ADOPTING BEAUTY

Chapter 57 + The Brothers Stone

The week of Diana's arrival was hectic. The anxiety level in the Stone house reached a fever pitch. Larissa became very withdrawn. I feared she was headed towards a total shutdown emotionally. I kept trying to tell myself things would resolve themselves once she started bonding with Diana. I think it was all the changes in her life happening at once. We'd built a bubble around her that summer between our home and the beach. Now she'd be forced to go to school and no longer be the only princess in our house. It was a lot to take for a fourteen-year-old with a traumatic past. It didn't help that she and I had got ourselves into a secret and extremely inappropriate relationship.

My mother was intent on doing things better with the second adoption. One person who was missing when we brought Larissa home was my brother. My mom wanted Brad home for Diana's arrival. He had finished up his cancer research internship at John Hopkins and had a week off before he needed to go back for his senior year at Virginia. The timing worked out and Brad found himself on a plane back to California. I'm sure he was excited to see Camille, especially since my mom told him we broke up. He didn't know that I knew about his long running affair with her. I asked Camille if she informed him that I knew but she swore up and down she'd said nothing. I had no idea how I would deal with my brother. I still wanted to punch him in the face but there had been a lot of twists and turns in my life since I last saw him.

As luck would have it, my father asked me to go fetch Brad from the airport. My dad was bogged down with work and my mom was running around preparing for Diana like a crazy person. I was not happy. I thought about taking Larissa with me to LAX to help deter me from going mental on my brother, but she'd committed to going to the beach with Sofia. I wanted her to have some girl time regardless. Reluctantly, I got in my truck and drove to the airport. I tried to stay zen, even though I was a ball of anger.

I waited for Brad at the United Airlines baggage claim in Terminal 7. Soon the moment of truth had arrived. Brad came down the escalator overly confident, annoyingly good looking and completely oblivious to the impending confrontation with his little brother. I viewed the airport as a blessing. I could have it out with Brad in a public place without our parents around. I did not want our mother to know about Brad's adventures with Camille.

"What's up, little bro," said Brad.

"I think your bags are coming out on claim two," I said with zero emotion.

I started to walk towards the claim belts.

"Nice to see you too. What's up your ass today?"

"Lots of shit going on around here."

"No kidding. What's mom thinking adopting another kid so soon?"

"I guess Larissa wasn't enough for her."

"Why not?"

"I don't know, ask her."

"Is it because Larissa hangs all over you and dad all the time?"

"She doesn't hang all over us."

"Then what?"

"I think she's scared of mom."

"We're all scared of mom."

"Mom's on a mission with Diana. She's determined to make the two girl thing work and then three next year."

"Three??"

"Mom and dad didn't tell you about Diana's older sister, Danielle?"

"No."

"Danielle is not available for adoption yet but mom promised to reunite the sisters someday. We're gonna have three little sisters at some point."

"What the hell is going on around here?" said Brad. "I don't come home for one summer and all hell breaks loose."

I didn't respond. Brad knew there was something more bothering me. I'd ignored most of his texts since we last saw each other. I decided to wait for him to bring up Camille. He must have been dying to ask me about the breakup. We stood there waiting for his bag to come out.

"We need to make Larissa feel like she's not being replaced."

"Okay, we'll figure it out. Tell me what happened between you and Camille. Is that why you're in such a bad mood?"

"You're why I'm in such a bad mood."

"What the hell did I do?"

And that's when it happened right there at baggage claim. I punched my brother as hard as I could in the stomach. He bent over in pain and fell to his knees. A few people saw what happened but I think they were too stunned to react. Brad caught his breath and stood back up. We'd gotten into fights before but most of those turned into harmless wrestling matches. I was not expecting what Brad did next. He gave me a sincere hug. Then he just looked at me like he was proud of me or something. That's when I delivered my diatribe.

"I'm tired of living in your shadow," I said. "All my life I've wanted to be you. I've wanted to do everything you did. School, girls, lacrosse. You get everything you want, when you want it. I knew you always had a crush on Camille. I remember the first time she came over in eighth grade and we went swimming. You flirted with her the whole time. She was the one thing that was mine and you had to have her, didn't you?"

Brad knew he was busted from the moment I punched him. He knew it was not in my nature and the only thing he'd ever done to deserve that punch was to fuck Camille.

"Yes, I don't even know how to say I'm sorry, little bro. I've been in love with that girl since that very day we went swimming. I mean madly in love with her. No girl I've ever met has come close. I keep thinking I'm gonna find another Camille London out there, but she doesn't exist."

I was actually proud of my brother for not playing dumb or trying to downplay it. He admitted how he felt.

"She loves you too."

"Not like she loves you, Joe."

"I want you to take care of her. Treat her right. Give her a good life."

"What're you talking about?"

"I want you two to give it go. I mean it. No bullshit. Try to see if it can work. Camille and I are better off as friends. In fact, since we broke up, she's been my best friend. It's over for us, we had our time, but there's no reason you two shouldn't try to have a relationship. Nothing's stopping you now. She'll be eighteen soon enough."

"And you're good with that?"

"Yes, I want her to be happy. She loves you and you love her. Just try, you have nothing to lose."

I think Brad was in a state of disbelief.

"Okay, I'll talk to her."

"Please do."

"You know I always envied you," said Brad. "And not just because of Camille. You're sensitive and have a good heart. You listen to people. Look at how great you are with Larissa. I couldn't do that. That's why Camille's loves you so damn much. I'm too busy trying to impress people. I feel like I'm chasing perfection all time. It's fucking exhausting. You can be you. You sure as hell don't have to be me. Are we good?"

I never thought I'd live to see the day when Brad looked up to me.

"We're good."

"Alright, let's go sort out all our new sisters."

"God help us."

We looked around and we were the only two people left standing by the baggage claim. Brad's bag was the only suitcase remaining on the belt, which had stopped running.

"That's my bag."

"Grab it. I'm parked a mile away."

Brad lifted his bag off the belt and started rolling it out.

"I still remember that bikini bottom Camille wore that day when she first walked into our house. Her confidence was spectacular."

"She was spectacular."

"And she was all yours that day. Not mine. By the way, how did you find out about Camille and I?"

"That nude selfie you two took in front of her mirror last time you were out. She accidentally texted it to me."

"Damn. You know what, I'm glad she did. The truth will set you free."