Chapter 20: MEN LIKE US

When they returned to work he knew that all of the cameras were on them. He shook Lance and Kendra's hands and promised that he'd join them again some time. Ashleigh lingered with him in the lobby.

"Thanks for coming with us."

"Thanks for inviting me." They looked at each other and Christopher decided that he would just ask her. He would ask her on a date.

"Ashleigh."

"Yes?"

The words froze in his throat at the look of curiosity on her face. "I…better get back. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Christopher."

He nodded and headed for the elevators, cursing himself for being such a chicken. What if he lost her friendship because he wanted more? He didn't want to do that. Ashleigh watched him walk away.

~*~

The ride down to Corbin Kentucky was quiet. It was just him, mom and dad. His father had suffered a stroke a few years back and oftentimes became confused. He had his lucid moments though and thankfully today was one of them.

His brothers and sisters had decided to meet at Uncle Rays and he wasn't looking forward to the sad circumstances for a family reunion. He'd just been to Cobb Hill a few weeks before, but every time he drove through the winding mountain roads he felt a sick sense of loss, as well as joy at the memories of his childhood here.

He pulled up in front of Uncle Ray's A-frame house and let mom and dad out while he drove a ways down the road in order to park. It seemed that everybody on the mountain was gathered at the little house. Picnic tables had been set out along with folding chairs.

Several of his nieces and nephews ran up to him, greeting him with hugs. They wanted to play football but he told them they'd get dirty. They headed away looking dejected and he called out that he'd race them down to the spring once he said his hellos. Then their faces brightened and it reminded him of when he was a kid at family gatherings. They seemed like the most tedious things in the world. Now, most of his younger relatives didn't know Aunt Lonnie and the youngest ones had never even met her.

He sighed, shook hands, and gave kisses to people he hadn't seen in years. His brothers and sisters came up and asked how dad was doing. He discussed work for a bit and then sought out Uncle Ray to give his condolences.

Ray was in the house and rocking in an old chair surrounded by some of his adult children. On his way into the room Christopher shook hands with everyone and received good-natured ribbings about his size. Uncle Ray's face broke into a huge smile and he stood to give him a hug. He was so thin now. Back when he was a kid, Ray used to be the one who towered over him; now it was the other way around and the man seemed so frail. It made Christopher sad, yet his uncle didn't appear sad at his own loss.

"Pull up a chair." Someone found Christopher a stool and he sat down in it next to his uncle. "You still in the Marines?"

"Yes, sir. I'm in it for life."

"Hmmm. Life planned out at the age of…how old are you?"

"Twenty-five."

"Twenty-five…I had three kids by the time I was twenty-five." He squinted at Christopher. "You ain't got any kids do you?"

Christopher blushed. "No, sir."

"And why is that?" he asked with a serious frown. "You ain't using that scar as an excuse?" he asked while gesturing in the general direction of Christopher's face. The younger man's expression darkened. Excuse? And it wasn't just a scar, for Christ sakes! His face was deformed!

"I wasn't the prettiest man around but I still got a beauty in your Aunt Lonnie."

Knowing that it was the saddest day of his Uncle's life, Christopher bit his tongue. But he wanted to lash out and tell him that he had no idea what it was like to live in his face. Not the prettiest man around? How about living with the skull and face of an albino gorilla!

"Pretty men have women that drop into their laps. But men like us have to make it work for us."

Us.

He cut his eyes at his uncle. Uncle Ray wasn't the best looking man in the world but he'd hardly thought of that in all his life. He was just Uncle Ray. Now Christopher looked at the man who was almost as tall as him, body bent and stooped now with age. He had a nose like a squash. But he also had a smile that lit up the room and he smiled easily…even today.

Christopher allowed his anger to drift away as he listened to his uncle speak. The older man's eyes looked distant and a soft smile appeared on his thin lips. "Lonnie used to go with a boy that ended up playing pro baseball. I thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Maybe not to some, but to me she was an angel."

Ray's kids quietly listened to their dad speak. Christopher glanced at the floor but he listened just as intently. "Why would she want somebody like me when she can have anybody she wanted? But I knew something that the pretty boy didn't." Christopher looked up at his uncle.

"Women drop into their arms and they don't have to work for it. They don't have to learn to be funny, sensitive, a good listener and a good friend. And that's why we always got the edge." Uncle Ray focused on Christopher.

"You've developed your edge, ain't you boy?" Uncle Ray smiled. "Never mind me, Christopher." The old man's eyes drifted to a picture of Aunt Lonnie and his smile never left his face. Christopher sat with him awhile longer and then stood and placed his hand on his uncle's thin shoulders before leaving the room.

Christopher jammed his hands into his pockets as he thought about Uncle Ray's words. It seemed true, about having an edge. But he didn't think that even with this so-called-edge, he'd be able to get Ashleigh to fall out of love with her ex and in love with him.