The Better Brother

y shoes. I’d only been in the house five minutes, and already, my mom was on my case.

“Anyway,” Bethany said loudly. “How’s Ennis? I need to get down there and see your new house!”

“You do,” I said, grateful for the subject change. “But before we talk about that, where’s my niece?”

“She’s napping,” Bryan said. “She should be up soon, though.”

“Ugh, can’t we wake her?” I begged.

“Only if you want to deal with the tantrum that will ensue,” Bethany said with a laugh.

“I’d rather not,” I said, laughing along with her. Bryan and Dad joined in easily, but Mom barely cracked a smile.

“Can I help with anything?” Bethany asked. She hurried into the kitchen, but Mom shooed her away quickly.

“Go entertain your sister,” Mom said. “Your dad can help me.”

“I suppose I can,” Dad said. He squeezed my shoulder as he passed by.

Bethany raised her eyebrows at me and linked her arm with mine. Without a word, she led me outside to the backyard. Bryan followed close behind.

We stepped into the backyard and, immediately, my entire body sank. I sighed deeply and practically collapsed onto a patio chair.

“What the hell was that about?” Bethany demanded, pulling up a chair beside me. Bryan followed suit.

“Mom’s still pissed about my move to Ennis,” I said. “She thinks it was a mistake.”

“Well,” Bethany said. “Screw her. You have to do what’s best for you, right?”

I met my sister’s eyes. Her expression was a little too understanding. She knew all about my breakup with Joshua. Other than Andrea, Beth was my biggest advocate when it came to leaving Dallas. She knew just how much the breakup had torn me apart.

Still, Joshua was the last person I wanted to talk about. I quickly changed the subject, asking questions about Layla until her sweet cry rang through the baby monitor.

“She’s up!” Bryan announced, unnecessarily.

He and Bethany both jumped to their feet, but I was faster. I shook my head and gestured for them to sit back down.

“Let me,” I said. Bethany smiled gratefully as I hurried inside.

I passed my parents quickly, not saying a word until I reached the back bedroom where Layla’s crib was set up. The lights were dim when I walked in, but I could still see her little face smiling at me from behind the crib bars.

“Hey, you,” I said, brightly. I scooped Layla out of the crib and hugged her.

“Aunt Juwee,” she said. Her hands went to my face. The smile that spread across her tiny toddler face melted my heart.

This was exactly what I needed. I hugged her tightly again and rocked her back and forth. She was adjusting to being awake, and I wasn’t yet ready to return to the lion’s den. It wasn’t until I heard Bethany and Bryan come back inside that I knew it was time to rejoin the crowd.

“Mommy!” Layla said when she saw Bethany.

She wiggled to get out of my arms. I set her on her feet and watched her sprint across the room to where Bethany stood. My sister bent down to grab her daughter, a radiant smile on her face. In all my life, I’d never seen anything suit Bethany better than being a mother. She was amazing with Layla. I envied her so much.

The rest of the day passed by easily. With Layla awake, everyone stayed distracted. My mother even forgot to comment on my appearance. By the time I left that night, she was in such high spirits that she actually wished me luck on my interview.

“I’m sure you’ll do great,” Mom said with a smile.

“Thanks, Mom.”

I was surprised, but I’d take it. We all hugged goodbye, and I hurried over to Andrea’s parents’ house for a few minutes. It was late, so I didn’t stay long. We caught up, and they made me promise to visit again soon.