Miracle Cream Ch. 02a

"Just telling it like it is," Cory stated with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Please, Cory, can we not discuss this right now?"

"Sure," Cory muttered consuming the rest of his meal in silence.

"Is he alright?" Delilah asked, in a worried whisper. "Are you alright?" she inquired when Celeste was putting up a brave front but knew if she was alone she would be in tears at that moment.

"I-I'm fine, thank you for asking," Celeste replied in a kind tone loading up the platter with the cut raw onions, leaves of lettuce, and the sliced tomato.

"This isn't healthy for you or him. Have you thought about seeing a family therapist?" Delilah asked, in a professional voice.

"I... think we're beyond the point where that would help us," Celeste admitted wiping the fallen tears from her eyes.

"Would you mind if I talked to him?" Delilah asked, placing a hand on her arm.

"I'd mind," Cory said, cutting in. "They made this mess, they just don't like the finished product," he uttered eyeing the woman.

"Where are you going?" Celeste asked, as she carried the tray to the table watching her son walking towards the door after tossing his empty food box into the trash.

"To stare at the ocean, only have three days before my spring break is over and I have to work the rest of it," Cory said, as he exited the house.

"I don't mean to pry but has there always been this animosity between you four and Cory?" Delilah asked, as she helped to set the table. She watched how Celeste pressed her lips together, trying to hold it together in front of someone she just met. Celeste couldn't say the words so she let her nod answer for her.

"Honey?!" Jairo's laughing voice stilled as he noted the look in his wife's eyes. Quickly setting the tray down on the stove top that held the now done burgers, that hot gooey cheese escaping in a few places. "Baby, what's wrong?" he whispered as Celeste buried her face in his chest.

"He's leaving us for good," Celeste said, fighting to hold back her tears.

"Nothing we can do about that right now," Jairo spoke after a few minutes to wrap his head around it. Not seeing Cassy and Sam just looking at each other and shrugging nor did they see Dayana's and Zoe's downcast eyes at what their mother's words meant. "Where is he?"

"He said he was going to stare at the ocean," Delilah chimed in.

"I'll bring him..."

"No... no, leave him be, I'll be okay, it just hit me hard is all..." Turning her head when they heard Cory's loud curses from outside their rental home.

"Wait here," Jairo said, moving past his wife and towards the front door. Only to have Cory's loud, thunderous 'Fucking cocksuckers!' filling the house as he opened the door. "Cory, whose fucking and who is the cocksuckers?!" he asked, trying to be upbeat about it, noting the anger in his son's eyes, not at him just anger in general.

"Fucking Nebraska," Cory spat out.

"What did they do?" Keeping the door open so his wife could hear their son's words.

"Fuckers turned me down?!"

"How do you know that?" Jairo asked, keeping his smile from his lips knowing his son wouldn't be leaving them as soon as they thought.

"Mrs. Nunes saw the letter in the mail today and she just called me when she picked up the mail."

Jairo nodded in understanding given that is what they had asked her to do while they were gone. "I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get in, maybe you'll hear from the others you sent out soon."

"Maybe," Cory grumbled as he plopped down in the chair on the porch.

"Come inside when you're ready," Jairo said, in a fatherly voice. Patting his son's shoulder lightly before heading back inside. Seeing Celeste fighting back her smile at the news as was he.

Cory contemplated his next move as he heard the conversation happening inside that the walls and panes of glass didn't absorb. Pulling out his phone again and bringing up the student portal for Idaho State. Typing in his name and password, he hadn't checked it or his last out of state college he had applied to yet given that he didn't think they'd send out acceptance letters so soon. Now that he had gotten one, he saw no need to delay the inevitable.

"No, no, no!" Cory hissed, when Idaho State had waitlisted him and Utah had deferred him. Yet, by now, they should have made their choice, so he knew Utah was a lost cause. Surging from his seat, beginning to pace along the porch knowing there was only one college left and he loathed to check it. Knowing if he did get in he would be stuck in state with his family. A family he was hellbent on getting the hell away from. Nevertheless, working part time at the local Hardees didn't pay enough to make his great escape from his home life. So he had to ask himself a very, very, very hard question. Did he want to go to college or just go to a trade school? Whereas college would cause him to have another four years being around them, or the two it would take to become a welder, or the four to become an electrician. Either way that would still mean years. "No!" Cory screamed out when he brought up UNC student portal and there in green, bold letters 'Accepted' greeted him. Stomping out into the yard, "Do you get off fucking up my life?! Huh?! Do you?!" he cursed the heavens as he shouted out at the sky. "Haven't you done enough to me?!"

