Julien Gregg's Hopper

 Chapter 2 

Everyone started to arrive for the barbecue. We sat outside at the table there. There were more than enough chairs for everyone. Mother threw these kinds of things all the time, and she never knew how many people would show up. Adam and Chase hugged me. That was nice. Tommy and DJ both lightly punched my arm. I punched theirs back. We all sat down. They told Brady, Adam, and Chase about the new Breck. He thought it was hilarious.

"He showed me on the computer that there are many documented cases of this with other people who have had brain injuries," Mother said. "He also doesn't remember anything further back than four years ago. I guess it's just lucky that he has part of his memory, and the changes aren't so drastic that he's a completely different person."

"Oh, and I guess I should tell all of you," I said. "I've already told Tommy and DJ. I'm gay."

"We suspected this when you didn't get a girlfriend," Daddy said. "We're fine with it."

"Thank you, Daddy," I said.

"You're you, Breck," he said. "Did you think I was suddenly going to go mad about you being gay?"

"Well, no," I said. "I didn't know what you would say to be honest."

"Well, you're not impersonating a female," he said.

"Daddy," I sighed.

"I won't say another word," he said. "Why didn't you invite Robert to this barbecue?"

"I did," I said. "He said he wouldn't come because you wouldn't like it."

"Well, I've thought about it all day long," he said with a sigh. "I'm prepared to bring Robert back into the family. You set me straight this morning."

"Did I?" I asked, smiling.

"Yes," he said. "Now I'm going to call Robert."

He got up and walked away from us and pulled his phone out. Mother and I looked at each other. Brady and I looked at each other and smiled. This wasn't what I expected. Mother said that wonders never ceased. Daddy came back and said that Robert was on his way from Sedona. That was just forty-five minutes away. Mother said she wasn't ready to cook yet anyway. I smiled from ear to ear. I'd have the whole family together after all.

"Mother, and Daddy," Brady said. "I should tell you that I'll be moving to a smaller apartment. I just can't afford the one I'm in."

"Why don't you just move back in here?" Mother asked. "You can live here rent free. You know we'd love to have you."

"I might for a while," he said with a smile. "Thank you, Mother."

"Of course," she said. "You're here all of the time to see Breck anyway."

"Well, he's an interesting person all of a sudden," he said with a smile. "I wonder what else he likes that he hated before."

"We'll find out," I said. "Nothing has presented itself to me yet."

"Ha!" cried Chase. "This is a kick. Breck you are amazing. First you survive a head injury and brain surgery, and now you're just charging ahead full steam. I'm in awe."

"Well, what else was I supposed to do?" I asked. "I have to see the doctor in a week, but there's nothing wrong with me."

"I can tell," he said.

Robert arrived. He told Mother that he was already in Harris when Daddy called him. He was blown away that Daddy had called and told him to come to the barbecue. He sat beside me and asked how I was doing. I told him I was doing fine. Mother got up to put the steaks on. She had baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil on the back of the grill. There were even ears of corn. She'd made cole slaw and macaroni salad to go with it. I wouldn't eat either of those. Breck had loved them, but I didn't. In fact I thought they were both disgusting.

She brought out the food and took most of the steaks off. She left Adam's on because he liked his well done. The rest of us started to make our plates. Mother watched me make mine. When she saw that I took no cole slaw or macaroni salad she said something. I told her they didn't appeal to me. She argued that I loved her cole slaw and macaroni salad. I told her that I didn't want them. She looked at me for a long moment like she was going to say something. Then she sighed and made her plate. My father was looking at me, though. Even Robert was looking at me. But then he didn't know about all of the changes today.

I ate my food. Everyone was quiet while they ate. Adam's steak was finally done and he was eating, too. Then out of the blue, Chase asked where I wanted to go to college. I told him that I had sent an application to Saguaro University in Osage. He said he and Adam had, too. Tommy said that he and DJ had, too. So, if we all got in we'd be in collage together. I liked that. Daddy was quietly thrilled that I wanted to go to Saguaro University. That was where he'd met Mother. She'd been an Omega Beta Zeta sister. He'd been an Alpha Beta Omega brother. I didn't know if he expected us all to pledge the fraternity or not. I wasn't sure I wanted to.

"Robert, what are you doing for work now?" Adam asked, making me groan.

"I'm the show director at The Blind Parrot in Sedona," he said.

"That's cool," he said. "You book shows for the bar and stuff?" 

