Brian's Loss Pt. 01

Everyone having sex is at least 18. This story is a work of fiction. I made it all up. Check reality at the door and enjoy it for what it is. Special thanks to kenjisato for editing this story and making it better.

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Chapter 1 - A Rough Start

Point of view: Brian

I can't look. The casket is being lowered into the gravesite. I am crying my eyes out, and my lower lip is trembling. I am positive my eyes are red from crying so much. I have one of the triplets in my arms. Mom takes her from me, fearing for my child's life. Was I really squeezing that hard? She is only three months old, and she has no clue that her mother lost her battle with cancer and is being buried.

Here I am, twenty-five, and have three perfect baby girls and no clue how to raise them. My wife Holly did that while I work as a foreman for a construction company. That makes me the most unsuccessful child of five. I grew up with four sisters. They are now a lawyer, a doctor, an owner of a manufacturing company, and a wedding dress designer. Our parents run an advertising company, allowing us the best of everything. I wasn't a book smart type of guy; I swung a hammer for a living as a carpenter. I met Holly repairing her parents' deck almost three years ago. It was love at first sight. Now, she lays dead in a hole in front of me.

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Right now, I am at a reception hall, in line with my parents. My hands are shaking. I'm hearing, "My deepest sympathies" and "my condolences." What does that really mean? My best friend, someone I loved more than life itself, just died. No words make it any better. It only makes me want to cry more.

I have no idea where my daughters are. I trust my sisters are looking after them for me. Right now, I'm not capable of that. I want to hit the open bar and drown my sorrows away. Mom won't let me. That woman has a wicked sixth sense, she knows what I want, and she denies me. She always has, ever since I can remember. She knows when I am up to no good, and often she stops me before I do something terrible. This is the same old shit, someone telling me what to do.

I want everyone to go away and leave me alone.

Chapter 2 - Mom

Point of view: Meghan (Brian's mother)

Holly was the best thing that ever happened to Brian. Immediately, he wasn't as shy, expressed himself better, and was more assertive. His natural humor came out more. She was a cute, smart woman that everyone liked. It looks like Brian has been crying for the last two weeks; bless his heart. His whole world fell apart, yet he still has three daughters that need raising.

All babies look good; these three could model right now. They have the most amazing facial expressions and smiles. I may be biased, but they are cute. Brian will need lots of help for a while. He's a handsome man. My husband, Dan, is an amazing man, even at his age. However, even he looks ordinary next to Brian. Brian works construction; it's hard work. Before that, he lifted weights for football and wrestling in high school.

Before Holly, there were several long-term girlfriends. It always warmed my heart to see he wasn't using women for his own enjoyment. He was always serious about the current woman of the month. Often, they lasted two or three months. That always impressed me.

He grew up in a house with four younger sisters; two were from a previous husband. He quickly went from two to four demanding and ungrateful women, yet he never got mad. He would smile and shrug his shoulders.

I offered to stay over and help with the girls until he can find daycare for them. I need to talk with his sisters. Brian is not handling this well, and I am deathly afraid of what he might do. As I walk by his neighbor, Denise, I hand her my business card and say, "If you see anything odd or unusual, you give me a call."

I continue to mingle with the guests. There are a ton of people here who knew either Brian or Holly. I need to thank them for stopping by. Oh, I see Brian walking around. That's precisely why this isn't at my house; he would be up in a bedroom hiding. I am forcing him to deal with this.

I nudge Brian to wake him up, then I wrap him in my arms. Oh my, oh my, this is awesome. He feels so warm and solid holding me, and he hugs me back. My head is on his shoulders. He is crying again. Oh heck, he is being pulled away from me. Phooey, it's MaryAnn. I think that's her name. If I remember right, she is his secretary or one of the women in the office. She seems kind of bossy to me, always pushing people.

Ahhh, nice, all my daughters just arrived. No, I saw them come in previously. Ah, I bet they were watching the triplets, maybe feeding them a bottle. Their shift must be over. They're all grabbing TWO DRINKS and sitting down together. Perfect. I grab a drink and walk to their table after four interruptions.

I say in a somber mood, "Not exactly the best way to meet, my lovely women." I look, and they all have red eyes.

