you
and I know that you'll be fine
but I'll be there every time
you need someone to say hi to late at night

---

The Brunetti Girls' home…

Kim stood in front of her closet; biting her index finger in thought. The clothes were beckoning and soft, but she was looking for something accommodating and ….peaceful. A few minutes later she heard her mother calling from the kitchen.

“I stopped and picked up some KFC. I tried calling earlier but I guess you were out?” Cara squinted in thought at her own words. Where would Kim go after school with all of the problems she was having?

“I’m sorry, Mom. I would have started dinner….” The voice trailed off even as the girl walked into the kitchen. Cara looked up and shuddered at the view. Kim stood in front of her mother looking brand new and decidedly and sadly old at the same time. She wore an old pair of jeans and some worn-out Reeboks along with a Norfolk Tides teen shirt and ball cap. The clothes would have been troubling enough but for what didn’t peek out from under her hat.

“I….walked over to Kempsville Barbers……” She took off the cap and half-smiled at the display of the crew cut she had gotten at the barber shop. That she walked all the way the six miles from home and back was daunting enough, but the price was more than a haircut and a long walk. Cara dropped the bucket of chicken on the table, barely enough to keep it from falling to the floor. She gasped.

“It’s the only way, Mom. I’m sorry.” The girl apologized for so many needless things, but this was probably the worst thing she could have done to compensate for everyone else.

“Oh no…honey….no.” Cara rushed to Kim and pulled her into an awkward if needed hug for both of them. The girl looked up into her mother’s face as tears fell onto her cheek.

“We can’t be a family as long as I’m this way, so I’m not gonna be this way anymore. It’s the only way,” she repeated. She pulled back slightly and kissed Cara’s cheek before sitting down at the table. The curious thing was that Kim’s sacrifice did little to change things. Of course her hair was shorter. But the blockers she had gotten from her doctor had not only kept some things from starting but oddly allowed a few other things to begin. Her face had never been very boyish, but now she looked like the daughter Cara had always known she had. And while she wasn’t very girlish up top, things had begun to show, which belied what the doctors had told her not to expect.

“Kimmy? You don’t have to do this!” Cara insisted as she sat down. She picked a chicken thigh out of the bucket and placed on the plate in front of her. They still had to eat, yes? She stared at the chicken before putting her head down on the table. As she wept, Kim got up and put her hand on her mother’s back.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mommy,” she said with a shrug before walking down the hall to her bedroom. She opened her door and stared at the pile of clothes on her bed. The few dresses she owned were bundled into a Kroger shopping bag along with some skirts. The girl jeans and jumpers sat awaiting a perusal. Some girl would benefit from the clothes even if she couldn’t. She went to fold some tops when she heard a knock at the door.

“I got this for you today, honey,” Cara said as she held up a bag from Marshalls. Cara spoke haltingly and with some success at holding back sobs as she pulled the outfit from the bag. Walking over, she held the medium blue top and navy skirt in front of Kim.

“I figured maybe some nice leggings to be modest and maybe your blue Sketchers?”

“No….” Kim pushed away from Cara and the clothes spilled out of her hands. Cara sat down on the floor and pulled the clothes to her in a hug.

“Mommy? Daddy won’t come back if I stay this way. And Jason? And Joey? I can’t stay this way….I just can’t.” She walked over and sat down next to Cara and nestled in her arms against the clothes, feeling like it would be the first and only time she would be close to how she wanted to dress. Cara pulled her closer and began to speak, but the words wouldn’t come, and she began to cry for her daughter, rocking Kim gently as the girl gave in to the overwhelming sadness. Cara hugged her tightly, feeling alone and scared for Kim’s future. But they were not going to be alone for long….

---

Sunday at Paul’s...

“Joey is at his friend’s house for dinner and Jason said something about homework, so it’s just me.” Pete handed Paul a bottle of Sebastiani Merlot and a six of Murphy’s Law Amber Ale.

“My buddy Tommy said these would both go well with the seared Ahi you told me about.” He retrieved a can of ale from the pack and popped it open just as Annie walked out of the kitchen.

“Oooh…Murphy’s!” She grabbed the pack of ale and the wine from Paul and placed them on the dining room table before grabbing two cans. She handed a ale to Paul and then opened her own can; taking long sip, Pete looked at her askance. She smiled.

“You should try their Rule G.”

“Annie’s sister Angie is an event planner and chemist for the brewery,” Paul said as he walked into the living room. Annie smiled at her fiancé.

“Sautéed green beans are done and the tuna is resting. Potatoes should be ready in a few, kay?” she said as she walked back into the kitchen. Paul’s gaze followed her walk before turning to face Pete again.

“It’s actually good that the boys didn’t make it. Annie and I have a few things we wanted to discuss with you.” Pete cringed, expecting a lecture. Paul waved ‘no’ and continued.

“It’s just that they’d probably be bored.” He was about to go on when Annie called from the dining room.

“Dinner is served, Gentlemen.”

---

Somewhere on Luck Lane in the Brandon area of Virginia Beach...

“Hi….” The girl said softly as she walked up to Jason as he walked across her front lawn.

“Oh…sorry….I wasn’t looking.” He took a step back as the girl stood with her arms folded; looking a bit cross. In a moment her glare changed to a smile.

