Hank whipped his head up as he let go of Elsie’s hands.
“It’s wet,” Elsie said.
“What would you like to use to wipe your hands off, sis?” I asked, my voice calm. I already knew the answer, but I tried to give my sister some sense of independence, to allow her to voice her own thoughts and opinions without making choices for her. She was perfectly capable of doing so, even if so many people, Hank included, treated her like she didn't.
“The towel in the closet. It’s red and yellow. Not the one with the polka dots, but the one with the stripes. It has to be the one with the stripes. The one with the polka dots—”
“Is for your shower,” we both said in unison.
Elsie shot me an appreciative grin, nodding her head. I smiled back. My sister needed some help with day-to-day things, it's why she moved in with me, but she wasn't dependent on me. Not entirely. Besides, I liked having her around. I was one of the few people who got her and didn't treat her like she was broken.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “Hank?”
“Yep?”
“She’s not a fucking child. She can clean off her own damn hands,” I said.
Hank followed me as I made my way to the hallway closet. I shoved towels aside and reached toward the back of the closet. Elsie always put her things far out of sight, so scared of anyone else touching them. If she thought for one second someone had used her stuff, it had to be thrown away, and a new one had to be purchased. So, she tried to minimize the effects by pushing her things to the back.
“When you’re done, you need to get dressed,” Hank said.
“A step ahead of you, since you’re not staring at my bare ass right now,” I said.
“Into something nice. You’re coming with me this morning.”
“Gotta help Paul,” I said, as I found Elsie’s rag.
I shut the closet door and handed off the towel to my sister.
“Thank you, Hank. I am going to go finish my book now. I’m about to start the chapter on human behavior entitled, ‘Love.’”
“When you master that concept, I’ll make us a pot of coffee, and you can explain it to me,” I said. “I'm sure you have some fascinating insights.”
“I will definitely let you know when I’m done,” Elsie said.
She sat down at her desk but waited until we left to begin typing. She didn't like to write with people around, it distracted her. I motioned for Hank to follow me out of the room, and said, “Love you, sis,” before closing the door behind her.
When we reached the hall, I turned back to Hank, a scowl on my face.
“So, where are we headed that requires me to dress nicely?” I asked.
“We’re going into town. It’s a surprise,” Hank said.
“Meaning if you tell me now, I probably wouldn’t agree to it.”
“Yep. Now get a move on it. I want you in one of those fancy hats of yours, a nicer pair of boots, and a button-down.”
“Am I performing somewhe
re?” I asked.
“Nope. Now go get dressed.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were heading into town. I was driving my truck, and Hank was grumbling about it in the back. I told him he wasn’t gonna sit up front and bitch in my ear the entire ride, and he didn’t believe I’d put him in the backseat.
Now, he was grumbling because I held up my end of the bargain.
“Take a left here.”