CALEB

Caleb exited the 15 feet high steel gates and couldn't help but smile as the sunshine heated his skin. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. This was living. What more could a man ask for, fresh air, a gentle breeze and birds chirping in his ears. He really missed simple things like that.

"Fuck man, are you just gonna stand there like a pussy or do you wanna wait for them to invite you to stay longer?"

Caleb smiled and ran to hug the lanky guy smirking at him. Reed, who stood in stark contradiction to everyone's ideal of the traditional big brother, was truly happy to see his shadow, his baby brother finally released from prison.

Caleb couldn't ask for a better brother, he thought. Reed was leaning against a '72 Camaro that had seen better days. Cigarette dangling from his lips, he took a few steps to embrace Caleb. Reed had always been the cool older brother that he and his friends worshipped. He bought Caleb and his friends beer and cigarettes even though they were under age. He would kick anyone's ass if they messed with Caleb. He taught his baby brother how to drive in case he got so out of it Caleb could get them home. He took him to clubs that he was way too young for and he taught Caleb how to roll a joint properly. Reed even hooked him up with Callie Strube, she was a senior when he was just a sophomore; she introduced him to the pleasures of the female form and for that he would forever be grateful to Reed.

"Fuck you man..." Caleb greeted, happy that his big brother had insisted on picking him up once he was released.

"Shit what's up with that Army do? Damn, you lost weight and shit...." Reed observed, noting the short haircut and that his baby brother's plaid shirt was hanging a bit lose on his medium frame.

"You know how it is in there man, they don't feed you shit." Reed nodded in acknowledgement, he knew exactly what it was like in there.  He should. He'd been in there enough times.

It had been 32 months since Caleb wore his own clothes and the feeling of his blue jeans and steel toe boots was a refreshing change from his standard issue prison garbs.

"I missed you bro..." Reed smiled, pulling Caleb into a big hug and running his fingers through his shorn dusty blonde locks. "Fuck man...should I drop you off straight to boot camp or what?"

"Go fuck yourself." Caleb hugged in return, holding him tighter than he realized. "I missed you too, Reed."

The brother's stood staring at each other for a few minutes, genuinely happy to be back in each other's company. Caleb stared into the blank eyes of his brother, he was definitely using again. Reed's usually pale blue orbs were murky and almost grey.  Caleb sighed inside, Reed needed serious help. After all these years he was still heavily in denial. Caleb knew that he would have to bring it up again; they would have to save each other from that life. But not now, not today, Caleb wanted to enjoy his first day out.

"Please, if you love me, and missed me as much as you say you do. You gotta take me to get something to eat. I'm fuckin' starving man."

They both started laughing; Caleb wasn't a big guy, but he could sure eat like one.  "Sure thing, anything you want...." Reed grabbed the bag Caleb was carrying from his hand tossed it into the trunk.

"Umm...whose car is this?" Caleb asked, getting comfortable in the passenger side.

"It's my girl's....."

"Star bought a Camaro? Wow that is so out of character for her." Caleb thought, Casey or Star as she was called by Reed was much too girly to own a loud muscle car like this.

"I didn't say baby girl...shit head." Reed clarified but didn't meet his brother's eyes "Lacey...is my new girl..."

"Reed...." Caleb started but his brother cut him off.

"Don't start with that shit," Reed warned his baby brother. "You're starting to sound like Pop. Besides, Lacey is just for entertainment purposes."

"And Star?" Caleb questioned, slightly annoyed that Reed could so easily dismiss her.

"What about her?" Reed barked.

"What is she for? No matter what she says Reed, it's gotta hurt seeing you around town with so many different women. She loves you man..."

"I know." Reed replied softly; he knew how much he was hurting her but yet he still chose to selfishly ignore it. He allowed himself a moment to dwell on what could be for a moment. "She's dating someone."

"Wow..." Caleb was stunned by that bit of news. He looked over to Reed and watched as his brother lit another cigarette. He was still in love with Casey. "Are you ok with that. I mean...I know you still love her, right?"

"Doesn't matter..."was Reed's clipped response as he put the car in gear.

 "If still you love her and she still loves you, you'll find a way to make it work." Caleb offered, noticing that Reed had drifted off in thought.  

Caleb fastened his seat belt and didn't even bothered looking back at the steel cage that was his home for three years, as Reed pulled out of the parking lot of the Samuel Clay Correctional Facility. He promised himself on his last night there that he was never coming back.

Reed stared straight ahead and tried to ignore Caleb's last statement. But it sat heavy on his heart and toyed with his thoughts.

