WESTON
It feels right to be back here with my brothers. I sent Eric to bed an hour ago, not wanting him to be surrounded by the drunk idiots I call my family. Dad is sitting on the piano stool, calming the mood with a quiet tune. Aiden is typing something on his phone in an armchair and Brandon has been filling me in on the details of Redwood Capital for the last hour. Now the women have come back downstairs, in a noticeably happier mood than earlier. Mom and Madeline are arm in arm, giggling as they head to the kitchen to find something to eat. Georgia is chatting merrily to Samantha, who looks like she might have had a few too many glasses of wine. She marches over to me confidently and perches on my knee.
“Hey, stranger,” she murmurs in my ear before kissing my cheek. I wrap my arms around her waist, resting my head against her back.
“I missed you,” I tell her. She is so cute when she smiles.
“Of course you did.”
Dad stops playing the piano for a moment, turning around on his stool to face us. “You guys are so in love. You’re clearly not fed up of one another yet, eh? Not like me and your Mom, Weston…”
“I heard that!” Margaret calls from the kitchen. Everyone laughs and I hold Samantha even closer, my heart filled with warmth.
“I could never be fed up of her,” I say, feeling a little tipsy and affectionate. The whole room smiles at us, apart from Georgia who mimes being sick to rile me up. But nothing could bother me right now. Everyone I love is under the same roof.
The only person missing, of course, is Cheryl. There have been moments this evening when I’ve found myself reminiscing about her. I’ve been fondly remembering how easily she slotted into our family, excelling at events like this and getting on with everyone as easily as Samantha has done tonight. But when I think of her now, I don’t feel so much pain. There’s even enough room for happiness. Happiness that we happened, happiness without regret, happiness that she can remain in my memory as I move on with my life. That’s what I’ve been chasing these past four years. Now, I’ve finally got a shot at living a good life without her.
The party continues, and everyone continues drinking apart from Brandon and I. Samantha listens to endless stories about various members of the family, and she shares her own about me, Eric and Madeline. Dad plays a few more tunes on the piano and Georgia gets up to sing and her gorgeous voice fills the room. There are even a few tears from my mother as she recounts when we were all children. My mother only ever cries after too much to drink, so when Dad tells her it’s time for bed, everyone murmurs in agreement. As she is escorted from the room, she pauses to take Samantha’s hand.
“I’m so glad you came,” she says, tears still in her eyes. Samantha smiles back.
“Glad to be here, Margaret. See you in the morning.”
After mom heads to bed, it all winds down a little. Georgia keeps drinking on her own, getting drunker while my brothers play poker with me, Madeline and Samantha. To her credit, Madeline wins almost every time, and she stays up later than both Aiden and Georgia, who end up stumbling to bed before they can make complete idiots of themselves. But when Samantha yawns, I know she’s about to head upstairs. Madeline senses it too and takes her leave. I guess she can tell I want some time with my brother.
Samantha wraps her arms around me affectionately, kissing both my cheeks and then my lips. She’s giggling as we pull apart and she wobbles a little.
“Goodnight, boys,” she says, waving dopily at Brandon and me. She leans in again to kiss me one final time on the cheek. “I love you,” she whispers. She’s said it to me before, but still, it sends a rush of warmth through me. I watch her leave until she’s gone completely, and even then, she’s still etched in my memory.
“She’s cute,” Brandon comments after a while. “And I can tell how much you like her. You’ve got this dumb smile on your face all the time.”
I grin at Brandon. “Can you blame me?”
He grins back. “Absolutely not. You’ve got yourself a keeper there, bro. You’re one of the lucky ones.”
“Love isn’t on the horizon for you now, I take it?”
Brandon shrugs. “You know how it is. The job keeps me busy. I don’t have a lot of time to meet pretty girls the way you do.”
“You’ve got to make time. I learned that the hard way,” I tell him, playing with the tumbler in my hand. Brandon’s eyes widen. He’s realized what I’m hinting at - that I spent too much time with the firm and not enough with my family.
“Bro, I’m sorry…”
I hold my hand up to quieten him. “Don’t be. I just want you to be happy. That damned company has been swallowing our family whole for years. All this money, but what for?”
“You don’t think all this is worth it?” Brandon asks, gesturing around him. I sigh.
“I used to...but not so much now. There’s more to life.”
“So what are you suggesting? That I quit the company to chase down a love affair? Who would take over? Georgia’s smart enough, but she’s got her head in the clouds, chasing down Broadway. And Aiden’s all set up as it is. I can’t just quit.”
I chuckle to myself. “I never said to quit. I’m just saying you need to take care of yourself too. Money isn’t everything. In fact, it’s nothing if you don’t have someone to enjoy it with.”
Brandon makes a disapproving noise, but I know he’s aware he’s lost the argument. He drinks some of his whiskey thoughtfully, turning to me.
“So presumably...you’re happier now that you’ve left the company?”
I sigh. “Sometimes I miss it. Sometimes I miss the thrill of watching the money come in. But I associate that part of my life with Cheryl. I associate it with never having enough time for her, and never giving her the attention she deserves. I’m always so glad that Eric doesn’t remember those years, because if he did...well, I don’t think he’d see me as a good father.”
Brandon nods seriously. “I understand. But this girl...Samantha. She makes you happy, right?”
I smile. “She’s brought so much joy to my life. I can’t even explain it, Brandon. It’s like being born again. Like remembering what it’s like to be alive.” I hang my head. “After Cheryl...I was lost for so many years. I just kept plodding through life, accepting my fate and assuming that things could never get better. And now…”
“And now you’re more open than you’ve ever been. You’re smarter, emotionally and mentally. You’ve got a new found respect for life and for what it is worth.” Brandon leans over to pat my arm. “I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of you for coming back here and for finding ways to move on. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but...well, I thought we’d lost you forever. I’m so glad we haven’t.”
I smile softly. “It would take a lot to keep me away any longer than this. I’m sorry I’ve not been the best brother. I’m sorry I went quiet when you reached out.”
Brandon holds up a hand to silence me. “You did what you had to do, and it brought you back to us eventually. That’s what matters. But can I ask you one more question?”
“Of course.”
“Samantha...is she the one?”
I smile, taking a sip of my whiskey. “Brandon...it depends on your definition. She wasn’t my first love. She’s never going to replace Cheryl. But she is the only one in the world I will ever want again.”
“Damn, Weston. I just can’t believe that you take a horse for a ride, find a lady in distress, save her and look where it gets you,” Brandon comments, his voice happy for me.
“No, Brandon. She saved me.”
THE END
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