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My brother was not a violent man. Not even a little bit. Sure, he looked like he was since he spent a lot of time in the gym, building considerable muscles. He boxed three times a week. Mostly because he wanted to be strong. Because he wanted to be able to take care of himself, make sure he would never be a victim again.
But the thing with my brother was he’d never turn anyone into a victim.
The other thing with my brother was he knew me better than I knew myself. He knew people. He believed that he could ‘read their auras’. I’d always inwardly rolled my eyes but couldn’t fault his judge of character.
He’d instantaneously disliked Nathan. I knew, not because he’d made it known, but because I knew him. He’d tried his best, tried to be polite when Nathan subtly spoke down to him about his lack of education, money, his trade, and especially about his spiritual beliefs.
Ansel had, in turn, subtly spoken about how rich, white families were the downfall of society.
Safe to say the visit hadn’t gone well. It was definitely the beginning of the end for us. I could never be married to someone who wasn’t right with Ansel. Because if you weren’t right with Ansel, you weren’t right with me.
“Okay, he was an asshole,” I conceded.
“Oh, this guy must be good if he’s making my little sister finally say something well deserved about the asshole she dumped. It was all, ‘oh, we were wrong for each other,’ ‘we wanted different things,’” he mimicked.
I grinned again. Ansel wasn’t wrong. I’d made excuses for Nathan until I couldn’t. But I also hadn’t been able to find it in me to verbalize how I truly felt about him.
“You’d like him,” I said to Ansel, leaning against the counter and watching them work. “Rowan. You’d like him.”
“I know I’d like him,” Ansel agreed without hesitation. “I can hear it in your voice. He makes you happy.”
He knew me too well.
“I want you to meet him,” I said impulsively.
It was too soon to meet each other’s family. That was another important relationship milestone that had a timeline on it. Six months or so. Enough time to decide whether you really liked the person enough to put up with their family. To risk having yours ask about them if it didn’t work out.
But I didn’t have a family. Except for Ansel.
Tina. Fiona.
That was it. He’d already met two thirds of them. And they’d already given him their stamp of approval.
But my brother was important. My brother meeting him made it real. My brother would be able to see… Feel. Reassure me that I wasn’t dreaming this up. That I wasn’t missing something.
Ansel was my North Star. The only person in the world I trusted.
“Of course, I’m gonna meet him,” Ansel replied. “I’m shit on my vacation days because we just took a trip to Joshua Tree to commune with Mother Nature.”
I rolled my eyes but continued to smile.
“Is the end of the month too soon?” Ansel asked.
My heart lifted. “No, that’s not too soon!” I half yelled, almost ready to jump up and down with excitement.
I hadn’t seen Ansel since he flew down to be with me after I called off the wedding. Two months may not be that long to other people, to other siblings. It was a fuck of a long time when it was your best friend, your other half.
“Good,” Ansel said. “I’ll book the tickets.”
“Don’t be silly,” I chided. “I’ll book them.”
“Sis, I am not going to keep letting you buy my plane tickets for me,” he turned serious.
“I don’t mind doing it.” I sipped my wine. I really didn’t. Part of me worked so hard to be financially independent, to have money. Sure, being able to pay my bills and afford good health insurance was great. Along with the fancy pillows, wine and the nice things.
But my biggest accomplishment was being able to look after my brother. Though he was older—technically—smart, talented and could achieve anything he wanted, his road had been a little rougher. He was finally getting better, building a good life, but I wanted to help him. Especially wanted to get him free from the shackles of my mother.
“Really, Nora, I can pay,” Ansel told me firmly. “I’m getting paid well now. In fact, I’m getting transferred to Arizona. Getting full benefits.”
My mouth dropped at that piece of news. “Arizona?” I asked, sad that it wasn’t closer to me but understood that he needed to find his place in the world.
“Sedona, to be exact,” Ansel clarified. “Full of vortexes of spiritual energy.”
“Of course, it is.”
“Don’t laugh at me,” he ordered.
I pressed my lips together, trying to swallow my smile. My eyes met Rowan’s for a beat. The corner of his lips turned up as he glimpsed me through the window.
