“Why am I going with you again?” I question Meredith, my best friend and study partner, as we drive from our dorm down to Monterey

Meredith stares straight ahead intently focused on the road. Her jaw is set and her knuckles are white on the steering wheel.

“He’s my brother, we haven’t lived this close to each other since he left for the service when I was fourteen.”

“I understand why you’re going to see your brother. I’m wondering why you’re dragging my ass down with you.”

“Olivia, I don’t think I can do this alone. I need some backup support.”

“For your brother? He’s not violent or anything?”

“No, he’s not violent. It’s just … we had a difficult childhood. Sometimes that brings you closer, other times that breaks people apart.”

“And you didn’t ask Sam to join you, because?”

“Sam is protective. If some of our childhood shit comes up, Sam will get too involved. I need someone supportive who won’t add to the drama.”

“And Sam is cool with this?”

“He lent me his car.”

“Did he lend you his car knowing you’re coming down here to see your brother?”

“Yes, of course.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“And he didn’t want to take you? He’s cool with me going with you? That doesn’t sound like Sam.”

Meredith’s been going out with Sam since the beginning of our freshman year. Sam’s cool, the three of us are good friends. He’s protective of Meredith, without being creepy or controlling.

“He’s cool with it. I told him we’ll get together with Connor in the future. For the first meeting, I need you with me. I need to keep the testosterone levels low.”

The sand dunes fly by as I look out the window. I hope this doesn’t get too awkward. Meredith and I have been studying together for the last four years. When I started college, I figured my best hope for getting top grades was to find a smart study partner. In my first class, I took one look at Meredith and I knew she had to be here on a full scholarship, which meant she had to be naturally gifted. I was right. Meredith’s brilliant. I know people throw that term around, but after studying together, I find her ability to comprehend, synthesize, and extrapolate ideas to be astounding. When we first started out, it was me teaching her, since I came from a rigorous prep school, and most of the material was a review. It didn’t take long for her to catch up and surpass everyone in our class.

We arrive at Togo’s, a sandwich shop, located walking distance from the Defense Language Institute. Meredith’s brother is currently attending a program here. From what I understand all the military services send their sharp people here for language training. They say that a day at the language institute is equivalent to a week of a college-level language course. A military student can leave in eighteen months with an accredited four-year degree in languages. Meredith said her brother enlisted right after high school. I bet smarts runs in her family, and the military has figured out her brother’s brain can be used more advantageously than his brawn.

Meredith is rather closed lipped about her childhood. As best as I can gather she grew up in rural Indiana, she’s the first person in her family to go to college, her mom died suddenly when she was ten, her dad quickly remarried, and she and her brother never got along with her stepmother. About the only thing similar to our upbringing is having an older brother. I in turn, grew up on the upper east side of Manhattan; my parents met in medical school, I attended private schools, and summered in The Hamptons.

We enter Togo’s, Meredith nervously looks around. “We’re here to meet your brother, it’s not like it’s a blind date,” I joke as we head to the counter to order our sandwiches.

She responds with a shaky smile and nods. We watch the guys make our sandwiches in silence. With our sandwiches in hand, we head to a booth. About five minutes later a big solder enters. He looks like a recruit for an army commercial or a military avatar in Call of Duty. He’s wearing fatigues and an army T-shirt. His blond hair is very short, his jaw is square, and his shirt doesn’t cover but extenuates his muscles. He exudes masculine power. Meredith’s eyes are locked on him.

“Is that him?”

“I think so.”

“Then call out his name.” She doesn’t move. “Conner?” I call out.

He turns, at first he’s confused, and then he sees Meredith and smiles.

“Meredith get up,” I urge.

She scoots herself out of the booth and joins her brother. They look at each other tentatively, they each say something, and then she flies into his arms. Their hug is big and warm. Now I’m wondering if I should take a walk down to the water and give them some time to reconnect. Meredith joins Conner at the counter and waits while his sandwich is made. From where I sit she’s smiling and chatting, so I figure the reunion is going well.

They come back to the table where I give her a questioning look.

“I’d be happy to take a walk. Why don’t you guys have some time to catch up?”

Conner looks me up and down, he frowns.

“Stay,” Meredith urges as she scoots in next to me. “Conner, this is my good friend Olivia Harary.”

Conner has the same navy blue eyes and Nordic bone structure as Meredith.

“Harary? Jewish or Coptic?” he questions.

Now that blows my mind. It’s usually only Arab’s who identify my name’s Middle Eastern and even they don’t get down to the level of clan.

“My mom’s maiden name is Bijou.”

 “So you’re Sephardic.” He turns his gaze to Meredith. “Jewish,” he explains.

“It’s much more complicated than that. My mom’s half Egyptian and half Syrian. The Egyptian side is Sephardic,while my Syrian family is Mizrahi and my dad’s a Palestinian Coptic Christian.

“Whoa, now that union sure gave the families a jolt.”

“That was rather impressive for a Midwestern farm boy.”

“I havn’t lived in the midwest since I was eighteen.”

“Sephardic are Spanish Jews who immigrated to the Middle East in the fifteenth century, during the Spanish inquisition, while Mizrahi is a Jew who’s always been in the Middle East,” I explain to Meredith. “It’s not like you’d run into too many people like me in Iraq or Afghanistan,” I question Conner.

“US military is involved in the Middle East, lots of clans, lots of issues. You need to know the game board or you’ll end up being played.”

Yeah, he’s as smart as his sister. Damn, brawn and brains. Now this is an interesting combination.