Welcome to the Family

(Bradley's aka Lennon's POV

Later on that night when Nova finally came to, I made the introduction of my uncle, Synyster Gates. Her face had lost all color and everyone thought for sure that she was going to die but she actually managed to hold it together long enough to get a hug from him. "I like this one, she has blue hair and thinks I'm a God." And on that, she dropped again in the middle of the living room. "Something I said?" I shrugged, letting out an exhausted sigh. "Nah, she's been doing that since they got here, we're actually her favorite band in the entire universe." Matt said with a grin as he joined in from the kitchen with my mom and dad in tow. I looked around for Vinny who had mysteriously disappeared over the course of the last three hours we had been here. He wandered off to explore the rest of the house after Zack, I mean, dad, gave him the go ahead. Man, that is something I'm still not entirely used to saying. I politely ask to be excused from the growing group while I hunted around for him.

The sounds of the piano being played were coming from deep within the many hallways. Sure enough the closer I got, the louder the music became. I opted for going to the left, where I partially remembered Jason Berry telling me that over there in one of the rooms was a music studio my dad had set up to record stuff he came up with on their days off from the road. I slowly poked my head inside the cracked door at the very end of the rooms and there was Vinny. "Hey, it's time for dinner and I don't think you were supposed to be playing that." I say kind of worried. Sure, this was my family now and I was allowed to do as I pleased, according to my aunt Val, but I still didn't want to cross any lines or cause any problems while I was here either. "Relax will you? Besides, I don't think it matters, there's no sign or anything that says 'Don't Touch' on it." Someone cleared their throat as on cue suddenly making both Vinny and I practically break our necks to see who it was standing in the doorway behind us. It was my dad. "He's right, it doesn't, but that piano was your uncle Jimmy's."

A few years ago when I was about nine, I remembered going with Nova to her cousin Ronnie's house a few days after Christmas to open presents him and his wife had gotten for her and I. They were watching something on the news about a drummer being found dead and I remembered how sad I felt seeing everyone around me crying. Even Nova was in tears, because she said it was her favorite band's drummer. I didn't think anything of it then, but it all made sense to me now as I stood here surrounded by many pictures of him on these walls. "He passed away a few years ago and after his funeral, his parents had given this to us. I've never played it since that day, no one has, actually. Well now except for you Vinny." I nudge him hard in the side, immediately feeling guilty and embarrassed for the obvious upset my friend had caused. "I am so sorry Mr. Baker, I had no idea it belonged to him, please don't be mad. I just love playing the piano and when I saw this one I couldn't help myself. I really am sorry." Vinny kept his terrified gaze shifted to the floor as he spoke.

Oddly enough, he didn't scold or be mad like I thought he would react, he actually gave Vinny a pat on the back and flashed a genuine smile at me. "Hey take it easy I'm not mad at anyone. I'm actually glad you played it, you reminded me of the way he used to play. It made me feel good to hear that music again, so thank you for that." Vinny's mouth hung open a bit in shock after hearing that until I proceeded to again nudge him in the side, making him close it. "Anyway we can talk more about it later, dinner's ready, let's go eat." We don't say anything in response and instead follow behind back to the waiting dinner table. Nova is surprisingly awake and actually seated at the far end right beside Brian and his wife, aunt Val's twin sister, Michelle. "Woah, am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Vinny gasps as he sits beside me at the opposite end next to both my parents. Nova shoots him a death glare before focusing her attention back on Brian who was in the midst of talking about us. "So how the hell did you three even get here anyway? Ya know the cops are gonna be here soon, what do we do then?" Just as I was about to answer, my mom spoke out at him in a snappy tone. "Shut up, I don't want to hear anything like that while we're seated at this table with these babies. I'll worry about that, in the meantime, I'd like to enjoy my time with all of them."

On that note, nobody says another word until the different dishes of food are being passed around the entire table. I smile thankfully over at my mom who simply reaches her hand out and gives mine a light squeeze. There's a total of 13 of us all scattered about and the whole room is soon erupting with laughter and smiles. I had never felt this way before in my life during a dinner but I guess this wasn't exactly any old ordinary event anyway. This was my huge family, including my best of friends. "Guys, I wanna make a toast." Matt stands up from his seat beside Val with his glass in hand. He nods over towards me and I can't help but to blush some. "After a long and agonizing sixteen years, I am so fucking stoked to be able to see you all grown up. You've blossomed into a teenager in the blink of an eye and I know if your uncle Jimmy was here he would be so excited and going crazy to see you. We all have loved you from the very day you were born and we've never stopped loving you. To Bradley and her friends, cheers!" We all clank our glasses together as the tears begin to gush down my face. I'm almost hysterical but am able to calm down some once I'm engulfed in tight hugs from everybody including Vinny and Nova. Let me tell you now, I have never been so grateful to get a hug before than I was in that particular moment.

About another hour or so later Nova, Vinny and I all had huddled into the kitchen to help my parent's clean up the mess from dinner. "You guys don't have to, seriously. I know you're exhausted, your more than welcome to head upstairs into the guest rooms and catch some shut eye." My dad says with a soft smile as he continues to finish drying off the plates that Nova passes over to him from the sink. I'm the first to decline, there was no way in hell I was ending the night already. Not after all the bullshit I know we're going to have to deal with once this is all caught up, I'm not ready to leave my parents yet. "Well I think we've done enough then. Let's go into the basement, I have something I think you all should see." We each dry our hands on the dish towels my mom had left out before trailing behind my dad out of the kitchen and down the small flight of stairs to the far right of the house. Once we reach the room, my jaw instantly falls to the floor. There's pictures and gold records framed up littered throughout the walls but really catches my attention is the drum set that is set up on a stand right in the middle of everything. "When you were first born, everyone had bought you a gift. Your mom and I had bought you a gold bracelet and your uncle Jimmy bought you a toy drum set. I know your adoptive parents didn't keep anything we got you but this is something that can't ever be replaced. This was your uncle Jimmy's drum set he used to record our last album before he died. I want to give it to you, this is yours now."

It's like time is standing completely still as I stare in awe at the beauty presented before me. The snare drum was even signed with his signature. "Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan." God, I wish I could have met him. I don't say anything as a lump catches in my throat and the tears are swelling up fast, I just turn and hug onto my dad as tight as I can. "I will never be able to thank Jimmy for everything that he did for me and for being my best friend for all these years, I know that his light is still shining down and that's why I honestly believe he brought you to us. You're the light of your uncle Jimmy. I love you, kid."