Following My Big Brother

If there was ever someone choosing bad timing, it is the idiot that is now knocking at my door. I was only seconds away from hearing Isabella's answer. So I just ignore the knocking and cock my head as I wait for her to finish, but she only frowns and points for me to go and see who has decided to bring their intrusion at this late hour.

It is very reluctantly that I drag my feet to the door, where the knocking has now become more persistently. I hope whoever it is, that I am going to make them pay for letting me struggle my way over to the doorway. And as the knocking gets louder, I only but a growl from deep in my chest, "I am coming. Just hang bloody on."

With utmost irritation, I fling the door open, ready to punch the man that is behind it. But as I stare at the person on the other side, I only but grow a smile, "Matty, what the fuck are you doing here?"

From the lounge, I hear a voice echo, "You better watch that mouth of yours, soldier."

I only chuckle and pull Matty into a very unstable hug, "What are you doing here?"

"Are you not going to let a man in?"

Ya, me and my dumb brain.

So I lead him to the lounge, where an eager Isabella awaits his presence. She nearly tumbles over as she leaps into his arms. Since that very unfortunate incident with Mark, she and Matt grew much closer.

For what seems to be a good long minute, he squeezes her. Well, the man needs to get his hands off my fiancé; I am eager to know why he finds himself here, "So to what do we owe this pleasure?"

He fumbles as he looks for his words, "Oh, I was around and thought that I would drop in."

I only but raise my brow, "Where around?"

I watch as he looks away, and I know this man is hiding something, so I patiently wait for him to speak, "I have a job that I found out here."

Well, knock me over with a bat. Did the man finally decide to get away from that silly little town? But yet I know that I should not make a joke of it, for it probably took him a great deal of courage to come this far.

"So, what kind of job is it?"

"Well, you see," he pauses for a brief few seconds, then he glances over to where Isabella is sitting, "I kind of…"

Isabella immediately gets up, "I think this might be a talk just for you boys. I will grab you a beer."

With that, she is off to the kitchen, leaving a somewhat nervous Matt with me. Now, this man does not get very nervous that often; whatever it is that he has on his mind must be quite serious. So I leave him to gather his voice, and I think even the courage that he requires.

After Isabella brings us both a beer, she makes her way to the bedroom, then finally, Matt speaks again, "I have enlisted."

Okay, I think I must be hearing voices in my head; maybe even I am thinking about myself wanting to enlist to become a Raider. So perhaps I have heard him completely wrong. Then for some odd reason, I swallow rather deeply before I take a breath, "I don't think I heard what you said, Matty."

"I said," then he goes all quiet. I think perhaps, but wait, "I said that I have enlisted."

That shock that was there before returns again, "You mean as here at Pendleton?"

"Well, where else would I enlist?"

"Hey, for all I know, you are joining a cult or something."

He only but bursts out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, "I think you should stick to your day job. Now, I am really serious; I have enlisted."

"Fuck." I swallow my words slowly before Isabella comes and knocks me against the head. Matt only chuckles, then I break the silence again, "I don't know what to say. I am so damn excited, fuck, Matty, I am proud of you. Whatever made you decide to do such a crazy thing?"

"Bro, I can't let you steal all the thunder. And of course, can you imagine all the chicks I am going to pick up."

"Trust you to see things that way. You know there is more to it."

He runs his fingers through his hair as he softly mumbles, "I guess I want to be like my big brother."

Well, ya, that is me. I am already a mess with everything that has happened today, now Matt comes and throws this in and completely renders me speechless. It takes me a great deal to hold the tears back that are starting to trickle in the corner of my eyes. But if I think it is easy for him, I can see him with his head lowered. With great difficulty, I rise from my chair and go sit next to him.

"Hey, I am proud of you. This must have taken a lot of courage. Please promise me you are doing this for yourself and not for me and least of all, dad?"

His voice only comes out as a whisper as he tries to find the words to explain, "No, I am doing this because I want to matter. I don't want to be a washed-out techy that sits behind a table."

With that, I pull him into a brotherly embrace, holding him firm around the shoulders while his body gently shudders. Now, does this make me feel greater about my drive and determination to be a soldier, to be a Marine? Yes, ten thousand times over, I will keep making the same decision.

So as I finally break the hug and look at him, "Where are you staying?"

"I need to report for duty at the barracks in the morning."

"Well, then it is settled; you will stay here tonight."

With that I get up to go to Isabella, now, I need to check with the Misses, but I am sure that she won't have any problem. While I disappear into the bedroom, Matt goes outside to fetch his bag from the car.

And ya, I think this conversation is about to get very interesting.

So as she sees me come into the room, she can read my face from a mile away; it only takes her two seconds, "What have you two done?"

"Boo, really? Am I that bad?"

"Soldier, bad does not even begin to describe it. Now tell me what you and Matt messed up again?"

"Boo, I have told him that he can stay here tonight."

She gently bites into her lip while a frown creeps over her face, "Okay, so, what is he doing out all this way?"

"He is starting a new, uhm…I guess you can call it a job."

"Soldier, it is either a job or not. What has this man gotten himself into?"

Bless this woman's soul; she knows the Jackson boys better than they know themselves. She can spot a scheme coming before it even happens. But now the question begs, how is she going to take what I am about to say next?

"Boo, Matt has enlisted."

Ya, again, the room falls completely silent, and I know, I can even feel it before it comes my way, she is going to slap me against the head and fuck, it is going to hurt. Yet, she only but takes short rapid breaths; the poor woman has now worked up herself.

"Do you," her voice is coming out as a rumble, "Do you want to tell me that your brother has decided to follow in your footsteps?"

"Boo, it is not like that."

"Well, please explain to me why another Jackson boy wants to go play war? Is it something in the blood?"

"Actually, boo, it is."

Now, that I should not have said, for next, the flat of her palm makes swift contact with the back of my head, sending vibrations through my body. She seems to think that if she smacks me, that I would get a bit more sense than what I currently have, but I only see it as her smacking some extra love into my heart.

So once she is satisfied that I am fully to my senses, she asks the question again, "You are telling me that Matty has left that little town that he loves to come here and be a Marine?"

"Yes, boo."

She only but shakes her head and cups my face in her hands; as she moves inch by inch closer, she places her soft lips against mine. "You are going to drive me insane. I really hope that this is not a boy because you Jackson boys are impossible."

After tucking her in, I make my way back to the lounge, where Matt has settled. As I hand him another beer, there is a warmth that grows in my heart, and I can only but smile, "Here is to being a Marine."