Page 58 of Hockey Player Seeking Fan

Tyler

There are some days when I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I don’t know why. It's not as if I even have a family. Well, technically, that’s not true. I may not be married with kids, but it certainly feels like I have the responsibility of a man.

"It’s going to be okay, I promise you," I say to my little sister, Muriel.

"He really wanted to go to Paris, and Jojo... well, he said that he wanted to go surfing in Tahiti. And Dad’s not going to do anything to help pay for the wedding, and?—

"Oh, Tyler, I didn’t want to have to come to you, but?—"

"Fine, Muriel. I’ll pay for the wedding. And I’ll pay for the honeymoon."

"I know, but..." She pauses.

"What is it?" I try not to let out a sigh. I love my sister. I love my mother. I love my entire family. But sometimes, I just feel like a never-ending ATM. Sometimes I wonder if they would call me and love me so much if I didn’t have money.

"I know you’re already doing so much, and I don’t want to take advantage?—"

"What is it? Tell me."

"Well, are you still going to..." She pauses. "I don’t want to ask."

"Just ask," Leah, my other sister, screams in the background.

I laugh lightly. There’s nothing like Leah making you get on with it.

"Well, are you still going to put the down payment on the house we want to buy in Des Moines?"

I lick my lips and rub my forehead.

There we have it. That’s why my sister has been calling me nonstop for the last three hours—not because she wanted to know how I’m doing. But to tell me that if I financially support her and her loser for basically the rest of their lives?—

"Did I upset you?" Muriel sighs. "Look, it’s fine. I know it’s a lot to ask."

"Do you?" I ask.

She’s shocked. I never really speak to her like that. It’s not like it’s her fault that she depends on me so much. I’m the one who stepped up to take care of the family. And while I don’t mind, sometimes I resent it so much it makes me feel like the shittiest fuck alive.

"Never mind. I’ll pay for the wedding and help with the house.” She’s my sister and I love her. I will always spoil her.

"Oh my gosh, I love you so much. Thank you! I can’t wait for you to come back home for the wedding. You’re going to give me away, right? God, I don’t want Dad to do that. You’re my brother. Plus, everyone is excited to meet—well, to meet Tyler. Half of his relatives didn’t even believe me when I said you were my brother. In fact, I don’t think he believed me either. He thought I was joking.”

“Joking?”

“When he heard you were rich and famous. I just told him you had money at first and he was curious as to how you got it.”

“I hope he’s not that into the money.” I know better than to tell her he’s a gold-digger and to be weary.

"You know what I mean. He asked how you got it. Jokingly said you share the money with me."

"Maybe I should," I say.

"Maybe you have. Done everything for everyone in the family."

"How do we know he’s not just in it for the money? He has a trust fund."

"That doesn’t mean anything," I say, thinking about Erica and the fact that she’s a trust-fund baby. I realize I don’t hate her as much as I hate my sister’s fiancé, who I think is definitely not in it for the right reasons.

But I know, just like all smart men and women know, that the more you tell a person that someone is bad for them, the less they want to believe you.