Brooke stirs the cake batter in front of her so harshly that it splatters all over the counter and down the front of her apron. "Ugh! I'm not going to have a cake left if I don't stop doing that."

"Just put it in a pan and don't burn it," Jeremiah hollers from the living room.

Rolling her eyes Brooke gives in. "Fine, I'll put it in the oven. Hopefully it's not too tough since I stirred it so much."

"Brooke! Seriously, put the cake in the oven set a timer and come watch Chip and Joanna with me already. Gary will call you when he can, until then you need to relax at least a little bit."

Sighing she slides the bunt pan into the hot oven and trudges to the worn couch in the homey living room. Yes, Jeremiah is very much an older brother that teases her and tries to intimidate any guy that might look at her side ways, but he is always there when she needs him most and she wouldn't want it any other way. "You are right Jere, I'm just worried for him."

He lays his arm around her shoulders and lets her rest her head on his shoulder. "How about a bed time story so that you can take a nap," he suggests with a childish smirk.

"If that is your horrible way of getting rid of my whining then carry on," she tells him barely able to keep her giggle from bubbling up from inside her.

Wiggling around get comfortable Jeremiah takes a deep breath and sets his phone on the coffee table near by. "The princess was very scared for her beloved prince-"

Brooke quickly pops her head up and moves one hand in the 'cut it' motion across her throat. "That is enough with that one. No one is a princess here and I don't see any princes so don't even start down that road. Besides I need to stay awake to check the cake."

Jeremiah gets to his feet and runs his hands through his hair. "Brooke this is ridiculous. Go to Jaelyn's or to the store or get your nails done. Anything! Please, you are driving me slightly insane."

With a very amused chuckle Brooke holds up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, just make sure that we still have a kitchen when I get back and I wall go do something with myself."

"Thank you!" He yells plopping back down on the couch with a sigh of relief.
***

Gary can't help that his feet move him back and forth in front of his utterly shocked audience. His hand rubs the back of his neck until he is sure he has rubbed the skin right off of it! Indeed, God has answered his prayer to keep watch over the doors of his lips. So much so that he has uttered all of one word, "Enough!"

Now he takes a deep breath and evens his tone out to a much more polite and respectful tone, although his teeth are so tightly clenched that it feels like they will all bust and fall out. He stops directly in front of Janet and sticks a harsh index finger inches away from her nose. She shrinks her head back a little. "Now, you listen to me and you listen well. I will not stand here and listen to you not only lie, but bash my best friend who gave you his heart, soul, and practically his mind, only for you to rip it to shreds. If you are trying to get to me it ain't going to work. Now, if you will excise me I have a few phone calls to make."

It is not until he is outside in the cool night air that he breathes in or unclenches his fist for fear that if he did before he would explode and say things he would regret.

Father, I know there are millions of better ways I could have handled that, but thank You for not letting me raise my voice.

He pulls his phone from his pocket and surfs the mounds of recent calls until he comes across Brooke's name. Closing his eyes he fills his lungs with the suffocating city air and lets his thumb touch the six letter name. As if he is in slow motion he brings the phone to his ear and lets the grueling noise ring in his head. It rings forever before it goes to voicemail. With a very defeated sigh he slips the phone in his pocket and trudges off into the lighted parking lot with no specific destination in mind.

After a while of meaningless roaming he finds himself sitting on the tail gate of his pickup. Just sitting staring off into nothingness. The vibration in the pocket of his button up shirt makes him hopeful. Brooke. He smiles as he answers with a simple, "Hey."

"Hey, sorry I missed your call I was driving around. Are you okay? How's your friend? Was your drive okay? I'm sorry I'm rambling."

The slightly jumbled, but very concerned and caring reply makes him sigh, smile, and eases his tense muscles. The reply he has to give, however, makes him feel weak all over. "That's okay. I'm doing okay, it hasn't been good news since I got here."

Sadness, hurt, and concern drip from her voice, "Oh no! I'm so sorry, is there anything I can do to help?"

Gary lets a soft sigh escape him. There is nothing that he would like more than to have an answer to that question for himself, let alone for everyone else. "Right now praying is about all I know that can be done. I'll let you know as I get word. He is in ICU, currently, with interal bleeding. The doctors aren't sure where, exactly, or how bad, yet."

