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Inspired by Izhilzha
Not nearly as good as hers, but inspired by our mutual ponderings.
~~~
Charlie sat on his favorite bench in the afternoon sun, lost in thought. He and Don had come a long way in the past few years. From the sibling rivalry of their formative years to the distance of time and geography to again living in the same city to working together, socializing together, reconnecting on a level Charlie had never thought much about before Don’s return home. Charlie had always loved his brother, but until the past couple of years he’d never really thought about what Don did for a living. Well, except that one day . . .
“Now, Charlie, you go on to class,” Mom said. “We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.”
“Right. Sure, okay.” Charlie gulped the last of his orange juice, grabbed his satchel with shaking hands, and headed out the door.
Later that day, as he sat quietly at his desk staring at the numbers scribbled across the board—architectural formulas gauging stress resistance—his office phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Charlie. Oh, good. You’re there.”
“Dad? What’s wrong? You sound funny.” Charlie thought he heard the remanents of tears in his father’s voice. Charlie’s chest tightened and his own throat started to close.
“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” Dad took a deep breath. “Your brother called. He’s fine.”
Charlie let out his own held breath and swallowed. “Don’s—He’s—”
“He’s fine, Charlie. Don’s fine. Very, very busy. Emergency meetings all day. But he’s fine.”
Charlie closed his eyes and muttered a word of thanks.
“Charlie? Are you okay?”
Opening his eyes, Charlie felt his breath come a bit more easily. “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine. Don’s fine.”
“Don’t try to call him. He’ll be unreachable for the rest of the day and probably tomorrow. He’s going to try to call sometime this evening, though, so be sure you’re home for dinner.”
“Dinner. Right. I’ll be there. Don’s okay.”
Before he realized what he was doing, Charlie found himself hitting the speed dial on his cell phone.
“Eppes.”
“Hey, bro. You busy?”
“I’m always busy, Charlie. What’s up?”
“Are you too busy for lunch?”
“What’d you have in mind?”
“Whatever you want. My treat.”
Don’s tone grew vaguely suspicious. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch. I just—it’s a beautiful day and I thought you might want to get out of the office.”
There was a silence at the other end of the line. Then Don answered, his voice now sharing good-natured understanding. “Sounds like a plan. I’ve got a couple things to square away here. Meet me out front?”
“I’ll come up.”
“See you in a few.”
Charlie closed his phone and took a deep, cleansing breath. Things had changed in the past five years, and there was no going back. But some things, it turned out, changed for the better.
~~~
Charlie sat on his favorite bench in the afternoon sun, lost in thought. He and Don had come a long way in the past few years. From the sibling rivalry of their formative years to the distance of time and geography to again living in the same city to working together, socializing together, reconnecting on a level Charlie had never thought much about before Don’s return home. Charlie had always loved his brother, but until the past couple of years he’d never really thought about what Don did for a living. Well, except that one day . . .
“Now, Charlie, you go on to class,” Mom said. “We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.”
“Right. Sure, okay.” Charlie gulped the last of his orange juice, grabbed his satchel with shaking hands, and headed out the door.
Later that day, as he sat quietly at his desk staring at the numbers scribbled across the board—architectural formulas gauging stress resistance—his office phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Charlie. Oh, good. You’re there.”
“Dad? What’s wrong? You sound funny.” Charlie thought he heard the remanents of tears in his father’s voice. Charlie’s chest tightened and his own throat started to close.
“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” Dad took a deep breath. “Your brother called. He’s fine.”
Charlie let out his own held breath and swallowed. “Don’s—He’s—”
“He’s fine, Charlie. Don’s fine. Very, very busy. Emergency meetings all day. But he’s fine.”
Charlie closed his eyes and muttered a word of thanks.
“Charlie? Are you okay?”
Opening his eyes, Charlie felt his breath come a bit more easily. “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine. Don’s fine.”
“Don’t try to call him. He’ll be unreachable for the rest of the day and probably tomorrow. He’s going to try to call sometime this evening, though, so be sure you’re home for dinner.”
“Dinner. Right. I’ll be there. Don’s okay.”
Before he realized what he was doing, Charlie found himself hitting the speed dial on his cell phone.
“Eppes.”
“Hey, bro. You busy?”
“I’m always busy, Charlie. What’s up?”
“Are you too busy for lunch?”
“What’d you have in mind?”
“Whatever you want. My treat.”
Don’s tone grew vaguely suspicious. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch. I just—it’s a beautiful day and I thought you might want to get out of the office.”
There was a silence at the other end of the line. Then Don answered, his voice now sharing good-natured understanding. “Sounds like a plan. I’ve got a couple things to square away here. Meet me out front?”
“I’ll come up.”
“See you in a few.”
Charlie closed his phone and took a deep, cleansing breath. Things had changed in the past five years, and there was no going back. But some things, it turned out, changed for the better.
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*g* Yeah, one I'm usually severely deficient in. Don't know where those 3 came from, honestly. But thank you.