Just be there

Casey

As I am getting out of the shower after my run, I hear a notification ding on my phone.

I unlock my phone and look at the iMessage.

gamerdudelucat@icloud.com: hey 👋
gamerdudelucat@icloud.com: my sister gave
me your # in case I couldn't get ahold of her
-Me: Okay, what's up? Is something wrong
gamerdudelucat@icloud.com: i just really wanted to talk to her. She's not answering my texts tho
-Me: she can't right now, she's okay but she had to go see a doctor about something
gamerdudelucat@icloud.com: oh. ok. This is Luca btw.
-Me: yeah I figured. I know I'm not Izzie but if you need to talk I'm here
gamerdudelucat@icloud.com: ?
-Me: You're important to Izzie, so you're important to me. What's up dude?
gamerdudelucat@icloud.com: Idk 🤷🏻‍♂️ it feels weird to talk about over text message
-Me: If it's okay with your grandma, I can come pick you up and we can talk somewhere else?

I see three dots appear, than disappear. I hope everything is okay. I think to myself as I go into my room to get dressed. After I get dressed I drag a comb through my hair. I recently cut it shorter and it tended to get curly and a little wild.

About fifteen minutes pass, and I hear my phone ding again.

gamerdudelucat@icloud.com: she says it's fine.
-Me: okay. I'll be there in about 30 mins

I grab my keys and shoes and let my mom know that I'm going to go check on Izzie's brother for awhile and head to my car.

As I pull up I see Luca standing outside in the parking lot waiting for me.

I pull into the spot in front of him, and lean over to open the passenger side door. "Hey dude!" I say in greeting as he gets in the car.

He smiled shyly and nods. He hasn't been shy at all the last couple of times I have seen him, so I try to smile reassuringly.

"So what do you want to do? We could get some food or something?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "I saw a Taco Bell just down the street? My treat?" I offer.

He nods his head, so I pull out of the parking lot and start driving to Taco Bell.

"What's wrong with Izzie?" He finally says.
" Um, I'm not sure I should say" I say honestly. I don't know if this is something Izzie would want me to share with her little brother.
"Just tell me. We've always taken care of each other"
I glance over at him, and see that he is very serious. He's only eleven, and hasn't quiet hit puberty yet, so he has a child like roundness to his face. Yet, his eyes have a look in them that tells me he's seen more of life than he should have at his age. I sigh.
"I really don't know what's wrong with Izzie, she just seems super depressed and it was really starting to freak me out." I finally say.

We pull into the line at Taco Bell, and he seems thoughtful. As we pull up to order I ask him what he wants and he asks for a beefy five layer burrito and a Baja blast. I order his food, along with two cheesey Gordita crunches for myself.

I pull up to pay, than pull into a parking spot once we have our food.

"You know, Izzie has always had to take care of us. Like sometimes she would seem sad, but than one of us would need something and she would snap out of it. Maybe without us there to distract her, it's just all finally hitting her?" Luca says as he unwraps his burrito.

I blink at him, this kid is way too wise for eleven. "You know, that actually makes a lot of sense. I hadn't thought about it like that." I say slowly.

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask him.
"It's just... I don't know. I miss Izzie, and I even kind of miss my mom. Like she wasn't a good mom most of the time, by the time Gabi and I came along at least. But she was still my mom, and at least she didn't walk out like my dad did" Luca says looking ahead at the street.

I nod to show that I am listening and he continues. "Also, it's just kind of weird. Sometimes, I have these dreams where I walk in and find her, but I walk in before it's too late and I save her" He chews his burrito before he continues. " Like I didn't even like my mom very much, she was in and out a lot, but she was never mean to me or anything. She was always saying stuff to Izzie though, stuff that made Izzie feel bad about herself. When I was younger I took my mom's side because she was my mom. It's just as I got older, I realized that Izzie was the one always taking care of us. Helping us with homework, showing up to my baseball games, cooking dinner, and making sure that we were okay. Not my mom. Sometimes my mom would disappear for a few weeks, and honestly the times when she was gone where the best. So a few years ago I realized that even though Izzie is my sister, she's also my mom in a way too. So it made me dislike my mom for always saying crap to her"

I looked at Luca thoughtfully. "You know, you're a really smart kid, Luca."

"Thanks. And thanks for listening to me. I don't want to worry my grandma so I like to just be happy at home" He says smiling at me.

"Anytime. You're like my little brother by proxy now. I got you." I say smiling at Luca.

He grins back and says "So... how long have you been dating my sister?" He laughs.

"About eight months now" I say laughing back.

"And what are your intentions with her?" He says in his best attempt at a stern voice.

"Honestly?" I say laughing.

"Yeah, honestly." He says in a more serious tone.

"Well, honestly I intend to spend the rest of my life with her if she will let me" I say, surprising myself with my bluntness.

Luca eyes me thoughtfully. "Do you love her?" He asks.

"Yes. I love her more than anything" I say without hesitation.

He grins at me. "Okay, I guess you can be like my bonus big sister than"

"Okay, just know that I like to pick on my brother" I say with a laugh.

He sticks his tongue out at me, and I ruffle his hair and laugh.

A/N- I am using younger pictures of Fivel's brother for Luca. I figure he would look like Booboo anyways 🤷🏻‍♀️