“One we’ll cover.” My dad winces. It was tough enough the first time around when I was there. My mother worked two jobs trying to hold down our finances, and my father cut back on golf and worked weekends. There’s no way I’m going to let my parents suffer like that again. I’ve got a plan—one I know they’ll love. They may not want to accept it, but that’s not going to change my mind or thecircumstances.
“What do you plan on studying?” I tap my sister over the arm, and she sniffs the air as if hoping the answer will spell out in thinair.
“Business. That or art. I don’t know.” She shrugs at my mother and giggles up astorm.
Mom gives a playful scowl. “She’ll be studying boys, much like she is now.” Mom looks my way. “You’ll have to buy her a gilded cage for Christmas—only to be let out forclasses.”
We share a laugh on my sister’sbehalf.
“None of you are funny.” She takes a bite out of the mashed potatoes on my plate. “You know, I have a very fine eye for fashion. Maybe I’ll run off to Paris and study couture. Who will you laugh atthen?”
“Colby”—I rub my sister’s shoulder—“don’t run off. We’ll miss you too much. We might be a small family, but we are mighty. And we wouldn’t be mighty withoutyou.”
Mom relaxes into an easy grin, the same grin I remember while growing up. Whenever I did something rotten and was just about to fess up about it, she would offer up that same smile. It’s as if she thought whatever mischief I got into was the cutest thing in theworld.
“You can’t leave me, Colby,” Mom chides. “But if you do, just know that I’ll need to hear your sweet voice every day. I’m a pain that way, but the two of you have my wholeheart.”
“Hey! What about me? Am I chopped liver?” Dad chimes in playfully, and both Colby and I crumble up our napkins and toss them at him. That was Dad’s catchphrase growing up, the chopped liver bit. And Colby and I screamed and protested our disdain for the minced organ, tossing crumpled paper at him, much like we arenow.
“But seriously”—I wrap an arm over Colby’s shoulder—“I never want us to drift apart.” I look to my father, and his eyes gloss over with tears. “I don’t exactly know how that rift happened between you and Grandpa. It sounds a lot more complicated than words could do it justice, but I want the four of us to be closeforever.”
“We will be,” my motherassures.
“We will,” Dadconcurs.
“I have something I want to tell you.” I swallow hard and look to each of their faces. The anticipation is palpable. I suppose after what we’ve been through anything can pop out of my mouth. “I’ve spoken with my attorney—same one Grandpa used, and I’ve created a fund for each of you. I’m splitting the money fourways.”
A stunted silence fills the table. My mother opens her mouth, and I feel her protestrising.
“We won’t take a dime,” she pushes the words out with a reserved sense of calm. “The two of you can split it. There are two of us, Brody. Your father and I don’t need that kind ofmoney.”
“I know,” I’m quick to answer. “Nobody does. And that’s why I gave you twice as much. I figured it’s a good shelter. Who knows what Colby and I are capableof.”
Colby bounces in her seat with unmitigated glee. “Try me. And you did!” She lunges over me with a hug. “I love you! I love you! I love you!” She lets out a shrieking whoop, and the entire place turns to stare. “I’m rich! I’m rich! I’mreallyrich!”
I hold up a finger, almost afraid of what comes next. “Notquite.”
“What?” My sister’s face bleaches white instantly. “But you said you gave mebillions!”
“I did, and I am going to. But I’ve arranged for the money to be put into a trust. You’ll get a very small amount until you’re thirty, and then larger sums will start to kickin.”
“Again,what?” Her cheeks pinch red with rage. Colby only has two emotions, hot and cold. “How dare you tell me how and when I can spend my money! Do you honestly think I’m going to go and blow a billion dollars on designerpurses?”
“Yes,” everyone at the table answers simultaneously, and we break out into a celebratorylaugh.
I look to my parents, filled to the brim with love. “There’s nothing you can do to stop this. It’s already there waiting for you. I do believe he would have wanted it that way. In my heart, I think that’s the direction we were heading in. A truereconciliation.”
My father holds my gaze, heavy as the weight of theworld.
“I’d sure like to believe that. There’s nothing worse than waiting until it’s too late to makeamends.”
Raven flashes through mymind.
“I couldn’t agreemore.”
The night finishes off with cake and sparklers to add that extra bit of birthday magic. But I can’t help but notice how the magic just isn’t there without Raven. There aren’t enough fireworks in the world to replace that girl. I should know. My heart is empty withouther.
In the morning, I head over to my grandfather’s gravesite and sit there for a good long while in the frozen air as the trees all show off their bare branches. My grandfather took his light with him, and it will be a good long while—God willing—until we’re reunited. I wish he were here. I could use a little of his wisdom. But the world is quiet. My grandfather isn’t talking anymore either. I guess it’s time to figure out how to pick up the piecesmyself.
