Yes!
“I’ve just been thinking on things.” And that wasn’t a lie.
“Well, stop thinking on that. I love you. I love talking to you. I love spending time with you. I love eating your food.”
A surprised laugh erupted from me.
“I just love you, Blake,” she said. “It may have taken us a while, but I’m going to say this again, and this time I hope it gets through. You’re the best big sister a girl could have. I just hope I’m the same in the little sister department.”
I was choked up when I replied, “You are. You absolutely are.”
“Good.”
Enough of this.
I’d done her dirty my whole life (almost), I didn’t need to put her in the position of making me feel better about it.
That said, she’d made me feel better about it.
And I guessed that was what sisters did.
They were there for each other and made each other feel better about things.
And only then did I realize, this was how it was done, if you were doing it right.
Another way of doing it right was understanding it wasn’t all about you. She had a life and a job to get to, and I was on a mission, so it was time to wrap this up.
“I’ve got about ten thousand more items of clothing, jewelry, shoes and accessories to go through so I can get home. I better get on it.”
“Okay,” Alex replied. “Are you good?”
No, I was one thousand percent not.
I didn’t lie to her about that.
I said, “I will be.”
“Okay, I’ll reiterate, I’m just a phone call away.”
Totally loved my little sister.
“Thanks, Alex.”
“Anytime, Blake. Love you. And later.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
I went away from that one relatively unscathed.
The next one came the next morning.
Dad.
“You and Alasdair have split up?” he asked without greeting after I answered the phone.
“Dad—”
“What’s the matter with him?”
