Chapter 110

"Lemma!" Richie called from the front door of the house as the keyboardist climbed out of his car. "Come here for a minute. You too Teek."

"What's going on?" Tico asked as they entered the house. 

Richie led the way down the hallway past Jon's office. "I found this last night and I'm not sure what to make of it."

"What's all this?" David's eyes widened at the stacks of boxes and furniture.

"It's Bri's stuff." Richie answered.

"Well, maybe she just hasn't had time to find a place for everything." David suggested.

"Or maybe this is the place she found for it." Tico rumbled. "Where's Jon?"

"He took the kids to school." Richie replied. "He's not back yet."

"Where's....."

"Hey there! What are you guys up to?" Brianna's voice came from behind them before David could finish his question. The serious looks on the men's faces as they turned to look at her had all her senses on alert. "What's wrong?"

"You tell us Sunshine." Richie nodded towards the 'storage' room. "What's with all this?"

"It's my furniture and stuff from my apartment." She deliberately misunderstood his question.

His look said he wasn't buying it. "And why is it all piled in here?"

"Because this room isn't being used right now, so it's not in the way." It was the room that Dorothea had spent her last days in and the family avoided it.

"And why isn't it set out around the house?" His tone was one he would use when talking to a child or someone who had difficulty understanding all but the simplest words. "You know, like everyone does with their possessions....in their home."

Brianna shrugged, but didn't meet his gaze. "I haven't had time to get to it."

"Uh uh." David shook his head. "Not buying it. You are the multitasking queen. What's really going on?"

Telling them to mind their own business wouldn't work with these guys, but she really didn't want to get into it. She settled on part of the truth. "The kids have asked us not to rush the wedding. They need some time to adjust. Making major changes in the house their mother designed and decorated would be hard on them."

"I would call the lair upstairs a major change." Richie pointed out.

She nodded. "That was at Jon's request. And the kids don't live in there." She sighed. "Guys, it's fine."

"No, it's not." Tico argued.

"BINA! COME PAY WIF ME!"

"Coming!" She looked around the group and pointed towards the living room. "I appreciate your concern, but that's what's important." And if she said it enough it might not sting as much.

The men watched her go.

"Do you buy it?" Richie didn't. There were shadows in her eyes.

"Nope." David answered. "She's putting on her brave face, putting other people's needs first."

"Very commendable." Tico observed. "But not fair to her. Again."

His friends agreed.

"What's with you guys today?" Jon frowned at his bandmates. "Your focus is for shit. Where are your heads?"

The others exchanged glances. "Sorry man."

Jon eyed them, his frown deepening. "What's going on?"

After another exchanged look, David turned on his stool to face his friend. "We're worried about Bri."

"What about her?"

"Did you know that all of her furniture and stuff from her apartment - other than the lair - is piled in the room beside your office?" Richie asked.

Jon shrugged. "Guess she hasn't had time to deal with it."

"You don't find that......out of character?"

Jon shrugged. "Apparently you guys do. So tell me, Dr. Sambora, what does it mean?"

Ignoring the taunt, Richie draped his arms over the guitar in his lap. "Have you asked her about it?"

"No. I honestly didn't notice." He looked around the group again. "I'm guessing you asked her and that's what's go you so concerned. What did she say?"

"That she thinks changing things in the house their mother decorated would be too hard on the kids."

Jon frowned.

"It's great that she cares so much about the kids, but it's at her expense." Tico added.

"It's her home now too. She should feel comfortable - entitled even - to decorate it however she sees fit." David put in.

"She was raised to be supportive of her family, and always put their needs first." Richie pointed out. "She's been demeaned and belittled all her life. She deserves to be put first for a change."

"You guys ready for lunch?" Brianna breezed through the door, her hands full of take out bags. "Come get it while it's hot."

Rew peeked in a bag. "Mexican! Yum!"

They descended on the food like flies on honey.  For the next few minutes conversation was limited to 'burrito or taco'.

"Hey Beautful, did you get any hot sauce?" David asked around a mouthful of meat, cheese and tortilla.

"I gots it!" Romeo reached into the bag he was carrying. "Here go Unka Wemma."

"Thanks little man."

Brianna walked around the table distributing drinks along with extra dishes of sour cream and guacamole. When she came within reach, Jon reached out to pull her down onto his lap. "Thanks for this Golden Eyes. You spoil us." He nuzzled her neck. "I love you."

Leaning against him, she smiled. "I love you too." She looked around the table. "How's the album coming? Anything you're ready to share yet?"

Obie crooked a brow at Jon, and at his nod, turned to hit a few buttons on the sound board.

While the men ate, Brianna closed her eyes and let the music wash over her. When the song ended, she opened her eyes and looked at Richie. "Bump up the solo. Give it some umpf."

Richie grinned. "Yes ma'am." He pointed his burrito at Jon. "Told ya it needed more."

