“My wife's parents are on their death beds, Zayden, and all you can think about is yourself? Do you think I'd have called if I had anyone else?”
“That really inspires confidence, bro. Why would you even trust me with watching your kids anyway? I killed two goldfish last week. On accident.” I don't mention the fact that it was actually Hubert who murdered Teensy and Woo-woo, two more pets left over from a past girlfriend.
“I work a shit job. I have no money, no family in this world other than you. Mercedes has nobody left other than her parents. Zayden, please. Don't send my wife alone to watch her parents die.”
Aw, man.
I stand up straight and pad across the cold slate tile floor to the fridge to grab a soda. My brother's using the sympathy card on me right now, and it's working. I might be kind of a douche sometimes, but I'm really a nice guy underneath. I think? I mean, I try to be anyway.
“The kids don't have passports, Zay. And Mercedes doesn't want to take the baby on such a long flight. Can you imagine trying to care for a six month old in a hotel room? Or how about at the side of a hospital bed?”
“Dude, it's a fourteen hour drive up there and all I have is my ugly ass Geo. The car is older than I am, Rob. I was conceived in the backseat of the damn thing. I can't drive that piece of shit to the grocery store, let alone into California.”
I pop the top on my Mountain Dew and down half of it before Rob decides to speak again, his voice low and thick, like he's on the verge of tears. Fucking Christ. In the background, Kinzie screams again, sending a chill down my spine.
“You're my last chance, Zay. Please. Please do this. What would Mom and Dad say if they were here?” I roll my eyes and run the fingers of my right hand through the hair on the left side of my scalp. The other side is currently shaved like a military man gone punk. “I'll tell you what they'd say: Family is everything and everything is family. This is as much your problem as it is mine, Zay. We're brothers, and even though you can be an irresponsible prick sometimes, I love you.”
“Gah,” I stick my tongue out at my own reflection and shake my head. I can't take this lovey family shit. I feel myself just about ready to cave in. My buddy runs the shop I work at, so he'd understand. Besides, I could get the new dude, what's-his-face, to take over my appointments for me. I'd miss out on a lot of nipple piercings, but what choice do I have? I can't tell Rob no and not feel like a piece of human garbage, now can I? “Fine.”
Rob sighs in relief as goose bumps break out over my arms.
I'm going to hate this. Every second of it. I know that to be a fact.
“But I want a plane ticket. I can't drive fourteen hours straight, man.”
“I can't afford a plane ticket for you. I just spent all of my savings on tickets for Mercedes and me. You'll have to drive. If you leave now and take minimal rest stops, you can be here a few hours before our flight leaves tomorrow.”
I start to protest, but the phone is suddenly snatched away from my brother by his wife.
“Thank you, Zay,” she sobs, voice thick and sniffly. “Thank you so much. I love you like the little brother I never had, you know that right?”
Great.
I'm a sucker for pretty girls in distress.
I purse my lips so tight that my lip rings stand out like swords on either side of my mouth.
“See ya in fourteen hours then.”
Here I am with my hair all mussed up and my kitty cat pajama pants wet from the dew soaked grass. Not exactly the way I had envisioned this night going. Granted, I had known moving back to Eureka wouldn't be pleasant, but I hadn't expected this. Mom had led me to believe that she would be here to help me out, teach me to be the parent my sister refuses to be anymore.
So much for keeping my life on track.
I breathe out and my breath fogs white in the cool night air.
“Grace?” I call, searching the massive backyard for my niece. “Honey, it's not a good time for hide and seek.” I hear giggling and see a flicker of a white nightgown dart between two trees. My skin ripples with goose bumps. Yikes. Horror movie, much? Nobody in their right mind walks around a mist drenched yard at two in the morning searching for a creepy cackling child.
I suppose I'm not exactly in my right mind then.
Must not be if I was willing to leave UC Berkeley for my hometown, step into someone else's life like this. It's a life I definitely didn't want. There's a reason my sister had her first child when she was sixteen, and I'm still a virgin.