Inside Out, page 9
“I’ll wash, and you dry?” she suggested.
“Sure,” I agreed then watched as she filled the sink with soapy water. I wouldn’t say she was stiff and uncomfortable, but I could tell something was on her mind. She sank her hands in the sink and silently looked out the window for at least a minute or maybe two. “Something wrong?” I asked her.
“Wrong? No. I do my best thinking when I have my hands down in the soapy water washing dishes. I start mentally planning for things I need to do the next day, but I don’t want to waste our precious moments together. It sounds like you’re having a great season coaching tennis. I saw where Blissville is in line to win their league title for the first time. You must be so proud of the kids.”
I nodded. “I certainly am. I had no clue what to expect when I accepted the job. I just knew they had one hell of a science program that I wanted to be a part of. There were some things I didn’t plan for.”
“Such as?” she gently prodded while washing a serving dish.
“I was asked to compose music for the school play this year.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. What production will they perform?”
“It’s called Inside Out, and it was written by three of the senior kids. They began writing it when they were in eighth grade. Over time, they’ve updated and fine-tuned it. One of the kids, his name is Curtis, wrote the lyrics for the songs, but needed help coming up with the melodies. These kids are really special, Gram.”
“What’s the play about?” She listened as I gave her the overview, shared parts of scenes, and even quoted some of the lyrics. “Oh my,” she tearfully said, placing a soapy hand over her heart. “It sounds so powerful and to think kids wrote it.”
“I have a feeling it’s going to be an amazing production.”
We rejoined Marcus and Gramps in the living room after the kitchen was spotless once more, but we didn’t stay long. Marcus had studying to do, and I needed to do laundry and grade papers. We hugged our grandparents goodbye and promised we would be back soon.
We kept our conversation light on the way home and even sang along with the radio. I’d had enough thinking for one day and just wanted to enjoy the time with my little brother. Instead of driving him back to his dorm, he asked if I would drop him off at the diner where Camilla was working.
“I want you to meet her,” Marc said. “Her shift ends soon, and if you’re lucky, her mom will be there with Manny and you can meet them too.”
My brother was over the moon for this girl and her kid. The logical part of my brain that focused on equations, formulas, and problem-solving worried Marc was taking on too much for his age. He had big decisions he had to make about his future. He’d already applied and was accepted to several law schools, and there was the allure of playing professional football. On top of that, there was his obvious affection for this young lady and her little boy. I feared it was just too much all at once.
Then we walked into the diner, and I saw the way Camilla looked at my brother. I didn’t need to read the name tag on her uniform to know which of the waitresses had snagged Marc’s heart because the huge smile on her face told me everything I needed to know. She wasn’t looking at a meal ticket or an escape from an unhappy life; she was looking at the man she loved. Her heart was in her dark, shining eyes. And Marc? His entire demeanor changed right before my very eyes. He wasn’t the swaggering football hero or the smart-ass kid brother I knew and adored, he was a man who was in love. It softened his edges and gave him a completely different kind of confidence than playing football did. He was wise beyond his years because he had already realized what was important in life.
Camilla came around the counter, and Marc picked her up and twirled her around like some rom-com movie I’d never admit to watching on Hallmark. The gesture was more poignant when Marc did it instead of some movie heartthrob because it was a move we’d seen our dad make with our mom. Our life hadn’t always been easy, but we’d had each other.
“I’ve missed you, love,” Dad said after he set Mom down.
“I just went to the grocery store for ice cream and Chips Ahoy,” Mom countered, blushing happily. “I was gone twenty minutes tops.”
“Twenty minutes too long.”
My musician’s soul saw what my logical brain struggled to comprehend. Marc had found harmony in his life, even if it wasn’t what any of us had imagined for him.
“Mar! Mar!”
Marcus set Camilla down and turned in time to catch the toddler who ran by me as fast as his little legs could carry him. Manny had a head full of dark, black curls that bounced when Marc hoisted him in the air. I guessed he was two years old.
“How’s my little man today?” Marc asked. “Did you miss me as much as I missed you?”
“Mar! Mar!” It almost sounded like he said more instead of Mar.
Marcus kissed Manny’s forehead then lifted his head to look at me. I saw it then, his need for my approval. After we lost Dad, my role as his big brother shifted a bit. I felt even more pressure to set a good example for Marc. I tried to be the guy who never let my little brother down, and I asked myself what our father would do in any given situation. I didn’t have to think very hard that day in the diner; the answer was as obvious as the love in front of me.
I gave Marcus the smile I reserved for big moments in his life, the one that said I love you and I’m incredibly proud of you. He visibly relaxed then nestled Manny closer while slipping his free arm around Camilla.
“Jules, this is my best girl, Camilla,” he said. “Kitten, this is my big brother. He’s the best man I know. It’s past time I introduced the two of you. And this little guy is Manny.”
“I’m so happy to meet you, Camilla.” She was as tiny and delicate as a bird, so I tried not to crush her when I hugged her. “It’s good to see Marcus so happy.”
