him of Mona and the
table she’d been scrubbing. It tugged at the knot in his chest. Under different circumstances, it felt like a place he could
call home.
He found Gabe in the kitchen, dish towel in hand, wiping a baking pan. His brother chatted with a young redheaded woman who
was elbow deep in sudsy water.
“Gabe?” Ruby tiptoed into the kitchen. “You have a visitor.”
Gabe turned, and Joe went weak with shock. His younger brother had developed into a man, with whiskers, wide shoulders, and
a tan. He appeared grown-up and tailored in a green polo shirt and khakis. Joe squinted at him, the effects of time and distance
hitting him hard.
Gabe, too, stared blankly. Then, like a cloud moving from the sun, joy broke through. “Is that you, Joe?” He formed the words
slowly, enunciating with difficulty, but the expression on his round face and the shine in his almond-shaped eyes shouted
his delight with eloquence.
Joe’s feet told him to run, but he planted them, masked his emotions, and grinned. “Yep. In the flesh.”
In two quick steps Gabe closed in and threw his arms around Joe. He crushed his face into Joe’s chest. Joe felt fear flush
out of him, and he put his arms around his brother. Shame crawled into his bones the longer Gabe held him, and Joe realized
what a fool he’d been to stay away so long. “How are you doing, buddy?” His voice cracked.
Gabe leaned back, happiness making his blue eyes shine like jewels. “Great!”
Ruby patted Gabe on the back. “Why don’t you show him your room, Gabe? Daniel will finish the dishes.”
Gabe handed the towel to the gray-haired observer behind Ruby, then tugged on Joe’s jacket. “C’mon.”
Joe shot a look at Ruby, who smiled broadly. He must have had a help-me expression on his face, for her eyes took on a motherly
texture. “Go on, Joe. It’s okay.”
He raised his brows, then followed Gabe from the room.
Gabe’s large second-story bedroom faced the back of the property. Smooth, white-pine walls were dotted with posters from around
the world, giving his brother’s place a well-traveled aura. He eased into the room behind Gabe, crushing carpet so thick he
could bury himself in it and not be found for a year.
“Did you fix this up yourself?” Joe asked.
Gabe stood in the middle of the bedroom, arms wide. “Yep. I love the color red.”
Joe chuckled, digging a foot into the strawberry-colored carpet. “Well, it’s bold.”
Gabe laughed, the sound of it warm and accepting.
Joe dug his hands into his pockets and surveyed the room. A single bed, with a cherry red Indian blanket thrown over the top,
lined one wall. He recognized the spread. He’d sent it to Gabe during his stint at a dude ranch in Texas. On the other side
of the room a vinyl La-Z-Boy with peeling arms squatted in the corner. Joe felt a twinge. “That was Mom’s.”
Gabe plopped down in it. “She left it to me.”
Joe remembered going through her things and wondering where the chair had gone. She must have brought it up on her last visit.
He was glad she’d given it to Gabe.
Joe stepped toward the desk and the bookshelf next to it. Photographs in a myriad of frames were stacked arm deep. His own
face smiled back in more than half.On the full bookshelf he spied a number of best-sellers, as well as a stack of Superman
comic books. He picked up one. “Still in love with Lois Lane?”
“Superman has to be,” Gabe said and flexed an arm.
Joe laughed. Despite his appearance, Gabe hadn’t changed much. Yet, as Joe surveyed the room again, he realized his error.
This wasn’t the same brother he’d left behind in Eau Claire some fifteen years back or even the one he’d settled in the old
dorm that used to occupy this land four years ago. Then Gabe had cried, their mother had sobbed, and Joe had felt like the
evil doctor institutionalizing his brother. Guilt, which until that time had been a persistent wolf, bit hard when he
table she’d been scrubbing. It tugged at the knot in his chest. Under different circumstances, it felt like a place he could
call home.
He found Gabe in the kitchen, dish towel in hand, wiping a baking pan. His brother chatted with a young redheaded woman who
was elbow deep in sudsy water.
“Gabe?” Ruby tiptoed into the kitchen. “You have a visitor.”
Gabe turned, and Joe went weak with shock. His younger brother had developed into a man, with whiskers, wide shoulders, and
a tan. He appeared grown-up and tailored in a green polo shirt and khakis. Joe squinted at him, the effects of time and distance
hitting him hard.
Gabe, too, stared blankly. Then, like a cloud moving from the sun, joy broke through. “Is that you, Joe?” He formed the words
slowly, enunciating with difficulty, but the expression on his round face and the shine in his almond-shaped eyes shouted
his delight with eloquence.
Joe’s feet told him to run, but he planted them, masked his emotions, and grinned. “Yep. In the flesh.”
In two quick steps Gabe closed in and threw his arms around Joe. He crushed his face into Joe’s chest. Joe felt fear flush
out of him, and he put his arms around his brother. Shame crawled into his bones the longer Gabe held him, and Joe realized
what a fool he’d been to stay away so long. “How are you doing, buddy?” His voice cracked.
Gabe leaned back, happiness making his blue eyes shine like jewels. “Great!”
Ruby patted Gabe on the back. “Why don’t you show him your room, Gabe? Daniel will finish the dishes.”
Gabe handed the towel to the gray-haired observer behind Ruby, then tugged on Joe’s jacket. “C’mon.”
Joe shot a look at Ruby, who smiled broadly. He must have had a help-me expression on his face, for her eyes took on a motherly
texture. “Go on, Joe. It’s okay.”
He raised his brows, then followed Gabe from the room.
Gabe’s large second-story bedroom faced the back of the property. Smooth, white-pine walls were dotted with posters from around
the world, giving his brother’s place a well-traveled aura. He eased into the room behind Gabe, crushing carpet so thick he
could bury himself in it and not be found for a year.
“Did you fix this up yourself?” Joe asked.
Gabe stood in the middle of the bedroom, arms wide. “Yep. I love the color red.”
Joe chuckled, digging a foot into the strawberry-colored carpet. “Well, it’s bold.”
Gabe laughed, the sound of it warm and accepting.
Joe dug his hands into his pockets and surveyed the room. A single bed, with a cherry red Indian blanket thrown over the top,
lined one wall. He recognized the spread. He’d sent it to Gabe during his stint at a dude ranch in Texas. On the other side
of the room a vinyl La-Z-Boy with peeling arms squatted in the corner. Joe felt a twinge. “That was Mom’s.”
Gabe plopped down in it. “She left it to me.”
Joe remembered going through her things and wondering where the chair had gone. She must have brought it up on her last visit.
He was glad she’d given it to Gabe.
Joe stepped toward the desk and the bookshelf next to it. Photographs in a myriad of frames were stacked arm deep. His own
face smiled back in more than half.On the full bookshelf he spied a number of best-sellers, as well as a stack of Superman
comic books. He picked up one. “Still in love with Lois Lane?”
“Superman has to be,” Gabe said and flexed an arm.
Joe laughed. Despite his appearance, Gabe hadn’t changed much. Yet, as Joe surveyed the room again, he realized his error.
This wasn’t the same brother he’d left behind in Eau Claire some fifteen years back or even the one he’d settled in the old
dorm that used to occupy this land four years ago. Then Gabe had cried, their mother had sobbed, and Joe had felt like the
evil doctor institutionalizing his brother. Guilt, which until that time had been a persistent wolf, bit hard when he
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