"I will for sure be praying," her voice is soft and full of concern as she speaks. Even her breath seems to be so soft it doesn't exist.

"Thank you. I should get back inside, you relax, everything will work out for the best."

They say their goodbyes before he makes his feet carry him back inside the Closter phobic hospital. All though he has spent quite a bit of time, as a teenage, volunteering in them he has never liked hospitals. Maybe that's why, because he would make friends with the kids in them only to go back to check on them and find, often, the worse.

This brings to mind a memory of he and Cane, who is in between himself and Jaelyn. Each of them are two years apart.

They were just teenagers, Cane was the more dare devil of the two. That day Gary had just finished saddling a young two-year-old bay stud colt when Cane come out of the house.

"Let me just jump on him right here, right now! It will same a lot of time."

Gary shook his head and the arguing began. Fifteen or so minutes later Gary had finally given in and Cane was settling himself in the saddle while Gary held the horse's lead rope and Jaelyn sat on the fence.

Cane and Gary both smooched the bay urging him to step out a little under the new weight. After a moment the stud did. He took two steps forward before he turned the heat on. Two jumps straight forward and Cane was still in the middle of him, but the third jump was to the right and threw Cane off to one side.

The colt knew he had him then and put all he had into one powerful jump straight up and then to the right again. To Gary it all happened in slow motion. The horse landed and his little brother was sliding off the side. Gary threw the lead rope to the ground and as he rushed to his brother's side yelled, "Go tell mom!" to Jaelyn who was already halfway down the fence and to the ground.

Beside his dad Gary sat for two hours as they waited on the doctors to tell them the damage that Cane had took. All the while his head was in his hands and his heart to his knees yet in his throat all at once.

Although he only busted his head open and got a concussion and there would be no lasting effects that day started Gary's ultra protection towards his little siblings, and hate for the hospital.

"Cane, I hope you know I'm always here as your big brother," he mutters out into the air. A couple years and hardly a word from his brother has always been hard, but now with the memories coming to mind and a mutual friend in trouble it makes the pain all the more raw.

***

Brooke wakes up and feels like she needs toothpicks to hold her eyes open. The majority of the past week she has tossed and turned in a fitful manner in her sleep. Now, with the sun well on its way into the sky and clients booked at work she gives herself a pep talk and stumbles from bed.

After washing her face and getting a drink Brooke sends Gary a quick text then opens her bible. She opens her bible the 2nd Timothy chapter one and starts to read in the 7th verse.

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of love, power, and a sound mind.

She takes out her big red Webster's dictionary and looks up the word, love. 'A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person,' she jots the definition down in her bible reading journal and moves onto power. This time she softly whispers the answer, "Ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something." Finally, she looks up sound. 'Free from injury, damage, defect, disease, etc.; in good condition; healthy; robust.'

When all the definitions are copied into her journal she lets the soft music fill her ears and she begins to pray. Father, Your word tells us that through You we have the capability to do great things. I pray that you will give Gary and Peter's family strength. I know you will answer our prayers in Your way and Your time. Thank you for giving us Your word as a guide for life. I love You Father.

With a smile on her face and peace in her heart she begins to get ready for the day. She curls the ends of her hair and pulls it back into a ponytail. Then pulling on her Salon tee shirt she completes her outfit with a pair of simple jeans. After slipping on her tennis shoes she grabs her keys and heads out the door to start another day cutting hair.

"See you later gator!" She hollers over her shoulder to a likely still sleeping Jeremiah. The thought makes her grin. Oh the fights they used to have! Ice cold marbles in each other's beds, ice cubes, water, you name one of them has probably tried it on the other. Even though he is three years older than she is they have always been like two peas in a pod.

The soft glow of the sun covers her arms and shines off her hair when she steps outside. Her car beeps as she hits the unlock button. Even with all that she has found out from Gary lately the sun still shines bright and beautifully and even the smallest things are noticeable.

Driving to work is only a short time in her morning and when she steps in through the back door of the salon she looks around. Everything is in its place ready to start the busy day. "Morning Kristen!"

Kristen pokes her head out of the laundry room curtain. "Morning Brooke! I have to leave a little early this afternoon, you don't mind closing up do you?"

"Not at all! I'll come back after lunch and finish up the clients and then make sure everything is spick and span. It will keep me busy, which is good."

A grin is the only reply Kristen gives her as she continues folding towels for the day.