“Stu.” Rex shouted into my ear.
“Yeah?” I forgot I was holding the phone.
“Damn, man. I thought you passed out or something.” He let out a breath.
“What?”
“You said something about therapy and then went silent. I knew the thought of you in therapy shocked the hell out of me. Maybe just saying the words made you faint.” He joked.
“It’s regulation.” I shook my head. I loved my brother, but sometimes I really wished he was close enough to smack.
“That explains it.” He chuckled. “I knew my older brother would never voluntarily go to therapy.”
“There’s nothing wrong with going to therapy.” I defended.
“Of course not.” Rex agreed. “It’s just for you to go to therapy you’d have to admit you need help or that something might be wrong, and you’re not really good at either of those things.”
“What are you talking about?” I scrunched up my face. “I can admit when I need help.” I was a doctor. There were plenty of times I had to send someone to a specialist because I didn’t know what was wrong.
“Really?” I didn’t like the sound of doubt in his voice.
“Yes.”
“Is that a new thing? Something this therapist is helping you with?”
“Shut up.” I barked. “I can admit when I need help.”
“Okay, okay.” He went back to laughing. I could picture him holding his hands in the air as he said the words. “If you say you can admit you’re not perfect, then I believe you.”
“No one is perfect.” I ran my hand through my hair.
“I know that, but sometimes you do act like you are.” He paused. “Or at least like you have to be. I thought that was why you went into the military.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the military has such a high standard cause lives are on the line. I just thought that appealed to your sense of being the best.”
Was that true? Was that how people saw me? That I had to be the best? Be perfect? Was that how I saw myself?
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Rex added. “You’re a great big brother, and I’m sure you are an exceptional doctor. The whole family is. Except for me, but I’m okay being the slacker.”
“Says the guy running a successful marketing company and making six figures a year.” I shot back.
“Gretch, runs the company. It’s her baby.” There was so much pride and love in his voice that, for the first time, I felt a little jealous of my brother. “She’s amazing, and there’s no way she can afford to pay me six figures. The company is only a year and a half old. She might try next year, but I didn’t leave our old company and join hers for the money. I did it to support her. The rest we will figure out as we go.”
“Is it hard? Dating the boss?” They were in a relationship where most people would say they shouldn’t be together, and they made it work. My mind drifted to Rita.
Rex took a moment. “We made sure to set up enough people between us so that Gretchen isn’t my direct boss. We still get a few looks and a couple of snickers, but we knew that would happen. It’s also interesting the things some people say considering it’s normally the other way around. The guy is the head of the company, and the girl is the one working in the trenches.”
“But they can say whatever and laugh all they want. I love her,” he said it so easily. “I’m going to marry her one day, andthat’s all that matters. She’s my person, and I’m hers. We’ll deal with everything else together.”
Why did it sound so simple when he said it?
“I gotta go.” For the first time in a while, I felt like working out.
“Okay. Take care of yourself and think about coming home.”
“I will.” It was true I needed to get back to Georgia soon. Maybe Rita could come with me.
