‘Okay,’ Laurel said. ‘But will you tell us before you do anything?’
‘Of course!’ The words came out louder and more emphatic than she’d intended, but it made them laugh, which in turn made her smile.
‘We love you,’ they said in unison.
‘I love you, too.’
Briar hung up and stood there for a few minutes watching the group by the flagpole. Alice laughed at something Sierra said, her whole face lighting up. She tugged on the rope, hoisting the flag higher and higher. Sierra and Freddie watched, shielding their eyes from the sun with their hands. Alice tied off the rope and stepped back, admiring her work. Freddie slung his arms around them, a picture-perfect image of camp camaraderie.
Briar sighed, turning back to the landline and punching in a new number.
‘Briar,’ her brother greeted her.
‘RJ.’ Briar matched his business-like tone.
He sighed. ‘I told you to call me John.’
‘I’m sorry. River it is.’ She could almost hear his eyes roll through the phone.
‘What do you want?’ There was a faint clacking sound in the background, meaning he was at work. He always was. It couldn’t be good for him, especially when he’d hardly taken any time off for bereavement. Every time she spoke to him, he sounded exhausted, and she had no idea how to convince him he needed a break and a trained professional to talk to about his grief.
‘Did dad tell you about selling the camp?’ she asked.
Despite their differences, she had always appreciated her brother’s preference for bluntness. He’d stopped letting her baby him when they were teenagers, and while she never forgot that she was the eldest, RJ had become a confidant and co-conspirator against the rest of their family. It was a relief not needing to manage him to the same degree she did the twins.
‘Do you have an offer already? I thought it would take at least another month.’
Briar blinked. ‘No, no offers yet.’
RJ hummed. ‘Well, don’t get discouraged. You’ve got all summer.’
‘Youwantme to sell it?’
RJ had never loved camp as much as her or the twins, but he’d still come every summer until college. It was as much his home as theirs.
‘Of course.’ The typing stopped. ‘What would you do with a camp? What would any of us do with it? I’m in New York. The twins are in California. You’re the closest, but it’s still two hours from DC. It’s better to sell it and then split the profits. I mean, if you’re willing to share.’
‘Obviously we’d split the money,’ Briar huffed, hearing the hint of wryness in his tone.
‘It would be a good thing. I mean, that money could be a down payment on a condo, or I could invest it for Hazel and Laurel and give it to them when they’re twenty-five. You could go back to school…’ he trailed off meaningfully.
Briar nodded along, knowing he was making very good, very smart points. But she ignored his comment about college. Any thoughts of her own future were on hold until she was confident her siblings were settled.
‘Right.’ She couldn’t stop herself from adding, ‘But it’s mom’s camp…’
‘And she’s not here to run it.’ He paused, and Briar heard him inhale an unsteady breath. She prepared to say something comforting, to remind him that she was there for him during this difficult time, but he cut off anything she might have said, his tone steely. ‘That was crass, but whatever, it’s true. She’s not here anymore. You can’t keep it just because you miss her.’
Briar swallowed around the lump in her throat, every fiber of her being wanting to scream,Why not?‘I know.’
They sat in silence for a few moments, before RJ finally said, ‘You have all summer, just try to enjoy it and worry about this later. I’ve got to go. Work.’
‘Right.’ Briar leaned against the wall, the weight of her body suddenly too heavy to hold up.
‘Be well.’
‘You too.’
He hung up, and Briar slid down until she was sitting on the floor, the dial tone ringing in her ear. She had forgotten to ask him about his therapist search, again.
