He blinks, grabs the blue one near his hand, and walks over. I grab him and half-toss him onto the couch, earning a giddy giggle, and roll the car over his lap. He chases it with his car. Janet turns on his show and turns off the main light, flicking on the lamp. And in five minutes he’s staring at the screen with glassy eyes, moving the car. Five minutes after that he wilts against me, eyes drifting shut.
“Stay still for ten more minutes, so I know he’s out, and you’ll be my favorite brother,” Janet whispers.
“I’m always your favorite brother,” I whisper back. “I’m your only brother.”
“Well, I won’t make fun of you for a week.”
I scoff. Janet chuckles.
“You’re right. That’ll never happen.”
“Pretty sure he’s out for the count,” I say, after Hugh gives off a snuffling snore.
“I’ll bring him to bed,” Mom says, yawning.
Janet pulls him into her arms. “I got him, Mom.”
I stand and hug Mom. “Thanks for today. Everything was delicious, and what you did for Eli was fantastic.” She yawns again, and I push her away. “Get to bed!”
Mom looks at the clock. “I’d wanted to stay up longer, in case Eli reaches out, but I’m ready to pass out like Hugh did.” She rubs my arm. “If he needs to go for a walk or something . . . goahead. I trust you. Just don’t fall asleep outside again? It’s a lot colder now.”
I almost laugh at the teasing edge to her smile. “Promise. Thanks, Mom.”
She says she loves me and says goodnight, and goes into her room, Widget right behind her. That dog is glued to her side. Not even a minute later, Janet’s door opens, Janet emerging with an armload of books. “Thought she’d never go to her room.”
She goes to the kitchen table and dumps her books there. “Why do you need to hide homework from Mom?”
“I’m finishing the final project for my marketing class. It’s not due till next week, but Mom’s always so exhausted after Thanksgiving I figured it’s a perfect time to do it. I need to do it here, where I can look at her recipe book for the sample blog post at the end of the project.”
She’s opening up her laptop and taking a packet out of a folder, so she doesn’t notice that I’m looking at her for several heartbeats.
“Something wrong?” she asks.
The seed inside my chest, that had still been clinging to my anger at her, shrivels up into nothing. Janet messed up as a teenager, stressing Mom out and dropping out of school. She took advantage of Mom, relying on her for childcare and taking her sweet time starting on her GED. I knew when she said she was taking this business class, with her idea for Mom’s career, that she’s truly changed, but something about seeing her settling in to work for hours, knowing she waited until Mom couldn’t spy her doing it . . . it makes it clear she isn’t doing this for show. She wants to surprise Mom, and do the best job she can, and she’s more serious about this than she’s been about . . . just about anything, other than raising Hugh the last year and a half.
“I’m proud of you,” I manage.
“Thanks.” Janet sighs. “Being a responsible adult sucks. But it’ll be worth it.”
“When are you going to show her?”
“Christmas, maybe?”
I nod. “It’s a great present.”
“My professor said I can do an independent study with her next year, after my basic courses are done. I really like her.”
My phone cuts Janet off before she can say whatever she opened her mouth to say. “Eli,” I say, without looking. My screen confirms it, his picture smiling at me. I updated it this week, after I snapped a picture of him mid-laugh when we distracted Seth and Fred from their homework. It’s a little blurry, but it’s my favorite picture I have of him so far. I still hear the sound of his deep laugh as I took it.
Janet has a knowing look in her eyes. “I can catch you up later. I need to get to work anyway.”
I answer, bringing the phone to my ear. “Eli?”
“Can I come over?”
His voice is tight again. “Meet you halfway,” I tell him, moving to get my shoes on. “What happened?”
“I just need to see you.”
