Page 77 of Midlife Crisis

“But I blew all the money. I lost my home. I lost the girl—”

“You never had the girl. Not the way you should have had her,” he interjects before sighing, removing his glasses, and looking down at his desk. He knows what he’s talking about. Kit and I were reckless—a mistake I can’t make myself admit. Brut had a girl once, and she was into him the way you want a girl to be. Caring. Committed. Intimate. Only, he blew it.

“Anyway, I might have been famous, but I have nothing to show for it.”

“You have Grammys,” Brut scoffs.

“I don’t even know where they are.”

“What’s brought all this on?” Tipping back in his chair, Brut places a finger against his temple.

“Midge.” Brut stares, waiting for clarification. “She didn’t take the job with Pendelton, and I applaud her decision because he’s an asshat. But she deserved the job, Brut. It isn’t fair that she feels she failed, and it also isn’t fair I can’t help her. I want to help her. She needs money to go out on her own and start her own business, which I bet she can do. She has damn good ideas even if I don’t understand all of them. Look how she straightened out things here.”

Brut nods, rocking in his chair. “You should see the ad campaign she came up with. New logo. New tagline. It’s really gonna give the place some life and make it mine. Ours,” he corrects.

“Is it ours, man? I feel like it’s always been yours. I don’t deserve the second chance you gave me.” I look at my brother, really look at him. His hair might be snow white, but the scruff on his face is only salt-and-pepper. He typically keeps his face clean-shaven, though, so I’m surprised at the change in him. He isn’t as edgy as me, thinner, softer but still strong. In fact, I appear the older of the two of us from living life too much. When did Brut live?

“Don’t even go there. You’re my brother. When you have nowhere else to go, home is where you go. What’s really happening inside that big head?” I swipe over my skull with both hands at the mention of my large cranium.

“I’m just frustrated. I want to give Midge things, and I can’t.”

“Midge loves you. Returning that love might be all she needs.”

“I do love her,” I snap.

“I know.” Brut winks.

“But I want to help her do more. I so fucked up.” I sigh, and Brut lowers his head, pressing at his temple again. I know it isn’t all about money, but I want to show her I support her. From my side of the fence, she’s had a good life. I can’t say she’s had a pampered life, but I want to pamper her.

“You have the money.”

“What?” I balk, my elbows coming to my knees, hands clasping together. He just called this place ours. Is he thinking…? “I can’t ask you to put up money from this place, if that’s where you’re going.”

“Nope. You have your own money. You can do as you please with it.” We continue to eye one another, and I’m completely lost to his meaning. He leans forward, crossing his arms on his desk again. “When things were going down for you, I made you sign a Power of Attorney, signing everything over to me.”

“You what?” My eyes widen as I sit upright, and then I glare. “I don’t remember this.”

“I’m certain you wouldn’t.” We both take a moment to reflect on some of my low times. Blackouts. Unexplained bruises. Missing pieces in time.

“Why would you do that?”

“You were drowning in self-misery, and I couldn’t watch you piss away everything you worked for, so I had to do something to save you from yourself, at least in the aspect of your finances. I had you sign the papers, allowing me to take over.”

“How?”

“Got you drunk.” He laughs bitterly, and I grin weakly at the strong possibility.

“So much for sound body and mind,” I mock. “But I lost my house. Foreclosure. Bankruptcy.” Brut looks away as I speak.

“I sold it.” Brut shakes his head.

“Out from under me?”

“You were so far down, there wasn’t an under for you.” We glare at one another before Brut has the chagrin to look away. I’m too stunned to speak, caught between lies, manipulation, and gratitude.

“How could you keep this from me?” I snap.

“I figured I’d tell you when the time was right.”