It was strange to think how different her life had turned out from what she’d imagined. She’d been twenty-one when she’d almost married Patrick. She could have been the one doing yard work in front of her nice house, with three beautiful kids running around screaming. Instead, she was very much single, and throwing herself headlong into a career path she wasn’t sure she still wanted.
It’s only been one day.
She headed for the kitchen and warmed up some chicken soup before ducking into the pantry and fishing out a box of saltine crackers.
A shadow loomed up from behind her, and she whirled around, shoving her brother, Ian, as hard as she possibly could before ripping off her headphones.
He grinned. “I’m sorry. I knocked forever, but you didn’t hear me.”
“Have you not heard of calling or texting?” She held up her phone as if to demonstrate, but he only shrugged.
“I was on the phone with Grandma up until I walked in. As it was, I had to lie and say I was getting an urgent call from my doctor in order to hang up. If Grandma asks, the tests came back negative.”
Rebecca rubbed a hand down her face. “That’s insane, and yet somehow, I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t have answered.”
Ian shrugged. “I have to answer. She’s the one who paid for my new iPhone.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?”
“It bothers me a little more that she pulled some strings to get me hired at my engineering firm and paid for my education to get there, but ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ as Dad likes to say.” He grinned, as if he hadn’t just admitted he’d sold his soul for an easy life.
“You would think she’d run out of Grandpa’s money at some point, throwing it around like this.”
“Nah,” Ian drummed on the counter. “Her financial guy gives her a generous monthly allowance, and she uses it on us. It’s what makes her happy.”
“It makes her in control.”
“Don’t get all upset, Becca. I know you still blame Grandma for pushing Patrick on you, but that was like ten years ago.”
Rebecca got up to check on the soup. “I’m not talking about Patrick with you. Especially not today.”
“Bad day? Oh, wait. This was your first day at work, right?” He moved around her and got out two bowls and two soup spoons. “Dare I ask how it went?”
Rebecca wasn’t sure how to answer that. She decided not to mention Jay. Ian had been a teenager when she went off to college, and she doubted he’d remember the guy she used to hang around with. “It was overwhelming, to be honest. All I want right now is a bowl of soup and something mindless to watch.”
They sat on the couch, balancing their bowls on their laps as she searched for a show on Netflix that could distract her from reality for a little while. Ian often stopped by around this time to avoid sitting in rush hour traffic. It worked out perfectly for him. He could bum off food and tease his only sister, rather than spending an extra forty-five minutes on the freeway.
“How’s Winnie?” she asked. Last she’d heard, Ian and Winnie were dating again. But they’d broken up and gotten back together about a dozen times in the past two years.
Ian grabbed the remote from her when she flipped past his favorite show. “We’re still together if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That’s good.”
Ian grunted. “Whatever. I know you hate her.”
“I do not.” Rebecca turned to look at him. “I just think you two aren’t good for each other. But you’re a grown man and you obviously love her, so what does it matter what I think?”
“A grown man?” Ian sat up a little taller. “You sound like Grandma when you say that.”
Rebecca tried not to let her irritation show. Comparing her to Grandma was a low blow. “Nah, you’re more like a man baby.”
Ian grinned when the kids upstairs pounded back and forth on the hardwood floors, and Rebecca stole back the remote and turned up the TV volume. “The loft next to me is available, Becca. Nice and quiet. Spacious. All you’d have to do is let Grandma know you’re interested.”
Rebecca reached over and carefully took his bowl of soup off his lap, placing it on the coffee table in front of them. She grabbed a throw pillow and whacked him with it a few times.
Ian laughed. “Hey, I’m kidding. Mostly. You know pride is as much of a sin as mooching.”
“Not to me, it isn’t.”