"Yes," he said and left it at that. I saw that Daddy was looking at his plate.

"Cool," he said. "We'll have to come and see a show."

"I plan to," I said. Now Daddy was looking at me.

"You want to come and see a show?" Robert asked me.

"Of course," I said. "How old do you have to be to get into the bar?"

"Eighteen," he said.

"Well, I'll be eighteen in three days," I said with a smile.

"I'll take you," said Brady. "I've been to a show or two."

"You have?" Mother asked.

"Of course," he said. "I support what Robert does."

"Well, so do I," I said, smiling at Robert.

Daddy didn't say a word. He just ate his food. His face turned a bit red, but he didn't say anything. Progress, I thought. I went back to eating my food. When my plate was empty, my mother brought out her famous chocolate cake. I had a large piece of that with some vanilla ice cream. I loved chocolate cake. Vanilla ice cream was fine, too. I ate that and loved it. She smiled at this. Like I pointed out earlier, a lot of our likes lined up, so I didn't have to be a complete ass about it all.

Daddy thanked Mother for making the cake. He pointed out that she'd be making another in a couple of days. He smiled at me when he said this. I smiled back. Yes, it would be my eighteenth birthday. I was rather looking forward to it. I ate my cake and ice cream and said nothing. Daddy went back to eating his cake and ice cream. Robert was eating his cake and ice cream, but he kept looking at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention. No doubt he was judging the differences that he'd seen first hand with what he'd heard from Mother.

I let him look. I wasn't completely a different Breck. There were distinct similarities, but nothing was perfect. I had my likes and dislikes, and some of them lined up with Breck's. Some didn't. That was the way it went. There was nothing I could do about it. It was better to get them out of the way now than to suffer with what I didn't like for any amount of time. I wasn't built that way. I may have been in Breck's body but I was me after all.

After everyone had eaten, people began to leave. I helped mother clear the table. She smiled at this. Breck had always helped her. Brady got in on it, too. Robert and Daddy went to the office inside together and closed the door. I was a little worried about that, but there was nothing I could do about it. We cleared the table, and Mother dealt with the dishes. She liked the help clearing, but the dishes was where she wanted no help. Brady and I went to the living room.

"When will you move back in?" I asked.

"Over the next few weeks," he said. "The furniture stays in the apartment. It was there when I moved in. It was part of what drew me to it. I thought I could afford it, but I was wrong. I've been living on peanut butter sandwiches."

"Well, you should have said something sooner," I said. "Mother and Daddy would have let you move back in here. It wasn't as if you had to go when you did. You're only a year older than me."

"I know," he said. "It's just that this is moving backward. I wanted to move forward with my life."

"But you bit off too much too soon," I said.

"I want to go to college with you and the others," he said. "I didn't go and I'm starting to regret it."

"Tell Daddy," I said. "He'll be thrilled. He wasn't exactly happy that you didn't go to college. You took a year off, tell him. Now you're ready to buckle under and get a degree."

"I'll tell him just like that," he said. "They'll let me stay here for breaks and summer if I'm in college."

"Yes," I said. "Though I don't know that I will stay here for every break and summer."

"What?" he asked. "You love living here."

"Well, like you I want to move forward," I said.

"I can understand that," he said. "Just don't be like me and bite off more than you can chew."

"I know what I can and can't do," I said with a smile. "I'll work at the company this summer unless something drastic happens."

"What could happen that would be so drastic?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. "But this is Daddy we're talking about. He may be in there with Robert now, but it wasn't so long ago that he'd written him off."

"I know what you're saying," he said. "But you're the favorite son."

"I was the favorite son," I said. "If I keep showing changes, I won't be long."

"What other changes are there?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. "I only know them when they come up. Like chicken alfredo."

"You hate that," he said.

"Not anymore," I said. "I had it earlier today and loved it. I want to have it again."

"Yeah, that's different," he said. "Mother said you changed your bedding and the curtains, and got new body wash because you suddenly hate pine scent."

"That's all true," I said. "My bedding is green, and my curtains are green. I don't like all of the blue now."

"Well, that's different, but it's not drastic," he said.

"I don't blindly follow Daddy anymore either," I said. "I pissed him off this morning, defending Robert."

"But you got him to invite Robert to the barbecue," he said. "They're in the office right now with the door closed, and no one is yelling so loud that we can hear them. You did that."

"But it stemmed from a change," I said.