Addison whimpers, "Holly was so special. This isn't fair."

Carrie also has red eyes, "How is Brian going to cope? I mean, he just lost the love of his life, and now he must raise three girls on his own."

Faith takes the Kleenex away from her eyes, "We have to help those three special little girls. Brian has no clue."

Natalie is the voice of reason, "Well, he better damn well start learning. He is still their father."

I interrupt, "Natalie, language!"

Natalie shrugs her shoulders, "Awww, mom, enough, I am past eighteen. Besides, I think it's Brian we need to worry about. He isn't equipped to deal with Holly's passing emotionally. We need to watch him close. I don't like some of his more ... morbid comments about his future."

That about made me explode. I am NOT about to lose a son over this. Yes, losing Holly is a terrible thing, something that no spouse expects to deal with at their age. But I love my son. I am damn well not going to lose him.

With conviction in my voice, "We lost Holly. There was nothing modern medicine could do about that. We are NOT going to lose Brian. One of us needs to be here every day to help at least a little. It can be laundry, cooking, bath time, feeding, or changing diapers. I want us doing anything we can, to make his life easier. Whatever he needs. Do you understand me?"

I get four grumbles of "yes."

I laugh at them; a memory of Brian just flashed in my eyes. All four are looking at me now, wondering what that small smile was about.

I humor them, "I just remembered Brian at their age. You three got it easy; he has all girls. I was one of three girls, and I have three younger female cousins. Brian was something new. Boys and girls are a bit different, even in the first three months."

Smartass Natalie says, "No shit, mom, do you need pictures?"

I am frustrated, "Language, young lady. I know the difference; I just didn't know that boys can aim at that age." They all look at me in wonder. "When the triplets pee, they fill up a diaper. Boys are like loaded guns. I made the mistake of not keeping it covered ... once. I hear a soft giggle. I look down at his magnificent smile. Then I feel him hit me in the face with his ... cannon."

All four daughters start to laugh hysterically.

I continue, "I turn my head while blindly reaching for the flap on the diaper, and now he hits me in the ear." Now they are in pain from laughing so hard. "I wanted to flush him down the toilet. Fortunately, my mother was there. She handed me a clean towel and told me to take a shower. She finished the job for me.

"Oh, he's not happy seeing us laugh. My God, he's a mess emotionally. We've a lot of work ahead of us if we're going to keep him. I got this hour; let's tag team him today. I want one of us with him all the time."

I saunter over to my son. I come in from behind him, with my arms reaching around to hold him. His head drops down; he knows it's me.

Brian says softly, "You all sure were having a grand old time."

I am not taking his shit, "Your sisters will be helping out a bunch. I was explaining the difference between changing the diaper on a boy versus a girl. I was not so fondly remembering leaving you uncovered, and your pecker shot me in the face and then again in the ear. Personally, I agree with you; I didn't see the humor at all. They thought it was hilarious."

Brian says glumly, "For the first time in my life, I am glad I have sisters and not brothers."

Did he really say that? Argggggh.

I whip him around, "You hear me, young man. You have three perfect princesses. You WILL raise them, and you WILL do a fine job."

He doesn't want to hear that.

Denise, his neighbor that's my age, puts an arm around him and kisses him on the cheek, making him blush. Oh, soooo cute.

Denise seconds my instructions, "Guys can raise women just fine. My uncle basically raised me, and I'm fine ... other than liking to belch and watch football."

He looks at her with surprise. It's only a second before he looks at the floor, realizing she is having fun with him.

Brian says softly, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wouldn't do anything to hurt them. I am the problem; I'm the one that needs to join Holly."

Damn, he makes me mad in his self-pity. WHACK! He is holding his face; his hand is rubbing the red cheek. The entire room is silent; a falling needle would sound like a dropped cymbal. Denise slapped the shit out of him.

She screams at him, "Screw you! Yes, a horrible thing happened to Holly, you, and your daughters. HOWEVER! That does NOT give you the right to take your own life and further hurt those three beautiful girls. You better get your head out of your ass soon. Starting tomorrow you are solely responsible for three angels."

Brian feebly says, "But, my mom and ..."

Her hand covers his face, "Those are YOUR children. YOU are their father. You ... You ... ARGGGGGGGGH!"

