We talked about college for a long time, until Darwin said, “We should let you get ready for your interview.”
They started to leave the room so I could take a shower and change, and I called after them, “Hey, guys?” When they turned to look at me, I said, “I just wanted to thank you for everything. You’re both kind, awesome, incredible people, and I’m glad we’re friends.”
Darwin grinned and said, “Aw, you’re going to make Josh blush.” Sure enough, when I glanced at his fiancé, he looked a little pink. “We’re glad you’re our friend too, Seth. Now go kill it at that interview. And don’t let them lowball you on the salary. Know your worth!” That was good advice.
The interview ended up being a breeze. The shop owner offered me the job less than five minutes after meeting me, and we scheduled my start date for the following weekend. Then he introduced me to my new coworkers before launching into a detailed discussion of all the products they offered. He was particularly proud of their huge selection of dildos, which was undeniably impressive.
After the interview, I ran an errand before returning to Nana’s house. The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent hanging out with my friends, helping Nana put together a delicious seafood dinner, and eating way too much.
Late that night, I was sitting up in bed scrolling through my phone when a text message popped up on my screen. It was from Eden, and it said: If you’re awake, please come outside. Okay, that was definitely weird, since it was about two in the morning. My first thought was that he’d found a twenty-four-hour florist and had something delivered. But then it said come outside, not go…
I was dressed in nothing but plaid pajama pants, so I added a red zippered hoodie, stuck the phone in my pocket, and went downstairs barefoot. The house was perfectly still, so I tried to be as quiet as possible.
When I reached the front door, I opened it a few inches and looked around. The porch light was off, but my heart leapt when I saw Eden pacing on the sidewalk in the glow of a streetlamp.
I felt a million things in that moment. Yes, the anger was still there, but I was also elated. He must have started driving here—in what, I didn’t know—right after he got my text, and driven almost nonstop. He’d come for me, and that told me loud and clear how much I truly mattered to him.
He came into the yard when I stepped outside. I could tell he was exhausted by the hunch of his shoulders, and his concerned expression was unmistakable even in the low light.
I wanted to run to him, but my pride held me back. As I pulled the door shut behind me and descended the stairs, I asked, “How did you get here? I thought you’d be stuck in Utah until next week.”
“Casey let me borrow his car.”
“So, he didn’t come back with you?”
“No, he stayed in Utah. He got someone to cover his shifts at work next week, and he’ll drive my truck back when it’s fixed.”
“I’m confused.” I sat down on the foot of the stairs, and he sat beside me. “The last time I saw Casey, he was screaming at you for violating his tiny, defenseless, too-dumb-to-make-good-choices baby brother. Why would he help you?”
“He was helping you, not me. Once he realized you weren’t coming back, he got really concerned. He knew you were upset, and he wanted to go after you to make sure you were okay. But we didn’t know if you’d gone to St. Louis or back to San Francisco, so neither of us could do anything until you sent that message. Then he decided I was the one you’d really want to see, not him, so he let me use his car.”
I asked, “Did you check the location app to find out where I’d gone?”
“Yeah. You shut it off.”
“Damn right I did.” I sighed, and after a minute I muttered, “I don’t get why Casey was so concerned. I was mad, so I left. That’s not a big deal. He must think I’m such a helpless child.”
“No, he doesn’t. He knows you’re an adult. But he’ll always be your big brother, and that role is really important to him. He desperately wants to feel needed, not that he’ll admit it. I actually think that’s part of the reason he went into nursing.”
That made me want to give Casey a huge hug. I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent him a text, which read: I love you, bro, and I want you to know I’m fine. Thanks for helping Eden come see me. I’ll talk to you soon. Be safe.
He replied a moment later with: K. Typical Casey. It wasn’t like he was going to get all flowery or anything.