“I want to marry Sarai,” I said, staring at my brother. “I love her, and I want to marry her.”

“Where are you gonna live?” Bram asked, unswayed by my declaration. “You two planning on kids? How many?”

“We’ll figure it out,” I replied. We hadn’t discussed any of that yet. My apartment was nicer, but Sarai’s was bigger. I wasn’t sure which she would choose, but it was a nonissue for me. I didn’t care where we lived. I’d already mentioned kids and she hadn’t argued, so that discussion could come later, way later.

“Man, you have to know that shit,” Bram scolded.

“Like you and Ani knew any of that when you got together?” I said snidely.

“Ani and I weren’t engaged,” he said, looking at me as if I were an idiot. “And do you really want to go through what I went through?”

“Out of everyone in our family, I figured you’d be the hardest sell, but I didn’t think you’d bust my balls,” I said in disgust.

“I’m not busting your balls, jackass,” Bram shot back. “I’m asking you if you’ve thought this through.”

“I’ve thought it through, all right?” I said. “I know what I’m doing.”

Bram stared at me for a long moment, then nodded. Jesus, he looked like our dad when he did shit like that.

“All right,” he said. “I’ll drop it.”

“Thank you.”

We were quiet while we watched Arie play with her toys, babbling at them and then throwing them to the side to grab a new one. Damn, she was cute. Every time I saw her, she was so much bigger than the last time. It was hard living so far away, especially now that everyone had kids running around and growing up without me.

“Ani didn’t sleep last night,” Bram said finally, laughing a little. “I bet she’s hell on wheels today.”

“Why didn’t she sleep?” I asked, leaning back into the couch again.

“Arie woke up as soon as we got home, and didn’t fall back asleep,” Bram replied. “Ani’s gonna be pissed when she finds out that the little monster fell asleep right after she left.”

“And that you got some rest and she didn’t,” I said.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “But she’ll nap when they get home, and I’ll have to wake her up for dinner.”

“Better you than me,” I said.

“I don’t know,” Bram said. “She’s getting used to surviving on little sleep. Once Arie starts sleeping through the night, Ani’s not going to know what to do with herself.”

“Maybe you’ll finally get laid again,” I said slyly.

“I pray for it daily,” Bram replied, deadpan.