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Back The Third Brother Save as PDF
Chapters (116)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by the Author
  3. The Third Brother
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. PART II
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67
  75. 68
  76. 69
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. 80
  88. 81
  89. 82
  90. 83
  91. 84
  92. 85
  93. 86
  94. 87
  95. 88
  96. PART III
  97. 89
  98. 90
  99. 91
  100. 92
  101. 93
  102. 94
  103. 95
  104. 96
  105. 97
  106. 98
  107. 99
  108. 100
  109. 101
  110. 102
  111. 103
  112. 104
  113. 105
  114. 106
  115. 107
  116. 108

Mike says he is, and Harrison speeds off on his blue motorcycle, disappearing around the corner, leaving Mike standing alone with his many questions in front of Dorr’s house.

What the fuck, Mike thinks, we went to the same college.

54

Mike’s father talked a lot about how he was looking forward to visiting Harvard now that Mike went there, but when he arrived Mike noticed that he didn’t talk very much at all. It was like the school reminded him of something he hadn’t expected to think about, and whatever it was disarmed him.

Mike’s father wanted to take a walk by the river, so they walked down there. It had to do with his parents’ marriage.

Mike’s father and mother got back together four years after graduation. Mike’s father had had been in Vietnam and was back at Harvard attending business school. Mike’s mother was doing PR in New York, mostly for nonprofits. When she heard that he was back in Cambridge she went and convinced him that it made sense for them to be together.

He had been having a hard semester. He wasn’t sure that business school was right. His father’s family had forced him into it, really. And he wasn’t sure that he should have forgiven Mike’s mother. His life seemed impermanent, somehow, and he was worried that it wasn’t his own.

One cold fall day when he was particularly uneasy, he sat by the river on a bench and brooded, chain-smoking and gouging a pocketknife into the wood as he sat there. He found that the knife was falling into letters, and he found that he was carving “Will you marry me?” into the bench. Somehow it made sense.

It was corny, the way he did it, and he was embarrassed later when she would tell the story, which she was good at telling and liked to tell. In the clear late November air, he showed Mike’s mother the writing by the light of his Zippo lighter.

She looked at the carving and said, “Will you try to quit smoking?” She didn’t like cigarettes and heavy boozing.

“Anything,” he said.

“We’re going to be the best,” she said and was sure they would conquer everything. No children for a while, though; it was going to be just the two them.

Mike’s father left his pack of cigarettes there on the bench that night. He didn’t quit, though, and his new fiancée picked up the habit from him.