My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 11

I stand there dumbfounded as he rubs his arm softly. "You don't have too." He pauses for a moment before continuing to speak. "I've just heard you speak so highly of her and I'd love to hear about her." I pick my jaw back up and smile at him.

I never expected him to ask about her. He had never seemed to show interest in her besides staring at the one and only picture of her we have. I just assumed it was because she was holding me when I was a baby and he'd never seen any pictures of me like that.

"Come on in. I'll tell you anything you'd like to know." He smiles and happily walks in. "What would you like for me to start with?" He sits down in the recliner I have in my room as he thinks for a moment. "How about your favorite memory of her?" I smile at the thought.

"My father used to tell me this story all the time but when I was about two years old they tried to put me in a suit for my aunt's wedding. With a little bowtie and everything." I smile as he leans onto his knees slowly, leaning in as though he's reached a good part of a book. "I was supposed to be her ringbearer but they struggled to get me to stay in my little suit." He raised an eyebrow with a chuckle.

"Well I was starting to walk I got really aggravated with what I was wearing and started to try to take off every piece of my little suit in the middle of my aunt's wedding." He starts to laugh a little. "My father said she ran down the aisle and grabbed the little cushion with the rings and brought it to my aunt and now uncle before rushed me to the bathroom to redress me."

We both begin to laugh as we continue to talk about all the funny things I've done with my mother. She was an amazing woman and I wouldn't have it any other way. My father says that things happen for a reason and that her life was a door that needed to close for another to open, no matter how much we wished it stayed open it had to happen.

I hate the thought but I know it's the truth. He isn't usually wrong but I hate how he talks about my mother's death like it was a sacrifice that needed to be made. It's been 12 years and it's never gotten easier. I wish it had but I don't think I'll ever be entirely happy with who my father ends up with. nobody will be able to live up to my mother, nor will I address them as such.

after what seemed like five minutes we hear the doorbell, knowing its not Jennifer me and Darrell stand up. He only knows Holly as his English teacher but to me she is family, forever and always holding a high place in my heart. We make our way down the stairs to find Jennifer has already let her inside. They seem to be in a staring competition that neither seems to want to back down from.  

Jennifer finally breaks eye contact with Holly before looking over at me with a nasty look upon her face. "What is she doing her, Remington?" Holly proceeds to roll her eyes and walk over to me, hugging me tightly as she smiles.

 "It's nice to see you're doing okay Remington." I smile as she rubs my head softly. " Everything is in my car if you and your brother would like to help me unload it all." Darrell smiles wide at the thought of getting to help me relocate a good bit of my mother's items.

The three of us start hauling all the boxes up to my room as Jennifer gives us death glares with a glass of wine in her hand. My father finally emerges from his office after we've finished putting all the boxes in my room, greeting all of us with a smile. "It's lovely to finally see you again Holly." He says softly as he catches her in a tight hug. "It's nice to see you too Jamie" Jennifer lets out a grunt of displeasure as I let a smirk creep across my face.

Just knowing Holly's presence makes Jennifer's blood boil brings me such joy that I feel like a kid in a candy shop all over again. She storms out of the room as we all wish Holly a safe trip back home. Me and Darrell decide to go to my room to unpack my mother's belongings. As we are unpacking I see him staring at some sort of book. "What did you find?" I walk over to discover its my baby book my mother had made for me. 

"You were so small. You look just like her, Remi. Your mother I mean. She was very beautiful. I wish I could've met her." Tears start to well up in my eyes at his comment. After my mother had passed my father would tell me that he couldn't stand to look at me because of the resemblance my mother and I shared.

I have jet black hair and eyes that are icy blue. I've even got her freckles and tanned complexion, looking completely opposite to Darrell. He looks more like our father, dirty blond hair and hazel eyes. He's a perfect mix of pale and tan. The sun definitely isn't his friend though as he turns as red as a lobster after just thirty minutes in the sun.

 "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'll put it away." I pull him into a tight hug before a tear rolls down my cheek. "You're okay pipsqueak. That was the first time anyone has ever talked about her like that in a long time." He smiles and hugs me back just as tight before we part ways and continue to put away my mothers belongings.