“Does it matter? Someone is going to get hurt.”
“Why? You act like you don’t have any say in this, like it’s out of your control.”
“I can’t make her change her mind.”
“Maybe not, but you can change yours.”
I shook my head.
“You don’t get it.”
“Explain it to me, then. Because here’s how I see it: you found someone you could be happy—really happy—with but you’re scared to pursue it because she wants to have kids, and you don’t because you haven’t gotten over Becky’s betrayal or losing Bodhi, or both.”
“We spent a weekend together, Beau. I’m not sure how you can make a proclamation that I found someone I could be happy with. Even you could be happy with someone for a weekend.”
“So, you’re telling me she’s not special?”
I opened my mouth to say just that, but the words got caught in my throat.
“I, uh… she’s…”
My little brother nodded with a knowing smirk.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Fuck off.”
He threw his head back and let out a loud cackle.
“When ‘fuck off’ is the only response you can come up with, that’s how I know I’ve won the argument.”
I snarled, “Let’s go finish up,” then stomped back inside.
Beau chased after me and stood on the other side of the sink cabinet as we surveyed how we were going to remove it with the water valves sticking out of the wall.
“Do Britt and Brayden stay overnight with you on Sundays?”
“Not usually. Just Fridays and Saturdays during the school year. Why?”
“Just making conversation.”
I eyed Beau with suspicion. Out of the four brothers, he was the last one who would “just make conversation”. But he kept a straight face as he studied the remaining cabinet and said, “I think once we unscrew it from the wall, you pull, and I’ll make sure the valves clear the cutouts.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
It didn’t take long before we were ready to take out the cabinet. I stood at the front and waited for Beau to give me the signal.
After he tinkered with the hoses, he announced, “Okay, you’re good.”
I felt more resistance than usual when I tugged and asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’m looking right at it! Pull!”
I still felt resistance and paused, but Beau moved next to me and yanked on the wood, and it came free from the wall.
At the same time a geyser shot into the air.
Beau turned to me with a wicked grin as water cascaded down around us and said, “You’ll thank me someday.”
