Episode One Hundred and Ninety-Six: My wandering brother

“Does anyone know when he is coming home?” I asked, glancing between the two of them. “I want to talk to him as well.”

Dad shook his head, as he continued to pet Indigo. “You know him, he goes where the jobs take him.”

Onyx rolled his eyes. “He likes to wander, that’s for sure.”

“Someone in the family needed to be the odd one out,” said my dad. “Sable, even, settled down, just not as close to the rest of us as your mother would like.”

Indigo nudged him, making him chuckle again.

“Yep, you are more than welcome to sneak into my suitcase. You might find it a little boring, but we always have people coming and going.” 

Onyx cocked his head to the side. “You might like the clinic if you join us…”

“Hey,” I said, holding up a hand. “No stealing Indigo. This is her home for as long as she wants it.”

Indigo purred in response and wiggled a little.

“Don’t worry, I won’t steal her away,” mumbled my Dad. “As much as I’d love too, Sable’s been known to move mountains to get her way.”

I jerked back in slight disbelief. “No, I…”

“Like the time she stole that dog, and dropped it off at the animal shelter after walking across the county,” added Onyx. He snorted and motioned to the soup.

I snagged the spoon and gave it another stir letting the aroma fill the space. “The dog needed saving, they were leaving him outside even in freezing rain…”

“I didn’t say it was the wrong thing to do! You just vanished for who knows how long to do it. Mom and Dad thought you ran away from home, then you come marching in proud as can be because you saved him.” Onyx chuckled. “You caused an uproar, yet, you didn’t even know it.”

“I mean, maybe…” I hadn’t thought about it like that. I remembered finally making my way back home. My feet were killing me, but Spike was safe, at a place where he could find a better family to live with. 

I didn’t think about how I’d left before the sun came up to steal him out of the fenced in yard and then walk him all the way there. It took all day, and I didn’t get home until late.

But it’d been worth it.

“She saved someone who couldn’t save themselves,” said my Dad. “Its why she didn’t get into trouble.”

I stirred the soup again and pulled some bowls with plates out of the cupboards. I then pulled the bread and cheese out, before getting started on making the sandwiches.

Grilled cheese was an art, but one I thankfully could do okay.

Both of them watched me as I cooked, but I ignored the attention. Back home, I did little in the kitchen, and this would have stretched my abilities. Yet, now I flew through it and it didn’t take long for me to grill each sandwich.

I cut them into triangles and added one to each plate. Then filled up the bowls before setting the first in front of Onyx.

“You really can cook…” he muttered.

“Only half a sandwich for me,” said my Dad. “I’m not super hungry.”

That worked out, and it left half a sandwich for Indigo. I set it out of sight from them and it vanished into the counter. Same with the soup I left in the pot after serving my dad and me.

Indigo leaped off his lap when I set the food down and padded out of sight.

I hoped both her and the Cat were okay with the food. They wouldn’t be able to ask for anything different.

The first sip of the warm soup made me smile. Past meals of the tomato soup, sitting around my parent’s massive table, along with the chatter of everyone filling the air, brought a bit of a lump to my throat.

It didn’t take long until we all were scrapping the bottoms of our bowls.

“That was tasty, thank you for lunch.” My Dad pushed back from the island. “Time for me to take a nap…”

Onyx nodded, while I cleared the island and put stuff in the dishwasher.

Once Dad was out of sight, I turned to my brother. “How is he really doing?”

“Dads okay.” He let out a sigh. “So much is still up in the air, and he continues treatment when we get back, but he wanted to do this trip first. Demanded it, actually.”

My father didn’t demand things. He was as easygoing as they came. The only thing he loved to do on his own or with one of us kids was go to the beach. Maybe do some fishing, and relaxing next to the salty water.

“Huh, well, it’s good to see you both…” I motioned to the couches, and headed in that direction.

Snow drifted down slowly outside the massive windows, yet it was nice and comfortable inside.

I claimed my seat from earlier while Onyx sat closer to the windows.

“Are you really thinking about staying on after your contract’s over?” he asked.

I swallowed hard, but nodded. “I want to visit home, but yeah, I’ve found my place.”

“Mom’s going to lose it, you know…”

I went to interrupt, but he held up a hand.

“She just misses you, like the rest of us, and she honestly thought you’d love to run the clinic with her. You have the business classes, you just need to take the healing classes on the side.”

“I couldn’t imagine needing to go back to school again,” I said, shaking my head. “I didn’t want to go in the first place.”

Onyx opened his mouth, but paused before he continued, “You’re older now and an adult. Things would be different at home.”

“I can’t just live there forever. I don’t know how you do it.” I pulled my legs up onto the couch. “Like, this is the first time I know of that you left town.”

Onyx smiled softly and turned toward the windows. “My night terrors make it hard to sleep, and I don’t drive. Everything I need is in town. I love my job and family, it’s all I need.”

“It’s not everything I need, though.” My mind went to Indigo and the Dragons, plus the Cat. They couldn’t go to my town, and I wouldn’t leave them behind. Maybe once I figured out how to rescue the Cat things could change. Until then, at least, this was my place.

“It could be, you just haven’t given it a chance.” He turned to look at me. “You’ve only ever been home as a teenager. Now you're an adult. The youngest of us. Come back at least for a visit, give it a chance.”

I frowned, but nodded. “Like I said, that’s my hope. I’ll come back for a visit, then re-up my contract.”