"Cory, why..." Celeste appeared in the doorway of their rental home, turning her head when she saw his phone on the seat of the chair. Not believing her eyes when she saw those eight green letters on his screen. Squealing in joy as she danced in place as her eyes quivered at this wondrous news. "Baby!" Celeste cried out as she ran towards her son. "You got in!" she exclaimed throwing her arms around his neck, her momentum caused them to spin around in place. "I'm so happy," Celeste whispered into his neck as she pressed her 32D breasts into his chest as she held her son tightly to her.

"Mom?! What's going on?" Dayana asked, from the doorway.

"You're brother got in. He's going to UNC!" Celeste said, joyously.

"Really?!" Dayana asked, in disbelief as she heard her father and sister getting up from their seats at the dinner table.

"Mmmhmm," Celeste hummed as she walked hurriedly with Cory's phone in hand and up to her to show her daughter just what she had seen. "Isn't that great news, honey?" she asked, smiling at Jairo.

"Of course, it is," Jairo said in a light hearted manner, yet the question remained why did it appear his son did not like hearing that news.

"Now we have the time to fix what we broke," Celeste whispered to Jairo and their daughters.

"That's kind of up to him, dear," Jairo spoke nodding to how Cory was taking the news. "Come on, let's give Cory time to calm down," he said, seeing his wife nod in understanding as she took hold of his hand.

"So you go to UNC too?" Cassy asked when Dayana sat back down at the table.

"We do, you live on campus?" Dayana asked, taking a sip of her Samuel Adams Bavarian lager that Sam was kind enough to share with them.

"Oh, no," Cassy said, wrinkling her nose at the thought. "I stay with my folks in Morris Grove. What about you?"

"Durham, and we mooch off our folks too," Zoe said, shooting her mother a smirk from the foot of the table when she released a 'Hmpf!'

"What are the odds of that?!" Sam asked, shooting Jairo a friendly smile.

"Remind me to buy a lotto ticket," Jairo spoke peering over at his wife who rested her hand on his forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"So, how long have the two of you been married?" Delilah asked, taking a bite of Celeste's coleslaw.

"Twenty-four years," Celeste said, lovingly, brushing her thumb along Jairo's forearm. "We've had tough times, and really, really good times, but we stuck it out together."

"How long have the two of you been married?" Celeste asked, returning Delilah's question.

"Ten years," Sam spoke up looking over at his wife who was leaning against him.

"My first husband was an abusive prick, took me some time to wise up that he was never going to change. So, I had to, it was a struggle with raising Cassy on my own at first, I was so thankful for my friends who pitched in when they could see me struggling with running everything and working two jobs just to keep the lights on. Then when Cassy was about to turn eleven, I met this adorable man here," Delilah said, "and I couldn't be happier."

"Were you married before you met Delilah?" Jairo asked, taking a bite of his burger, or what was left of it.

"For a brief moment in time I was," Sam said, shadows playing along his face at what he had lost so long ago. "It was a freak accident, one of those times you just pulled the wrong straw, if you know what I mean," he spoke looking at the both of them.

"What happened?" Dayana asked, taking an interest.

"She was struck by lightning," Sam said, truthfully.

"I'm so sorry, that must have been so hard for you," Celeste uttered in sympathy.

"It was, but then I met Delilah. I think I was given a second chance." Which earned him a round of 'Awes' from Celeste, Dayana, and Zoe, and blushing cheeks from Delilah.

"Stop it, Sam," Delilah stated bashfully.

"I'm surprised we haven't run into each other on campus yet, what're your majors?" Cassy asked, eager to build a rapport with the two of them.

"Economics," Dayana stated.

"Education," Zoe piped in.

"Huh? Didn't take you for the teaching type. I know the high school guys are just going to love you," Cassy said, with a flirty smirk.

"Good thing I'm going for the special needs class, at least then they'll learn something that's not printed on my tits or ass," Zoe retorted causing Cassy to burst out in laughter and her father to shake his head at her.

"Zoe, do be careful with your words. You don't want to give this poor old man a heart attack, now do you?" Delilah asked, teasing her husband as she rubbed his back.

"What about you?" Dayana asked, her eyes flickering over to the door as it inched open.