Jon scowled at his fiancée. "Don't you have some letters to write or invitations to answer or ......."

"Make cookies!" Romeo suggested.

"Or cookies to make?" Jon agreed with a wink at his son.

Brianna grinned and kissed his cheek. "Yes Boss." She stood and held out a hand. "Come on little man. Our work here is done."

"You make cookies now?"

"Yes, I'll make cookies now."

"Yay!" Cheered every male in the room.

That night, while Brianna was putting the little ones to bed, Jon took the opportunity to talk with his oldest two. He'd been thinking all afternoon about what the guys had said....and not said. "You guys like the way Bri redecorated our bedroom, don't you?"

"Yeah, it's really cool." Stephanie agreed enthusiastically.

"Well, she's got more nice stuff - including a painting of Uncle Tico's - that she hasn't found place for yet."

"You mean all that stuff piled in Mom's old sitting room?" Jesse asked.

"Yes." He paused, not sure how to word what he wanted to say. "I want Bri to feel like this is her home now too. And part of that is having her possessions around her. But that will mean a lot of changes around here, and she's concerned that it will upset you guys." He glanced back and forth between his children. "Is she right? Will it upset you to change things around the house?"

Brother and sister exchanged a look and shook their heads.

"No, it's fine." Stephanie assured him.

"What was that look for?" Since Dorotheas's death he'd had to learn to watch his kids closely to pick up their emotion states. But he still wasn't very good at it. "Jesse?"

Jesse shrugged. "Change whatever you want, I don't care."

Something told Jon not to be fooled by his son's tough guy act. "Steph?" He was sure to get a more honest answer from her.

Stephanie took her time answering, trying to put her feelings into words that made sense. "We're really okay with it. It might make things.....easier."

"What things?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes it's hard not to be sad when everywhere we look we see....her." She frowned. "Sometimes when we've been out having fun and I feel happy, I walk in here and feel guilty that I'm not sad. But sometimes, when I'm really missing her, it helps to see reminders of her all around." She sighed. "I don't know how to explain it."

"You explained it very well. I get it." He paused. "To be honest, I've felt the same way."

"Really?" Both kids stared at him, surprised.

"Of course. It hasn't been easy for me either. I loved your mother very much. I always will. But she wanted us to find love and happiness again. The best way to honour her and her memory is to do just that. But that doesn't mean we will ever forget her or not think about her and miss her."

Richie watched and listened, proud of his best friend. If anything good thing had come out of Dorotheas's death it was that it had made Jon become a better father. He listened and communicated with them much better than he ever had before.

When Brianna entered the room, she felt like she'd walked into the middle of something. She looked around until she caught Richie's glance. When he just smiled and winked, she relaxed. "Anyone want a snack?"

The next morning, when the guys had all arrived, Jon informed them of a change to their usual schedule. "We're going to quit early today. I need your help moving some stuff."

Richie eyed him. "Going to push the issue?"

"Yep. If the kids are okay with it, she has no reason not to go along with it."

Obie snorted. "She's female. She'll come up with something."

"Doesn't matter. She's going to be my wife and matriarch of this family. It's her show, to be run her way. Starting now."

"So, I take it we're moving boxes and furniture." David commented with an approving nod. "Good."

When Brianna returned to the house after picking the kids up from school, she found the men hanging around the living room. "You guys done?"

"Nope, just waiting for you." Tico answered.

"Me? What for?"

"We await your instructions milady." David announced, entering from the direction of Jon's office.

"Instructions?" Brianna frowned. "For what?"

"Yo! Lady! Where you want we should move this stuff?" Richie gestured down the hallway behind him with a thumb as he joined them.

"What stuff?" Pushing by the comedy twins, she headed for the office. "Jon? What's going on?" The stack of her boxes in the hallway sent her pulse and mind racing. What the hell is going on? "Jon?"

"In here!" He called.

Inside the room the boxes had come out of, she found not only Jon, but also Obie and Rew, shifting furniture. "Hey guys. What are you doing?"

"Are these Bri's boxes?" Stephanie's voice came from the hallway. "Can you just put them in the living room please? I'll help her sort through them there."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Brianna beseeched the ceiling.

"We're helping you unpack your stuff." Jon explained.

"But..."

He held up a hand to halt her protest. "No arguments. The kids are okay with it and the guys are ready to move furniture, so decide where you want it." Jon stepped over to slide one arm around her waist, lifted her face up towards his with the other hand and sighed. "This is your home now Golden Eyes. Time for you to settle in. For once in your life I want you to be selfish. I don't want you to worry about anyone else's feelings. Do what makes you happy."

"But.."

"No buts. You do so much for us every day and take nothing for yourself. That's not right. That changes now. We can't be happy unless you're happy."

Amber eyes shining, she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. "I love you!"

Looking over her shoulder, Jon saw Richie in the doorway give him the thumbs up.