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“Clever name,” said Evan with an ironic wink.
“OK, I can do better than that. How about ‘Muscleman Moving,’ or maybe ‘Beefcake Budgers!’ There’s got to be something.”
The three of us laughed. But as we were in the middle of it, Jay came in with a side table in his hands.
“You guys taking your break already?” he asked. “More work to be done.”
I turned and looked over his shoulder. Nothing remained in his truck but a small bookshelf. And that was the last of it – we’d gotten everything from the old place.
But I could tell Jay wasn’t going to stop until he’d gotten everything. Thing about that was, if any of us needed a beer and some relaxing time, it was him. I really wanted to know what was going on with my brother. However, I knew him well enough to understand that if there was one way to get him to close up even further, it was to try to make him share his feelings.
“I’ll get it,” I said. “Jay, you’ve earned a beer.”
“Yeah,” added Dream. “Sit down, Jay. Take a load off.” Her eyes flashed. “Oh! If you still want to help you can put the pizza order together.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Jay said the words with a grouchy tone, but I could tell he was happy to have something more to do. Jay was the sort of person who liked to transfer his bad feelings into action, even if it was something as simple as ordering pizza.
“We doing Gianni’s?” asked Evan. “If so, give them my name. They’ve got my usual order – an extra-large works with extra bacon and extra cheese. Oh, and an order of cheesy garlic rolls.”
Jay went to work on the order, with Clarissa and Dream looking at the online menu for Gianni’s. And as they did, I went outside and grabbed the final piece of furniture. It was a gorgeous day, and some pizza and beer on the girls’ new back patio sounded just right after an afternoon of moving. I made a mental note not to get too carried away – the girls’ Christmas party was in two days, after all. Hard to believe it was Christmas with the weather warmer than usual this year.
“Order’s in,” said Jay as I entered and set the bookshelf in an open spot. “Got a little bit of everything.” He sipped his beer after he spoke, staring off into the distance. I couldn’t tell what was on his mind, but it was clear he was hurting. And I hated to see either of my brothers hurt. Dream wore an expression of concern, and once more I could sense she was thinking the same thing as me.
She cleared her throat and spoke. “OK, guys, I know I’ve told you a million times already, but thank you all so much for helping us move in. I have to add it to the ever-growing list of times the Wolf brothers have been there for me when I needed them. I appreciate it, and I love you all like crazy.”
“Sure!” said Evan as he flopped onto one of the open couches.
Dream pursed her lips together, giving some thought to what she had to say next.
“Let’s do this on the back patio,” she said. “I’ve got a little announcement for you guys.”
All of us shared a glance of confusion. What sort of announcement did she have in mind?
After grabbing some fresh beers, we headed out onto the back patio. The space was big and open, a wooden deck perfect for the party tomorrow. And the beach was right there in sight, just a few hundred feet away. The rest of the group came out, Evan bringing an iced bucket of beers with him.
I leaned back against the deck railing, eager to hear what Dream had on her mind.
“Alright,” she said once all attention was on her. “So, as all of you guys know, I’ve been giving some serious thought to my future. I’ve recently made some huge changes in my life, and so far, all of them have worked out for the best. I’m so happy to be back in my hometown with my friends and family, and there’s not a doubt in my mind that I made the right call.”
“And we’re glad to have you back!” said Clarissa, raising her beer.
Dream smiled, then went on.
“Well, I did some thinking about my work and what I want to do for a living, where I see myself and what might make me the happiest. And as I did, I figured well, what’s one more life altering change on top of the rest? So, I want you guys to be the first ones to know that I’m going to be a full-time artist!”
“What?” asked Evan, springing out of his chair with excitement. “Are you serious? You’re going for your art full-time?”
“Yep!” said Dream. “I know it’s going to be hard, and I know it’s going to have some ups and downs. But I’ve got a solid financial cushion from my current job that’ll carry me for a while, and if I need to get a part-time job at Blueprint to help make ends meet, I’ll do that too.”
“Dream!” I said, “This is so awesome!” I couldn’t put into words how happy I was to hear the news. Dream was beyond talented, and knowing she was going to devote herself fully to bringing her art to the world…God, it was, well, awesome!
Evan set down his beer and hurried over to give her a hug, Clarissa letting out a squeal of excitement. We embraced all around. Even Jay, distant as he was that evening, gave his congratulations.
It was a perfect cause for celebration. Clarissa put on some music, the pizza showed up, and together we talked eagerly with Dream about her future plans. However, as the sun began to dip, I noticed that Jay was gone. His truck was still out front, but he was nowhere to be found.
Something was wrong. I didn’t want to pry. But I needed to know my brother was OK.