Make it work, how? What Reed really wanted to tell his brother was that he didn't know why Star loved him, she could do so much better than him. He was a piece of shit and he knew it and so did she. Reed knew that he certainly didn't deserve her time, her energy, her tears or her love and most of all, he truly didn't deserve their beautiful daughter Reece.

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Caleb took in the scenery and observed what had changed in the nearly 3 years he had been locked up. He watched as the area became increasingly familiar, they were almost home. Reed caught him up on the latest around town, which took all of ten minutes. They drove in silence for a few miles before they cranked up the radio and took off down the open road.

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Caleb glanced over at his brother, who was lighting yet another cigarette. He was definitely using. Reed only chained smoked when he was in between highs. He needed a fix. Watching Reed now had Caleb's stomach in knots. That was him, not so long ago.

He wanted to tell Reed that it didn't have to be like that. The constant push and pull. The feeling of utter hopelessness, feeling out of control all of the time. He decided that he could no longer be a witness to it. He couldn't watch his brother destroy himself and what was left of their family. He would have to help Reed get clean and sober. He loved his brother too much to bear witness to his self-destruction any longer. His rehab councilor told Caleb he had two choices when it came to Reed. Help him get sober or get him out of your life. The latter was not an option for Caleb.

For Caleb, Reed was everything that a kid could want in a big brother. They were each other's best friend and that was one of the main reasons that he knew it would be difficult to separate himself from Reed. But his rehab councilor reminded him that it was necessary if he wanted to remain clean and sober. He hoped that it would not come to that.  His life without Reed would be a hard one.

That thought, pained Caleb. Knowing that at some point he may very well have to turn his back on his own brother or worse, watch Reed continue to spiral out of control.

Caleb knew that Reed's drug binges had completely broken Casey and he knew that it could so the same for him. She had given up everything to be with him, but he just couldn't let go of the drugs to be with her.

Caleb knew deep down in his soul, despite all of his faults, that Reed loves both Casey and Reece with his whole heart. His brother just can't seem to find a way to give them the life that they deserved, the one that they want with him in it.

Caleb knew that Reed's inability to love Casey more than drugs, as she hoped, was due to the fact that he had yet to come to terms with their mother's death.

She never left a note and they never knew why? Reed was 13 and Caleb was 10 when Mary Manning decided one day that life was just not worth living and blew her brains out all over her bathroom floor. 

Caleb remembered rushing home to show his mother something that he'd done at school, only to stop short when he saw the flurry of activity around the lodge house. Reed was there to stop him from entering the house.

He never told him, but Caleb always felt that since Reed was the one who found her, that he couldn't shake the image of seeing her brains splattered about. They never talked about it, but Caleb knew that that pain that Reed carried eventually was the cause of his drug addiction. And Reed's addition slowly became his own.

But that was in the past, he was done with all of that. He wanted a fresh start, no more in and out of jail for him. He wanted what Reed seemed to so easily disregard. The love of a smart, beautiful woman and an adorable baby girl or boy.

He knew what he had to do. He needed to talk with Pop first.

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"I hope you're hungry cause I asked Miss Della to cook, everything on the menu for you." Reed advised, shaking Caleb from his thoughts.

A few minutes later, they were parking in front of "Della's Country Cooking."

Caleb knew that Reed probably didn't eat here as often as he did in the past because it was hard to come in and see Casey working.

She initially began working as a server, but Della soon gave Casey the job as her bookkeeper, after Della kept complaining that her place was in the kitchen cooking not worrying about whether the Coca-Cola guy got a check. So she offered Casey the job. She worked in the morning allowing her time to teach dance in the afternoon and go to school in the evening.

"Daddy!!!" Reece screamed, before Reed had both feet in the door.

"Is that my sweetie Reecey?" Caleb teased just as she was about to jump on Reed.

Screams filled the dinner as Reece zoomed past Reed and launched herself into the arms of her uncle Caleb. Caleb hugged her tight, not realizing how much he missed something as simple and sweet as a hug from his little niece. She had the day off from school and was ‘working' clearing table to earn tips for a new bike.

"I've missed you so much." She smiled at him and wrapped her tiny tan arms around his neck. "You're so big...what is Star feeding you?"

"Hot dogs." Reece replied and Caleb couldn't help but laugh at her honest response.

Before long there where choruses of welcome home, and stay out of trouble, you look thin and make something of yourself. Caleb took it in stride, it was a small town. This was probably all of the excitement that the residents would witness all day.

Caleb and Reed found an empty booth and Della herself came out of the kitchen to take their order.

"Well lookey here?" Caleb immediately rose to great Miss Della. "Long time no see that's for sure." She teased, patting his flat stomach.

