Page 126 of The Other Brother

We grin at each other for a few heartbeats before I reply. “Yeah. Yeah, I definitely do.”

He steps forward, closing the gap between us, and kisses me.

It’s a kiss that is happiness and hope and longing and grief all mingled together.

Eventually I pull back, resting my head on his forehead while I regain my breath. But it’s not long before his lips are on mine again.

This time, he kisses me like he’s making me a promise.

And I kiss him back the same way.

Epilogue

TWO YEARS LATER

“Ethan, come here. No, don’t go to Uncle Cody. I’m the one with the yummy raisins.” I hold the raisins out as a lure, shaking the packet, but Ethan ignores them and toddles for the ukulele Cody’s holding out instead.

“Music trumps food.” Cody sends me a triumphant look.

“Obviously takes after your side of the family in the common sense stakes,” I say.

“Hey, I’ve got loads of common sense,” Heather interjects from where she’s sitting on the couch nearby. “It’s those temperamental musicians you’ve got to watch out for.”

“Don’t I know it.” I give Heather a grin, which she returns.

Yep, I get on fine with my boyfriend’s mum. Despite Cody’s concerns, Heather adjusted fairly quickly to the idea of Cody and me together. In fact, I overheard Kate moaning to Mum the other day that out of me, Chris, and Mel’s new boyfriend Andre, I’m so obviously Heather’s favorite.

I still take my wins where I can get them.

Ethan settles himself on Cody’s lap, and Cody patiently shows him how to strum one string. Cody’s curls fall over his forehead as he leans down, Ethan watching Cody’s fingers in utter fascination.

It’s almost too much cuteness in one place. It’s surprising the laws of the universe allow it.

I get up and wander into the kitchen where Dad and Frank are both cleaning up after the birthday lunch and having a conversation about how the New Zealand rugby team will do this season.

“Need any help?” I ask.

“No, we’re fine,” Frank says. He gives me a small smile and turns his attention back to Dad.

Frank and I will never be BFFs, but he’s accepted that I’m part of Cody’s life. At Cody’s first concert for the philharmonic orchestra last month, we exchanged proud smiles when Cody completed his solo. And Heather and Frank wrote me a stilted yet sincere congratulations card when I was awarded my Diploma in Paramedic Science last year.

I wander into the dining room, where Mum and Kate are having an intense debate about the positioning of the candles on Ethan’s Stegosaurus cake.

“It’ll look weird on the head.”

“But it has to be on the cake somewhere.”

“Why don’t you put one on either side of the spines on its back?” I ask.

Kate raises an eyebrow. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”

“My genius is often underappreciated,” I agree.

Kate carefully inserts one candle on the highest point of the back, then another one on the other side.

“We’re almost ready. Can you round everyone up?” she asks.

“Sure.”