ERIC

My sister excitedly tells me, “The sale is finally going through,” as we enter the foyer she and her geezer have in escrow. “The sellers fought us on the price we bid after we discovered it needs some work, but now,” she claps her hands, spreading her arms to full wing span as we stroll into the empty living room. “it’s finally ours!”

“So…should I feel left out now or later?”

Emma frowns, “What do you mean?”

Inspecting the high ceilings I suck on my teeth. “It’s nice, Emm.”

“Nice evasion.” She crosses her arms, professional dress bunching up, matching heels spread in a confrontational stance. Right now she looks more realtor than family member. “Clarify that. You feel left out? Because I’m engaged?”

Heading into an oversized space that will soon be a dining room I say over my shoulder, “You, Ethan, Hannah, doors away from each other, all on the same block. I couldn’t give two shits that you’re married. I’m happy for you guys if that’s what you’re into. But did you have to all cozy up for parenthood in a cocoon of your own design?” Strolling into the empty kitchen next, I glance around and spot an enclosed back patio. “That’s pretty cool.”

“Thank you,” she quietly nods, walking to pick up color swatches next to the sink for something to do because she’s uncomfortable. “Eric, it didn’t occur to me you’d feel that way. I’m so sorry.”

Shrugging I act like it’s nothing. “No biggie. This the basement?”

“It’s a wine cellar.”

Interest piqued I head downstairs, instantly enveloped by the heady scent of damp cork and musky wood. “This is the coolest part of the house, Emm,” I murmur running my fingers over empty wine shelves that will soon house a selection many would drool over. “Your geezer a wine snob?”

Her eyes flit around in thought. “You’re always training or playing or partying so it never occurred to me that you would care about where we lived. You could join us and buy a house here, too, if you want to! You have the money now!”

The idea sounds like death to me, and my face shows it. “I’m not meant for suburbia.”

“I don’t know if you can call Buckhead suburbia.”

“If there are chain restaurants, it’s the burbs.”

Crossing her arms she counters, “Some of the best chains in the world.”

“Which you won’t find in Old Fourth, Virginia Highlands, Inman Park. We keep that shit out.”

Sighing she walks to me. “I really should have thought of you. It’s just, your team is who you spend most of your time with and I know you’re not where I’m at, or Hannah. You’re not ready to get married and…do you even want kids?”

Shrugging I reply, “Not on my mind right now.”

“And Ethan didn’t expect to meet his wife either, so you never know what could happen. But Eric,” She runs a gentle hand down my arm and clasps my hand. “We didn’t mean to leave you out.”

Glancing to the ground I try to save face, but since I’m an honest man like my father, I find myself confessing, “Stings a little. Like you guys are all growing up without me. I mean fuck, Emm, even Gabriel found his girl.”

“Yes, but they’re touring together. Not exactly settling down. And they don’t want kids yet. See, it’s not always buy a house and procreate. God, that sounds terrible when I put it like that. Even I don’t want that.”

Sucking on my lips I make a smacking sound. “Yes you do. When did you get so old?”

“I’m almost thirty, and that’s not old.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to pay the piper.” I motion for her to lead the way back up. Ladies first, as Dad taught Ethan and me.

I expect my sister to fight me like she usually does about this chivalry stuff, being the feminist that she is, but instead she gets this demure aww-shucks look on her face, alighting the stairs like a lady.

I chuckle, rubbing my face at all of the changes, muttering under my breath, “He trained you, didn’t he?”

At the top she watches me pass her, turns off the light switch and closes the door, asking on a frown, “Who?”

“The geezer opens your doors, doesn’t he?” I smirk. “Maybe I like him after all, if he can keep even you in line.”

I get some satisfaction as she transforms back into the stubborn, pig headed sister I grew up idolizing. “First, stop calling him that!” She smacks my arm, eyes flashing as I grin. “And second, he did not train me! Tanner just explained some things in a way that made sense and so…I’ve adapted.”

“You’re cock-whipped.”

She tries to remain serious, which lasts for a second, if that. “I won’t argue. I do love his—”

Covering my ears I use long strides to get away from her and inside the back patio, the whole time singing, “I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!”

Emma cracks up, heels moving at a fast clip until she stands beside me, both of us staring at her beautiful new yard, shadows thick as night slowly descends. “Eric, you’re so lame.”

“You’re lamer.”

“You are.”

“No, you are.”

She bonks her shoulder to my bicep, since she’s so much shorter than I am and can’t reach mine. We walk outside and I shake my head, having one hell of a time believing this home is hers. “You’re going to have patio furniture right here, huh?”

“Yes, and one of those canopies I think. Although it might not be children friendly, and we want to have a lot of them.”

Shuddering I glance over to ask, “Has Mom been over? She loves this place, doesn’t she?”

Emma nods, eyes warm and happy. “She does. Dad fights the whole idea, but you know him.”

“He still sees you as his baby.”

“I was the first. But you’re the real baby.”

“Feels like that today, for sure,” I mutter.

I’m four years younger than Emma, almost five. Ethan is right in the middle. I can remember us playing in the yard at home, and the time that we tricked Mom into thinking Ethan fell after he’d already broken his arm. Those days are gone now. “You’re going to make memories with a new family here.”

Emma gasps and hurries over to me. “Hey, you are my family. Nothing has changed—it’s just growing. Come on now, you just broke my heart, Eric.”

I mutter, “It’s cool, I don’t care,” not able to meet her eyes.

“You should come over and have dinner with us. I want you to stop thinking of him as ‘geezer.’”

That makes me laugh and her eyes sparkle with relief. Pulling her into a hug I kiss her soft hair before I walk away, checking out the healthy trees and pushing my emotions back in the cave where they belong. “If Ethan comes, too, I’ll do it. But I’m not going to be a third wheel when you guys are in the honeymoon stage. Literally.”

“We’re not in the—”

Spinning around I point at her. “—I know you’ve been fucking like you’re in heat and I don’t want to be around that alone!”

Emma laughs, “What?!”

“I see the red in your cheeks. You’re blushing. I nailed it! Or he did, does, all the time! Ethan’ll have to hold me back from kicking this guy’s ass for touching my only sister.”

“Fine,” she grins. “God, you guys are the worst. Agreed, I will make it a whole thing.” She rakes her hair back and holds her head, smiling into the sky. Dropping her arms she announces, “You know what, I’ll invite Mom and Dad, too! Happy?”

“Very.”

“Okay, enough about me. What about you. Are you dating anyone?”

I chuckle, eyeing her like she’s nuts. “Name one girl I’ve ever dated.”

“You liked Leah a lot.”

Walking back I remind her, “I was thirteen. Leah had double Ds.”

“Right, that was unusual.”

“And so soft,” I smile.

Emma smacks my arm. “You felt them?”

“Oh I did more than feel them.”

“You guys were just kids!”

“We were just kids playing doctor. And she had a terrible cough in her chest that needed kisses and lots of massaging. That was the only cure. Or so I told her.”

“Eric!”

Laughing I head back to the house, “She loved it. Even wrote her number in my yearbook later, though I already had it. Dear Dr. Cocker, she wrote.”

Emma groans, heels clicking into the patio with me. “She didn’t!”

“Do I lie?”

“Did you call her?”

“Nope. See, because that might have been considered dating.”

Crossing her arms and stopping, my sister rolls her eyes. “No, it wouldn’t.”

“Girls get ideas in their heads and this particular Cocker is steering clear of that noose you call a wedding band.” I walk inside, dryly saying under my breath, “Because it seems to be contagious.”