Helios Renewed

by Tawa M. Witko

  “He was a cool guy.” Andrew hesitated for a moment and then blew out a soft breath. “And, ummm, everyone in this room is depicted in this painting. Tell me if you can find yourself in it.”

  People started gathering around as Andrew stepped back so people could see it closely. Some items in the painting were clear cut, like actual people, while others were merely representations of people. There was a large sun in the middle of the drawing and various smaller drawings diffused in the paintings. Carol had told him that he had a unique style, a way of putting so much in a painting and yet it was still very distinct and not overbearing.

  “This is El and I, isn’t it?” Liam asked, motioning to a piece in the upper right hand of the painting.

  “Yes,” Andrew replied. Andrew had represented Liam and Elias as two hands, twisted and joined to the point you almost couldn’t tell they were two separate hands. Instead, they were one unit. “I was thinking about the drawing I did when Madison and I left a few years ago and how I drew you two with your hands outstretched. I thought this was more reflective of you guys.”

  “It’s wonderful, Andrew,” El said with a nod.

  “Thank you,” Liam said as his eyes took in every nuance of the painting.

  Grans laughed loudly. “I know this is me,” she said grinning widely.

  Madison hugged her as they grinned at the depiction of Chavez Ravine, and the large marquee over Dodger stadium. Andrew leaned over and kissed her temple as she patted Madison’s hand.

  “This is you two,” Andrew said to Aaron and Olivia. He had represented them as two birds, hovering over an injured chick. “I know you wish you could have protected me when I was young like that, but don’t you see?” he asked Olivia, who was already covering her mouth. “You found a way to make me feel loved. You both helped me even when I tried to push you away. You showed me what parents should be like so that I would never see myself like that,” he motioned to the injured bird.

  Olivia nodded and hugged him. He then turned to Callie. “Callie, every time I’m around you it’s impossible to not feel hopeful. You’re happiness in human form.” He motioned to the large sun that overlapped everything. “So this is you bringing light to the dark and making everyone feel the brightness within you.”

  Callie cried and hugged him. “Thank you, Andrew.”

  “This is me and you,” Jayden said, looking at the depiction of two people standing at the edge of a large darkened crevice.

  “I know if I were to fall, even in a large hole like that, you would go in after me without hesitation, you wouldn’t think about the danger, you would just do it.” Andrew placed his hand on his shoulder. “And I would do the same for you.”

  Jayden nodded but didn’t face him. He couldn’t, not without shedding tears. Andrew tapped his shoulder and then turned to face Connor. Andrew motioned to a section where there was a wolf looking passed the horizon. There was also a smaller wolf running up. The smaller wolf’s eyes were urgent and on fire, there was fear reflected in them.

  “This may look like that wolf is trying to leave, but it’s not. It’s looking ahead, making sure that his pack is safe and that no danger is around. This one,” he pointed to the smaller wolf, “he doesn’t understand and is afraid the wolf is leaving without him.” Connor swallowed thickly. “But he doesn’t need to be afraid because this one isn’t leaving. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Connor nodded and started breathing in deeply. “You’re a little brother to me, Connor. I’m going to look after you.”

  “We both will,” Jayden added.

  Connor nodded again, and for the first time since they had known him, he was speechless. He had no words to describe the tightness in his chest or the knot in his throat that was making it hard for him to breathe. Both Andrew and Jayden placed their hands on his shoulder and then looked at one another. Andrew motioned his head towards the drawing that was covered up.

  “Should we, you know?”

  Jayden grinned and nodded. “Seems appropriate to me.”

  “Come here, Connor. We want to show you something.”

  Andrew uncovered the drawing, which was a split depiction of the new shop. In the upper quadrant was the outside and the bottom quadrant was the inside. The outside looked the same but the inside was a bit different. One of the primary differences being the offices. There were now three doors instead of two. Connor walked up to the painting and turned around excited.

  “Is that my name?”

  “It is.”

