The Kennison Estate, Latimer Ave, Baltiney, New York...
Malcolm Reeves had been nearly about to fall off the sofa in the living room when Ken managed to get his attention and push him back onto the cushions. The startled man slowly sat up, his blue eyes meeting those of his best friend's for the first time in a long time without the thin veneer of animosity as the events of the previous night had come flooding back to him with relative ease and he'd become concerned. Ken didn't seem all that out of sorts given his seizure but he had been dressed rather neatly and had even slicked back his hair. It was a strange sight to behold as Ken seemed to look more like Ryker Kennison used to when he'd been in his right frame of mind. Malcolm had attempted not to hope for too much despite his wish to see his friend restored to his original mindset.
Ken sighed as he noted Malcolm's apparent excitement with ease.
"I just got dressed no need to go all nutcase on me," he said knowing all too well what had been running through Malcolm's mind. "I'm still just Ken."
Malcolm did his best to hide his disappointment as he came to his senses wincing from the brightness of the sunlight as he looked around the living room and the onset of back pain hit him all at once.
"Shit," he said reaching for his back as he attempted to soothe it.
"Rough night on the sofa?" asked Ken with an amused expression.
"Something like that," admitted Malcolm rather bitterly. "Speaking of a rough night how's your head?"
"Nothing a little hair of the dog couldn't fix," replied Ken showing off the glass of bourbon in his hand before taking a sip from it much to Malcolm's chargrin.
"Don't you have meds to take?" asked Malcolm narrowing his eyes at Ken.
"What are you my doctor?" asked Ken annoyed. "I'm fine I don't need a babysitter, despite what you and Evelyn seem to think, besides I've got to be somewhere and I want to lock up."
It was Malcolm's turn to roll his eyes as he slowly began to get up off the sofa.
"Like it or not Ken or whatever you call yourself in the moment, there are people who still care about you even when you're being an ass," he growled. "I won't apologize for looking after you and neither will Eveyln, we are still family after all even if you've forgotten it."
Ken sighed and placed a hand on Malcolm's shoulder in a bid to calm him down.
"I know," he replied evenly. "I've just..got a lot going on right now and the last thing I need is to have you two away from your families on account of me."
"You are my family," Malcolm repeated meeting Ken's dark eyes. "We've been brothers since the sandbox Ryker Kennison and don't you ever forget it."
Ken sighed, his expression one of true exhaustion as he attempted to find the right words for his wayward emotions.
"I know that," he said evenly. "I just...got a lot going on right now and I...I don't know what to do...there's this dinner and I'm scared the old woman is gonna try and have me committed again and then there's this thing with Ramos and the kid...I...I fucked up Malc and I know that I did but there's something about her man, I can't...I mean I'm still pissed but there's something about her."
Malcolm sighed not at all believing what he was hearing.
"Okay..." he said placing a hand on Ken's shoulder in kind. "So there's something about her...does that mean you want to be with her?"
Ken rolled his eyes.
"Look I know you aren't gonna want to hear this given how you feel about me and her but I gotta tell ya brother I love fucking her," he admitted honestly.
Malcolm sighed once more in annoyance.
"You're right I don't want to hear it," he admitted backing away from Ken and sitting down on the sofa once more in a bid to compose himself.
"Look Malc I don't know any other way to put it, she's this young beautiful feisty thing and I can't...I can't control it...there's something about her and when we fuck man I-I can't help it." continued Ken unsure why he'd been telling Malcolm all of this.
"All be damned," said Malcolm shaking his head as he looked up at Ken who arched a brow at his reaction. "All this time...I can't believe I didn't see it."
Ken had been the one confused at this point.
"What are you talking about?" he asked caught off guard.
"You can't stay away from her because she reminds you of Sera," replied Malcolm stunned.
"What?" asked Ken looking slightly offended. "That's not even remotely it, I can't even remember Sera."
"But you know her all the same," replied Malcolm still looking up at Ken with pity this time. "The first time you had sex with Sera you told me the same thing about her and she was a waitress and you a car salesman."
"When the fuck was I a car salesman?" asked Ken with more confusion on his face.
"It's from your Ryker days," replied Malcolm still looking up at Ken with pity. "You had met Sera on your lunch break and ventured into her diner and you two hit it off instantly, after some months of dating you two finally sealed the deal and you told me about it saying the same thing about Sera as you did Valencia Ramos...I can't believe I didn't see it."
"This is absurd," said Ken annoyed as he once more turned up his drink. "What does one have to do with the other, I don't even remember ever being with Sera...and I know all too well what Valencia has to offer."
"It's alright Ken," said Malcolm getting back to his feet. "Everything makes so much sense now, I can't believe I didn't realize and I'm so sorry buddy, I truly am for all those times that I got angry at you and bailed."
Ken had not understood why Malcolm was apologizing nor why he thought Sera and Valencia had anything to do with one another. Sera had been long dead before Valencia had even come into the picture.
"Are your memories still fragmented?" asked Malcolm with an arched brow.
"You know that they are," replied Ken in annoyance. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Follow me here Ken, if your memories are fragmented you have no way of knowing that you confuse Valencia with Sera, and if that's true then your mother has no cause to use this against you," said Malcolm.
"Guess she can't commit me after all," replied Ken finally getting what Malcolm was trying to tell him.
"No she can't so you see buddy, you really have nothing to worry about as far as the family dinner is concerned," replied Malcolm.
Ken seemed more at ease upon hearing this.
"I..thanks for sticking around Malc," he said evenly.
"No problem Ken," replied Malcolm.
They embraced like brothers mindful of Ken's glass and saw their way to going their separate ways for the remainder of the day. Malcolm headed back home to his wife and kids and Ken had other plans but made a detour on the way.