Presley
I sat on the couch with Ma on my right and Pops on my left. Aunt Luna and Uncle Nolan sat on the coffee table in front of me. I felt confused, lost, and mostly hurt.
"I don't understand. Why would Eliza do that?" I questioned.
"Because it's easy when people are insecure," Nolan said.
We looked at Nolan.
"Presley, it doesn't matter how much you show someone your faithfulness if they're insecure that doesn't go away overnight," Nolan explained.
"He's right," Luna agreed.
"But I did everything to show Eliza that I wanted only her," I told them.
"Sometimes it's not enough for a person," Nolan replied.
"How did Aunt Brook handle your past?" I questioned.
"She didn't like it, but she knew it was my past. Plus, she wasn't insecure, and I didn't give her a reason," Nolan explained.
I looked at Luna. "How did Uncle Major handle your past?" I asked.
"Well, with a lot of miscommunication on our parts," Luna said.
Everyone looked at Luna.
"Do you mean when you slapped Major because he slept with someone when you weren't together?" Nolan asked Luna.
Ma put her hand on her face, and Pops rolled his eyes. My brothers looked confused, and I looked at Luna with surprise.
"Yeah, it wasn't one of my better moments," Luna answered, raising a finger.
"More like it wasn't one of your best moments," Nolan retorted.
"Major forgave me," Luna reasoned.
"For being a tool," Nolan remarked.
"Did you forget that Major lied?" Luna questioned.
"Did you forget you broke up with the poor sap?" Nolan asked.
"Do you both have a point, or is there a reason you're screwing this up?" We heard someone ask.
We all turned and saw Grandpa and Uncle Nixon by the front door.
"Why are you here?" Nolan asked Nixon.
"I came to see my pride and joy, and Nash wanted to check on Presley," Nixon answered. "It seems we came in time because I'm sure when you both finish, the boy will feel more confused than ever."
Grandpa hugged my brothers and walked towards me. I looked up at Grandpa and broke.
"Come on, Presley," Grandpa coaxed, holding out his arms to me.
I stood up and hugged him as he let me cry. I let go and wiped my face.
"Let's talk," Grandpa said, and I nodded. We left the living room and went upstairs.
"Do you think it's a good thing to have Nash talk to Presley?" Nolan asked.
"Sometimes we need perspective from king tool himself," Nixon remarked.
We went into the bedroom, and I sat down on my bed as Grandpa closed the door. He grabbed a chair and placed it in front of me, sitting down.
"I don't understand. What did I do wrong?" I asked.
"You did nothing wrong, but sometimes our actions make someone insecure," Grandpa explained.
I looked at Grandpa with confusion.
"I made your nana insecure so much that she broke up with me. Nixon pointed out to me that I made her that way because I wanted to be the one to rescue her when she didn't need it," Grandpa explained.
I remembered the dream with Grammy and knew what Grandpa was saying.
"Your nana didn't need rescuing. She needed someone who loved her without question. I needed to be that guy," Grandpa reasoned.
"I thought if I showed Eliza that I was serious about us, then she would know," I explained.
"Presley, if a person loves you, they accept your flaws and past. They allow no one to interfere," Grandpa told me.
"Does Nana accept your flaws?" I asked.
"Yeah, and informs me all the time," Grandpa replied, making me snicker. "That's because your nana is stronger than I gave her credit. She had to be, considering the tools which were her parents."
"I mourned Eliza," I whispered.
Grandpa looked at me with his steel-grey eyes. "Because you loved her. There's nothing wrong with mourning someone you loved. If Eliza lived and you found out the truth, you would have walked away, but it wouldn't hurt less. I know," Grandpa said.
I furrowed my brows.
"I had an ex that cheated on me. I found out at Sarah's wedding. She married the guy who cheated with her. They died in a car accident, and I mourned," Grandpa admitted.
That surprised me. "Weren't you angry?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I had your nana to help me along with my family. I loved Sarah at one point, but I wasn't in love with her. That's the difference," Grandpa explained. "It's okay to mourn someone who you loved. It's not okay to jump in the grave with them."
I looked at Grandpa and nodded. I understood what he said, but my heart didn't hurt any less. Grandpa left the bedroom, and I laid down, falling asleep. I felt emotionally exhausted.