"I can see that," he said. "But, Breck, you had a head injury. That can change a lot of things about a person. You have memory loss. I half expect that they'll give you the family fortune. It's the legend of the family. You suffer a head injury and have memory loss and they give you the keys to the kingdom."

"I doubt that will happen," I said with a smile. Of course, I knew it would absolutely happen, but he didn't need to know that. I needed to be properly shocked when it happened.

Daddy and Robert came out of the office. Daddy patted Robert on the shoulder, and they were both smiling. Wonders never ceased. Robert joined us in the living room. He told us that Daddy had welcomed him back to the family. All he wanted was to not discuss what Robert did for a living. That was a compromise. I was shocked. So was Robert. Brady looked shocked. He had said that my disagreement with him about his treatment of Robert had done this. Maybe it had.

Robert and Brady left. I went and kissed Mother's cheek and went upstairs. I was getting ready for bed when my father came to my door. He stood there and looked at the bedding and the curtains. He smiled at me. I smiled hack. "Green," he said.

"Yes," I said. "It was too blue."

"Your mother was worried about these changes," he said. "But I have a little more knowledge about head injuries than she did. You're not a totally different person like my father was. I was told by many in the family that he changed completely after his head injury. He also got the full inheritance because of his head injury. He had no memories."

"I didn't like the pine scent of the body wash so I bought fresh scent," I said. "I like it much better. I ate chicken alfredo today and loved it. Mother wanted to talk to the doctor about the changes in my personality. She said that I argued with you and that's never happened before. She had a list."

"Well, I've talked her down from that," he said. "You see the doctor in a week. He'll give his opinion of how you're doing. Your head doesn't hurt?"

"Not at all," I said. "I'm just waiting for my hair to grow back."

"Well, that will take a bit of time," he said.

"When it grows a bit in that spot I plan to have my head buzzed down so that it matches," I said. "That way it will grow out evenly."

"That's not a bad idea," he said. "If you can stand the buzzed head."

"I'll put with anything that doesn't leave me with a bald patch like I have now," I said.

"I hear you," he said. "Robert and I are fine now. I told him he's welcome here any time. I just don't want to hear about what he does for a living. You were right. A parents love for a child should be unconditional. I listened to what you said this morning after the shock wore off that you didn't just agree with me."

"Thank you, Daddy," I said. "Robert is your son after all. He's just as much your son as I am or Brady is."

"I know that," he said. "I was wrong, and I'm apologizing for my attitude regarding Robert."

"I forgive you," I said. "Did Robert?"

"He says he does," he said. "But he was hurt deeply by my reaction to what he does."

"I know that," I said.

"Well, you get some sleep," he said. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Daddy," I said. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Buddy," he said, and he winked at me before closing the door.

I turned off the lights and crawled into bed. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. The next morning I was up at five again. I showered and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and went down to breakfast. Daddy smiled when he saw me. Mother had made French Toast with butter and syrup. She also had bacon. I got a plate with four pieces, because Breck loved French Toast. Well that was okay, because I did, too. I also loved bacon. I had four strips of the bacon. I drank orange juice.

"What's on your agenda today?" Daddy asked.

"I'm hanging out with Adam and Chase," I said. "We might use the pool."

"Sounds good," he said. "It's supposed to be another hot day today."

"I know," I said. "I checked the weather report."

"Did you now?" he asked.

"What time are Adam and Chase coming over?" Mother asked.

"I'm going to call them at eleven," I said. "That way they can have lunch with us."

"That sounds good," she said. "I'm making tuna patties with cheese. We'll have them on bread with mayo and lettuce."

"Can we have bacon on them, too?" I asked.

"Yes, we can," she said with a smile. Bacon was one of Breck's favorite things. "We can even have those chips you like."

"Okay," I said. "I'll look forward to that."

"Good," she said. She was in a good mood because nothing had changed this morning.

"Have fun with your cousins," Daddy said. "I'll call Saguaro today and see about getting you accepted. I pay for a lot of things there, so I should have some pull."

"Thank you, Daddy," I said.

"Will you be pledging Alpha Beta Omega?" he asked.

"I hadn't planned to, but if it would make you happy I can," I said.

"It would make me very happy," he said with a smile.

"Then consider it done," I said. "I'm a legacy anyway."

"You sure are," he said.

