Lead Me Home, Numb3rs, Part 33/84
Don't own, don't sue.
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Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30
Part 31 Part 32
When the trio reached the first floor, they split up. Emily headed to the living room to rescue Ryan from Keith. Jason went into the kitchen to get the three of them coffee and the pot to top off everyone else's cup. Colby made a quick trip to his rental car.
The snow was falling gently as he pulled the SUV closer the house. He also grabbed his purchase from the floral shop that he'd forgotten to bring in earlier.
Once back inside, Colby joined the others in the living room and downed his cup of coffee in two long drinks.
"Has L.A. made you a freeze-baby?"
"Hey, it's snowing out there."
"You used to run out to the barn without a coat in five feet of snow."
"So I stopped being an idiot."
"I doubt that," Keith muttered.
Emily laughed and said, "You've just been too many warm places lately."
Colby shrugged and nodded. "Probably."
"So what's in the box?"
"Oh, this," Colby lifted the box for his lap and handed it to Abigail, "is just a little late Christmas gift."
"You didn't have to." Abigail fidgeted with the diamond necklace Keith had given her, while holding the box in her other hand.
"I just happened to see it while I was in town and it reminded me of you. Open it."
Keith bumped his shoulder against Abigail's. "Go on."
Raising an eyebrow that the excited grin on her boyfriend's face, Abigail followed his direction. She flipped the lid of the box up and pulled out the tissue wrapped bundle. The paper was pulled back just enough to allow her to see what Colby had bought.
"It's beautiful," Keith said looking over her shoulder.
"It's perfect."
"What is it?" Ryan asked.
Abigail smiled and turned the package around to show everyone. "It's a clock."
But it wasn't just any clock. It was shaped like a skeleton key. The bow contained the face of the clock and the shank was engraved. The bit and bow both had braces so the piece could sit on a shelf.
"What does it say?" Marie asked, squinting across the room.
"'Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. ~ W. Clement Stone,'" Abigail read aloud. "It really is great, Colby. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
There was a few minutes of silence as everyone drank their coffee and relaxed. Everyone but Emily. She was clearly agitated and it was getting worse as time went on.
"I have an announcement," she finally blurted out. "Ryan has asked me to marry him. And I've given him a conditional yes."
"Conditional?" Ryan's question was drowned out by the excited celebration the rest of the family gave.
"That's wonderful!" Marie stated and rose to kiss and hug them both. Sarah was right behind her.
"I've got a bottle of wine; we should open it. I'll be right back."
"I'll help you."
With Marie and Richard out of the room, Colby laughed.
"What?"
"Subtle, Em. Real subtle."
She stuck her tongue out at him but laughed as well. "Couldn't be traditional now could I?"
"Conditional?" Ryan repeated.
Keith and Colby both snorted at the dumbfounded look on Ryan's face.
"I think you broke him, sis," Jason commented as he slapped their soon-to-be brother-in-law on the back.
"Is there any other way to handle a man?" Sarah asked with a wink to Emily.
Emily just smiled and kissed Ryan. "We'll talk later about how conditional, but yes."
"Oh. Okay. Good."
"Very."
~3~
As he lay in bed that night, Colby couldn't get his his brain to shut off.
He kept thinking about how happy Ryan and Emily had looked all night. Even with the "conditional" conversation hanging over them, the joy they felt was still evident. Keith and Abigail had that elation, as well; Sarah and Jason, too. Even his mom and Richard had a touch of it.
He'd dated Amy for nine years and had planned on marrying her but she'd never looked at him that way. He'd never looked at her like that, either. He'd never felt how his siblings seemed to feel.
I don't think I've ever felt that way.
He'd never really been in love.
The thought depressed Colby more than he thought possible.
He sighed and rolled out of bed. Heading downstairs, Colby tried to be as quiet as possible. He didn't want to wake anyone since they'd been up late celebrating.
Colby turned on the light in the kitchen. He opened the fridge dejectedly and stared at the leftovers. He knew if he ate something it would probably just keep him awake.
With a sigh he pulled the milk from the fridge. He grabbed a sauce pan to warm the liquid.
"Colbs?"
"Keith, what you are doing up?"
"I heard you."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake anyone."
"S'okay. Just make me some milk, too."