I woke up to find myself on a couch. I sat up and looked around to see a guy sitting in a chair. I looked at him, noticing dark hair and steel-grey eyes.
"Who are you?" I asked, feeling confused.
"Gray," the guy answered with a slight smile.
I stared at Granddad in awe. He stood up and walked towards me. I looked up at him, wondering what he would do.
"Follow me," Granddad ordered. I stood up and followed him to the sliding doors as he opened them. We stepped out to see many people socializing. "Do you see these people?"
"Yeah," I answered.
"These people are my family," he told me.
I looked and saw people I recognized and some I didn't know.
"I almost lost a chance to have a family because I let my temper get the best of me. Then one day, a woman set me straight," Granddad explained.
I looked at Granddad with confusion.
"I also made poor choices with other women. I made excuses until a woman told me like it was. I could let poor judgment destroy everything I wanted or get my shit together," he explained.
I looked at everyone talking and laughing. Generations of Grays stood there, making me realize how significant our legacy is in our family.
"Our legacy didn't start with me; it begins with Luci. She is the one that created it and kept it going with her wisdom. The women in this family are the ones that keep us going. They're the ones that handle us at our worst and deserve our best," Granddad told me.
A woman walked towards us as Granddad walked away. I stood there, suspiciously.
"I heard you are having a rough time," the woman said.
"Who are you?" I questioned.
"Dominique," the woman introduced herself.
I remembered her funeral.
"Cayson had difficulties when he was younger, but I knew he had potential unless he took my food," Dominique mentioned.
I looked at her strangely.
"But our relationship was perfect. We had issues like most people. When I married Cayson, I knew I had to love him at his worst to get his best," Dominique informed me.
"Did Uncle Cayson ever cheat on you?" I asked.
Dominique arched an eyebrow. "I'm Italian, not a fool. Your uncle almost lost a limb when he took my food. Do you think I would allow him to cheat on me?" She questioned me.
I looked at her with surprise.
"My husband is no fool. My sons are a different story. Those boys need a good smack," Dominique mentioned.
That made me chuckle.
"If a person cheats on you, they don't deserve your tears. They deserve a swift kick in the ass," Dominique told me.
"What if the person is dead?" I asked, looking at Dominique.
"Then you move on because staying mad at a ghost doesn't fix things. You can't yell at them, and it doesn't change what happened. Sometimes we need to leave the past behind us to find happiness," Dominique advised.
"My heart hurts," I whispered.
"Because your heart feels deeply. With the right person, your heart won't hurt; it will love," Dominique reasoned, smiling.
I could see why Uncle Cayson loved Aunt Dominique. Another woman walked towards me as Dominique walked away.
"Hi, I'm Karen. I know you don't know me, and the family isn't my biggest fan," the woman said to me.
"What did you do?" I questioned.
"Well, I'm not used to the family, and it made for difficulties, but I loved your Uncle Jonas," Karen told me.
"Uncle Nixon didn't have favorable things to say at your funeral," I mentioned.
"I'm aware, but Jonas is a good man. He loved me at my worst, and I gave him my best. People didn't see that, but Jonas and my boys did," Karen told me.
"Didn't you fight a lot?" I asked.
"Yes, but all couples fight. You still love the person. I would never trade my life with Jonas for anything. He loved me even when I didn't love myself," Karen explained.
I thought about it. We judge people when we don't know them. What happens between two people in a relationship is between them. If an outside person interferes, that's because someone allowed it.
I turned around to see Grammy standing there, smiling. I walked towards her.
"You were right," I said.
"Sweetheart, I'm always right," Grammy told me, then winked.
"I don't know what to do now," I said, trying to sort through my emotions.
"When the time is right, the person for you will come along," Grammy reasoned.
"What if that person never does?" I asked doubtfully.
"Oh, dear boy, they will because that person will fight you. They will love you at your worst; then, you give them your best. I know Gray gave it to me," Grammy reasoned, smiling.
Sometimes it takes the family to open your eyes and guide you through difficulties. They love you at your worse, and you give your best to them. Your family fights for you because, you know, it's all relative.