A Family Affair

When Joy was six years old, her mother died of breast cancer, leaving her father to raise her and her brother John by himself. After about a year and a half, her father began seeing a woman, and by the time Joy was ten, he'd remarried. Her new mother had two sons, Brian, thirteen, and Brent, who was also ten.

Joy and John didn't see the boys very often because they lived with their father in Costa Mesa, and generally only visited every other weekend during the school year. During the summer, they were around more, but showed little interest in spending time with their stepsiblings. Brian played guitar and usually was off with his friends jamming someplace or getting into trouble. Brent just stayed to himself with the occasional spark of interest when John was playing video games.

Over the years things didn't change much. When Brian was eighteen, he went off to GIT to pursue his music, John went to UCLA, and Brent and Joy both continued high school. Once they graduated, the each went to different colleges.

It wasn't until Joy was twenty-one that she saw Brian again when she ran into him at the funeral of a mutual friend. She was instantly taken aback by his appearance as he walked towards her after the service. He looked so beautiful in his black suite with his black hair just touching his shoulders and that little tuft of hair on his chin. He of course was taken aback as well, unable to keep his eyes off of her as he approached her, glad his eyes were hidden behind his dark sunglasses.

"Joy!" Brian exclaimed as he pulled her into a tight hug and held on for quiet sometime.

"Hi Brian." she croaked when he finally released her.

"How have you been?" he asked her, smile never faltering.

That question was all it took to lead them to talking for the next five hours. Brian told her all about his band and how they were just about to head out on tour in support of the album they had released, then he asked her how she was doing in school. Joy went on to tell him that she had changed her major from journalism to business management, and how happy she was to be graduating in May. Brian nodded and smiled, then asked her about her friends and if she was dating anyone. Joy told him about the few friends she had and that she was newly single. He smirked and added that he too, was single before looking at his watch.

"Fuck, I really need to get going. I was supposed to be at rehearsal over an hour ago." he sighed.

"Yeah, we've been sitting her quite some time and that paper I have to write isn't writing itself." Joy chuckled, as they stood from the bench they'd been sitting on.

Brian pulled Joy into another hug. This hug was very different from the one they'd shared earlier in the day. It lasted longer and felt more intimate to her. When they broke away, Brian kissed her on the cheek, causing her to be overcome by shock, then the sense of a spark of chemistry.

"Here, put your number in my phone so I can call you." Brian said, handing her his phone.

She took the phone, still flustered and a little freaked out by the feeling that had just overtaken her every being, then entered her number.

"I'll call you. That's a promise." he smiled, sticking his phone in his pocket, then walking away.

"I hope so." she stammered in an almost inaudible tone as she watch Brian climb into his car and drive away.

A few days later, their parents invited everyone over to dinner to celebrate their anniversary. As soon as she arrived, Joy was overtaken by the attraction she was feeling for her stepbrother. All through dinner they kept stealing glances at one another, no one noticing. After dinner, Joy went out on the patio to get some air and was soon followed by Brian.

"I'm really not in the mood to hear John talk about the monkey that attached him at the zoo." he laughed as he lit a cigarette.

"Yeah, me either. I swear, you'd think he would've learned by now since he's been working their a couple of years." Joy giggled, sitting down on the steps that led to the pool.

"Yeah, he's a freak. No offense." he grinned, sitting down beside her.

"None taken."

"Joy, I um, I like you." Brian blurted out, causing her eyes to widen as he moved a little closer to her.

"I like you too Brian." she confessed in a whisper, looking around to make sure no one was there to hear her.

"I'd like to take you out on a date." he smiled, taking a drag off his cigarette.

"I'd like that, but what about them?" she stated, pointing towards the house.

"One date. Then we'll figure it out." he said, laying his arm over her shoulders.

"One date." Joy nodded as they were interrupted by Brent.

"Dude, Mom wants you." he said, motioning for Brian to come inside.

"We'll talk more later." he sighed, getting up to go in the house.

For the next three weeks, Joy and Brian talked on the phone and finally were able to agree on a time for their date that both of their schedules would tolerate. He took her to dinner in Long Beach, then to a carnival on the beach. They rode a few rides and played some games, but mostly just talked and enjoyed each other's company. It seemed they had so many things in common from sports to their plans for the future. They even joked about being related. When it was time to call it a night, Brian drove Joy back to her apartment and walked her to the door.

"I can't believe we have so much in common." he said, looking at his feet while she unlocked her door.

