Page 201 of Broken Brothers

“Hey bud,” I said, going over and patting him on the shoulder. “You doin’ OK?”

Morgan shrugged, stood up, and spoke as he hugged me.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “It’s Dad that’s not so great.”

“How so?” I said.

Again, it wasn’t said out of sympathy for Edwin Hunt. It was said out of an effort to comfort Morgan. I suppose maybe that exposed something about me that I was willing to help Morgan with regards to Edwin but not Edwin himself; maybe it was hypocritical?

I really didn’t give a shit. I just wanted to see my brother comforted and empathized with as needed.

“Ever since we made him quit, he’s just… it’s like he’s losing the will to live,” Morgan said. “Mom leaving him hasn’t helped matters, but I think the impending departure is making him lose it.”

“Like all of his mistakes and ways are catching up to him,” I said.

“Yeah,” Morgan said. “Maybe.”

I was shocked to realize Morgan’s voice was wavering. And because of that, I was shocked to notice something else—I was feeling sympathy… for Edwin.

This did not mean that I suddenly liked Edwin or wanted to let him keep his job. It was a necessity for everyone’s sake that he quit his job. It was because of his actions that he was being forced out and that his marriage had fallen apart.

But where before I had felt nothing but anger and rage, this was different. I had felt an abstract sort of sadness for Edwin in the sense that it was always sad when someone old got sick, potentially putting them on death’s door, but it had never been real sadness.

But to see Morgan like so…

My brother had, I realized, put up many fronts in the aftermath of what had happened with his father. He might have agreed with me on my course of action and he might have felt it was a business benefit to have his father out, but that didn’t mean there was hell to pay emotionally. Morgan actually had a relationship with his father, something I could not and did not want to claim.

It was strange to realize how even bad people could do good for others. Even selfish, wicked people had people they loved and cared for, and in turn had them care back. Edwin may not have been the most complicated person, but that didn’t mean his actions couldn’t have complicated consequences and outcomes.

“I’m sorry, man,” I finally said. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all good,” Morgan said. “He’s old. I think we all knew that he wasn’t going to live much longer. Just… fuck, man. He’s my dad. You know?”

“Yeah,” I said solemnly.

“Like, he’s done some real shit for me. He taught me how to be a businessman. His wealth put both of us through Columbia. His wealth enabled us to live on our own and get things off the ground. I know he’s done some really bad shit to many people, including us, especially you, but… fuck, man, it’s hard.”

“I know,” I said. “I know, man. I’m sorry. Whatever I can do to help…”

I trailed off. There wasn’t much, if anything, I could do to help. I couldn’t relate to Morgan, not with my lack of a relationship with Edwin. I was actually quite curious to see howMom was handling the news, or if she even knew; if she wasn’t upset by it, it wasn’t inconceivable to believe that Morgan might be suffering alone, the only person who truly had anything other than a strictly surface-level relationship with Edwin.

No wonder he seemed so emotional and so upset. It was tough to mourn; it was even tougher to mourn when one realize they weren’t doing it with anyone else.

“You’re good, man,” Morgan said.

The waiter came by right after, giving us both a much needed pause from the conversation. Morgan ordered a double gin and tonic, and I just asked for water. I knew I needed to be the sober one and the calm one; I couldn’t be putting Morgan in a spot where he’d have to take care of my drunk ass at some point.

“So, how are you going to handle it?” I said. “I know you are going to be CEO, like we talked about this morning—”

“I know, but that was something I figured would happen later, not, like, within a couple weeks.”

Jesus. Edwin is that sick. Fuck…

“I don’t know that I’m ready for this, Chance,” Morgan said. “This is all just so much so fast. One day, I’m working as an executive but under Edwin, and now I’m expected to not just be on my own but oversee the entire company? If you and I weren’t also on the board, I’d say I’d be out on the streets. You think my father surrounded himself with yes men? Well, he did, but they’re devious yes men. They’re going to do whatever they can to get power as soon as he’s gone.”

“And that’s soon, you said.”

“Dude, he’s bad,” Morgan said. “Fuck, he looked terrible. He left work early today.”