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“You okay, bro?”he asked me softly, concern in his eyes.It was weird seeing my little brother standing there checking to make sure I was okay.
“I’m fine.Why?”
“I don’t know.But you, Sergio, Stefano, you’ve all been acting weird lately.”
“How have we been acting weird?”
“I don’t know.”He shrugged.“I’m just saying I’ve noticed that you’re all grumpy and moody and …” He shook his head.“I don’t know.It seems like there are women involved and complicating everything.”
“I don’t have a woman.Stefano doesn’t have a woman, and Sergio sure as hell doesn’t have a woman.Do you have a woman?”
Santino shook his head and looked around.“I could get one, though.”
“Do I look like I’m in a grumpy mood to you?”
“No.”
“Exactly.Now come on, let’s get these beers.”
“Sure.”He nodded, and I could see he was thinking about saying something else.I didn’t want to hear it.I didn’t have the energy or bandwidth to deal with anything else right now.I made my way to the bar, and I waited to order.Santino walked up behind me and tapped his fingers on the bar top.I realized that I hadn’t checked on him in a while as I’d been so preoccupied with everything else in my life.
“So, how have you been, bro?I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“I mean, we’ve seen each other.You’ve just been preoccupied.”He shrugged, looking nonchalant.
“That’s true.But you’ve been okay?”
“Yeah.I’ve been cool.I was thinking about taking an art class.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.Live models and shit.”
“Ah, you just want to see some naked breasts, eh?”
“I can see naked breasts whenever I want.”He shook his head.“I just enjoy it.It’s a way to express myself without having to talk.”
“Maybe I should try that sometime.”Sometimes, I felt like the more I talked, the more shit I got myself into.
“Yeah.You might find you like it.”
“Maybe.I feel like I need to make some changes in my life, though.”
“You do?”His eyes narrowed.“What do you mean?”
“I’ll tell you when we get food and sit down with Sergio.”
“Okay.”He scratched his forehead and then continued.“Is Stefano coming?”
“No.He’s training tonight.Why?”
“I just figured if you’re going to tell us something big tonight, Stefano should be here.We’re the four brothers.We’re a unit, a group, a gang.”
“I know.”
“We’re everything to each other.”I thought about Valentina’s painting and sighed.
“I really screwed up, dude.”
