Millie

Chapter Forty Five- Brothers

I had many brothers now, half siblings that I didn't know, and had never met. I wasn't sure if I would ever get to meet Jason in Oklahoma, but he had sent me an email that I happened to open that first night in Manchester.

Millie,

I'm sorry this email is late in arriving. I didn't honestly know how to reply to a little sister I've never met. I have never even considered you a sister, not until recently. I doubt we will ever get to meet in person, since we are not exactly close in vicinity. If you ever should return though, I will of course meet with you. My Father, Richard Brooks, he was known as Brooks, to his close friends. He always thought of you. You were never forgotten, and certainly not unwanted. Millie I don't know what you are looking for in regards to my father, and having the green light to feel like you are worthy of your inheritance. I should let you know this though, my father had a picture of you on his desk, beside the one of our family. He would hide it in the drawer when he left the room, but he always put it back up when he sat down at it. It was your graduation picture. See, my Father found out exactly where you were, when you were a teenager. He paid a private investigator to find you. I know this because he confessed it to me not so long ago. He had many more pictures of you too, but his treasured one was the College Graduation picture. He was so proud to see how well you did. The success. Millie my father knew you, and loved you ... from a distance. He wanted you to have that money, and he would want you to be comfortable in your life, as his other kids are. Please don't hesitate to claim what is rightfully yours. It was given with love.

Yours sincerely,

Jason Brooks.

***
I can tell you I sobbed after reading that. I had one of the loneliest nights, knowing that my father knew me after all. I just didn't know him. It felt like I didn't know anyone with my blood. My Mother was my only family my entire life, and now I had found out about all of these siblings, and I don't know any of them.
Tomorrow I would take the one sister I had met, got to know and loved, and take her back to our brother. Another brother. Another connection id never had the opportunity to nurture.

Charlie.

***
Veda and I drove down to the little town she had always called home, that next morning. It was the strangest drive, short in length, but quiet too. Veda was so quiet. She didn't listen to her music or text anyone, she just sat and quietly looked out of the window. Me too. I was feeling the same way. Feeling a lot, but not wanting to spill it all over her. I wondered if she was doing that for me too.

I pulled up outside the house, a two story off white wooden build, with a small square lawn. The lawn had recently been mowed, and the post box looked new. You could tell someone was doing this place up bit by bit, because the evidence was still there that this house was recently looking more of a wreck than it currently presented. The lawn was yellow and patchy where the grass had clearly been super long. And the weeds along the pathway that hadn't been pulled were halfway up my leg as we walked up the pathway.

Veda dragged her roll along behind her, and I carried a duffel bag full of sneakers.

The front screen door opened, and he stepped out, a big guy, young, but well built, with a smartly shaved head, broad shoulders, long thick legs, and large hands. He didn't look anything like Veda, and where her skin was a little lighter, Charlie's was darker. He was a handsome young man. I forgot how young. Only just twenty.

"Little V" he called over in a deep voice. His smile was genuine and warm.

She smiled widely and left her case behind, running at him and hugging him tightly as he placed his large arms around her lovingly. He kissed her on the head "Miss me" he asked.