"I'm training to be a nurse," Cassy said, before draining the last of her beer. "Want me to get you another, Dad?" she asked, looking around her mother. Watching how Sam tipped his glass towards himself.

"Sure, thanks, sweetheart," Sam said, not saying a word he noted how Celeste was slyly eyeing her son as he noted how her son just fell into the chair by the door from the corner of his eye.

"Cory, you know we have plenty of food left if you're still hungry," Jairo said, turning in his seat. Arching an eyebrow as his son's head rested on the top of the head rest peering up at the ceiling like a zombie.

"What I want isn't going to happen. So why bother?" Cory muttered.

"Son, I know you're upset about Nebraska, but what about the other schools you applied too?" Jairo asked, trying to repair the foundations of their relationship that they had spent the past five years destroying.

"Deferment and waitlisted, so they'll just string me along without the courtesy of dinner before the circle jerk," Cory stated in a dispassionate tone.

"Well, that's a visual that I never wanted," Cassy uttered handing her father another beer. "So you didn't get in, it's not the end of the world. Plus why would you want to go to a school so far away?"

"Who are you again?" Cory asked, without looking at Cassy.

Cassy felt her cheeks heating at that indifferent tone of his. "I'm just saying UNC isn't a bad school. You'll save tons of money staying with your folks."

"You assume that's something I want, you know what they say about assumptions, Ms. Pixie Queen," Cory said, rudely.

"Cory?!" Celeste gasped. "Apologize, right this second?!"

"Why? Please enlighten me on which word I used that was vulgar? For I don't recall using any such word," Cory muttered.

"So I'm a Pixie, huh? Got to say that is a name I haven't been called before. Don't know if I like how you say it though," Cassy said, taking a sip of her beer as her eyes lingered on Cory's body.

"Don't really care either way," Cory shrugged his shoulders. "Now where's my cellphone?"

"You'll get it back tomorrow," Celeste stated in a motherly voice. "You're being rude to our..."

"You're guests, not mine, I didn't warrant a plate at your dinner party remember?" Cory stated finally looking at his mother. "Kind of makes you wonder why we're not close, huh?"

"Fine, Cory, if you can't be polite, go to your room," Jairo said, in a stern voice.

"Don't mind if I do," Cory spoke pushing himself out of the chair. "If you find my words rude, I apologize, for what I do not know. Pixie," he nodded before walking off to his room.

"Man, you weren't lying; he is an ass," Cassy stated looking back at Dayana. "Who pissed in his Cheerios?"

******

A knock came upon his door as he was lounging on his bed reading 'Catcher in the Rye' for his English class. "Yeah?" Cory answered not bothering to peer at whomever it was that stood in his doorway.

"Sorry to bother you, but your mother said there was a bath..." Her voice stilled as Cory simply pointed to the door. "Would you mind?"

"Depends on if it's number one or two?" Cory answered as he turned the page.

"Two, I'm afraid," Delilah muttered embarrassingly.

"Turn the fan on when you're done," Cory said, walking out of the room with his book in his hand. His green eyes moved around the living room, then up the stairs when he heard laughter coming from the second floor. So he knew his sisters were with their new friend. Looking around for his parents when he noted the cleared kitchen table. Not hearing either one of them around Cory just opted to wait on the couch so the smell would clear out before he went back to his room.

"Thank you for letting me use your restroom," Delilah spoke walking into the room. Seeing his nod as she walked over to the chair. "Cory, I'd like to speak with you, just the two of us," she said softly, getting comfortable in her seat. "I'll start," Delilah uttered when Cory remained silent and only turned a page in his book. "I'd like to address this anger you have. It's not healthy for a boy your age to be pent up with it."

"Uh-huh."

"I'd like to help you work through it if you'll let me," Delilah said, in a warm tone.

"Who are you, and what business is it of yours?" Cory asked, finally looking over at her.

"I'm Dr. Mathews but you can call me Delilah," she said, flashing him a smile.

"Great, a shrink, just what I need," Cory groaned.

"Yes, it seems you do," Delilah stated with a nod. "Would you like to tell me why you're so... confrontational with your family?"

"You like to tell me why you let your daughter ruin a perfectly good band shirt?" Cory retorted dodging her question.

"She bought it, why couldn't she do what she wanted to it?" Delilah replied with an arched eyebrow.

"They caused this, ask them, now if you'll excuse me..."

"I'll just follow you around until we get to the bottom of this," Delilah stated cutting him off. "After all, I do have three whole days to devote to this. So you might as well just get this off your chest or you can expect me to be your constant shadow."

