Chapter 73

A couple of months passed. Matt had to undergo extensive physical therapy for the gunshot wound he received, and after two and a half months in the hospital, the Doctor allowed him to go "home", where ever that was for him now. The day he was released, he called David.

"Hello?"

"Hey, David. It's Matt."

"Hey, Matt. What's up?"

"The Doctor said I could go home today."

"Then get your ass here. We've been waiting for you to let us know. You have a room all set up."

"Really? You guys want me to say there?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Brie, Tina, Kristen, and Nicole all insist that you stay here. Us men have no say in the matter, not that we would have argued anyway. You're family, Matt. You belong with us."

Matt had a lump in his throat. "I don't know what to say, David. Thank you."

"Thank us by getting here. Anything special that you want fixed to eat when you get here?"

"Just something hot that doesn't taste like cardboard."

"Not a problem. Tina and Nicole have pretty much made it their job to cook and clean the kitchen. Kristen and Brie usually clean up the living room. Brie can't bend over anymore, so Kristen does the picking up and Brie runs the vacuum."

"What do you guys do?"

"Help where ever the women will let us."

"Ok, sounds good. Sounds like you've got a well oiled machine over there."

"We try. Oh, by the way, just thought I'd let you know that there's been a young woman over here every other day asking about you. Name's Veronica."

"Ronnie? Really?"

"Yeah, said she's known you for a while and has been worried about you ever since you ended up in prison."

"That's great news, bro, thanks."

"Sure thing, Matt. Just get home now and we'll see you when you get here." David hung up.

I should have known they'd want me there, Matt thought to himself with a smile. As he spun the wheelchair that he'd been stuck in since the day they let him get out of bed around, a nurse came in.

"Did you get a hold of them?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did. Tell transport I'm ready to go home now, Delores, please. I can't stand being here any longer. Not that you ladies aren't all the LOVES OF MY LIFE!" He put on his most charming smile.

"You charmer, you. I can't believe no girl has snatched you up, yet."

"Maybe one will here soon, and if she does, I promise that you will always be the one who had my heart first". He put a hand over his chest.

She shook her head. "Let's get you home. I'm sure you sister is dying to see you."

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Dying to see him was a pretty accurate analogy, Matt thought as he wheeled through the door. Brie pretty much pounced on him before he got through the threshold.

"Do they have you walking yet?" she asked as she stood up from damn near smothering him.

"They're trying to get me out of the chair, but the leg won't hold me yet. Do you think in all of you infinite wisdom that you could help me with that problem?"

"I'll put my mind to it and have you some exercises to do the strengthen those quads back up in no time. It's gonna suck like a mother fucker, but if you want to walk again, you have to work at it." As she finished the sentence, her hand flew to her round stomach and she gave a little "ooh".

David was at her side in no time. "Come on, baby, let's get you sat down, then you can talk with Matt."

"Yes, father", she said sardonically.

He laughed her sarcasm off like a pro. He really did know her that well. They'd been together, what, three or four years now, most of that has been cooped up in this house. He'd had plenty of time to get to know her, Matt thought to himself.

The rest of the "family" greeted him and gave him a hearty welcome home. Dan even pushed him into the kitchen where Nicole and Tina had made his favorite, meatloaf! "Brie told us you liked it, but not to this extent. You're eating like you haven't eaten in months", Tina laughed as Matt fixed himself a third plate of food.

"Are you kidding? This is the best damn meatloaf I've ever had!"

"Well, we don't eat a lot of pork around here because David and your sister don't eat it. Some nights, we just have sandwiches because we're tired of everything else."

"Can I ask you lovely ladies something and you'll be completely honest with me?" Matt asked. Nicole and Tina both nodded. "While Brie and I were talking, she experienced a pain of some sort and David flew to her side front out of nowhere. Is he always like that with her?"

"Oh, yeah. He's very loving and attentive to her. There's not a morning that they don't come down those stairs hand in hand", Tina said.

"Pregnant or not, David's like that with her. He pays so much attention to her that I think that's got OUR husbands thinking that they don't pay enough attention to us. Dan's become more affectionate over the past couple of years from watching David with your sister", Nicole told him.

"So him running to her side like that isn't an act that he's putting on for me?"

"HELL NO!" they said in unison.

"Thanks, ladies. That's all I needed to know."