I will save your heart from breaking

 

"Don't bring this up now," Boone turned to Alfie as if he needed to think about the moment, not about mom and dad.

"You just don't get it," Alfie was being honest, even if he had no business being in the back of the bakery watching Boone get out cupcakes so they could be decorated in patriotic colors.

"I get that, OK," Boone said. He knew Alfie had been through a lot with his broken family.

"I don't want to be them," Alfie shook his head, no. "I remember how he was with me when I was little. He didn't like me, even then." Alfie told Boone the only reason he was being nice to his dad was because of Boone. "I..I thought he needed to know who you are."

Boone did his best to smile, but blew a breath. He was in a sweat. The humidity was getting to him. He remembered the forecast saying what a washout  Friday the Fourth would be, but the sun was shining strong at the moment, and the air conditioning was not getting any better in this old bakery.

"Let's just get through the holiday. We can't take sides. We'll just be at Mom's at noon and then go to Dad's later," Boone suggested as he got on his silicone gloves and grabbed the hot pans of muffin cakes. 

"I don't want to."

Alfie was adamant. He wanted to go to Gage's and have the Fourth there.

"At least see, Mom."

Boone looked at him blankly. He could see that Alfie hated the idea.

"She's expecting you. She wants to see all of you. Not just the baby," Boone said he would be there for support. "We'll do it together. You won't be alone."

"I guess Naoki will be there too," Alfie sounded as if that was another reason he didn't want to do this family Fourth.

"You have to be thankful, Tyra and her family have been helping out," Boone told him. He didn't think Naoki was that bad. He said that Naoki had been taking care of their mother these last few years.

Alfie practically rolled his eyes at that. Boone could see his brother was letting his true feelings show. This was no time to ask why he felt this way, but then again, Boone knew Alfie had spent plenty of holidays all by his lonesome. 

"It'll be OK," Boone said, giving Alfie a half hug. "I'm here for you, I am."

Boone was serious. He had always wanted a brother like Alfie.

Getting ready for the 4th

 The Fourth was coming, and Koda wasn't sure he was up for it. He was working full-time now, as well as a full-time Dad.

"Well, you could at least help with taking orders," Slater said about the matter. This was smoked meats season, and as usual, they could spend all night getting food ready for the neighborhood.

"Me?" Koda practically shrank from being in charge of customer service. 

"Well, you know, just check in on regulars," he sent him a list from his phone. "We've heard from most of them, but not everyone is tech savvy and we just want them to know they can still order brisket and chicken."

Koda sighed. He got a ding on his phone and saw the list was small. He guessed he could do it.

"If you take the baby, you might sell more," Slater smirked. He was still on duty at the meat department in the grocery store where he worked. Slater told Koda that his dad was going to help out, too. 

"Maybe you guys should just open up a barbecue place," Koda squinted, thinking he knew Slater only did the holidays with his dad. They might get angry with each other if they went into business.

"You know, it was Omaha who started it."

 Slater was second in command and actually in charge this year. Omaha got hurt in a motorcycle accident and had a lot of metal in his leg, and he wasn't quite up to taking on the block party. Besides, many just liked to order meat and have it delivered by the morning of the 4th or the day before.

"I wish I could stay up with you guys," Koda said about the matter.

"We found some youngsters who think it might be fun," Slater chuckled.

"God, it always kept me dragging for the rest of the week," Koda sighed, thinking about the beer during the barbecue. He let it go at that and was on his way to see if he could find who was on the list.

As luck would have it, he didn't have far to go. It was a block or two away from where Slater would do the grill and smoke. Thankfully, the lady was happy to see him. "Oh, I forgot all about this. Can I still get my order in?" She mentioned her daughter had a boyfriend now, so she might need more than a smoked chicken. She asked for smoked sausage and brisket.

Koda texted in the order to Slater. It was good to hear how impressed she was with the barbecue last year. "Who knows, maybe we'll get down to the party this year." She smiled, her husband was coming home from being on the road for the last few months.

