Page 122 of The Other Brother

I flick a glance at Cody to see if he knows what the hell is happening, but his face reflects the same confusion I’m feeling.

Dad, Mel, Cody, Heather, and I trail after Mum, Frank, and Kate.

“What’s going on?” Mel asks me in a whisper.

“No idea,” I say. I’m even more clueless than normal.

Our impromptu family conference takes place in one of the side rooms off the main chapel. I guess they use this room for babysitting kids while church is on because there are crayon drawings of arks and whales pinned up on the walls.

Kate settles Ethan’s infant carrier on the floor and starts rocking it with her foot as she turns to face Mum. “What did you want to talk to me about?” Although she’s asking it as a question, there’s no curiosity in Kate’s voice. It’s like she already knows the answer.

Continuing the strangeness, Mum's eyes seek Frank’s, who’s positioned himself by the door next to Cody and Heather, before she replies.

“Why did you choose that middle name?” Her voice is quiet with a slight quaver.

Kate lifts her chin in a defiant tilt. “I wanted to honor my brother.”

I shoot a glance at Cody. His eyebrows are drawn together like mine. Cody’s middle name is Adrian. And mine is Max after my dad.

“Kate,” Frank says. There’s some kind of warning in his voice.

“What, Dad?” Kate whirls to face him. “What’s wrong? Do you not want your secret to come out? Why the hell would you two keep something like that a secret, anyway?” Anger pulses in her voice.

“What are you talking about?” Mel asks.

“I’m talking about the fact that we had another brother. And he died.” Kate’s words are like having an iceberg dropped in the room.

Everyone freezes.

“What?” Mel’s eyes widen.

“I was sorting through a box of stuff from Mum’s attic, looking for photos from when Mum was pregnant with me. And I found his birth and death notice. And some pictures. Joshua Frank Abbot. He was born thirteen months after you. They had his funeral right here, actually.”

I blink rapidly. What the hell?

“What?” Mel’s voice is even louder this time. Her hand flies to her mouth. She looks between Mum and Frank. “You guys had another child?”

Tears are leaking down Mum’s face. She wipes at them distractedly, smearing them across her cheek, turning her makeup into a blurry mess.

“Now is not the time or place for this discussion,” Frank says. His face is ashen, and he’s got his arms wrapped around himself, like he’s trying to hold himself together.

“It’s exactly the time and place,” Kate snaps. “I’m over all the secrets in this family. All the lies. You can tell all of us the truth. Starting now.”

There is a deathly silence. Kate’s glare moves from Frank to Mum.

Mum eventually speaks. “Yes, we had a son.” Her voice cracks as she says the words.

“Oh my God,” Mel says. “What happened? How did he die?”

Mum and Frank look at each other. The grief that is pulsing between them, it’s almost like it’s a living, breathing thing.

“Meningitis,” Mum says finally. There’s another deep silence, as if space is needed to absorb the word.

I stare at the walls. The bright pictures now seem mocking.

Mum continues on, her voice shaky. “We thought it was just a viral thing. Your dad had taken you girls out, and I was trying to keep an eye on him, but I’d been up all night and I fell asleep, and when I woke up, he’d gone all quiet. We rushed him to the hospital…”

“But there was nothing they could do,” Frank finishes.