Page 68 of Father of the Bride
I do
Good to know
He bit his lip, putting his phone face down so he could get some air and calm himself.
He tossed back the rest of his bourbon just as his younger brother Micah slid into the seat beside him. Fresh off the red-eye and looking like the nerd he was.
“What’d I miss?” he said as Mark pulled him in for a hug.
“About four rounds and two hundred dollars of their money I ganked,” he said, nodding toward a miserable-looking Drew and Vince.
“And my ass caught on fire,” Drew added, making Micah laugh.
“Where’s Pop?”
“Napping at the hotel, I assume.” Mark’s gaze shifted to Luke, who had joined them. Orion was sulking in a corner talking to a couple of the waitresses, drinking his pain away.
“Sterling’s here,” Mark announced, locking eyes with Micah.
“Yall talk yet?”
“Nah. We will.” He elbowed his little brother. “Get you a drink, man. Have fun.”
Mark scanned the room, his eyes landing on Sylvan, who sat in the corner all alone.
“What’s up with you?” Mark asked as he approached. “You good?”
Sylvan nodded, his voice cracking slightly when he said, “I guess.”
“You nervous about the wedding?”
Sylvan hesitated. “Nah. It’s…school. I…I haven’t told anybody, but I don’t know if I wanna go to medical school anymore. I don’t think it’s for me.”
Mark nodded. “Well, you came to the right man.”
Sylvan frowned. “I didn’t come to you. You came to me.”
“Yeah. I did. I’m tipsy, man.”
Sylvan laughed.
“Look, you don’t have to know everything right now. All you need to know is enough to put one foot in front of the other.”
Sylvan nodded. “I guess.”
“It’s hard,” Mark said. “I know better than anybody in here. You’re gonna want to quit. You might even shed a few tears. But it’s worth it.”
Sylvan stared down at the floor.
“Is there something else?”
He brought his gaze to Mark’s. “Life shit. A lot going on.”
“I know.” The two stood in silence for a while until Mark pulled out his wallet, fishing out a business card.
“That’s me. Call me anytime. About school, or…whatever. Alright?”
“Alright. Thanks. And promise me you won’t tell anybody what I just said. Nobody knows, not even my brothers.”