  “You’re a part of the family, Connor, completely, and we thought it should be reflected as such.”

  Andrew and Jayden looked at one another and smiled. They had decided that they wanted to include Connor more. He had really come through for them, for their respective families, going above and beyond. It was obvious how much he cared about them and they felt the same way for him. So when it came time to redesign the shop, they decided to make Connor more of a permanent fixture. Seeing how happy he was right now let them know they had done the right thing.

  “You added my name to the marquee?” Connor asked floored when he saw that the redesigned logo had made the ‘C’ in cycles in the same style as the ‘A’ and ‘J’.

  “I told you not to stress, didn’t I?” Jayden asked.

  Connor looked down sheepishly. “Yes.”

  “When do you think the shop will be ready?” Aaron asked.

  “I’m thinking another few weeks,” Jayden answered and then looked at Andrew. “I figured we could go check the progress tomorrow.”

  “That’d be great.”

  “Can I come too?” Connor asked.

  Both Jayden and Andrew laughed. “As if we could stop you.”

  Everyone joined in the laughter as they continued to talk about Andrew’s paintings as well as the shop. Andrew felt completely at ease. He was home. He was with the people who meant the most to him. People he knew would always be there, even if they were not in the same physical vicinity. Suddenly, he was thankful for everything he had endured, for had he not gone through it, he never would have met all of these amazing people. He remembered what Craig always told him, the road may be bad at times but it’s only to allow us to recognize the good when it crosses our path. It took him awhile but he now understood what he was talking about because the good was all around him.

  32Back In The Saddle

  Andrew paced in the living room, waiting for Madison. Today was the grand re-opening of AJ Cycles. They had decided since the weather was good to have a barbecue at the shop. Now he only needed Madison to hurry up so they could leave. Andrew glanced at the clock on the wall. They were already late. Something that was difficult for him as he prided himself on being punctual for everything. The only positive side effect he could articulate from his time in prison.

  “Madison, baby, we really should, you know, leave,” he said as he started walking down the hall toward the bathroom. He gently tapped on the door. “Madison, you ready?”

  The door opened and Madison stepped out, looking pale and sickly. “I’m ready.”

  His brows furrowed. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay,” she said, walking passed him. She glanced over her shoulder, and seeing that he wasn’t buying her answer, she smiled. “You coming, Helios, or do I get to ride your Harley by myself?”

  Andrew smirked. “Oh, you’re not riding without me, woman.”

  “I’m sure I could,” she said, winking, and then started to run down the hall.

  He caught up to her and slapped her rear. “Now be good or I won’t have sex with you on said Harley again.”

  “Mmmm, now that you mention it, maybe we can make a pit stop before heading over to the garage,” she said, wagging her brows.

  He draped his arm over her shoulder while she wrapped hers around his waist. They looked at each other and smiled. “Our Harley sexing will have to wait, we’re already late and need to get going.”

  “Yes, sir,” Madison grinned with a mock salute.


  Andrew rolled his eyes but also smiled. He loved her sense of humor. Hell, he loved everything about her. He couldn’t have picked a better woman for him if he had actually tried. Every day he was with her reminded him how lucky he was that their paths had crossed. They exited their home and locked up before jumping on his bike. They made their way to the shop and pulled up into the back lot where Connor and Jayden were already hovered around the grill. You could tell that Connor was trying to tell Jayden how to cook something and Jayden was waving him off. Andrew parked and gave Madison a quick kiss before heading over to them. Madison grinned and immediately went inside to find Callie and Jewel.

  “Hey, Madison,” Callie said as Madison walked up.

  “Sorry we’re late,” she replied giving her friend a hug.

  “Oh, it’s okay, the boys just got the grill going,” Callie laughed.

  “Is Connor trying to supervise or something?” Madison smiled.

  Jewel laughed. “Yes. Of course.”

  “And Jayden is advising him that he’s from Texas and that no self-respecting Texan would allow someone else to grill,” Callie said, shaking her head. “Which started a whole debate between them on where exactly the best barbecue is from.”