He left for work shortly after breakfast. Then it was just me and Mother. She told me that Robert was coming for lunch today. That was why she was making tuna patties. I told her it would be nice to have Robert around today. She smiled at me. Then she cleared the table. I helped. Then I went up to my room and played a game on the computer. He had computer games all over the computer. Some of them didn't interest me, but one did. I played it until ten thirty. Then I called Chase. I asked that he and Adam come to the house for lunch, and we'd swim. He said they'd be there at noon. I got off the phone. I showered again and put on my trunks. Then I put on one of my white t-shirts and went downstairs. I watched Mother prepping the tuna patties. She opened six cans of tuna and drained it. Then she added eggs and crushed crackers with salt and pepper. She sliced sharp cheddar cheese and got the bacon out of the fridge.

She mixed the tuna, eggs, and crackers until it was a big glob. Then she spooned some into the pan of hot oil. She flattened it with the spoon. It was a patty. She did that with all of the mixture and she had nine patties. Then she opened more tuna and did it again. She had nine more. I wondered who was going to eat all of those. She told me that Daddy would take some for lunch tomorrow. I nodded at this. I liked tuna patties just fine. She hadn't done anything that I wasn't used to with them.

Adam and Chase arrived first. Then Robert. We sat in the dining room and had our tuna patty sandwiches with bacon and lettuce. A change was made. I didn't put mayo on my sandwich. Mother looked at me. I just shook my head. She sighed. I did have a big pile of those chips that she said I liked. I still liked them. They were nacho cheese corn chips. I had two tuna sandwiches. Adam and Chase did, too. So did Robert. Mother only ate one. She had some chips and then she brought out a soda cake. She'd emptied three cans of orange soda into a greased cake pan and added white cake mix. Then she'd baked it a three fifty until it was cake. Then she let it cool and spread vanilla flavored whipped topping that she probably had made herself over the tops of them. She cut pieces and gave us each a piece on a saucer. It was really good.

We went to the patio to sit and let the food settle before we got in the pool. Robert had trunks on, too. He said he'd join us in the pool. He was a lot skinnier than I had thought, but I didn't say anything about it. We splashed around in the pool hitting a beach ball back and forth between the four of us. Then we got out and sunned ourselves. Robert sat in the shade. Adam, Chase, and I had good tans going. We were just deepening them. Mother came out with a bowl of fluff. This was just fruit cocktail without the juice, whipped topping, cottage cheese and strawberry banana gelatin. It had set up in the fridge over night.

Adam told me that he and Chase had got their acceptance letters in the mail from Saguaro. I told them that Daddy was calling them today to see what was what with mine. I even told them that Brady was going to apply as well. Daddy would be thrilled. Mother was back in the house, and I swore all of them to secrecy. This was Brady's news and we'd let him break it. We got back in the pool a little while later and splashed around some more.

"Tomorrow is your eighteenth," said Chase. "Then we'll all be the same age again."

"Yes," I said. "I can't wait. Tomorrow is going to be epic."

"Why do you say that?" Adam asked.

"Because I'll finally be eighteen," I laughed. "What else?"

"Well, it isn't all its cracked up to be," Adam said. "I still live with my parents under their rules. I can't wait to go to college."

"I can't wait for that either," Chase said.

"Brady's really going to go to college?" Robert asked.

"We talked about it last night," I said. "He's applying today."

"Well, he hasn't said anything to me about it," he said.

"He wants to tell Mother and Daddy tonight," I said. "You'll be here for dinner tonight, won't you?"

"I'm guessing I will be," he said with a smile. "I love it now that I can come back any time I want."

"Daddy is happy, too," I said.

"Look, I know that it's because of what you said yesterday morning," he said. "I don't know what you said, but I thank you."

"You're welcome," I said with a smile.

We got out of the pool and dried off. Adam had to be at work soon. Chase went home. Robert told Mother that he'd be there for dinner tonight. She asked if it had anything to do with what Brady wanted to tell them. He said he had no idea that Brady had wanted to tell them anything. He was just happy to be able to have dinner with his family. She smiled at that and hugged him. Then he hugged me. Then he left. Mother smiled at me.

"It was nice that your brother was here today and last night," she said. "The family is back together again."

"Yes," I said. "I hope I get to go to Saguaro."

"Your father will make sure of it, Breck," she said. "Don't worry. 

Daddy came home and told me that Saguaro had already accepted me. They just hadn't sent the letter. He said they also accepted Brady. He wondered when Brady had applied. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. He gave me a look. I just looked back at him. He looked at Mother. Mother reminded him that Brady had wanted to tell them something at dinner tonight. He said he had a good idea what it was and smiled. He said he was happy that Brady had decided to go to college.