“I’m the happy one,” she said, smiling up at me. “Let me introduce you to my mother. We’ve heard so many stories about you from Marc. Mama,” Camilla said, waving her hand for her mother to come over. “This is Julius, Mama.” I smiled at the shy woman and extended my hand. “This is my mother, Isabella Álvarez.”
She took both my hands between hers. “Nice to meet you.” She rose on her tiptoes which was my cue to lower my head so she could kiss my cheek. “Marcus is a good boy.”
“The best,” I agreed. “Introduce me to your little man.”
“Manny, can you say hello to Julius?”
Manny turned and watched me with cautious eyes as I approached him. “Hello, Manny.”
“Hi.” Manny opened and closed his chubby fist in the toddler’s wave. “Manny,” he said, patting his chest.
“Julius,” I said, patting mine.
Instead of rushing off like I’d planned, I sat with Marcus for a while and got to know Mrs. Álvarez and Manny while Camilla finished her shift. She treated all of us with a piece of Marc’s favorite peanut butter pie. Well, Manny didn’t get his own piece, but he sure got plenty of Marcus’s, which told me just how much he loved the little boy. Marc didn’t share his peanut butter pie with anyone.
“I need to get home and get some things done,” I told them. “It was lovely meeting you all.” I ruffled Manny’s hair, making him laugh. “Especially you, cutie.” Manny giggled and buried his head in Marc’s neck. I hugged the ladies then turned to my brother. “Walk me out?”
“Sure.” He handed Manny to Mrs. Álvarez and followed me outside to my car. I caught Camilla’s nervous expression through the big window and winked to let her know everything was good.
“Marc,” I said, placing my hands on his shoulders, “I think you know what path you really want to choose for your future. There’s really not much of a decision to make, is there?”
“No, there isn’t.”
“You’ve already been accepted to some wonderful law schools, including the University of Cincinnati. It won’t be easy going to law school while working to support a young family, but you can do it. Camilla’s family is here, Gram and Gramps are close, and I’m only forty-five minutes away. You’re not alone. Choose your dreams, Marc. Follow your heart.”
“I love you, Jules,” Marc said, throwing his arms around me.
“I love you too, little brother. Now turn loose of me and get back in the diner so I can leave before we both become blubbering messes.”
“Okay,” Marc said, grinning broadly as he wiped tears from his eyes. “I’m going to ask you to follow your heart too, big brother. And don’t look at me like I’m clueless either. You want something then you go get it. Or should I say someone?” he asked, walking backwards. “Drive safe.”
“Always.”
My thoughts turned to Rome as soon as I drove away. I knew he had a family dinner in Columbus and wouldn’t be home for a few more hours, which gave me plenty of time to do laundry, grade papers, and maybe lure my silver fox over for a drink.
Once I got home, I typed out a text message to Rome. I miss your lips. How about a drink at my place when you get back to town? I felt dizzy and realized I’d been holding my breath while staring at my screen. My finger hovered over the send arrow. To send or not to send? That was the question. I could analyze everything I knew about Rome and myself and try to determine whether a relationship could succeed between us, or I could just hit send and see what happened. The scientist in me wanted more data to make a decision, but the musician wanted more of the melody I heard when I’d held the man in my arms the previous night.
I took a deep breath and hit send.
“Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.”
~William Shakespeare
“Tomorrow can’t come quick enough.”
~Romeo Bradley
I’d just stepped out of the car in my sister’s driveway when my phone buzzed. Tucking the bottle of rosé under my left arm, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Seeing I had a text message from Julius made me laugh because it was a miracle we’d remembered to exchange phone numbers after the make out session the previous night. Smiling like a loon, I opened the message to read what he had to say.
I miss your lips. How about a drink at my place when you get back to town?
It took everything I had not to get in the car and drive straight back to Blissville from Columbus without saying so much as hello to my family. I wanted to tell Julius I’d be back in a little over an hour, but I managed to get a grip on myself and replied:
God, yes! My lips are still tingling. I’ll text you when I leave my sister’s house.
I can kiss other places if you’re too sore.
I’m getting in the car right now and driving back to Blissville.
No, no. Visit with your family. These lips aren’t going anywhere.
Better not, I sent back. I’ll text you soon.
A sharp, judgmental bark came from the back seat of my car. “Fuck!” I said, rushing to open the door behind mine. “I’m so sorry, Dolly. I wasn’t going to leave you back here.” Her reproachful look said she didn’t believe me. I slid my phone back in my pocket and reached for her leash. “Let’s get you inside.”
I waited for Dolly to sniff Ashley and Ben’s perfectly manicured lawn until she found the perfect spot to pee before we headed into my sister and brother in-law’s two-story, contemporary home. The place was massive and much bigger than four people could ever use, but my two nieces, Laurel and Michele, loved the friends they’d already made in the few weeks they’d lived there. I was happy to see the girls smiling joyfully in the pictures they posted on Facebook, and happier to see that their affluent neighborhood was also diverse.
“Hello,” I yelled when I let myself in the front door. “Anybody home?”
“Uncle Rome!” I heard two teenage girls yell before the sound of thundering feet reached my ears. How did two petite girls make so much noise? Beside me, Dolly barked and twirled in circles.
“Pizza delivery,” I teased.
