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I start to clean up around him, lost in thought about what he said earlier. Not once in the time I have known him has Malcom ever mentioned his family, and that just makes me curious. He doesn't look or act like the kind of guy that would work in a bar, and he doesn't pretend to be, which I admire. He was kind, polite, and always well-dressed.
But it always seems like he's keeping his cards to his chest, or maybe that's just me, but my curiosity is taking over right now as I wipe my hands on a dishtowel and make my way over to him, perching myself against the counter and popping a hand on my hip.
He gives me a brief glance before focusing back on the sauce, and I cock my head. “You know, that’s the first time I’ve heard you talk about your family.” He says nothing, but I notice his jaw tense slightly. “Are you close?”
He doesn’t answer, which is answer enough. I sigh, understanding blooming within me as I look at the man before me. “My parents and I were never close before they passed. They had their expectations, and no matter how hard I tried, it was never enough.”
He stops stirring, finally looking up and meeting my eyes, and I can see that he wants to talk and that there is so much that he is keeping to himself. I’m not sure anyone knows, which breaks my heart for Malcom, how lonely it must be.
I wanted him to talk to me, but he was making no move to speak, so I did. “It was just my brother and I.” I look at him again. “Do you have any siblings?”
At first, I think he won’t answer, but he surprises me by simply saying, “Yes.”
Such a simple word, but it was sad when he said it. I furrow my brow as I continue. “How many?”
He stirs the sauce, answering without looking at me, the usual smile gone. “One. Little sister.”
“What’s her name?”
“Olivia.”
“And are you close to Olivia?” I ask the question playfully to lighten the mood, but he stops stirring and looks at me with a look mixed with sadness and caring. One corner of his mouth tilts up in a slight smile, and he nods.
“She’s fifteen, but she’s the most important person in the world to me. If anything ever happened to her…” He shakes his head and looks down at the sauce again, and I feel every one of his words as if I had said them myself.
My concern for my brother grows every day, and I understand exactly what he means. “You’d be broken?”
He nods, not looking at me, and I start to feel the gap between us getting smaller as I see him letting down some of his walls.
Grateful, I tell him, “I’m the same with my brother. We’re twins, so we came into this world together and we’ll probably leave it together.” I think about my brother and how he has always been there for me and how much I miss him now. I bite my lip before I say, “If anyone understands, it would be me.”
I look down at my feet, shuffling them on the linoleum floor, when Malcom says, “I know, that’s why I told you.”
I look up and see his eyes looking into mine, and we nod, because it's something people often don’t understand. The love between siblings is not like any other, either broken or made stronger through harsh times, and I see that in Malcom. I don’t know what he has gone through, but I see the strength in him the way he smiles through it all and cares for others.
He has grown to become a friend here and I hope he sees me as one.
“I still can’t believeyou are not at your precious bar tonight! How are the guys going to work with you?” Riley bellows across the table at Danny as they throw back their whiskey and scarf down their lasagne and spaghetti.
Danny chuckles at the mention of the few guys he calls up in times of emergencies. They are not our usual workers, but they have helped Danny out enough for them to be reliable. “Never get between a man and a home cooked meal. I know my priorities, boy.”
Everyone laughs, filling the room with an air of ease, even when Travis comments, “I can think of one other thing that takes priority.”
He winks and everyone cringes as Danny reaches over, slapping Travis over the back of the head.
“Watch your mouth, boy. There’s a lady present.”
Even though Travis rolls his eyes, he gives me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Mia.”
I hold up my hands in surrender. “It’s all good, I get it.”
And I do. Some things do take priority over food, and it takes every part of me to not look at Riley in that moment and think about earlier when he had asked me to dance. In that moment, my mind instantly flashed back to that conversation with Danny and how I doubted I’d find someone who I could dance with. Looking down at the table, I know that I might have, but the question remains. Does he feel the same about me? And if he does, is he willing to take a chance? Because even though it scares the hell out of me, not taking a chance scares me more.
I’m so lost in my thoughts that it takes me a second to realise that everyone is looking right at me, waiting. I blink. “Huh?”
Danny smiles and says, “How are you finding everything, Mia? Working at the bar, living here. I hope our boy is taking care of you.” He ruffles Riley’s hair, which earns him a frown as Riley proceeds to fix his hair, and I giggle.
“Yeah, in fact, that is why I invited everyone here tonight.” I move to stand, holding my drink in my hand, as if giving a toast. “Not too long ago, I was a privileged, rich girl with parents who bought their way out of everything. I only had my brother and close friends. But as I look around me here”—I look at each of them and smile, my heart full—“I realise that even though I don’t have much money or my own place, I have something far better. I have you guys, and each of you challenge me and find new ways to make me happy, make me better. I’m happy every day that I met each of you, my new little family.” Feeling the emotion well within me, I raise my glass. “To the new family.”