Mother got ready to make dinner. She said we were having loin chops smothered in her famous white sauce. That sounded fine with me. She was frying the rest of the baked potatoes. That meant she would slice them and fry them in oil. She said she'd make some fried corn to go with it. It was a completely unhealthy meal, but it sounded so good. Brady showed up and Daddy hugged him. Then he went in and kissed Mother's cheek. She asked him when he was moving in. He said he had all of his clothes and stuff in the car and he'd move into his old room after dinner. She smiled at that.

Brady came in the living room with me and Daddy to wait for dinner. Daddy asked him the same thing. He told him the same thing. Daddy told him it was nice that he was moving back into the house. He said the house was awful empty without his being there with them. It wasn't too long and Mother called us into the dining room for dinner. She put a plate with two loin chops, fried potatoes, and fried corn in front of each of us. Then she sat down with her own. You didn't need a knife to cut the chops, the were so tender that a fork would do the trick. I loved them.

"I've decided to go to college in the fall," Brady said as we ate.

"That's good," Daddy said. "An education is important."

"Well, maybe I was waiting for Breck to be able to go so we could go together," he said with a smile.

"Well, I admit I knew already that you were going," Daddy said. "I called the college to find out what was going on with Breck's application. They told me that the had accepted Breck and you. They just hadn't had a chance to send the letters. They'll come here."

"Okay," he said. "Stole my thunder a bit, but I'm happy that I was accepted."

"Will you pledge Alpha Beta Omega with Breck?" Daddy asked.

"Of course," he said. "I'm a legacy."

"You, Breck, Adam, and Chase are legacies," he said. "Their fathers were in Alpha Beta Omega with me."

"Cool," he said. "Then we'll all get in."

"Yes, you will," said Daddy. "You'll have to go through the trials, but you'll get in unless you fail them miserably."

"We won't," I said. "We'll do fine."

There was no more talk about it at dinner. After dinner I helped Brady move back into his room. He spent some time putting his clothes and stuff away. His computer went back on the desk. His phone charger plugged into the port on the desk. Then he sat at his desk and looked at me. The room was still light blue like he liked it. He put his bathroom stuff in his bathroom. He had towels, wash cloths, and of course body wash, shaving stuff, and tooth brush and paste.

"Well, I'm moved back in," he said with a smile.

"Yes," I said. "And it didn't take weeks."

"There wasn't much in the apartment that was mine," he said. "I talked to the landlord last night when I got home and he told me I could just go. He gave me back the money for this month's rent, so I have some money in my pocket. Plus I'll get paid on Friday."

"Yeah," I said. "I'm supposed to start working at the company on Monday. Tommy, too."

"Dad gave Tommy a job?" he asked.

"Yeah, for helping to save my life," I said.

"Hey, you'll be eighteen tomorrow," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, an adult," I said, smiling back. "I'm excited."

"Well, I'd stay up till midnight with you tonight, but I have to work in the morning," he said.

"We haven't done that in the four years that I remember," I said.

"We haven't done it since we were kids," he said. "Robert is the one who started that little thing."

"Okay," I said.

"You don't remember," he said.

"No," I said. "But it's nice to know who started it."

"I keep forgetting that you can't remember past four years ago," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I said. "I'm getting along all right. I'll be eighteen tomorrow, I'll start at the company on Monday, and I'll got to college in the fall. Everything is on track."

"Yeah," he said. "Well, give me some time to acclimate to being back in this room. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay," I said and left his room. I went to mine and played on my computer. When I saw that it was ten I went down and kissed Mother's cheek and hugged Daddy. Then I went upstairs and went to bed. I woke up at five. Brady was up. We had breakfast with Mother and Daddy. They had just left for work when someone rang the doorbell. Mother wondered who it would be this early. She opened the door and the lawyer asked for me.

"Breck, there's a lawyer to see you," she said as she showed him to the dining room.

"Mr. Patterson, I'm John T. Porter," he said. "I work for a law firm that handles the estate of the Patterson family. Now, I've been instructed to tell you that you have inherited the estate as it is today. There are many buildings and stocks to go over. You now have controlling stock in the company that you've worked for every summer for the last two years. You have controlling stock in a company that just makes car parts, and the hospital here in Harris." He wrote a figure on a piece of paper and slid it over to me. "That's the amount in the estate right now in cash."