“Oh, how I wish that were true,” Michele said. At sixteen, she was the spitting image of her mother. Long, jet-black hair, the same light blue eyes similar to mine, and a tall, wispy frame. “Mom’s serving vegan lasagna,” she said in mock horror.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Mimi,” Laurel said, rolling her eyes. “She has one for the carnivores too.” The fourteen-year-old was the opposite of her sister in looks and demeanor, inheriting Ben’s blond looks and serious temperament. Laurel might’ve been younger, but she had an old soul.
“I like vegan lasagna,” I said, earning Laurel’s approval.
“Is that a wine bottle tucked under your left arm?” Michele asked.
“Nope. Rocket launcher.”
A noise that was part snort and part giggle escaped from Michele. “Allow me to take the rocket launcher then. What do you think about this house?”
“Well, I’ve only seen the outside and the grand entry. So far, it’s a gorgeous display of…”
“Wealth?” Laurel suggested.
“I was going to say modern architecture and design.”
“I much prefer your smaller house in Whoville,” Laurel said.
“Blissville,” Michele said after she burst out giggling. “You’re such a brat.”
“This place is ginormous,” Laurel said, finally sounding like a teenager. “We could fit three more families in here.”
“Well, yeah,” I said. “Haven’t you heard your mother’s latest plan?”
“What?” Michele and Laurel simultaneously asked.
“Don’t listen to him,” Ashley said, approaching us from the rear of the house. My sister still looked like a supermodel who just stepped off the runway, but her brain was sharper than her looks. Ashley worked for one of the most prestigious law firms in the state of Ohio where she managed a team of lawyers specializing in civil rights. You wouldn’t know it by her outfit of distressed denim and a light gray, cold shoulder T-shirt. “I was going to invite you in to see the rest of the house, but I’m not so sure now.” She flipped her black hair over her shoulder dramatically. She had either missed the premature-gray gene or she spent a lot of time at the hair salon. “Must you rile them up with ridiculous stories.”
“What?” I asked, playing dumb. “You and Ben aren’t adopting four little boys ranging in age from two to twelve?”
“Mom!” Michele gasped. “Is that true? There are a lot of bedrooms in this house.”
“He’s joking, right?” Laurel asked, folding her arms across her chest.
Leaning toward me and lowering her voice so only I could hear, Ashley said, “I’m going to murder you.” Then she faced her daughters with a sweet smile. “Don’t listen to him. We’re not adopting a family of four brothers. We’re not adopting any children,” she added to clarify. “We bought this house because we apparently have more money than sense.”
I looked up at the ceiling that opened up to the second-story landing and admired the way the dark wood beams looked against the light ceiling. From the center of one of the beams hung an ornate crystal chandelier that probably cost as much as my car. I didn’t begrudge them their success, but as beautiful as this house was, it wasn’t my style. I would’ve chosen to take the girls and travel the world during their summer breaks instead.
“It’s not crystal,” Ashley said, reading my thoughts. “Those are actually plastic pieces cut to look like crystal.”
“There had to be at least a thousand pieces to that chandelier,” Ben said, striding toward us. I’m sure he was wondering what was taking us so long to join the group.
Like my sister, Ben looked like a distinguished model you expected to find gracing the cover of a magazine about men’s health in their fifties. He had always been a stunning guy, but he got even better looking with age. As an environmental engineer, he traveled a lot, and I admired the confidence Ash had in her marriage. I’d even asked her about it once. She replied that she knew Ben could have any woman he wanted, and she was grateful she was who he’d chosen. It was obvious in the way he constantly reached for her that he was still as enraptured with Ash as he was on their wedding day.
Ben slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her into him when he reached the group. “We got a really great deal on this house. The sellers were motivated, and we fell in love with it.”
“We still have money left in our college funds, right?” Laurel asked. God, this girl cracked me up.
“Mom and I are paying for part of your college, but not all,” Ben said. “We’ve had this discussion already. Mom and I paid our way through life by taking out loans and working hard to pay them off. We’ve been very frank about this.” They had always strived to achieve balance with the girls. I’d heard them say on more than one occasion that just because they could afford to do something for the girls didn’t mean they would.
“Dad is making me get a job,” Michele said, turning to face me. “None of my friends work.”
“None of your friends are probably as grounded as you and your sister either,” I told her. “There’s nothing wrong with hard work and respecting how difficult it is to make money. Wait until you see how much of your check goes to taxes.” I reached out and cupped her cheek. “You’re going to be so much better off in life because your parents could’ve made you both spoiled brats, not the loving, responsible young ladies you are today.”
“You’re forgiven for traumatizing the girls,” Ash said.
“Traumatizing?” Ben asked with a quirked brow.
“He told us you and Mom bought the house because we needed more room for the four brothers you planned to adopt.”
“Huh,” Ben said, tipping his head to the side as if he was considering it. He and Ashley had always said they wanted a large family, but Ash had required a hysterectomy before they could realize that dream. “We do have plenty of room.”
Laurel and Michele glared daggers at me while Ash studied Ben to gauge his seriousness. The smile he gave his wife said they’d talk about it privately.
“What’s taking so long?” yelled a voice from the rear of the house. “Is that my Romeo?”
