When (he)arts Prevail

3

As the evening approached, Kaylee hurried to get ready for the small party she had arranged with her closest friends and family.

Kaylee didn't have many friends. She was well connected and very easy to get along with, never being alone for more than a minute at a party. Yet real, close friends was a different topic.

Most of her friends she had borrowed from her older brother, Nate. Three years seemed like a gigantic gap between them when they were younger. However, as the years passed and they grew older, Kaylee became closer and closer to Nate's friends, until eventually she started calling them her own.

She enjoyed sharing them with her brother, as they too were and always had been super close to each other. Nate was the type of older brother every little girl wished to have. He was caring, patient, protective, always ready to snap someone's neck at the slightest action against her sister. He usually took the blame for himself when they were playing as kids and something broke or fell and their mother came running to yell at them.

Kaylee would never deny how much she loved being her brother's forever baby sister.

Nate had it all, which was probably why he was also the family's jewel. The responsible son, the one always worried about the future, about building a career, so he could provide to his own family one day.

Kaylee, on the contrary, was none of that. She had always been the challenging kid growing up and purposely did the opposite of what her brother would do. Probably out of spite. Kaylee didn't mind for the most part not to be the favorite child, as she could enjoy more of her freedom when all attention was on Nate.

Yet, at times, she felt like nobody really saw her.

Despite the conversation earlier, Kaylee's mother had prepared a feast for today's celebration. 

The backyard of their family house was filled with goodies, spread on a long table next to the deck stairs: snacks, fries, sweets, juice (even alcohol - wow). Kaylee's father would also grill some meat for the hungry boys.

Excited as she was, Kaylee could not sit still in anticipation, so she helped her mother set up the house for the impending guests.

As usual, Mike and Johanna, were the first ones to make an appearance. Mike was a friendly giant, with short brown hair, heart-warming smile, knee-wobbling dimples. Yes, Kaylee had had her fair share of crush on him when she was younger, before Johanna had come along and ruined any possible chance for Kaylee's tries — not that she tried too much. Kaylee didn't think Mike was the type of guy who would be involved with his best friend's little sister.

Johanna, in contrast, was a short thing with long, curly dark hair and a Spanish accent which had captured Mike to his core from the moment he heard her voice.

Kaylee smiled widely when she saw them coming down the porch stairs and waved enthusiastically. Despite her heartbreak as a kid, Kaylee adored Mike and Johanna. "Hi, guys!" she gushed as she gave them both a hug. "Thank you so much for coming."

"We wouldn't miss it," Johanna stated. "Congratulations, hon! How exciting that you're going to New York!"

Kaylee grinned at that. "I know, it's crazy!"

"It's awesome!" Mike agreed.

He looked around, seeming to search for somebody. "Nate's not here yet," Kaylee confirmed with a laugh.

"Oh! Mike!"

The three of them turned at the sound of Kaylee's father.

"Mr. Brooks!" Mike greeted, "how're we feeling tonight?"

"I told you it's Joe."

Kaylee's dad came down to the backyard to greet Mike and Johanna. He had already changed from his work clothes and wore a much simpler outfit, jeans and a polo shirt.

"It'll always be Mr. and Mrs. Brooks," Mike countered lifting a shoulder in a shrug.

"Anne-Marie!" Kaylee heard her mom yell as she also made her way down to the backyard with yet another plate of food. How many people did Kaylee's mother think she was going to feed?

The smile working up to Mike's lips deepened the dimples already on his cheeks.

Kaylee took the couple to the patio where they could all sit on the couches around a fire-pit (now unlit).

Kaylee sat down on one of the couches, while Mike and Johanna sat down on the other one, opposite from her.

Her phone vibrated in her hand and Kaylee peeked down at it, seeing a text from Nate.

'Wrapping things up'

"Nate should be here soon," Kaylee announced, locking her phone and turning her attention back to her friends.

"Where's the nut head?" he asked.

"Where do you think?" Kaylee chuckled. "He's a lab rat."

Mike draped his arm over the back of the couch and over Johanna, who absently leaned more into him.

"Are we talking about who I think we are talking about?"

Kaylee craned up her neck at the sound of Brian's voice behind her.

"About you being a dick?" Mike teased with a laugh. "Always."

Brian's arrival brought everyone to their feet again.

The two boys started up a friendly sparring at Mike's remark, until it ended with both of them laughing and hugging each other. Kaylee sometimes doubted they were actually in their mid twenties.

At last, Brian walked over to Kaylee, giving her a much softer hug. His cologne filled her nostrils and she whimpered inside. He smelled too good as always and his presence, whether Kaylee admitted or not, did things to her. Which was not great considering she was less than two months away from leaving to New York.

"Speaking of Nate," Brian said as they settled back on the couches, him finding a seat next to Kaylee. "I brought the guitar." He spared Kaylee a glance, mirth swirling in his brown eyes. "Nate and I have something special prepared for you."

What?

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see," Brian smiled at her, his knee bumping on hers playfully.Alyssa and Kaylee's mother appeared then, both chatting happily.

"Oh, hey, Brian," Kaylee's mother breathed out surprised. "Didn't see you walking in."

Brian quickly got up to give Kaylee's mother a kiss on the cheek. She would love that for sure. "Sorry I sneaked in, Mrs. Brooks."

Anne-Marie waved a hand in dismissal as she and Brian separated. "You're family."

Alyssa enveloped Kaylee in a bone crushing hug as Kaylee's mother went back inside.

"I miss you already," Alyssa pouted, not letting go of Kaylee.

Brian drifted closer, wrapping his arms tightly around both girls.

They both chanted at the same time, "Go away, Brian."