"Hi Miss Della, I missed you too." He kissed her mocha cheek and was moved when he thought he saw tears in her eyes.

"Well, let that be the last time that you have to go without my cooking." She warned, he knew what she meant. She didn't have to say anything else. That was her way of telling him to stay out of trouble.

"Yes ma'am."

"Miss Maryann raised you better than that, right?"

"Yes ma'am. She did." Caleb replied looking at the floor.

"Good, so no more fighting. I hope you hungry ‘cause I been cooking everything you liked, ever since Reed told me you were coming home today, I've been over that hot stove. Is Pop coming too?"

"No ma'am he had to go to Warner Robbins for some parts." Reed answered.

"Okay well let me bring out everything..." Della kissed Caleb's cheek again and then headed back to the kitchen.

"So where's Star?" Caleb asked Reed, but was surprised when Reece spoke.

"She had to take Uncle Brian to work, because his truck is in the shop?" Reece answered for her father, as she played with Caleb's silverware.

Uncle Brian? Caleb mouthed to his brother over his niece's head; who the hell was Uncle Brian? Reed didn't respond he simply turned his head to look out of the window.

"Uncle Caleb?"

"Yes, honey."

"Are you going on vacation for a long time again?" startled by her question, his eyes flitted to Reed for help. Reed shrugged his shoulders and then sipped his sweet tea.

"Who told you that I went on a vacation?"

"My mama..."

"Oh...well Uncle Caleb has no plans for any more long vacations. Why?"

Reece turned around in his lap and smiled, "good, because I am having a birthday party and I want you to be there. I'm going to be 8."

Caleb smiled back at her, "Of course I'll be there. I don't ever want to miss another one of your birthdays."

"Good cause there is going to be a pony and everything."

"Really?"

"Yes, Uncle Brian said that I could have anything that I wanted."

"Ok seriously, who the hell is Uncle Brian?" Caleb asked his brother.

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REED & CASEY

Before Reed could answer him, he looked up and saw Casey walking over to the table. She was still beautiful. Her thick dark tresses were out of its usual ponytail bondage and she was wearing a pink floral sundress and matching sandals. She smiled her shy half smile at him. And Reed willed himself to look away from her but he couldn't. He still loved her.

Why couldn't he give her what she wanted, he asked himself that a million times and had yet to come up with a good answer? Just as she reached the table, he turned his head away from her view and went back to looking over the town square.

Casey would be lying if she denied that Reed's actions didn't affect her because they did. Why was she still so hooked on him, even when he made it clear that he was no longer interested in her? Maybe it was guilt over their daughter or the loss of her family that kept her hanging on to him. She wasn't sure but she knew that nothing was going to change because Reed wasn't going to change. She had to let him go. She sighed inwardly and tried to mask the emotions that were slowly starting to take a toll on her.

"Welcome home Caleb." Casey beamed with all of the enthusiasm she could muster. She leaned over to kiss his cheek. "We missed you."

"I missed you guys too."

"Reed..."

"Hey baby girl, you ok?" Reed asked her, but still didn not look away from the window.

"I'm good." Was the only thing that Casey could utter.

"Star, Uncle Caleb said that he was coming to my party."

"He did? And what did I tell you about calling me Star?"

"Sorry mom..." Reece sassed snootily at Casey, rolling her eyes as well.

"Hey, you mind your manners when you are talking to your mama; you hear me?" Reed warned Reece sternly. "I don't ever want to hear or see that again. Ok?"

"Yes...daddy." Reece replied sheepishly and was almost in tears, "sorry mom."

Both Casey and Caleb were shocked at Reed's outburst. He rarely disciplined Reece. In fact he was the one who spoiled her so much, that it was as if Reece had no concept of the answer no. Turning back to look out of the window, Reed offered nothing more to the group.

Casey combed her fingers through Reece's dark brown curls and told her that it was ok. She was probably just as frighten as Casey was by Reed's admonishment. He had never so much as raised his voice to either of them. Her daughter looked up at her with wet eyes to make sure that he mama wasn't mad at her and Casey smiled at her to reassure her.

"Ok, who's ready to eat?" Della asked, as she placed the food items on the table. Thank god for Della. She was always there at the right time.

"You staying to have lunch with boys, honey?" Della asked Casey motioning to the empty seat next to Reed.

"No, I have some things to get done in the office." Casey rushed out, though she hoped that Reed would have asked her to stay. He continued eating his lunch and never gave her a glance. She looked over to Caleb who was watching them. He gave her a sad smile and patted the spot next to him and Reece. She smiled back at him and mouthed thanks, but turned on her heels and headed to her office.