  “Oh, for crying out loud,” Madison laughed. “Those boys are crazy.”

  “Maybe Andrew can settle the debate.”

  “I doubt that. If anything he’ll rile 'em both up.”

  The three women laughed. Since Andrew had gotten back three weeks ago, the boys had been inseparable. They got along wonderfully and Connor hadn’t been happier. Even though Andrew and Jayden were not his biological family, they were closer to him than anyone else. And now that the shop was opening again, they could get things back to normal. Madison glanced around the room and realized someone was missing.

  “Where’s Ellie?” Madison asked when she noticed she wasn’t there.

  “My mom has her so that I could have a grown up day. I’ll get her later tonight.”

  Madison nodded and looked around the shop. Everything was brand new, although the basic set up was still very similar. There were now three stations in the bay, an inside holding section to protect the bikes from the weather, an elevated waiting room and then the three offices down the hall. The color scheme was typical black and white but what was striking was the mural on the side wall. All three of the boys had helped with it, although the primary drawing was Andrew’s. Madison started walking toward it as the other women followed her.

  “This came out so good,” Madison said, admiring it.

  “Andrew is so talented.”

  “You can really tell Connor’s contribution,” Jewel said in a soft voice.

  Madison laughed and nodded. The mural took up the entire wall. In the center of the painting were three motorcycles riding side by side. The desert was in the background with a beautiful array of colors to represent the setting sun. The left side of the mural showed several dirt roads cut into the mountainside with many motorcycles on them whereas the right side showed the rear wheels of two of the bikes and then a cloud of dust in the wake. As you looked at the riders, they were not distinguishable as they all wore helmets, leather jackets and blue jeans. Of course, those that knew the guys would be able to tell who was who as there were distinct features that marked them. For instance, Jayden’s long wavy hair peeked out of the bottom of his helmet while Andrew’s bike now bore a replica of his Phoenix tattoo on the gas tank. Connor’s mark was simply three interlocking hoops that were visible as a patch on the sleeve of his jacket. Madison smiled remembering the night Connor told him what the symbol meant. He had been so nervous when he said why he wanted it but the guys were amazing as usual and had told him how perfect and fitting it was that the interlocking loops were the lives the three men shared with one another. Madison took a deep breath and turned to Callie, who was also watching the mural.

  Callie thought it made the entire business. If anything, it made it distinctly theirs. In a way, the fire made things better, because now the shop was something all three men had taken part in developing. She glanced at the far right and you could see a hint of a fire in the far distance. It wasn’t noticeable to most people, but Callie’s eyes had zeroed in on it immediately. Andrew had told her he put it in as a reminder of what they overcame. She understood that but it still made her a little sad and angry. Jayden was healing well. He had minimal pain now but the scars were an ever present reminder that he could have died.

  “We better do one more run-through before people start arriving,” Madison suggested.

  “That’s a good idea,” Callie concurred, not wanting to remember the fire any longer.

  The three women went about making sure everything was in order. They had arranged the place so that the bay housed two large tables that connected to one another. The tables were covered with white tablecloths and scattered along them were little motorcycle confetti that Callie had found online. The smaller tables they had used for Halloween were randomly placed throughout the bay along with several chairs for people to sit in. They weren’t having a DJ or anything like that, but music was playing in the background. As the girls went through everything, the men continued to grill outside.

  “It’s not cooked all the way. You can’t flip it yet,” Connor insisted.

  Jayden waved his tongs at Connor. “Back off, Connor, before I hurt you.”

  “You’re not gonna hurt me,” Connor laughed.

  “I wouldn’t test him,” Andrew interjected. “He’s very serious about his grilling.”

  Andrew took a sip of his soda and continued to grin at Connor and Jayden. Connor was like a fly hovering around Jayden, nitpicking and riling Jayden up. It was comical to observe. Jayden had the patience of a saint but Andrew wondered how far Connor could buzz around him before he actually swatted him.