"Me either. Makes me wonder what would have happened if we'd taken the time to get to know each other better when we were younger." she smiled.

"Same here. Here's to second chances." Brian said as he landed down and placed the softest kiss on Joy's lips, that to her, felt completely magical in every sense of the word.

After that night, they continued to date secretly. Slowly as the weeks turned into months, they started letting their friends in on the truth, also making sure they all understood that they were in no way blood related. Everyone seemed to take the news well and that made Brian and Joy happy.

They had been seeing each other for about four months when Thanksgiving came around. Brian had been on tour for about three weeks, talking to Joy on the phone or through text as she was too busy with school to join him on the road. Their relationship had grown into something so wonderful and they had decided that it was time to face their parents and siblings. They agreed to arrive at the house separately, so things wouldn't be stirred until they were ready. Joy got there first and commenced helping her stepmother in the kitchen. Brian arrived about fifteen minutes later, grabbing a beer and joining the rest of the guys in the living room to watch football. When Brent and John decided they needed a cigarette break and left the room, Brian made his move.

"Hey Bob, can we talk?" he asked, looking at his stepfather.

"Sure son. What on your mind?" Bob smiled, happy that Brian appeared to need him for some fatherly advice.

"There's this girl. We've recently reconnected and we've gone out a few times." Brian began, his nerves nearly getting the best of him.

"Yeah? Is she pretty?" Bob smiled, leaning forward on the couch like he was about to hear some gossip.

"No, she beautiful....and so fucking smart. I really like her. Hell I love her. She just doesn't know that. There's just on problem..." Brian trailed off.

"A problem? Is she seeing someone else? Is she under eighteen? She's not a stripper is she?" Bob asked, trying to figure out what it could be.

"No. It's just that, well, I'm not sure what her father will think about us dating." Brian went on, attempting to get a feel for how his stepfather may react.

"Well, you're a fine man son. The only real problem is that you're on the road a lot with the band. Otherwise, I don't see why the man should mind." Bob smiled.

"I hope you're right." Brian sighed just as Joy walked into the living room.

"It'll be fine son. So when do we get to meet this young lady?"

"You already know her Dad." Joy butted in, taking a seat on the arm of the chair that Brian was sitting in. "I'm the girl."

Bob's eyes widened in shock as he took in his daughter's words. Brian could tell he wasn't exactly thrilled, but hadn't hit full on pissed off yet. Joy rested her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him with reassuring eyes.

"How long?" Bob finally growled.

"About four months." Joy answered, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Does your mother know about this?" he barked, looking at Brian, then towards the kitchen.

"No, I..."

"Yes she does. I just told her." Joy said, cutting Brian off. "She's totally fine with it. What about you Dad?"

Bob sat there looking at the floor for a few minutes then looked at Brian.

"I need to talk to Joy alone."

Brian nodded and left the room, heading toward the kitchen. When he walked into the kitchen, his mother, along with Brent and John, were plastered against the door listening. Brian grinned and shook his head, heading outside for a cigarette. After a few minutes, Joy stepped outside and sat down next to him on the loveseat he'd planted himself on. She pecked his cheek and smiled at him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Dad isn't mad at all. He was just shocked. He said as long as we're happy, he doesn't have a problem with this." she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Thank fuck." Brian murmured, kissing the top of her head. "I was worried he was going to kick my ass or maybe disown the both of us."

"He'd never do that Brian. All he's ever wanted for me, well for all of us, is for us to be happy. I told him that you truly make me happy Brian. That was good enough for him." she smiled, brushing her lips against his neck.

Brian sighed as a content smile crept across his face. "Joy, I love you." he said as he took her in his arms.

"I love you too Brian." she returned.

As both of them realized what the other had said, their lips met in a heated kiss before they went back inside to join the rest of their family.

Over the next several months, things went well between Brian and Joy. She graduated from college and by utter coincidence, landed a job in a management firm, the same one that managed Brian's band. Brian of course was elated to the news and he continued doing his thing with the band. Then on the one year anniversary of their first official date, Brian proposed. Joy of course, said yes and they moved in together. A year later, they married in a small ceremony on the beach with a few family and friends in attendance.

As the years passed, they had four children, a set of twin girls, who they named Madeline Grace and Matilda Anne, with each of their middle names combining to form Joy's mother's name Grace Anne. A couple years later, they happily welcomed Robert Michael, followed eighteen months later by Andrew James. Life was good and they were so happy. On the occasion when someone asked how they met, they simple said "at a funeral."