Reid and I got in my car and headed for my apartment. I pulled in at the grocery store.
“Please tell me you don’t live in a grocery store.”
“No I just need to get a few things. You want to come?”
“Sure.”
We ended up getting bread, ketchup, peanut butter, and bagels. Spencer and I drove back to my apartment. I carried my bags and he carried his. I opened the door and set the groceries down.
“Ryan!” I yelled.
“Ryan, as in computer specialist Ryan?”
“Yeah that’s me.” Ryan said as he ran into the kitchen and grabbed his ketchup and bread and put it away.
“Spencer, this is my younger brother, Ryan.”
“So are you like the boyfriend or something?”
“No. Ryan. This is Dr. Reid, our new recruit.”
“Oh! He’s the genius that everybody keeps going on about.”
“Hey! What happened to me?”
“Sorry sis, you’re old news.”
“By the way, nice mustache Ry.”
“Really? You think so?” he said, stroking his face fuzz.
“No. I was kidding. The razors are in the third basket on the first shelf in the bathroom. Go.” I ordered and he trudged upstairs.
“Nice sibling you have there.” Reid says as he grabs the bagels out of the bag. I grabbed cream cheese out of the fridge and cinnamon-sugar out of the cabinet. I popped the bagels in the toaster. “Oh, so you do eat?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s just, you don’t eat at work or anything so, it’s new.”
“I just like my food better, I guess.”
“Understandable.”
“OW!!” Ryan yelled from upstairs.
“Did you get it shaved yet?!” I yelled back. About five minutes later, Ryan came running back down the stairs, holding the area where his mustache used to be. “Let me see it.” I said and Ryan removed his hand. I fixed his cut and gave him a bagel. “That looks better.”
“Are you saying I was ugly before?” he said and started fake crying.
“Actually yeah.”
“Oh, ha-ha. How long have you been saving that one?”
“Ever since mom said ‘Emmy look at your new baby brother!’”
“Hey, Em, I was wondering when you were going to show me around.” Reid said politely.
“Right now, actually.” I said and grabbed one of his bags from beside the table in the kitchen. I started walking. “Over there is the living room and screening room and the door next to the T.V. is the spare bathroom.” I turned to the right. “That next to the kitchen is the library.” I led him on down the hall. “On the right is Ryan’s room, his geek cave, a bathroom, and a small gym area. On the left is my room, your room, my studio, and my bathroom.” I opened the door to Reid’s room. “There’s a bathroom in here too. Is this okay? Because if not, I can get you a different one upstairs.”
“No, this is perfect. I’m ready to see upstairs though.” He said as we dropped the bags. I led him upstairs.
“Okay, around the corner, on the left side is the laundry room, there’s another bedroom over there, and that room there is……… uh……just…well that’s the end of the tour!” I faked a smile.
“Emmy what’s in that room?”
“It’s…uh… a bedroom.”
“For who?”
“Cali.”
“Emily. Who’s Cali?”
No answer. Instead I walked over and opened the door to her room. I gently grabbed Spencer’s hand gently and led him inside. I slowly shut the door so Ryan wouldn’t hear us talking. Inside Cali’s room it was beautifully decorated with everything a girl in her mid-twenties would want in a bedroom.
“Cali died about six years ago after she was attacked. They robbed her and killed her. She’s what inspired me to do my job. It’s all for her and every day I wake up and think about her. About how I’m doing good in society for her.” I said as I stood up from the bed and grabbed her obituary and the articles about her from the closet. I framed them so they wouldn’t turn yellow and rot or anything. I handed them off to Spencer and let him read them. I wiped a tear and went down to my room to change clothes. I grabbed a sweater and a pair of leggings and changed. I went back upstairs to find Spencer still sitting on the bed. I stood in front of him and pulled him to a standing position.
I hugged him. Nothing else just hugged him. He hugged me back, rubbing circles into my shoulders.
“I loved her so much. And then all of a sudden she was gone.” I wept into his chest. He removed his suit jacket, leaving him in his trousers and his white button up.
“Shh. Shh. Shh. I know it hurts.”
I finally let go of him and he held me in his arms, looking at me. I jogged down both sets of stairs and found Ryan, still in the kitchen.
“Oh my gosh, Emily, are you alright?” Ryan said as he looked at me. I took the food out of his hands and hugged him. I drew back to look at him.
“Ryan you know I love you right?”
“Right.” He said as he hugged me again.
