Page 57 of The Other Brother

“I help guide them with the big decisions. It’s what good parents do. I don’t micromanage their lives.”

Mum reacts like she’s been stung. “Don’t talk to me about being a good parent.” Her voice is deathly low.

Kate suddenly puts both of her hands on her stomach, pressing in.

Dad is the only parental unit who notices. “Are you okay?” He nods at her stomach, and suddenly all attention is directed toward Kate.

“Yeah, the baby is just kicking,” she says softly.

A prickly, awful silence fills the room.

Mum tries to plaster a smile overtop of her anger. “I remember the first time I felt you kick.”

“Really, when was that?” Kate’s voice is eager.

“I was just past twenty weeks pregnant. I was at the supermarket. I abandoned my grocery cart and rushed home…” she trails off. She flicks a glance at Frank, who stares back with a wooden expression.

“Right.” Heather cuts through the tense silence. “I think we probably should get going.”

“Yes, we need to go home,” Frank says stiffly.

Cody has been sitting next to me, immobile. He suddenly comes to life, standing up, stretching.

Our eyes catch.

“Can I trust you to finish the job properly?” he asks quietly.

“I think I’ve got the alphabet mastered,” I reply.

A grin tugs at the corners of his mouth.

“Thanks for all your help,” Kate says to Frank and Heather as she walks them toward the front door.

Cody’s the last to leave the room. He turns back to look at me. “See you Wednesday.”

“Yeah, see you then.”

Mum waits until the front door has banged shut before turning to me.

“Wednesday? Why are you seeing Cody on Wednesday?”

“He’s tutoring me in biology,” I reply as I pick up another book.

Mum’s arms drop to her sides. “Oh… okay. Are you paying him?”

“What? Nah, it’s okay, Mum. Don’t worry about it. We’re friends now.”

Her forehead furrows. “I don’t want to have Frank rant at me that my son is distracting his son from his studies or music.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I repeat.

Chapter15

When Wednesday arrives, somehow my stomach has tied itself into a complicated knot.

It’s stupid to be nervous about Cody coming over. We’ve spent so much time together recently. But when the knock on the front door comes, I almost stumble on my way to answer it.

“Hey.” Cody’s biting at his bottom lip.