Everything In Between (COMPLETED)

AFTER|| In Plain Sight

"I'm so proud of the man you've become, James. You proved that piece of gutter trash wrong and that alone will always make me happy. But seeing the incredible, brilliant, crazy athletic man you've become makes me so happy to be able to call you my baby brother."

I felt James tense on my left hearing the toast. His eyes were on his sister on the other side of the table, her own eyes glassy with tears, fingers wrapped around the glass of wine. Lindsey touched a comforting hand to her girlfriend's shoulder as soon as she'd sat herself down again. My eyes swept over Ash, currently devouring a piece of chocolate cheesecake, and to Chris as he stood, dusting imaginary specks of dust from his black v neck.

"James. Jamie. Pierce." he said in a quick breath. "Man, if someone would have told me in eighth grade that you'd be a starting quarterback in the NFL straight out of college I would have laughed in their face."

Laughs erupted around the table as James's shoulders relaxed.

"Seriously, though, I would have told them I had no doubt. You're one of the most dedicated, headstrong people I know. You've made an incredible team captain the last seven years and I feel so fucking blessed to be able to tell my daughter that I knew the great James Pierce one day. Can't wait to see you on that field man. Congratulations!"

I smiled and looked to James to find him staring down at the red linen mat under his glass of wine, expression unreadable from the angle I was at.

"I guess it's my turn?" Scott mumbled with a feign miserable look. "Gross."

I caught his eye and smiled, to which he winked and lifted his own glass in front of him.

"I've had the pleasure of knowing James Pierce since we were six and he challenged me to a bike race that resulted in a broken elbow for me and a concussion for him." Everyone laughed. "Since the second I stared into his eyes, I knew James had the desire in him. The desire to be something better, someone better, than his father. He wanted to show the world and his father that he could do everything they told him he couldn't. I am not surprised, man, that we are all gathered here this morning to celebrate your accomplishment. I am so proud of you, bro, you deserve every single thing you have right now, even if you don't believe so. I love you, dude. Congrats."

I blinked rapidly to keep tears from falling hearing the speech. Breathing out my anxiety, I stood and held my glass between both hands.

"I'm not great with these kinds of things. The toasts. The speeches. Being open with my feelings, but I'll try."

I caught Ash's eyes and she nodded in encouragement.

"I didn't have the pleasure of knowing James as long as the rest of you have, but even with the little time I have known him, I wonder how I could have ever lived with him. James came into my life at a time I was so lost, and somehow, in someway, he was exactly what I needed to find myself again." I turned so I was staring down at him. "I've never met someone so genuinely kind and concerned. Sometime in the last six months I fell for your words, and a little later I was sure I liked the actions. But I fell in love with everything in between, James. The you that you try so desperately to keep hidden, the you that became the person my daughter and I needed during the worst point of our lives. There is no amount of gratitude that I could express that would come close to how much I truly have for everything that you have done for my little family, James Pierce. You are worthy of this beautiful life that you have been gifted, and I cannot wait to see where your future takes you. Congratulations, James."

*

"So this is how we're going to leave things?" the breeze rustled a few strands of James' hair into his eyes, and it took every ounce of willpower I had to not extend my hand to move it as I'd done the last few months. 'This isn't right, Harley. I don't want to leave shit like this."