“Thank you everyone for taking the time to meet. We have a lot to catch up on, and some decisions to make…” Carter’s strong presence is soothing, because fuck knows my own brain is chaos right now.
I glance around the table at my fellow Council members and our Voices…and Javi. That interests me. Since Carter called this meeting, I had expected just us Council members, maybe the Voices too. But Javi? He’s absently playing with the sucker in his mouth, seemingly not paying attention to us at all.
“Do we have an agenda?” Roman asks, barely concealing his mirth. My heart lurches at the father-son duo, and my own lack of experience with that. Although Carter has extended a fatherly relationship to me, it feels slightly odd.
Carter just sighs and shakes his head, before muttering, “We probably should. Otherwise, it’s like herding cats…”
“I’m sure we’re not that bad,” I exclaim, leaning into Roman, who immediately puts an arm around me, allowing me to snuggle in.
Being this tactile is…different. But Roman is as vital to me as breathing, there’s no boundaries between us. We simply exist together, like an extension of each other. Where he goes, I’ll follow. That will always be the truth.
One of the kittens jumps onto the table from Roman’s lap. Carter’s lips twitch, even as he raises an eyebrow. Roman just gives his best innocent look, and somehow it actually works on his dad, even as Jude and Keegan snort.
“I didn’t know it was ‘bring your kitty to work day’!” Javi exclaims, leaning forward to play with it. “I would have brought Her Majesty Queen Floofy!”
We all stare at him, flabbergasted, but he’s still playing with the little tuxedo kitten. I finally shrug, ignoring his, uh…interesting choice for a name. I shift my attention back to Carter, waiting to find out what he wants to discuss.
With a deep breath, he straightens and meets my eyes. There’s compassion in his…along with scrutiny. Whatever he wants to talk about, I suddenly feel the desire to flee. As if knowing that, Roman tightens his grip on me.
“I want to go over a few things. We have some updates and some decisions to make. First, I want to address that with Marcus being out, we have had to shift some of the work around.
“Nario and Nicolo are taking on more responsibility. As such, I feel a pay rise would be in order, maybe an adjustment of their positions. Right now, they don’t really have titles, and are acting more as auxiliaries to Antonio, which was fine in the past, but they’re much more integrated with the Council now.”
I nod, noting Jude’s brief yet proud smile before it disappears into his usual serious mask. “I concur with that.”
Roman hesitates, before finally replying, “I definitely agree with it, but do we have any idea when Marcus will return?”
Carter’s eyes don’t hide the pain behind the question, even though Roman tried to ask it gently. Javi clears his throat, taking the sucker out of his mouth to say, “That’s part of why I’m here, to give an update on things, and also I’ll be sticking around for any other questions I can answer.”
“Alright… What are the updates?” I ask hesitantly, worried that I’ll be on the list.
He smiles at me, as if he can read my mind. “First, all the therapists, except for Atticus, are either here or in the process of being here. Brannigan should be arriving in the next day or two. He’ll start working with Marcus then.
“There’s no way to tell how long these things will take, but Marcus is already making strides just from the medication. Trust the process, and trust him to tell you when he’s ready.
“They should be finished with the goat enclosure later today or early tomorrow. There was a brief…skirmish with the gardeners over it, but it’s been resolved. Monroe will come check things out when it’s ready, and let us know what else needs to be done. I’ve researched proper care, food, etc, so I think we’re mostly prepared.”
“And Atticus? When will he be showing up? Or is that another one we need to, uh…acquire?” Roman grimaces at the thought, but it doesn’t bother me. Then again, for as much as our different families have blended together, some things will always be a little difficult to understand about each other.
Javi shrugs a shoulder, seemingly unconcerned. “When he’s ready. He knows we need him. Both Doc and I have reached out. When he’s available, he’ll show up, I’m sure.”
“You may want to warn him to call in advance,” Jude cautions, but I doubt Javi is listening, as he's too engrossed withthe kitten. Jude just shakes his head. At least, it’s progress from threatening him…maybe.
“That leaves us with three other things to discuss.” Carter moves us past any awkwardness. “First up, Benjamin. He had a breakdown and so, he's out. Again, I’m not sure for how long, or where treatment will stand.”
Roman mutters something low and potentially deadly. I frown and start to pull away, but while Roman may be small, he’s strong, and easily keeps me captive. I huff, giving in to it.
“Due to his, uh…very loud conversation, there has been some discontent with the therapists over who will treat him. I plan on stopping in later today to discuss any potential medication management—even if it’s short-term while he waits to start therapy. As for finding a therapist…we’re discussing who is the best option.” Javi frowns before continuing to pet the kitten. At least, he’s paying attention.
“Should I translate that to mean that nobody wants to deal with him?” Carter groans as he places his head in his hands.
Javi shrugs, but doesn’t say anything. My heart feels torn in two. I understand Roman’s point of view. He wants to protect his love. Hell, Ignacio is a brother to me, so even I want to step in to defend him. But as much as Benjamin has fucked up, I can’t turn my back on him. Not when I think of all the times he was there for me.
People are always more than the sum of their sins. It’s a Martelli lesson. It's part of the reason Luca lived. Hell, it's part of the reason Marcus lived. How can I condemn my best friend for fucking up? No, we need to fix this.
“Maybe not Anderson,” I volunteer. I’ve had a couple sessions with the guy so far, and while he’s…decent, I can’t imagine Benjamin connecting with him.
Javi frowns, but merely puts the sucker in his mouth, ignoring the rest of us. I exchange looks with Carter, who merelyflips his palms up like he has nothing more to add before moving on.