I looked at it and slid it back to him. "I inherited all of this?" I asked, putting the right amount of stunned awe in my voice. Mother looked like she might faint.

"You had a head injury, a brain bleed, correct?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "I was in the hospital for a few days."

"Well, that's the stipulation to inheriting the estate," he said. "In a little bit, we'll go to the bank and transfer all of the accounts to you. You're a wealthy young man, Breck."

"So it seems," I said, looking at Mother with wide-eyed shock.

"So, you just give him everything?" Mother asked.

"It's rightfully his," John said. "Which bank do you bank at?"

"First American Bank," I said. "It's where the whole family banks."

"That bank will be fine, because it's federally backed," he said. "Why don't you ride over there with me in a moment to transfer the accounts?"

"Sure," I said.

He spent some time picking up the paperwork and putting it in a folder. He handed that to me. Then he closed his briefcase and stood. I stood as well. I went up to my room to get my wallet and my bank book. I put the folder on my desk. Then I went down and followed him out of the house to his car that was parked in the circle drive in front of the house. He and I got in the car and he drove off. He knew where the bank was. He was from Harris. We went to the bank and signed all of the accounts over to me. I had to sign for a new account, and I got a new bank book, visa check card, and checks. Then he drove me home. He dropped me off and drove away. I went inside.

"Breck, this is amazing," Mother said as I sat down. "Happy birthday, Son."

"Thank you," I said. "I can't believe I inherited all of this." It was an act, but I was good at it.

"Well, you did," she said. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Buy a car," I said, smiling. "I want a Mustang."

"Well, who will take you to get it?" she asked.

"I'll call Adam," I said. "He's got a truck. He can take me."

"All right," she said as I pulled out my phone.

I called Adam and he was thrilled to take me car shopping. I'm sure he thought we'd just look, but he agreed to come and get me and we'd go to the Ford Dealership. Mother just stared at me. I was a bit uncomfortable with her staring at me, but I allowed it. Adam showed up a few minutes later and I went with him. We went to the Ford Dealership, and there were Mustangs on the lot. I told them who I was and what I wanted. The salesman was an older gentleman with dark hair and eyes. He was wearing a business suit. He showed me three Mustangs. He told me that they were the exact same car just in different colors. I told him I wanted the black one. He nodded and I followed him inside the dealership. We sat at the desk, and I called the bank and had them wire the money to the dealership for the car. Then he handed me the keys, and a temporary plate to put on the back of the car. My plates would come in the mail. I signed for the purchase, and he printed the title. Then he put all of the information in a little folder. Then he sold me insurance. Because he wasn't an insurance broker, I got a deal. One year of full coverage for a smaller amount of money than I'd thought. I used my Visa Check Card to purchase the insurance. He printed my policy and put it in its own folder. I drove off the lot in my new Mustang.

I drove home, and Mother came out to look at the car. She smiled when she saw it. I told her it was exactly what I had wanted. She hugged me. She told me she'd called my father to tell him about the inheritance, and he'd shocked her by telling her he was expecting it. He told her he'd see us when he got off work. She asked what I wanted for dinner and I said Chicken Alfredo. She said she'd work on that. She said they had a number of presents for me. I smiled at that.

I sat in my room and purchased the cabin that I'd book marked. It took another bank draft to do it, but it was mine. I'd drive out there and check on it. I might have to buy furniture for it. I didn't mind. I didn't want to work at the company this summer. I wanted to go to the cabin and check it out. I could do that Saturday and spend the night and come back Sunday. I'd take Brady with me. Robert would be working, but I wanted him out there, too.

"I bought a cabin in California," I said when I came downstairs.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"It's a vacation spot," I said. "It's right on the lake there."

"Okay," she said. "You bought it sight unseen?"

"I took a virtual tour," I said. "It's perfect. I figure that Adam, Chase, Tommy, DJ, Brady, and I can go there for a weekend of fun and frolicking."

"Sounds good," she said. "I'm just a little blown away that you can afford all of this."

"I am, too," I said. "But I'm trying to hit the ground running."

"Are you going to work at the company?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. "I'll go to the cabin this weekend to check it out and get the keys and the deed. I'll take Brady with me."

"Sounds good," she said. "So, you'll start at the company on Monday?"

"Sure," I said. "Nothing has to change just because I inherited all of this. I'm still the same guy I was before the lawyer showed up and gave me a fortune."

"I know," she said. "Your father is excited for you."

"That's nice," I said, smiling. "I hope that he and Brady are all right with this."

