Chapter 15

When everyone else got up for the morning, Jake was still asleep.  Vicodine did that to him.  While Delilah waited for her man to wake up for the day, she set his appointment up for that afternoon at 1:30.    As they sat and talked, Delilah told her future in laws what she had decided to do about the schooling for Body- Mind Therapy.  “I’m gonna do it.  It seems like it’s really interesting.”

Brie smiled.  “That’s great news, Delilah.  I bet Jake was thrilled.”

“He didn’t seem like it, but then again, he probably doesn’t remember me saying anything about it.  He was already fading when I got into bed.”

“Not surprised.  That Vicodine has always done that to him.  Most pain medications to that to him.  Hell, there are even times when simple Tylenol knocks him on his ass”, Brie said with a laugh.  She looked at David.  “I wonder if Deb’s even still doing massage, let alone the Body- Mind work.”

“You could always call her, you know.  You still have her number”, David said.

“Do you think she’d teach Delilah here?”

“You’d have to discuss that with her.  I’ve only met the woman once, baby.  I really couldn’t answer that for you.”

Brie sighed.  “You’re right, as loathe as I am to admit it.”

“Bet that was like chewing glass, wasn’t it?”

“What saying ‘you’re right’?  More like swallowing molten hot metal.”

“I think that’s your acid reflux, dear”, he said with a laugh.

She smacked him in the thigh.  “ASSHOLE.”

Delilah laughed at her in laws.  “You two are so fun.  I hope that Jake and I can have a marriage like you two have.”

“Well, I’ll tell you like I told him”, David said.  “We really don’t have a secret.  All we really do is strive to make each other better.  But, something I didn’t tell him is that we also pick each other constantly.  We’re always finding a way to keep it fun.”

“He picks on my endlessly and I do the same in return”, Brie said.

“I’ve also noticed that you’re mutually supportive of each other”, Delilah pointed out.

Brie smiled.  “We’re very yin and yang.  We balance each other.  You two are the same way.  Just keep in mind that it takes work.  Nothing worth having is free.”

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While Delilah took Jake to his appointment, Brie placed a phone call to her long time mentor.  Deb Todd was an eccentric woman about three years older than David with curly brown hair that was going gray quick.   “Hello?” the woman said when she answered her phone.

“WOW!” Brie said with a laugh.  “You actually picked up your phone.  You usually just let it ring.”

“You know how I am, Brie.  If I don’t wanna talk to ya, I’m not gonna.  So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“Just gotta cut right to the chase, huh?” Brie laughed.  “Can’t I just call to catch up?”

“Brie Draiman, you NEVER call just to catch up.  But, to update you on Maddie’s progress, I have Miss Madison in Pre- natal right now and she’s amazing.  As good as you.”

“Excellent.  It’s nice to know that more than one of my children got the healing touch.”

“Which of your other children has the healing touch?”

“My second son, Jacob.  When people address him, it’s Dr. Draiman.  Speaking of my son, the good doctor, that’s kinda who I’m calling about.  Well, not Jacob, but his fiancée Delilah.”

“I knew you’d get there eventually.  What’s going on with Delilah?”

“She doesn’t need Body- Mind work if that’s what you’re asking.  She actually wants to learn how to do it.”

“What made her decide to that, Brie?” Deb asked quaintly.

“I mentioned it to her.  Jake had an interview and was freaking out.  She took him through a guided visualization that was a LOT like the meadow you took us through in Neuro.  He calmed down instantly.”

“Ok, what did he say afterward?”  Deb had gone was playfully jabbing at her former student to all business.

“He said that he wasn’t as nervous as he had been, told her she was brilliant and a miracle worker, then gave her a kiss.  Not long after that, the door bell rang and he had to jump to answer it.”

“Did you tell him to write it down in a journal?”

“I didn’t do or say anything until after he’d left the room.  I just sat and watched the show.  You’re the Mind- Body Therapist, not me.  That’s why I refer my clients to you if they need that work done.”

Deb laughed.  “True, but I saw that article where you’re called the ‘Rock Star of Massage’.  What brought THAT about?”

“My marriage to David.”

“Speaking of, how is he?”

“Getting old though he’ll never admit it.  I don’t even think he’ll acknowledge his age on his death bed.”