She is about to swing again. I can see the fight leave her. He is near tears. He looks so vulnerable right now. The heart of every woman in the building just broke for him. Denise stomps over to the coat check, gets her coat, and loudly storms out of the building. People start talking again, Brian sits down. He has his head in his hands again. I know he is beating himself up.

Faith wanders over to him, smashes her large breasts into him, and begins whispering. That's excellent timing on her part. I need to mingle more and stare at my son less. This is going to be a long day. I sigh.

Chapter 3 - MaryAnn

Point of view: MaryAnn

What a glorious day. I think back to three years ago when I joined Montgomery Construction. They hired me as a Project Manager. It's a big company, there are eight of us, although only two are junior PMs. It was three weeks later that they hired a new carpenter. Wow, he was handsome. Every woman took notice of the new beefcake. He was young, shy, quiet, polite, but cute, and had an abundance of muscles.

I have no idea why, but less than six months later, they make him a foreman. Many were unhappy; he didn't have enough experience. Several guys left the company because they wanted that promotion. Nobody in management was surprised. They all acted like they were expecting his promotion.

I always felt like I was missing something. As it turned out, he was quickly the best foreman they had. The customers loved him. His reviews were far and away better than everyone else. People loved working for him, and all his projects came in under budget. They screwed up on estimating a few times; it didn't matter, he was still on budget.

The way he is going, he will be running the place soon. That is precisely why I am here. I want to be the woman he leans on; I want him screwing me; and then I want him to marry me. He will have plenty of money to spend on me ... it worked well for mom.

I don't have a plan yet; today is just about being a concerned co-worker. I want to learn about his family, his children, and any other players vying for his attention. I need to get his sights on me. I see where people are going; I bet that is where the children are. I work my way over there. Sure enough, the babies are being passed around. The women can't get enough of those tiny worms. I was hoping they would be older; this might be a problem.

I never saw it coming; a woman nudges my arm. Before I know it, I am holding one of the three gremlins. Her eyes are OPEN! She's looking at me; she's smiling at me and making noises. Baby noises. Oh my, she is cute; I wasn't expecting this. I am handed a bottle. I have no clue what I am doing. Two older women have the others and can see my ineptness.

They proceed to show me the correct way to hold a baby, feed one, and then at the end, burp her. I don't like this a whole lot. Oh my, her little eyes look sleepy. She is staring at me and fighting to stay awake. It's a losing battle.

I say out loud, "She fell asleep in my hands!"

Several mothers are there and give me a whoopie look. There is much I need to learn. One of the babies needs to be changed. I quickly get up and move close, so I can see. Sensing my desire to learn, the older woman reaches for the baby in my arms.

The lady says to me, "There is only one way to learn this; it's by doing. Pull open the two straps, remove the diaper, use those same straps to close the bundle after you wrap it up. Good. Now use a wipe to clean the bottom, front, and all the folds of skin. Always wipe front to back.

"Hold the ankles together with one hand, lift gently, just far enough to slip the new diaper underneath. Lift the wings and attached the sticky part to the diaper, sealing the bundle. Never leave a child on a table by themselves. Lie them down in a bed, pen, or stroller before you clean your hands. Excellent job! We'll make a mother out of you yet. By the way, who are you?"

I turn shy, "I am a nobody. I know Brian from work. He's an exceptional employee. He's going to need lots of help. I wanted to learn so that I might be able to offer my assistance."

She chuckles at me.

The old lady asks me, "Is it because he's cute and manly or because of the rumors about him?"

Oh shit, I manage to ask, sounding curious, "Rumors? I don't know him well. We have worked on some projects, but he is more of a hands-on guy in the field."

She giggles as she says, "Well. If the rumors are true, you are close. He does some amazing things with his hands. There is a reason all his girlfriends lasted more than several weeks. No one-night-stands with that stud."

Wow, cute, good in bed, and he might become rich. This is the kind of gold mine I have been looking for all my life. Sure, there is a chance he doesn't take over, but I think the odds are good. I got this feeling that they like him. I can't believe how lucky I am. His sisters seem close to him, but nobody else is. Terrific, no competition. I mean, who sleeps with their sisters?