Colby nodded and turned to the stove. Within seconds he was stirring the milk over the low heat to slowly warm it.
"So why are you up?"
"No reason."
Keith shook his head. "Little C, you've always been able to sleep almost anywhere. And that's even more true since the army. So what's on your mind?"
Colby sighed and shook head. He continued to stir the milk with all of his concentration.
"Hey, I know I'm not the serious brother, but if you want or need to talk..."
"Could you grab some mugs?"
"Sure." Keith grabbed two mugs and brought them over to Colby at the stove.
A few minutes later they were seated at the table. They sipped at the warmed milk for a moment before finally Colby opened up.
"Have you ever realized that something you believed to be true isn't?"
"A couple times, yeah. Why, what's up?"
Colby looked down at his mug. He twisted it in his hands for a few minutes. "I've never been in love."
"Okay."
"No, I'm serious."
"I know. It's still okay."
"No, it's not. I mean I dated Amy for nine years; I was thinking about marrying her. What does that say about me that I never loved her?"
"It says that you knew she wasn't the one. I mean look how it ended. Imagine how much more it would have hurt if you had truly loved her and not just that puppy love."
Colby grunted. "Maybe, but..."
"But, what?"
"But what if it means I'm not actually capable of really loving someone like that?"
Keith burst out laughing. He laughed until he snorted. He laughed until he couldn't hold his head up and had to rest it against the table. He laughed until he couldn't breathe.
"Thanks, bro."
Keith shook his head. "Colby, I've seen you with those boys upstairs. I've seen you with Abigail, with perfect strangers. You know how to love."
"But what about true love, romantic love? I've never experienced that."
"Well, of course you haven't."
"You don't have to say it like that."
"Like what?"
"So emphatically."
Keith chuckled. "Well, it's clear to me why you've never been in love."
"Oh?"
"You just realized you were attracted to men. You haven't been in love because you haven't been looking for a man."
Colby nodded, thoughtful. "How many times have you been in love?"
"Lots. But real love, true love? Once or twice."
"And you know when it's real and not just..."
"Yeah, you know." Keith rose and rinsed out his cup. He put it in the dishwasher and headed for the door. "Sleep well, little brother. And don't stress too much. Love comes when you least expect it."
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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10
Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30
Part 31 Part 32
When the trio reached the first floor, they split up. Emily headed to the living room to rescue Ryan from Keith. Jason went into the kitchen to get the three of them coffee and the pot to top off everyone else's cup. Colby made a quick trip to his rental car.
The snow was falling gently as he pulled the SUV closer the house. He also grabbed his purchase from the floral shop that he'd forgotten to bring in earlier.
Once back inside, Colby joined the others in the living room and downed his cup of coffee in two long drinks.
"Has L.A. made you a freeze-baby?"
"Hey, it's snowing out there."
"You used to run out to the barn without a coat in five feet of snow."
"So I stopped being an idiot."
"I doubt that," Keith muttered.
Emily laughed and said, "You've just been too many warm places lately."
Colby shrugged and nodded. "Probably."
"So what's in the box?"
"Oh, this," Colby lifted the box for his lap and handed it to Abigail, "is just a little late Christmas gift."
"You didn't have to." Abigail fidgeted with the diamond necklace Keith had given her, while holding the box in her other hand.
"I just happened to see it while I was in town and it reminded me of you. Open it."
Keith bumped his shoulder against Abigail's. "Go on."
Raising an eyebrow that the excited grin on her boyfriend's face, Abigail followed his direction. She flipped the lid of the box up and pulled out the tissue wrapped bundle. The paper was pulled back just enough to allow her to see what Colby had bought.
"It's beautiful," Keith said looking over her shoulder.
"It's perfect."
"What is it?" Ryan asked.
Abigail smiled and turned the package around to show everyone. "It's a clock."
But it wasn't just any clock. It was shaped like a skeleton key. The bow contained the face of the clock and the shank was engraved. The bit and bow both had braces so the piece could sit on a shelf.
"What does it say?" Marie asked, squinting across the room.
"'Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. ~ W. Clement Stone,'" Abigail read aloud. "It really is great, Colby. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
There was a few minutes of silence as everyone drank their coffee and relaxed. Everyone but Emily. She was clearly agitated and it was getting worse as time went on.
"I have an announcement," she finally blurted out. "Ryan has asked me to marry him. And I've given him a conditional yes."