"Have fun with that," Cory said, getting up from his seat. "What the...?!" He cursed when a hair tie struck him in the back of the head. Turning to look back at her, Delilah wasn't even trying to hide her smile from him.

"So you're not quick to anger yet take every opportunity to show it. Interesting."

"I'm so happy I could amuse you," Cory said, sarcastically.

"Sarcasm. I bet you rely on that a lot to keep people at bay, am I right?" Delilah asked, with a twinkle in her eye. "Do you find that it makes yourself feel superior to those around you when you do?"

"What kind of psychobabble are you trying to pull here?" Cory asked, crossing his arms.

"I see, closing yourself off. Protecting yourself. Have you had to do that a lot?"

"What business is it of yours?"

"Personally, it's not, but I saw how your mother was today. Do you like making your mother cry?" Delilah asked, in a professional voice. "Does it make you feel big and strong to know that you're the cause of those tears?"

"Don't care either way," Cory said, waving her off. "Funny how someone who says they're a survivor of spousal abuse, yes, I heard, I'm not deaf, can so easily defend the abusers. Really need to work on those contradictions there, Doc."

"Abuse?!" Delilah uttered in shock. "Cory, come back, sit down..."

"Fucking ain't happening," Cory growled walking back to his room slamming the door closed. Glad there was a lock on it. He wasn't going to talk to her, a complete stranger, about this. Ever!

It was around ten at night when another knock came on his door. "Cory?" His father's voice filtered through the door. "Come shoot off fireworks with us. I got a bunch of Roman candles." He couldn't keep his smile from forming on his lips as he heard his son's scampering feet.

"You got the candles?" Cory asked, with a suspicious look.

"And a mortar and shells," Jairo nodded.

"Nice," Cory said, he did love setting those off. "Where we going?" he asked, following his father out the front door.

"To the beach," Jairo said, over his shoulder. "Come on, everyone is waiting," he spoke, smiling over his shoulder at his son. "We couldn't very well start without you."

Celeste's sandy blonde hair undulated in the ocean breeze as she, along with her daughter's, stood on the sand dune waiting for the two of them to arrive. "Sam's getting the mortars set up," Celeste said, peering down at them as the argentine rays of the moon shone down upon them.

"I got us towels to sit on, Cory," Dayana said, wrapping herself deeper into her mother's shawl to fight off the chill of the night air.

"So, I'm guessing the neighbors are your new buddies now?" Cory uttered looking over at his father.

"Their good people, Cory," reaching around and placing a firm hand on his son's right shoulder, "why not try to get to know them?"

"Maybe if they kept their noses out of my business that might be possible," Cory retorted.

"They're just eager to get to know us, Cory," Celeste said, running her hand along his back when he and Jairo crested the dune.

"Okay, folks, mortars are primed and ready, you just say the word and away we go?!" Sam said, with a wide boyish smile. Being a demolition expert he did enjoy the smell of gunpowder on the air. Seeing them all moving towards their towels while his wife and stepdaughter sat on their own beside Celeste's and Jairo's.

"Cory, would you mind if I snuggled against you, I'm a little cold," Dayana said, softly.

"That bad?" Cory asked, referring to her cycle.

"Seems it's going to be one of those months," Dayana said, resting her head on Cory's shoulder soaking in the warmth of his body. A small smile appeared on her lips when she felt Cory gently rubbing the small of her back.

"Isn't the ocean romantic in this light," Zoe sighed, glancing over to her brother and flashing him a sensuous smile.

"What are you trying to get at?" Cory urged her on.

"Nothing," resting her hand on his inner thigh, "just stating how beautiful it is tonight," Zoe said, inching closer to her brother.

"Fire it up, Pops!" Cassy shouted in encouragement.

Cory craned his head skyward as the starburst colors played along the surface of his eyes. He had no idea why fireworks always seemed to lighten his mood. He wondered if that was like with everyone else in the world. That the loud concussion of the shell, the howling squeal as it sored skyward before the gunpowder sparked exploding the shell apart to dazzle them with those bright, colorful flashes of reds, blues, greens, yellows, and everything in-between. Hearing his parents chatting with the neighbors, the chuckles that rolled on the air, the smell of the burnt gunpowder before it was carried away by the flowing breeze. Rubbing Dayana's arm when she began to shiver slightly, feeling her snuggling tighter to his side as he did.