Page 93 of A Wreck, You Make Me

My Toxic Stepbrother

Thank fuck.

Jupiter

Have a great day at practice! I believe in you!!

My Toxic Stepbrother

Jesus, fuck, stop.

I’m not going to.

Because I’m not just his friend anymore. I’m also his therapistandhis cheerleader. I’m his everything that I can be. Because I was right. Who is going to make things easy for him while he’s out there making things easy for everyone else?

He needs someone in his life. Someone to believe in him like he believes in me. Someone to take care of his dreams like he’s taken care of mine. Someone to help him while he’s always helping others.

I start with upstairs.Helping him, I mean.

If the updated porch and the yard weren’t an indication that he’s trying to fix up his childhood home, then it would be the half-painted room upstairs with a bunch of trash bags in it. I found this room two days ago and upon further inspection, I realized the trash bags were full of clothes. Old clothes. So old and dusty that they were falling apart, and they belonged to a woman. Immediately I knew what I was looking at: his mother’s clothes.

He's been trying to clean out his mother’s room, but judging by the half-finished things—the walls, the closet only half emptied—he hasn’t gotten very far, or hasn’t been able to finish it. So I’m going to do that for him.

Which is what I’m doing on my third night in his house when my phone chimes with a text.

My Not-So-Toxic Stepbrother

Where are you?

Jupiter

Hello to you too.

My Not-So-Toxic Stepbrother

Are you upstairs?

Jupiter

Yes.

My Not-So-Toxic Stepbrother

Why?

Sitting on the floor, surrounded by his mother’s old things, I bite my lip and type.

Jupiter

I thought you were playing your soccer game with my sister.

My Not-So-Toxic Stepbrother

It’s called FIFA and I can multi-task.

Besides I don’t need to pay too much attention to it.

Jupiter