"Conditional?" Ryan's question was drowned out by the excited celebration the rest of the family gave.
"That's wonderful!" Marie stated and rose to kiss and hug them both. Sarah was right behind her.
"I've got a bottle of wine; we should open it. I'll be right back."
"I'll help you."
With Marie and Richard out of the room, Colby laughed.
"What?"
"Subtle, Em. Real subtle."
She stuck her tongue out at him but laughed as well. "Couldn't be traditional now could I?"
"Conditional?" Ryan repeated.
Keith and Colby both snorted at the dumbfounded look on Ryan's face.
"I think you broke him, sis," Jason commented as he slapped their soon-to-be brother-in-law on the back.
"Is there any other way to handle a man?" Sarah asked with a wink to Emily.
Emily just smiled and kissed Ryan. "We'll talk later about how conditional, but yes."
"Oh. Okay. Good."
"Very."
~3~
As he lay in bed that night, Colby couldn't get his his brain to shut off.
He kept thinking about how happy Ryan and Emily had looked all night. Even with the "conditional" conversation hanging over them, the joy they felt was still evident. Keith and Abigail had that elation, as well; Sarah and Jason, too. Even his mom and Richard had a touch of it.
He'd dated Amy for nine years and had planned on marrying her but she'd never looked at him that way. He'd never looked at her like that, either. He'd never felt how his siblings seemed to feel.
I don't think I've ever felt that way.
He'd never really been in love.
The thought depressed Colby more than he thought possible.
He sighed and rolled out of bed. Heading downstairs, Colby tried to be as quiet as possible. He didn't want to wake anyone since they'd been up late celebrating.
Colby turned on the light in the kitchen. He opened the fridge dejectedly and stared at the leftovers. He knew if he ate something it would probably just keep him awake.
With a sigh he pulled the milk from the fridge. He grabbed a sauce pan to warm the liquid.
"Colbs?"
"Keith, what you are doing up?"
"I heard you."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake anyone."
"S'okay. Just make me some milk, too."
Colby nodded and turned to the stove. Within seconds he was stirring the milk over the low heat to slowly warm it.
"So why are you up?"
"No reason."
Keith shook his head. "Little C, you've always been able to sleep almost anywhere. And that's even more true since the army. So what's on your mind?"
Colby sighed and shook head. He continued to stir the milk with all of his concentration.
"Hey, I know I'm not the serious brother, but if you want or need to talk..."
"Could you grab some mugs?"
"Sure." Keith grabbed two mugs and brought them over to Colby at the stove.
A few minutes later they were seated at the table. They sipped at the warmed milk for a moment before finally Colby opened up.
"Have you ever realized that something you believed to be true isn't?"
"A couple times, yeah. Why, what's up?"
Colby looked down at his mug. He twisted it in his hands for a few minutes. "I've never been in love."
"Okay."
"No, I'm serious."
"I know. It's still okay."
"No, it's not. I mean I dated Amy for nine years; I was thinking about marrying her. What does that say about me that I never loved her?"
"It says that you knew she wasn't the one. I mean look how it ended. Imagine how much more it would have hurt if you had truly loved her and not just that puppy love."
Colby grunted. "Maybe, but..."
"But, what?"
"But what if it means I'm not actually capable of really loving someone like that?"
Keith burst out laughing. He laughed until he snorted. He laughed until he couldn't hold his head up and had to rest it against the table. He laughed until he couldn't breathe.
"Thanks, bro."
Keith shook his head. "Colby, I've seen you with those boys upstairs. I've seen you with Abigail, with perfect strangers. You know how to love."
"But what about true love, romantic love? I've never experienced that."
"Well, of course you haven't."
"You don't have to say it like that."
"Like what?"
"So emphatically."
Keith chuckled. "Well, it's clear to me why you've never been in love."
"Oh?"
"You just realized you were attracted to men. You haven't been in love because you haven't been looking for a man."
Colby nodded, thoughtful. "How many times have you been in love?"
"Lots. But real love, true love? Once or twice."
"And you know when it's real and not just..."
"Yeah, you know." Keith rose and rinsed out his cup. He put it in the dishwasher and headed for the door. "Sleep well, little brother. And don't stress too much. Love comes when you least expect it."
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