From the Wreckage We All Rise.

“You look so much like Adeline!” said Suzy for the hundredth time as she hugged me close. I smiled weakly, not use to so much display of affection.

“You look so much like Brian!” she said again, hugging my brother. I bit my tongue trying to prevent myself from laughing as a big smile broke my brother’s face. She took a step back and clapped her hands together, smiling warmly at us before looking at our father and then back at us and engulfing us in a tight embrace once again.

“Darling, I think we got the point, let’s eat okay?” said Brian’s father, Papa Gates. The famous Papa Gates was our grandfather…

“I’m a grandmother!” she gushed before she disappeared in the kitchen.

“Excuse her, she’s just happy.” Said Papa Gates with a nervous laugh as we all left the living room to go to the dinning room.

Aiden took the sit between Papa Gates and Brian. I had difficulty calling him Granddad and Dad, but can you really blame me?

“Angie, come on, you can sit down you know!” said Papa Gates with a smile. I smiled back and took the sit opposite my brother and next to my grandfather.

Suzy came in, holding a huge dish full of food and placed it in the middle of the table. My eyes widened, did she really expected us to eat so much?

“Do you eat as much as your mother?” asked Papa gates, as Suzy took my plate.

“I eat more.” I replied.

“Is that even possible?” asked Suzy with a laugh. I frowned. She stopped laughing.

“She doesn’t eat much?” she asked.

“No she doesn’t, even Celia eats more than she does.” I explained and I saw worry flashing in her eyes. Even Brian looked worried.

“She used to eat as much as Brian, if not more.” Explained Papa Gates, with a nervous smile and Aiden gave me a confused look.

“Well, Mum, we were still young at that time, we were ‘teenagers’” he said, using air quotes on the word ‘teenagers’.

“Oh yeah, I remember when the guys were coming over, it was always epic. Especially with Jimmy and Adeline in the same room.” She said as a smile enlightened her face. Brian nodded, with a sad smile as he handed his plate to his step mother.

That made me wonder, maybe Nathalie was going to ask us to call her Mum too… I frowned at the thought. I had a mother, and she was awesome, and full of surprise from what I had heard since I arrived in California.

“Aren’t you hungry?” asked Suzy, concerned.

“Oh yes, I am. Sorry, I just zoned out!” I apologized as I started eating.

**

My stomach was about to explode, I had eaten too much. And I was going to eat again in less than three hours.

Brian was in the kitchen, helping our grandmother by doing the washing up. I never thought I’d see the infamous Synyster Gates doing the washing up… But what can I say, life is full of surprises. Papa Gates got up from his armchair and walked over to the wardrobe. He opened it and took something from a pile of papers before he walked back to the couch and put it on the coffee table.

“Your father might not be too happy with me if I show you this, but Suzy would have showed it to you one day sooner or later.” He explained, pushing it in our directions. I looked at Aiden and then at Papa Gates, waiting for any kind of explanations.

“It’s a photo album of your mother and father… Suzy started it the day Brian came back with a black eye…” he said, taking it and sitting between Aiden and I on the couch. He opened it and showed us the first picture. Our dad was sitting in this living room, holding an ice bag over his left eye.

“What happened?” Asked Aiden, “Why did grandma started the album because of a black eye?”

Papa Gates smiled, “This picture was taken about 20 years ago if not more… Your father had met this young girl who happened to be his friend’s sister. He asked her out. Everything was fine, he couldn’t shut up about her, until one day, when he came back home with a black eye. Suzy asked him what happened and it turned out that the young girl had punched him because he insulted her favourite band…” he explained with a chuckle.

I gasped, “Mum punched him because he insulted Green Day?”

He nodded. “Suzy knew this was the beginning of something because 15minutes after he came back home, he was calling her to apologize and he invited her to come over for dinner.”

“How did they meet?” asked Aiden, curiosity taking the best of him. I couldn’t blame him, I was curious too. Mum barely spoke about her life in California…

“If I remember well, it was at Matt’s birthday… Matt had asked Adeline to stay in her room because he didn’t wanted her to be at his party, saying that she was too young or something. But your mother can be really stubborn. She ignored her brother and came downstairs, walking in the kitchen to grab something to drink and to give her brother his present. I think Brian spilled his beer on your mother as a way to catch her attention. He succeeded, she screamed bloody murder at him and was ready to fight with him until Matt came to separate them. The next day, Brian came back to Matt’s for band practise, your mother was here too and she saw him with a guitar… That’s pretty much how it’s started.” Said Papa Gates, turning the page.

“How old were they?” I asked.

“Brian was 17 and Adeline was 15.”

Aiden was flickering through the pages, looking at the pictures. The last one was of Mum and Dad at the prom.

“It’s not complete.” Explained Papa Gates as he showed us the empty pages after the last pictures. “We never get the chance to complete it since your parents split up… Suzy wanted it to end with a picture of their wedding.” He added.

“Because they were going to get married?” asked Aiden.

“I think so, well at least that’s what Brian told us. He said he was going to marry Adeline one day.” Replied Papa Gates as he closed the album and went to put it back in its place.

“What happened? Why did they break up?” asked Aiden.

“I think it was because they left for tour earlier than planned and they left her behind.” He explained. “But I’m not sure… You should ask your mother or your father to know the complete story.”

Papa Gates got up and made his way to the kitchen.

“What the hell happened between them?” asked Aiden as he looked at me.

“I have no idea…” I replied. Aiden and I looked at each others and there was a glint in his yes telling me that he wasn’t going to give up until he knew the truth.