Remember Me This Way

Chapter Forty

Christmas with the Carters.

Because Brian knew it would probably be the last Christmas Nick had outside of an adult care center, he had inevitably decided on what he dubbed mentally as a Carter Christmas. He didn't go back to Kentucky, didn't invite his own family back out here, and amazingly enough, they understood. Instead, Brian invited the Richardsons, the McLeans, the Doroughs, and then the entire Carter clan to his home.

It was a time to let bygones be bygones, and celebrate what blessings they had together. He believed for whatever reasons, fate had brought five men together. By doing so, it intertwined their families without a choice. If for no other reason, than to be there for Nick, they needed to just unite for one last "normal" holiday.

Leighanne was the official chef of the day, and had freed Brian of any responsibility to help. Instead, she called Kristin and Leigh, and the three of them had set to work on preparing the dinner. To keep things civil, the Carters were supposed to all arrive later. He hoped he thought of everything. Nick didn't need this to turn out badly. Even if he didn't remember it, Brian wanted a good day for all of them to hold on to.

Last week, he'd been spending all his time walking through centers that Nick could transfer to. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt like this should be it. But he knew everyone was right when they continued to tell him he needed to be looking into it. Nick's sleeping problems had been increasing, another sign of the progression of the disease.

"Brian?"

Kristin stood there behind him, at the sliding door. He had been sitting out on the porch, just looking out into the backyard. It was easy to get wistful, and he'd even been warned by Kevin that if Brian kept shutting everyone out, he'd find a way to get him to see a therapist. The word "depression" was getting tossed around a lot anymore. He wasn't depressed. He was simply trying to cope the best way he knew how.

"Hey." He turned towards her, smiling at his cousin-in-law. She always felt like a sister, in the same way Kevin had always been more than simply his cousin.

"We need you inside."

"Everything okay?"

"No, see Jane arrived and Nick saw her..."

"WHY IS SHE HERE?!" He could hear Nick screaming.

He ran inside, making a hard decision instantly. He grabbed at Nick, who was beat red, looking livid at the sight of Jane Carter. She was standing there, her face stricken with hurt and betrayal. Angel stood just behind her, in tears at the sight of her brother this way.

"What is she doing here Brian?!"

"She's just here to visit, it's Christmas...remember?"

"She's here to force me back home; she wants me to be her damn ATM again! I won't do it anymore mom!"

A memory flashed through his head, back to when they were just kids. Nick had had enough. It was the first time he'd stood up against his family. It wasn't going to be the last, of course. Since he was seventeen, his family had threatened to force him back home by declaring him a runaway. Nick had agreed to send money till he was eighteen, in return for freedom. He'd ended up staying at Brian's place in Tampa about a month later anyway, not liking the emptiness that came with living alone.

"Nick, honey, that's not it."

Brian shook his head at her, trying to get her to be quiet. "Nick..." He turned his best friend toward him, trying to calm him down but clueless as to how. "Buddy, you're not seventeen anymore. You haven't been an ATM for them in a long time...okay?"

"No! It's not okay! Get her the fuck out of my house!"

"Dad...what's going on?" Baylee asked, with Mason, Lily, James, and Lenni in tow behind him.