"They are," she said. "Like I said, your father expected this. Brady did too a little bit, I think."

"Are you going to tell Tommy and DJ?" she asked.

"Well, DJ is at work," I said. "I might go and grab Tommy and give him a ride in my Mustang."

"That's an idea," she said. "Be careful."

"Always," I said and kissed her cheek.

I called Tommy and told him I was on my way over there. He said he had no car to come and get me. I told him I had a car. He thought that was amazing. I drove over to his house. He was sitting on the front porch. He showed the proper enthusiasm for the car. Then he got in the passenger seat, and I drove off. He asked where we were going. I told him just driving around. He said he'd be at the party tonight. I told him I knew that, but I wanted to show him the car.

I drove him back to my house. He had a bag with him. I didn't ask what it was. He just put it in my room and left it there. We had lunch with my mother. It was just cold cut sandwiches with chips and iced tea but it was fine. I knew that she would be making a big meal for the party. He asked my mother about the car. She told him that I had purchased it after the lawyer had left. She said that Adam had taken me to get the car. He asked about the lawyer.

"You didn't tell him?" she asked.

"I hadn't yet," I said. "I inherited the entire Patterson Estate."

"You what?" he asked.

"The lawyer came this morning and told me that because I had a head injury and brain bleed I had made the stipulation for the inheritance. I got quite a bit of money and controlling stock in a few companies. I'm very wealthy now."

"That's awesome," he said. "Are you going to work at the company?"

"Yes," I said. "I have controlling stock in it now. It's mine basically."

"That's just awesome," he said with a smile. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you," I said as I ate my sandwich and chips.

"So what else did you do?" he asked.

"I bought a cabin near a lake in California for vacations," I said. "I'm taking Brady with me this weekend to check it out, get the keys, and the deed."

"Wow," he said. "Talk about Happy Birthday."

"Right," I laughed.

We hung out in my room after lunch. He asked a million questions and I answered them as best as I could. He was so excited. He said I could afford to do all kinds of things now. I told him that I wasn't spending money like water. I needed to be strategic with my money. He said he understood that. He said I had bought a car and a cabin. That was two big purchases. I nodded at this and told him that I would make a few more later. I just didn't know what they would be.

"Are you still going to college?" he asked.

"Yes, and I'm going to pledge Alpha Beta Omega," I said.

"So am I," he said. "DJ plans to pledge, too."

"Well, Brady, Adam, Chase, and I are legacies," I said. "We know we'll get in."

"That's awesome," he said. "We are going to have so much fun in college."

"Well, we have to study and get good grades or they'll kick us out of there," I said.

"Right," he said. "I can't believe this has happened."

"Well, it has," I said with a smile.

"You were always well off," he said. "Well, your family was, but now you are in your own right."

"I'm a bit more well off than my family," I said. "I have all of it."

"How much was in it, if you don't mind telling me?" he asked.

"More than a hundred billion dollars when you add it all up," I said. "A lot of that is buildings like the company where we'll work this summer, another one that makes car parts, and the hospital. There are other stocks and bonds involved, too."

"Wow," he said. "You're rich beyond our wildest dreams."

"And all because Aaron tripped me," I laughed.

"That's crazy," he said.

Mother called us downstairs just as Daddy and Brady came home from work. Adam and Chase were down there. Robert and DJ were down there, too. I hugged Daddy and Brady. Then I told them about the car and the cabin. Daddy said he wanted to see the cabin. I told him that I was taking Brady out there this weekend to get the keys and the deed. He said he'd go with us. I told him that was perfect. Mother would go, too.

"It's a five bedroom cabin," I said. "There'll be plenty of room for all of us."

"I have to work this weekend," said Robert.

"I know, or I would have invited you," I said. I looked at the others. "This weekend is just for the immediate family. We'll have weekends there this summer. Don't worry."

"Okay," said Adam. DJ was nodding.

Mother told us to head to the dining room. She had the food ready. DJ and Tommy laughed when she put plates of Chicken Alfredo in front of them with garlic bread. We ate it, and it was so good. Mother's was better than Gio's. I sopped up the sauce with my garlic bread, and Tommy and DJ shook their heads. I just smiled. Mother took the plates away and brought out a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and green piping and letters that said "Happy Eighteenth, Breck!" She had a candle shaped like the number eighteen. She lit it and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to me. I blew out the candle and made no wish. Then she took the candle out and cut the cake. Daddy came in with a big tub of vanilla ice cream. She put a slice of cake and two dollops of ice cream on each plate and Daddy handed them out. Of course, I was served first.

