After the death of their mother, Chris Bottoms adopted his little brother Ted, and Chris and his partner Mickey settle down to raise him. Through paperwork left by his mother, Chris learns his brother has a deeply troubled past.<br><br>During a Thanksgiving visit with Chris and Ted’s maternal grandparents, they find out Chris’s grandfather allowed his friends to abuse Ted, so Chris severs all ties with that side of his family.<br><br>Through his job at a hospital, Chris hears of a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic who has developed an ileostomy reversal technique that has proven successful in cases like his. When Chris enters the clinic for preliminary testing, he learns he is a good candidate for the procedure and schedules the first of two surgeries for the beginning of January. A visit from estranged relatives while he’s in the hospital leaves him wondering how many secrets one family can have.

Bottoms Out

“He works at Bistro Aix. It’s a sort of high-end restaurant just across the river in San Marco.”


“If it’s that kind of place, he must do very well.”


“You wouldn’t believe how well he does. He could even make a career of it, if he wanted to. In any case, he makes a lot more waiting tables than he ever will teaching, which is what he really wants to do.”


“Once he starts teaching, he can always do that and wait tables part-time.”


“Any word on when you’ll be out of here?”


“If I’m a good boy, maybe Wednesday or Thursday.”


“Then I suggest that you work at being a very good boy.”


“I forgot to ask. Do you have family here in town?”


“None. I’m from Savannah, originally. I moved here to get away from my family.”


“Lot of that going around, isn’t there?” Chris said. “That’s where Mickey is from, and he left Savannah for the same reason you did.”


“Anyhow, you’ve found a new family here in Jacksonville, and we all look out for each other.”


Chapter 27