I’m pacing outside, in one of those small under-furnished courtyards that can only be accessed from inside the hospital. No paparazzi here and nobody to bug me. Except Jason as he calls out, “There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Don’t tell me my wife sent you to calm me down.”

Jason crosses his arms, eyeing me. “She did, actually.”

We are still the mirror image of each other, my twin and I. Our hair has gone grey in the same way, solely at our temples. We’ve both stayed trim because our egos have kept our gym memberships paid up and used to their advantage. Our eyes, unlike my twin sons, are identical.

But Jason has always been a softie.

Playful.

Optimistic.

Me? Not so much.

“You don’t know the whole story,” I grumble. “I saw that kid when he was at the table, and afterward he was like a dog trying to get back in to finish a dried out bone. He had an out. We were there to save him. And he didn’t want it.”

“Sometimes it gets really bad before it gets better,” Jason says. “Not every time, but that’s how it is for some.”

“I don’t want Gabriel to have this in his life. That kid will always be a problem. He’ll want money. He’ll suck their time. And what about their kids?”

Jason’s eyebrows go up. “Are you saying my children are going to be addicts? Which one, Zoe? Samantha? Can’t be Max, he’s too wise. Maybe Wyatt? Hunter?”

Staring at him I make an annoyed face. “What the fuck are you talking about? Of course not! You didn’t marry Bernie!”

“I married Sarah whose brother was a heroin addict.” Jason pointedly looks at me, knowing I’d forgotten all about who Nathan used to be. I met him when he was clean — never thought twice about it after that. “We are talking about Paige’s brother, too, aren’t we? Just like my wife’s brother?”

Running a hand over my hair I pace away from him. “It’s not the same thing.”

“How is it not? Heroin is worse, isn’t it? More of a social stigma.”

“Nathan got clean!”

“So might Paige’s brother. Bernie finally got clean and you never thought she would. She teaches third grade now and has a family of her own. Would you condemn her today?”

Completely out of proportion to our discussion I explode, “Jason, I’m sick of your looking out for them! When are you going to learn?!”

He stares at me, dropping his arms and shoving his hands into his pockets. “You’re still pissed at me. Jaimie’s right.”

I’m blinking back fury, trying to get ahold of myself and on the verge of punching him. “NO!”

Jason gets in my face, locking in as he says in a determined and ready to fight me if he needs to voice, “Face it. You’re still hurt from when you watched what I did with Bernie. You were forced to sit there, unable to stop me or help me. And that was foreign to you, especially because you love me so much.” His finger jams into my chest. “You’re still scared for me in here. But I’m okay, Justin. It’s not happening anymore. You don’t have to protect me. It ended a long time ago before Jake even met Drew! That’s how fuckin’ long ago it was so you need to let this go. Talk to somebody, or write it out somewhere and burn the paper, I don’t know. Whatever it takes until it’s finally out of your system. Cry, punch something, scream in a dark alley, whatever it takes. But don’t do this, Justin.” He turns on his heel and walks away with that enigmatic statement in his wake.

I call after him, “Jason!” He stops. “Don’t do what?”

“Don’t come between your son and the woman he loves. Unless you want to lose him.” Holding my look he walks inside, leaving me out here wondering how we switched places. I was always the wise one. I’m the older brother. By two minutes, sure, but that matters, dammit.

The problem with the truth is that when you hear it you can’t ignore it. Some people try to stick their head back in the sand.

Me? Not so much.