  “How many people you think will be here?” Connor asked.

  “Hard to say. Callie invited all of our customers and we put it in the paper, so who knows who will show up?”

  “It will be good to get back to work on Monday, but somehow I doubt that we will have any bikes to work on,” Andrew stated.

  “True, but hopefully we get some later in the week,” Jayden added.

  “We definitely will. Once people know we are open again, we’ll be busy,” Connor stated excitedly.

  “Can one of you take these inside?” Jayden asked, motioning to the pan of steaks.

  Andrew raised his brow at Connor and Connor rubbed his hands together with a determined look on his face. Andrew laughed as Connor fisted his right hand and placed it on his palm. Andrew set his drink down and stood up. He made a show of stretching before he walked up to Connor and mimicked his stance.

  “1, 2, 3,” Connor counted. “Damn it!” he stated when he drew a rock and Andrew paper.

  “I told you that you can’t beat him,” Jayden chuckled.

  “One day I will,” he said, picking up the pan.

  Jayden shook his head as he placed some hamburgers on the grill. It wasn’t long before people started to arrive. Of course, the first were Elias and Liam, followed closely by Aaron and Olivia. Soon, former customers were arriving along with people who were just curious about the shop. The explosion had been big news when it happened, especially having the son of the renowned attorney, Elias Bennett, injured in the process. So people wanted to see Jayden and what the shop looked like now. Callie had been sure to send a notice to the local television studios to see if they would do a human interest story about the reopening but none had replied to her, so she assumed none would be there.

  “Andrew, this is another extraordinary painting,” Aaron stated with a smile.

  “Thanks, we all did it.”

  “Well, it’s wonderful.”

  Andrew glanced at the door and smiled. “Excuse me, Aaron.”

  “Hey, I’m glad you could come.”

  “Free food, no way I was missing that!” Jeff said, stepping inside.

  “We got p
lenty of it. Come on; let me introduce you to some people.”

  “Jay, Connor, this is Jeff.”

  “Nice to meet ya,” Jeff said, reaching out his hand.

  “It’s a pleasure. Hey we got lots of food and soda so help yourself to anything.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” He looked around for a moment and then back to Jayden and Connor. “So you guys Clippers fans or Lakers fans?”

  Andrew laughed. “Some things never change.”

  “Hey, it’s a valid question,” Jeff said with a smile as everyone began joking with one another.

  The day was going wonderfully. Lots of people had come and gone. Andrew, Jayden and Connor were the perfect hosts, talking motorcycles with the men while Callie, Madison and Jewel kept the women in attendance occupied. Everyone loved the mural that the guys had done and they were able to set up a few restorations for the next few weeks. Overall, it was already turning into a great event. Madison looked curiously outside when a Channel 4 News van pulled into the parking lot.

  “What the hell,” Madison uttered confused.

  Callie turned and bounced on her toes when she saw the news van pull up. She darted out of the room to find Jayden and the guys. She found them talking animatedly to a couple of their racing friends.

  “They’re here,” she squealed as she approached.

  “Who is?” Andrew asked.

  “The news, they’re here. Come on, let’s go.”

  “We’re looking for...” A woman in a sharp dress said as she stepped into the garage. She looked down at an index card in her hand. “Jayden Bennett and Andrew Harrison.”

  “That’s us,” Andrew said, approaching.

  “How can we help you?” Jayden added.

  She motioned for her camera man to start filming. “I’m Ann Matthews with Channel 4 News. I’d like to ask a couple of questions, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure, come on in.”

  Jayden and Andrew looked at one another and shrugged as they, along with Connor, started showing her around the shop. She asked a lot of questions about the explosion, Jayden’s injuries, and whether they believed the fire was an accident or not. It took every ounce of control within Andrew not to say what he really felt. They all knew that Senator Bowers was behind it, although they were not able to prove it and therefore couldn’t say anything. Ms. Matthews then interviewed several of the guests, including some of their racing friends who plugged the shop as being the best in the county.