Trees above me know I'm below

 "Do you think you'll get married?" Brick's question was a little alarming. He was at Oliver and Gabby's for burgers. Oliver was grilling at the commons, which was an outdoor area for entertaining. It was quiet now, but he was certain the place would be buzzing like a block party when the Fourth rolled around.

"You and Carrie sound so much alike," Oliver choked on a laugh as he flipped a burger. His little Carie was full of questions like that. 

The girls were still getting the sides ready to bring to the nearby picnic table, where there were already cold drinks in an iced chest.

Brick sat there like he might be a lost boy in the hot prairie wind. A smile gave away, and Brick said he didn't mean to pry. "I want to get married."

"Right now? You and Lily?" Oliver winced back at him as the burgers sizzled. He was waiting to put on the franks. He knew Brick was still a growing boy, even if he was twenty or so now.

"I'm going to wait," Brick told him. "See how summer goes and the fall too." He sighed as if he were contemplating all of it. "We get along so good when it's just the two of us, but when we're around family and friends, sometimes, I'm not sure who Lily is."

"Are you saying your girlfriend has a personality disorder?" Oliver almost smirked.

"I wouldn't go that far, but she's got a lot of angst about so many things," he shrugged. That's when he mentioned how he'd had a good talk with Rain the night of the dance. "I knew I couldn't say anything to Harley. Lily might take it the wrong way." 

"I don't know many guys who would talk with his ex's new boyfriend." Oliver shook his head, wondering how he would react if he saw Carrie's mom with someone else. He'd have to be all right with it, but it still made him wonder if he could handle it.

"She's going into diabetic education, you know," Brick mentioned. "I don't guess she would have ever thought of that, if..if we were still together." Brick sounded as if he was proud of Harley.

Oliver nodded. He liked that Brick was so positive, but he sensed it was hard with Lily. Oliver still wondered if Gabby was happy with her job. As of late, she'd slowed down and was content being home with Carrie. Still, he didn't want to keep her from her friends.

"It looks like they'll hire me in the fall at the school." 

Oliver hated to mention it because he didn't want to jinx it.

"It's about time, you've been going to the University forever," Brick's smile was open. He popped open a fresh soda for Oliver. 

"That means you better stay the course, bro. It'll be over before you know it," Oliver nodded as he took a sip of the cold root beer. Maybe there was still time for Brick to find true happiness with someone, but it might not be with Lily.

And if you need a minute

 Millie was happy to have her sister with her when they did the small gig during the barbecue. It was an acoustic setting. KC was on the drums. Still, if it wasn't for Tyra and her savvy guitar playing, no one would have noticed them in the background.

"Stop saying that," Tyra told her, that people are listening to Millie and her sweet voice. "You could make it in Nashville."

Millie didn't have the stamina for it. She was certain it would be so overwhelming. Still, Tyra assured her that people were taking notice of her vocals.

Millie wasn't banking on it, though. She'd gotten on at the Child Daycare Center on base. It would give her more opportunities for a stable income and insurance. Of course, Tyra said it would just bring her down.

"You won't be happy there," Tyra said she needed to work on her music career. 

"Well, you're not working on yours, now are you?"

It wasn't long until they had almost a blowup before the dance even started, but thankfully, KC stepped in, and Tyra had Naoki. 

After the old van was packed, the two went their separate ways.

Millie wanted to be friends with her sister, but the fact remained that they were sisters. 

"Why is she this way?" Millie was too tired to even think about dancing with KC. Honestly, she wanted to go home and rest.

"Maybe you two don't know how to help each other, after all."

KC told her they needed to be nice. This was no time not to get along. After all, their mother needed to get a knee replacement. And Tyra had spent all of the past week trying to get Naoki's mother settled in her new place.

"We-" Millie started in a fret. "I just don't get her. Why is she with him?" Millie thought her sister was only attracted to the same sex.

"It's her life. She's happy. You have to be happy for her." KC gave her a hug as they got ready to leave before the crowd dispersed. 

It finally hit Millie that she was the one who didn't like change. She didn't like crowds either. She knew she wasn't cut out to be a performer. This was something she loved and hated about herself. But she would try to be happy for her sister because everyone had accepted the fact Tyra was with Naoki now.