Deb laughed.  “That’s the impression I got from meeting him the one time I did.”  She sighed.  “Brie, as far as Delilah goes, if she wants to do the Mind- Body work, then you need to find her a good school.  I’d teach her myself, but I’m not certified to teach it.”

Brie sighed.  “That’s what I was afraid of.  Ok, do you have any suggestions?”

“Sorry, no.  I really don’t.  My best suggestion is to look on the internet.”

Brie gave another sigh.  “Alrighty then.  Thanks for everything, Deb.  Please keep me posted on Miss Maddie’s progress.  Oh, will you have her for Neuro?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Great.  I’ll be sure to drive home the laws when she comes home to visit for the holidays.”

Deb laughed.  “That’s great.  She’s gonna hate us both by the time she graduates.”

“That’s the point, Deb.  That’s the point.”

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“Well, Jake, it looks like you’re suffering from eye strain”, Dr. Corbin, the optometrist, said.

“Eye strain?  Like I’m reading print that’s too small?”

“Or reading for too long, looking at the computer screen for too long.  Do you spend a lot of time doing either of those?”

“All of the above, actually.”

“You need glasses, Jacob.”

Jake covered his face with his hands and groaned.  “GREAT!”

“We could give you contacts with the same prescription.”

“Please.  I don’t want to walk around looking like my father with his glasses resting on the tip of his nose as he reads.”

“Are your father’s glasses still giving him problems?  I thought we finally got his prescription figured out.”

“I think he needs bifocals, but what do I know?  I’m not an optometrist, I’m a neurologist.”

“Congratulations, by the way.  I can’t believe you finished medical school in as little time as you did.”

“I’m an overachiever.  What can I say?” Jake laughed.

“Well, you’re amazing, Dr. Draiman.”

Jake smiled.  “Thank you.”

Dr. Corbin turned and wrote out Jake’s prescription.  “Take this out front and collect your contacts.”  He held out the prescription.

“Do I have to wear them to drive?” Jake asked as he took the piece of paper from the doctor’s hand.

“Yes, you have to have them in for everything.  You’ve strained your eyes too much.”

Jake sighed.  “Ok, doctor.  I’ll be putting in a pair before we leave then.  I’d like to drive my car home.”

“Who’s that young lady with you, anyway?”

“The woman that’s going to be my wife”, Jake said as he stood up.

“Well, congratulations again.  Bet she keeps you on your toes.”

“You have NO idea.”  With that, Jake walked out toward the waiting room to fill his prescription.

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Delilah had already had it in her head that she wasn’t going to hand over Jake’s keys before he was wearing glasses or contacts.  When she was satisfied, she gave them to him without a fuss. 

When they got home from the eye doctor, Jake and Delilah found Malachai and the kids at their parent’s house.  “I don’t know what the hell to do, Dad.”

“Here’s an idea, Malachai Aaron.  Instead of saying, ‘I don’t know what to do’ over and over again , why don’t you tell me what you don’t know what to do what about?”

“Mandy wants a trial separation.  She says I’m too wrapped up in my career to pay any attention to her OR the kids.  She said she’s going to keep the house and leave me with the kids.”

“She’s right”, David said.

“I know she is, but I don’t know what to do.”

“You need to change, that’s what you need to do.  Stop focusing on being a rock star and focus on being a husband and father.”

“But, how, Dad?  How do you manage it?”

“Well, for one, I have my priorities in order.  When I’m here, I’m at HOME.  The children that are left here at home are FIRST.  Your mother comes FIRST.  I don’t do any business unless I have the time to.  My family is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night.  Second, I leave work at the door when I come home because where am I?  AT HOME!  My family comes first, that’s the end of it.  Third, if I’m away from home and your mother needs me, I’m on the first flight home.  I take care of what needs to be taken care of, and then I’m right back out on the road making money or in the studio making music which MAKES THE MONEY.”

Malachai sighed.  “I’m really fucking up, huh, Dad?”

“YOU THINK?”

“What do you suggest?”

“You need to talk to your band mates about taking a year off the road and out of the studio so that you can get your family in order.  And that goes for Logan too.  Your mother’s been hearing it from Dani and Mandy both about how neither of you are stepping up and acting like men.  Get your head out of your ass, Malachai Aaron Draiman, and be the man I KNOW I taught you how to be.”