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“Yeah, I figured it was something like that.”
“I told Mom it was a work trip. Nice of her not to pass that along.”
Alex chuckles, then sighs. “You know how she is about our dinners.”
“I know, but I’m missingone. I didn’t tell her I’d never show up again.”
He sighs. “She thinks she screwed us up by divorcing Dad and ruined our childhood. And that we’re all too focused on work, so you missing dinner for awork tripprobably wasn’t reassuring.”
I’m momentarily stunned. “Shetoldyou that?”
“No. I overheard her say something about it to her friends. Mom thought I wasn’t home, but I was actually asleep upstairs. Or I was until they started shouting.” Alex groans. “I really gotta get my own place. If it’s not running into Mom’s tipsy friends, it’s Seth leaving his laundry all over the house.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about that sooner?”
“I haven’t seen you in a while. Maybe I would’ve said something on Friday…oh, wait, you won’t be there.”
I roll my eyes, and Alex laughs like he can sense it somehow.
“She’ll be fine, Pipsqueak. Her friends all told her she was being ridiculous. How long will you be in Texas for?”
I refocus on the cows, none of whom have moved since I answered Alex’s call. A couple are swiveling their ears, like they’re listening to my conversation.
“I don’t…I don’t exactly know yet. It’s kind of open-ended.”
“That’s one hell of a work trip.”
“Yeah, well, if it goes well, it’ll be a big deal. I’ll get a major promotion.”
“That’s amazing! Congratulations!”
I’ve never met anyone else who expresses their emotions as openly as Alex does. He’s the sunshine in our family, amid a lot of serious and gray. Out of all my brothers, he was the one I was most surprised ended up in law enforcement.
“I haven’t gotten it yet, Alex.”
“I’m familiar with your stubborn streak, little sis. You’ll get it.”
I smile and pick at a splinter on the fence’s top rail. “Enough about me. How are you?”
There’s a creak, and I can picture him leaning back in his swivel chair at the station. “Eh. All right. Been working a lot of overtime to save up some more money. And I joined a pickleball league.”
I laugh. “For real?”
“Yes, for real. What’s your problem with pickleball?”
“I just…thought it was for the elderly.”
Alex’s deep chuckle makes me smile. “It’s not,” he tells me. “When you’re back in New York, we’ll play a game. See what you think then.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
“Sorry, sis. I’ve gotta go.” Alex’s tone has turned apologetic, but it’s better than the one time he got an emergency call at work while he was on the phone with me.
Scared the shit out of me for the three hours until he called me back to say everything was okay. Aside from often feeling like an outsider in my own family, that’s always been the worst part—the worry.
“Okay. Be safe.”
“Always. Love you, little sis.”