“Oh….no big deal. It’s just a lawn. You live near here?” He almost said yes, since the family home still was in the neighborhood even if he and Joey had moved in with their dad. He shook his head no.

“We just moved here from New Jersey. My mom is an author and my sister starts at Norfolk State in the fall. I just transferred to Tallwood, so I guess I’ll see you there?”

“Uh…not exactly. I’m still in eighth grade. I had some problems and they felt it would be better if I started late when I was little.” He almost added that his sister/brother shared the same grade and bus ride. He looked away; feeling at a very big loss. The girl was about his age and while she wasn’t a ‘looker,’ she had a nice look ‘about her’ as they used to say.

“You got a name?” She teased. He tried to remain his recently gloomy self but he failed miserably and laughed.

“Jason…Jason Brunetti.”

“I’m Aubrey… Aubrey Davidson. I hope to see you around. You play any sports?”

“I did before we moved. Everything …. Things have been all…. No…I don’t” He frowned and his frown grew even more dour at the embarrassment.

“I run track. Well, I did back home. Nothing this year while we get settled, but I’ll be back to cross-country in the fall. I bet you’re fast.” She smiled again and both of them turned away as they blushed in unison. Jason couldn’t believe a girl would even talk to him and Aubrey couldn’t believe she had gotten up the courage to talk to him. She smiled again weakly.

“I’ve got to go start dinner. Sis is out running errands and my mom is at a mystery writer’s seminar in DC. Maybe you can come over for dinner some time?” She spoke even as she backed away and toward the front door to the house. He half-smiled.

“Maybe… I gotta go too. Nice meetin’ you.” He said as he backed away as well. He bumped into a Jeep that was parked on the curb and nearly lost his balance before grabbing the spare tire on the back. He grinned sheepishly and waved before walking away. Aubrey sighed. She reached the low front step and sat down on the bench in front of the door. Her eyes followed Jason’s path until he vanished around a corner.

“He’ll never like you.” She heard a voice say. It was her own voice, of course, and it was persistent in reminding her just how different she was. And the voice was wrong.

---

Paul’s….

“You okay?” Paul asked Pete. His brother sighed.

“It’s just so hard. I don’t want to be the bastard here. But what do I do?”

“Maybe you don’t have to do anything.” Paul said. Pete stared at him.

“Seriously, bro? You say Cara took Petey to the doctors? Three? And what do they say?”

“You know what they’re going to say, Paul? This PC bullshit? That’s my son….he’s my son, for Christ’s sake!” Annie kept quiet, but the words rolled around in her mind as she answered in thought.

“For Christ’s sake, indeed.” She instead got up and began to take the dishes into the kitchen.

“I’ll put on some coffee,” she said as she stood at the archway into the kitchen. Both brothers nodded and turned again to face each other.

“I know some things are ‘pushed’ a little; maybe a lot. But from what I can remember of Petey growing up, he wasn’t really ….”

“Wait a second… that’s ….” Pete wanted to argue, but Paul was right. At least in that regard. No matter, since Pete was confident that he had three sons.

“I know it can’t be easy to accept, but what would be so wrong if you do have a daughter. Does that change anything? Would you love Kim any less than you love Petey?”

“Easy for you to say. You have no idea what this feels like.”

“You sound discouraged, Pete.” Annie said as she returned with a tray with mugs of coffee and a pint of half-and-half.”

“Ye…yes.” The word came slowly and almost reluctantly. It was hard to admit.

“And that no matter what you’ve done, you….” Annie paused. She wanted to be clear Pete understood what she was about to say.

“You’ve been a great father but this makes you feel like you failed?” Pete’s eyes widened. Annie had hit a raw nerve, but her expression was warm and understanding; leading him to continue.

“Like somehow I let my boy down.” Paul had seen Pete cry, of course, but he had never seen his brother look so vulnerable. He patted Pete’s arm.

“You are a great father, and you didn’t let your child down.” It was Paul’s turn to pause in caution, but he knew what he could ‘get away with’ much more than Annie and he went on.

“You haven’t let your daughter down. She’s just different than what you and Cara expected. I’d be willing to bet that if you sat down with her, you’d realize that the only way you’ve let any of your children down is how you and Cara aren’t together.” Pete’s face grew red and hot.

“Now wait a minute.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad…you’ve done enough of that yourself. But you’re the one who chose to move out. The boys followed because that’s what boys do but they’re torn. And poor Kimmy’s probably feeling like it’s her fault.” It was the first time Paul had used his niece’s name with his brother. And while it was uncomfortable, it was necessary and effective.

“Kim….” Pete said quietly.

“Mommy would have been proud,” Paul said, recalling that the girl had chosen their mother’s name for her own.

“You can’t possibly know how hard this is,” Pete said, reverting to form in an anxious moment. Paul went to speak, but Annie waved her hand no.

“I do know how hard this is, Pete,” she said as she took a sip of coffee.

“Really.”

Sometimes when I think of us I'm sad
I miss not knowing anything of what could lie ahead
when mostly now I'm grateful that you're where you want to be
not quite here and not quite there but somewhere in between

It's been wonderful and crazy knowing you
and I hope that I can always see the teenage girl in you
and I know that you'll be fine
but I'll be there every time
you need someone to complain to late at night

To be continued...

---

Someone to Say Hi To
Words and music by
K's Choice and the performer
Sarah Bettens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz5_QjcD23U