Her words cause a painful thump in my chest because in this moment, I don’t know how to move forward without her either. But, one of us has to be strong. “Please don’t do this,” I beg, knowing that she has the power to break me if I don’t shut this down.

“I love you,” she murmurs. “Please.” She sniffles.

I rest my chin on top of her head trying to keep the tears of my own at bay at the thought of it being over between us. “I’m sorry.”

“I can’t believe this is the end.”

“Neither can I.”

I’m well aware that I haven’t said anything to Trey in a few minutes as the particular trip down memory lane that I’ve avoided for the past three years comes at me in full force. I clear my throat and the words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

“I’ll be home in two days.”

“I cannot believe you’re fuckin’ here,” Trey says as he gets out of his truck in the pickup line at LAX airport. “You haven’t been home in three years.”

“A lot of people haven’t done a lot of shit in three years,” I remind him. It was nearing the end of 2022 and things were finally starting to get back to a bit of normalcy. But it was crazy that I hadn’t seen my brother in almost three years after years of living not only in the same city but the same neighborhood. The time had been good to him, giving him a bit more muscle after he’d turned one of his rooms into his home office slash gym and taking his Zoom calls from his treadmill. He looked at least ten pounds lighter with dark brown hair after probably one too many women told him that no serious adult man had blonde hair. We looked more alike now more than ever despite our four-year age difference. I was just a few inches taller and now I’m much tanner due to my time in Mexico and his time indoors staring at a computer screen.

“How were you able to get home so fast anyway? Doctors Without Borders just lets you come and go as you please now?” he says as we load my suitcases into the back of his truck. “Hey, watch the paint. I just got it detailed.” He points at where I dragged the suitcase barely against the bumper before putting it in the trunk of his Range Rover.

I ignore my younger brother’s neuroses about his truck and answer his question. “My obligatory eighteen months has been up, I just stayed to help out. There is still a lot of work to be done. Besides…” I shrug as I get into the car. “I didn’t have a reason to be here.”

“Just your family.”

I roll my eyes. “Okay, Mom. You guys are all grown. I’m unmarried with no children. Given the current state of the world, I think you guys can forgive my absence on a few holidays.” I snort, already preparing myself for the guilt trip I’m going to get from my mother, I’m sure.