Thinking back, either his mother or a sister was constantly near him. Oh shit, he wants to kill himself. I can't allow that. I need him alive, so I can control him. Oh my, I can use his sisters to snag him. I like this plan.

I leave the babies behind; they don't interest me anymore. I need one of his sisters. Two are together at a table. I walk over and sit down with them. I have their attention.

I introduce myself, "Hi, I'm MaryAnn, a co-worker of Brian. I am a Project Manager that has worked with him. When I heard what happened, it broke my heart. I didn't know if someone from work would come, so I thought I would represent us. How's he doing?"

She looks at me like she can read me. I am about to get up when she starts talking.

"Hi, I am Carrie, one of his sisters. The poor baby was head over heels in love with her. Of course, he's taking it badly. Here's my card; if you see anything at work that's odd, or he gets worse, please give me a call. We're a close family and will be taking turns helping him for as long as he needs it. That's not something you recover from overnight," says a smiling Carrie.

Natalie adds, "Besides, we get to spend more time with the trips. We will see them walk, talk, sleep through the night, and potty train." Counting in her head, "We have at least four, five, seven family members willing to help. I am looking forward to it."

I timidly ask, "Do you know if he's looking for daycare?"

From behind me, Faith answers, placing a hand on my shoulder, "That's not come up yet. With so much free help and Carrie being a doctor, it will be a while before he will be looking for outside help. We will probably overlap, so there are always two here."

She continues, "I count five, four sisters and mom. How do you get seven?"

Natalie beams with inside knowledge over her sister, "Ah-ha, you weren't listening. Mom's sisters, his two aunts, want in on this. We haven't even started with Holly's side of the family. I can't imagine her mother staying away. That is one tenacious woman, Holly and she were two peas in a pod.

"She was sedated most of the day and fell asleep. She is like Brian; she's not taking this well. Word of warning to all of you. She is the proverbial mother bear; she will fight to the death to protect those three angels. She didn't like how someone held one of the girls and almost ripped the lady's arm off. You have been warned."

Faith smiles at me, "I think it would be good for Brian to have someone in his life. Just don't take advantage of him or ... well, it won't be pretty. We all love Brian and will protect him with every ounce of energy we have.

"He was great to us growing up. We were horrible to him." The other sisters giggle. "I have no idea to this day why we are still alive. He fought boyfriends, fixed our cars, danced with us, and we cried on his shoulders. We will literally do anything for him. I don't see him dating for years, but I hope that he does."

Addison cuts in, "No way he dates. He loved Holly way too much. No, a woman will have to rape him to get his attention. Even then, he might ignore her."

That's not what I want to hear. Nope, not at all. That makes my job harder. Of all people, his sisters might be able to help me; how ironic. Their love for their brother will be their own demise.

Do I tell mom yet? No, I don't want another Paul situation. He dumped me in front of my parents. That was embarrassing. I think I will sink my teeth in further, make him reliant on me. Then mommy and daddy can meet him. I would love to see mom jealous of me. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Chapter 4 - Alone

Point of view: Brian

I just fed, changed, and put to sleep my babies. I am alone in my large house. I did a hell of a job fixing it up. It's an old farmhouse now surrounded by the city; three stories tall. Right now, I am on the main floor, where half is a kitchen with a large pantry and an island that sits three.

I move to the living room, sitting on one of the four couches. I have a huge TV, but I am listening to classic rock & roll, Holly's favorite. I never changed the station. I am thinking about the long hard day I endured and how my life will now change. I am alone in life now; my soul mate died. She left me.

I have three daughters, three months old. I was told that babies can start sleeping through the night at three months. Apparently, mine did not get that memo. It is better now, no more getting up every three hours, it's just once or twice a night. How will I ever get enough sleep?

I almost jump out of my skin as a pair of arms come around me from behind. Someone broke into my house? I yank hard, and the perpetrator flies over my shoulder and onto the floor. Holy shit! It's mom!

I stutter, "Um. Mom? What are you doing here?"

Mom isn't moving. She only groans.

"Oh, Brian. Why the hell did you do that?" mom is trying to roll over; she looks like she is hurt.

I spring to my feet and basically pick her up. She is in my arms now; I am supporting her as her feet are off the floor.