Before she reached her office door, Casey watched as Reece continued to chat up Caleb while Reed ate in silence. Why couldn't she just let him go? That was easy, she still loved him.

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Reed sat back and watched Reece eat Caleb's food off of his plate. Reece. She was perhaps the one good thing that he had done in his life so far. God and everyone else know how badly he screwed up Casey's life. Casey.

When she initially showed interest in him, he tried to warn her away from him. He tried to stay away from her. Reed knew himself well enough to know that she was too good for him and she would definitely want more than he would be willing to give. He was beyond guilty. Star had sacrificed everything to be with him. While he on the other hand, had given up very little in return.

Reed was every girl's bad boy dream and their father's worst nightmare. He was a tall, beautiful blonde, slightly muscular, covered in tattoos, chain smoking, Jack drinking, skirt chasing, brawl baiting rebel who was typically arrested on a Saturday night. It started in high school and very little changed, thereafter.

He met Casey back then, in his senior year. Sheriff Tate forced him to volunteer his time at the local Red Cross shelter in lieu of jail time, for something stupid he got himself into as usual. She was there volunteering too, only because they need the help.

When he first saw her, Reed thought that that she was a pretty little thing. Her almond colored complexion and expressive dark brown eyes called to him immediately. But it was her cute dimples that made an appearance each time she smiled that soften him the moment he saw them.

At lunch she came over to introduce herself to him, it was only right. Since they spent most of the morning of eye flirting with each other. Reed wanted to talk to her, but he was hesitant. Not because she was black, but because she looked young and was visibly an educated young woman. Not that he was stupid or couldn't hold a conversation. But there was something about the way she carried herself, with an air of confidence and refinement. He knew right away that she was special.

Her name was Casey, but everyone called her Star, on account of her amazing singing voice and dancing abilities. Reed learned that she was sixteen and had just won Miss Jr. Georgia and that she would probably be on her way to winning Miss South Georgia next year and hopefully that would put her in the running for Miss Georgia, which would lead to Miss USA.

Reed sat mesmerized by her beauty and her easy manor. He learned that she was the only daughter of Richard and Lucy Westall, and she had 3 older brothers. She grew up in a deeply religious household and that her singing secular songs and competing in pageants was only tolerated because it could help win scholarship money for college. She planned on attending NYU, where she would major in dance and theatre and one day she hoped to see her name in lights on Broadway. 

Reed sat in awe of the sixteen year old, who knew what she wanted to do with her life. When each day, it was a struggle for him to just get out of bed.  Casey gave him her phone number before he left. He put it in his pocket in front of her but then later trashed it. She was sweet and caring and didn't deserve to be corrupted by him.

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A year later he ran into her, while buying supplies for Pop in Macon.  She was just as pretty as he remembered. She gave him hell for not calling her but he didn't care. He was just surprised that she remembered him.  She went into her purse and pulled out a ticket to the Miss South Georgia pageant and asked him if he would come to cheer her on. He was hesitant. He'd never been to anything like that, it wasn't his style. But when he looked into her eyes, to tell her that he couldn't, she smiled and before he knew what was happening, he was asking her what would be appropriate for him to wear to a beauty pageant.

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Casey won Miss South Georgia that night and went on to win Miss Georgia. But her reign was short and she would never reach Las Vegas for Miss USA. Two months into her reign as Miss Georgia, she found out that she was pregnant with Reece.

She quietly resigned her crown and packed her things from her parent's house. Her father told her that her Jezebel ways had marred his family's good name and she was no longer welcomed in his home. It broke her heart to hear her father's words and to watch her mother stand by his side turning her back on her as well. It didn't matter though, she had Reed and he promised to take care of her and their baby.

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Reed shook his thoughts away. That was in the past. He couldn't go back and change things. He couldn't go back and fix the mess he created, so he opted to do nothing. Ignore it. Ignore her at best as he could, hoping that she would just forget about what could be and move on.

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Opening her office door, she stepped inside the quiet space and screamed into hands. After 8 years, loving Reed was still driving her crazy. Casey grabbed a Kleenex of her desk and dabbed at her moisten eyes. An unexpected knock on the door, had her scrambling to dry her tears.

Della came in and wrapped a now sobbing Casey in her arms. "I'm sorry Della..." Casey cried. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's ok. We've all been there. Sometimes it just takes a little longer for others." Della knew that Casey was still very much in love with Reed, though she was now dating Brian.

"Della, I still love him, from the day I met him. My heart was his..."Casey cried. "And it hurts so much."

"I know it does..." Della soothed, hoping that Casey could eventually get over the hurt of loving someone who wasn't prepared to love her back.