Chapter 46

Greg
His kids were about to go stir crazy by the time they landed at LAX. Greg thanked God that Joey and Phil were there to help him. This way, all each of them had to do was be accountable for one child. Greg put Phil in charge of Kyle because he was the most responsible of the kids. It was a toss-up as to who was more likely to get into something, Mac or Nate.

He ended up taking Mac because she could cause the most damage. All he had to do was remember the book display toppling over at O’Hare as a reminder. Had that only been a little over four hours ago?

“You are not to let go of your designated buddy’s hand. Is that understood?” Greg asked before he let them get out of their seats.

They made it as far as the bathrooms. Mac had figured out what the signs meant, so they all had to go. At least at the airport, they could use the handicapped stall. The plane had been a nightmare.

By the time they made it to baggage claim, Greg was ready to make them catch the next flight back home. Thank the Lord, his mom was waiting for them at the luggage carousel.

“Nana! Nana!” his kids called as they wiggled free of their buddies and rushed to her.

It gave him a chance to get everyone’s bags while his mom, with Joey’s help, got all the munchkins to the extra-large van that Manaia was driving.

“Hey. Good to see you,” Greg said to the giant Samoan, who was part of his brother’s security and driving team.

“Welcome to LA. Mr. Dawson is planning a barbecue tonight to welcome you. David sends his regrets. He has a fundraiser he committed to, so he’ll see everyone tomorrow,” Manaia told Greg and Phil to catch them up.

“I hear you have a pool,” Phil said.

“And a hot tub and tennis court,” Manaia added.

They got everyone loaded, and from the back, Greg heard, “Oh, shit!”

“Language,” Mom chastised Greg’s half-brother.

“Read your text,” Phil said.

Joey pulled her phone out and looked at it.

“What does this mean? ‘Fun David is coming out to play’?” she asked Greg.

Greg’s expletive also got him yelled at by his mom.

Greg’s brother David was a frickin’ genius. He’d told their mom to hire help to watch the rug-rats during spring break. She’d employed three girls going to Pepperdine who were enrolled in their Teacher Education program. Supervising eight children ranging in age between two and four would either cure them, or they would fall in love with their chosen profession.

That allowed the adults to relax and enjoy what California had to offer. From the rooftop, there were views of both the hills and the Pacific Ocean. His dad was grilling steaks while their cook was making everything else. Phil was in the pool as soon as they figured out where they were staying, and Joey had made plans to go out with the girls. She’d become friends with Ashley, Peggy, and Scarlet before they’d moved to Malibu.

Greg found himself sitting in a lounge chair, drinking a beer and talking to his dad.

“Have you found a job yet?” Dad asked.

“Not yet. Joey wants to get a job working at a university as a strength and conditioning coach. I plan to follow her wherever she goes. We thought she had a job at State, but they went in a different direction. If we have to, we’ll stay where we are for another year. They love her at Lincoln High, and I can spend more time with my massage business. That is, if it’s okay that we stay in the house?” Greg asked.

“We’re living on David’s dime, so you staying in the house isn’t a burden. Do what you need. You know that your mom and I will support you,” his father assured him.

His dad turned the steaks before continuing.

“What’s going on with you and Joey?” Dad asked.

“We decided to hold off on getting married. We’re both young, and I’m in no hurry after divorcing Angie. We’ll just live together until we figure things out.”

“How is Angie?”

“I wish I knew. As you know, she packed up and left last summer. The last time I tried to get hold of her, her cell phone no longer worked,” Greg shared.

“You worried?”

“Not really. When I accepted custody of the kids and told her I didn’t expect anything from her, she took me at my word. I suspect she’s off building the life she wants, and kids aren’t a part of it.”

They went quiet for a few minutes. They were joined by Greg’s mom.

“What’s this about ‘Fun David?’” she asked.

“What’s going on?” Dad asked.

“Cassidy sent out a text that said that ‘Fun David’ was going on spring break,” Greg explained.

“What does that mean?” Mom asked.

“If I were to guess, it means that he plans to let his hair down and go a bit wild. I imagine you can figure out what a college boy might get up to,” Greg said.

“I bet David doesn’t get as wild as you think. He grew up when he was off making his movies. When the girls come over on Sundays, they tell us he’s focused on school and sports. Cassidy would tell us if he was out partying or slacking off,” Mom said.

“If anyone deserves to go a little wild, it’s him,” Dad said.

“You guys move out here, and suddenly I don’t know you. My mom is extolling the virtues of my wild child of a younger brother, and my dad is suggesting that he should go a little crazy. What happened that I’m not hearing about him being grounded for life?” Greg asked, joking around.

“As I said, he’s growing up. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t do stuff that he shouldn’t. He’s just gotten better at hiding it,” Mom said.

“You mean he quit telling you everything he knows. I always wondered when he would finally figure that one out,” Greg said.

“Thank God he didn’t. It was bad enough knowing what he was up to. If we had been in the dark, it would have worried your mom to death,” Dad said.

“I choose to think he’s not up to anything. I have enough to worry about,” Mom said.

Dad announced that the steaks were ready. Mom sent a text message, and everyone began to show up. Greg had missed their big family get-togethers. This was what he needed.

The following morning, Greg was impressed with how efficiently everyone worked together to get the little ones ready and out the door for preschool. His three would be joining their cousins at their daycare while the older generation went on vacation.

Phil said he wanted to go see David at USC, so he talked Greg and Joey into going with him. Manaia was ‘voluntold’ to drive them. Greg was glad that happened because he would have had to kill someone on the drive over. LA traffic was terrible. He now understood road rage.

Cassidy met them at Sandoval Hall. She told Manaia that he could go back home because David had his car to drive them.

She took them past the security desk and up to David’s dorm room. It didn’t surprise Greg that she had a dorm card and a key. His brother always trusted people more than he should. When they walked in, Cassidy went to the refrigerator while the rest of them stood in stunned silence.

“If this is what living in a dorm is like, sign me up,” Phil said.

Greg had to agree. He’d lived in off-campus married housing, which was ten times better than living in a dorm room. David’s place, though, embodied the ideal living situation for a college kid. It wasn’t that it had marble floors or gold-plated faucets; rather, it had big leather couches and chairs and a TV that took up almost an entire wall. Video game equipment out the wazoo was evident, and the bar/kitchenette was versatile enough that you could feed yourself or throw a party.

“Lexi and David’s roommate’s stepmom decorated it. You should see his bedroom,” Cassidy said as she handed out drinks. Phil beat the others in the race to David’s bedroom door.

Greg had forgotten that his younger brother had money. Looking at where David lived was a stark reminder. His room looked like something right out of an idea magazine for the perfect twenty-something bedroom.