“Andrew’s here,” she said, running for the door.
After all these years, I had yet to see my sister slow down. She was a whirlwind of energy. It made me tired to watch her in action. In 2022, my three-year-old nephew Drew kept her on her toes, but she loved it. We hadn’t talked, but she’d sent photos every few days.
Andrew wore his police uniform as he’d come straight from work. “Hey Pop, hey Elizabeth.” He nodded at Christopher. “We’ve missed you at dinner these last few months. Meghan was about to send me with the squad car to pick you up.”
Meghan swatted his shoulder and handed him cutlery to set the table. “Make yourself useful.”
Andrew didn’t move, but kept talking.
“Sorry we didn’t see you at the reception the other night,” he said.
He’d seen Christopher at the bar. They hadn’t spoken.
Despite his friendly words, Andrew’s manner was cooler than at the engagement party, and his eyes cut to us holding hands. I didn’t need his protective big brother act. I knew what I was doing, I hoped.
Christopher said, “I can see some explanation is in order. I don’t want there to be hard feelings. I talked to my brother the Sunday after we were here for your party. He’d broken up with Elizabeth. I thought they were finished, or I never would have moved so fast. That’s on me.” He shook his head.
Dad stopped chopping to listen.
“Brandon had an engagement ring on his desk. Said he planned to get back together with Elizabeth when his project was done.”
Christopher glanced down at me and I shook my head. I wouldn’t have said yes. I knew better now. Brandon wasn’t the man for me. With him, I’d always be alone, and I needed more.
“I ended things with Elizabeth. He’s my brother. I couldn’t get in the way.”
“What changed in three months?” said Meghan. “She hasn’t heard from either of you. Doesn’t seem like you or Brandon are that interested in a relationship.”
Christopher and I exchanged looks. We’d agreed to talk to Andrew, not my whole family. I shrugged and showed with my head that he could proceed.
“Brandon’s in a coma. Elizabeth and I are working together to find out why. He was involved in something dangerous at work and was pressured to perform human trials with something unproven and unsafe. We believe he injected himself and had an adverse reaction. The doctors aren’t sure he’s going to wake up.”
“I’m so sorry, son,” said Dad.
Most of the time, Dad stayed on the fringes of the conversation. For Christopher’s sake, I was grateful for his words.
“What happens if your brother wakes up?” said Meghan. “What about you two, then?”
I wished she’d let it go. I wanted to talk about the venom, not my love life.
“We don’t know if he will,” Christopher said. “I know this might not make sense to you, but Brandon being in a coma, made me re-evaluate what’s important in my life. If Lizzie and I can be happy, I want to try.” He turned to me. “If he wakes up, I’ll talk straight with him, tell him how I feel. He’ll have to understand.”
This was news to me. My heart swelled. He would talk to his brother about us?
“I can understand that,” said Dad. “You can’t help who you love.”
He was thinking about mom. Dad had loved her, though she was a negligent mother and an emotional mess. He’d known her before alcohol ruled her life.
“Me too,” said Meghan. “You only live once.”
Or in my case, twice.
I sent a separate message to Andrew.“Can Christopher and I talk to you about something after dinner?”
Meghan watched me send and Andrew receive my message. She snatched Andrew’s phone from his hand and read the message aloud.
“What the hell do you need to talk to him about that I can’t hear? I’m the one you’re related to. Sometimes I think you like Andrew better than you like me.”
Sometimes I did, but I didn’t dare reply.