We all had cake and ice cream, and we were eating it. This was Mother's famous chocolate cake. I loved it. When that was gone, she said it was time for presents. Mother handed me an envelop from her and Daddy. I opened it to find that it was a note that said I had the summer off. I didn't have to work at the company. I smiled at this and thanked Daddy and Mother for their thoughtfulness. Then they handed me a box with a stereo for the car in it. From DJ I got CDs to play in the car. From Tommy I got a watch like the one he wore. I also got a chain necklace with D links like he wore. From Adam I got a personal tablet that would hold appointments, class schedules, and the like. From Chase I got software for my computer. He got me video games mostly. I liked them all so I thanked him. From Brady I got a picture frame with a picture of the Patterson boys in it. Me, Brady, and Robert from when Robert turned eighteen. I smiled at this.

We hung out in the pool after that. We splashed around and had a good time. Mother and Daddy came out and sat in the lounge chairs to watch us. We didn't talk money or anything. We just had fun. We hit the beach ball back and forth to each other. It went around the pool but never got outside the pool. When we were tired, we got out and dried off. Then everyone started to go home. Mother and Daddy asked me to sit with them for a bit. I sat down on one of the lounge chairs and Brady went into the house.

"Now that you have this money, what are your plans?" Daddy asked.

"Well, I had planned to work at the company this summer like always, but you gave me the summer off," I said. "I bought the cabin for all of us to have a vacation destination that isn't a hotel all of the time. I bought the car because I always wanted a Mustang. I don't plan to go spending money like water. I want to just live my life, go to college, and get my degree. Then I'll decide what I'm doing."

"That's a mature answer," he said. "I just wanted to know that you still had your head on your shoulders now that you have all of this money."

"Thank you for checking," I said with a smile. "I'm still the same old Breck with a few changes in the mix."

"Well, I will ask you to do one thing," he said. "Give your brothers some money."

"I planned to," I said. "I'm giving Brady fifty thousand. I'll give the same to Robert."

"That's a nice round number," he said. "Thank you for thinking of your brothers."

"Of course," I said. "They're my brothers. I'll help them even after I give them the money, Daddy. I want them to succeed."

"Well, okay then," he said. "How do you feel now that you have the money?"

"I don't feel much different," I said. "We were already wealthy. I just have a lot more of it now."

"That's true," he said. "You're not thinking you can just buy what you want?"

"I can buy what I need," I said. "You taught me to be frugal. I'm not going to abandon that just because I was given the keys to the kingdom."

"Okay," he said. "I really just wanted to know where your head was at. You made two really big purchases right off the bat and that scared me."

"Well, like I said I bought the car because I wanted a Mustang for so long," I said. "I bought the cabin for all of us."

"All right," he said. "We'll see what's what with the cabin when we get there on Friday."

"Friday?" I asked. "I thought we were going on Saturday."

"I'm giving Brady the day off and taking the day off on Friday," he said. "Your mother and I will go with you and Brady to the cabin for the weekend. If we need furniture we'll take care of that while we're there. We might have to do a lot of work on the cabin."

"Okay," I said. "Thank you for doing this."

"You're welcome," he said. "You can go in and change. I just wanted to know where your head was at with this."

"All right," I said. "I love you both."

"We love you, too, Sweetheart," Mother said.

I kissed her cheek and then went into the house. I went upstairs and showered off the chlorine. Then I dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I put my sandals on my feet. I went to Brady's room. He was sitting at his computer. He smiled at me when I came in. I sat in the other chair and waited for him to say something. I was thinking about what Daddy had said, and it made sense. He was worried that I'd just buy a mansion and more cars and every little thing I wanted. I would, but not all at once. I'd space the big purchases out until after college. Then I'd need a house.

"What's up?" Brady asked.

"Did you know that Daddy was giving you Friday off and taking it off himself?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "He told me this morning. We're going to the cabin you bought for the weekend. Is there furniture there?"

"I bought it with furniture in it," I said.

"Okay," he said. "Daddy thinks there may be a lot of work on the cabin to get it ready."

"He told me that," I said. "I know that there might be, but I doubt it. It was an old man that sold me the cabin. He said they'd poured their heart and soul into it. He even said that they'd put on a new roof just two years ago."

"Well, okay then," he said. "Maybe there won't be a lot of work to do."