“Yeah, and then when she found out I knew Robert Bluestone, she wanted the opportunity to meet him to pitch him something for work. I wanted to put her in a position to catch his attention before introducing her.”
“And it backfired.”
“In the worst way.”
Simon chuckled. “Man, that was brutal.”
Solomon’s defenses rose. “Because she embarrassed us? Because she didn’t fit into all of our college-educated boxes?”
Simon lifted his hands in surrender. “Hold on, brother. I’m not laughing to make fun. Believe me, I know how hard it is to bring someone into our family.” He paused and glanced at Solomon. “I saw how you were with her. She seems to mean a lot to you.”
Solomon sensed the release in the words. There was a new peace in his brother.
“I didn’t think so at first, but honestly, now I’m hoping I haven’t lost her for good.”
“Good luck telling Mom and Pops.”
“Ahh.” Solomon grimaced. “I don’t know how to even approach that. I need to talk to them about my test first.”
“Because you failed.”
His head swiveled. “Why would you think that?”
Simon made a sound against his teeth. “The way you walked in here with that sorry frown on your face told me everything I needed to know.”
His brother’s tone was almost jovial, but would his next words diminish the mood?
Solomon exhaled. “So with all of that, you know things are going to change, right?”
Simon shrugged, reached to the desk to pick up the book. He held it up like a glass to toast. “Things have already changed. Had a good talk with Aunt Thea. You know how she pours the advice on.” They both chuckled at how their Aunt Althea loved to talk and how her wisdom was worth every minute. “And I’m realizing that I can hold back in fear or change right along with it.”
Solomon held his brother’s gaze. Nodded. Felt some weight lift from his shoulders, some pressure off his chest. “You also met someone in New York, didn’t you?”
Simon opened the book. “She’s moving to New York. But that’s none of your business.”
Solomon chuckled. “Noted.”
Simon peeked at him over the paperback. “Are the renewal plans finalized?”
“Yes and no. That is part of what I needed to confirm with them. The invitations are out, and Nneka has the details, but the missing piece is—”
“Missing,” Simon finished for him. He laid the book in his lap. “You got a call to make, big brother.”
Solomon sighed. “I do.”
Simon grinned. He closed the book, stood up, and tucked it under his arm. “I’ll leave you to that. God speed.”
Solomon gave his brother the peace sign, watching his lean form slip through the slightly open door.
Their conversation was a start. Maybe his brother was on his own journey of realizing that seasons changed. And that didn’t have to be a bad thing.
His brother had hinted at making a certain call, but Solomon knew just as clearly as he’d felt his pull to physical therapy that he needed to do something different in this moment. He pulled out his phone and made a few swipes until his finger hovered over his contacts whose last names started with B.
The number had been given to him, scribbled on the back of a business card. Just common courtesy, he’d figured, because of his parents’ connections, so he’d never made a call. Never had a need to. But someone else needed this now.
“Yes, hello. May I speak to Robert Bluestone?” Solomon shifted in his chair, straightening his posture.
“May I ask who is speaking, please? He is not taking calls today, but I will leave a message,” a woman responded.
