Page 30 of Tulips and Lost Time

Why? It’s not like Jess and Laine aren’t right behind her.

Jess wants to be a lawyer someday. Laine, an elementary school teacher. The irony isn’t lost on me that the girls who are possibly the least mature females I know, will someday hold positions of respect and power. One of them will work with, and sometimes, against, the legal system. The other will teach young minds. The opportunities both will be given boggle my mind.

But they both require a degree.

And not once have I sat down and thought, well, gee, I hope they’re not going over there to fuck.

“Well?” Kari demands when Marcus remains silent. The word sex on her lips, I bet, was what did it. “Speak, Marcus! Is this about my safety or my personal life?”

“It’s about the fact your personal life is bound to lead you into unsafe situations. College isn’t like high school, Kar! Here, the oldest dude who is gonna scam on you is, what, eighteen? There? They can be damn near thirty and still bumming around on campus. And that doesn’t even include the TAs. Fuck,” he groans. “That doesn’t include the professors! Next thing we know, you’re bringing a middle-aged guy home, and he has his claws so deep into your skin, you won’t know which way is out.”

“Good lord.” She drops backward and lies on the platform of the halfpipe. Her legs continue to dangle, which means her spine arches at an awkward angle.

And still, I eavesdrop on someone else’s conversation.

“You’re hypothesizing these wildly ridiculous scenarios, Marcus. I’m not going there to hook up with some middle-aged creepo. I’m not even going there to hook up with someone my own age. I want to learn. I want to help people. And in a few years I’ll come home with a shiny new degree, and I’ll work out of our local hospital, if I’m extra, extra lucky.”

“And if you’re not? If they ship you to Phoenix?”

“I’ll be a grown woman, making grown decisions when the time comes. Luca works for our hospital,” she thrusts her hand straight toward me, sitting up and meeting my eyes like she knew I was listening all along.

Of course, Marcus turns as well.

“He got the placement he wanted,” she insists. “He can probably talk to someone once I have my accreditation that’ll give me a step up when the time comes. I could work from the same hospital! Then you’d have a guard dog on duty all day long.”

Marcus rolls his eyes, turning back to his sister and firming his lips. “He’s not my guard dog.”

“No?” she challenges. “Could’ve fooled me. When you’re not around to watch every step I take, he is. Don’t walk on the road, Kari, you might die. Don’t go to the lake, Kari, you might die. Don’t spend time with any boys, Kari, you might be taken advantage of. And then you might die.” She drops her hand and scoffs. “It would be your dream come true, right? For me to work somewhere that not only has doctors on staff, security cameras in every hall, and medicine nearby in case I nearly die. But your best friend will be able to report back about every person I spoke to on shift.”

“I would be working too,” I grumble, just loud enough to prick her ears. “No time to watch your steps when I’m out on the bus.”

“So I suppose those moments of peace will be the ones I cling to the most.” She drags her focus back to her brother and glares. “I’m going to school, Marcus. And I’m going to learn how to help people.”

“Kar—”

“So next time a man and his wife are shot in their own homes for no reason except some asshole wanted something that didn’t belong to him, maybe I could be part of the team that saves them.”

Finally, Marc’s tone softens. “Kar…”

“I won’t be able to help everyone. Just like you can’t protect me from every single person, every single minute of my life. But I can try. I can do my very best to ensure a little boy, only twelve years old, doesn’t have to become his sister’s keeper. I can do my part to keep a family intact, and a child’s trauma as minimal as possible.”

“You’re hitting me with logic, Kar. And emotions.” Marc climbs the timber with ease, dropping down to sit on her left, blocking my view of the girl whose eyes search for mine every time we’re in the same room.

It’s not proper. And I’m not sure she’d admit it even if she was asked.

But love it or hate it, she searches for me every time.

Maybe it’s to know where her guard dog is, and thus, where not to be. But maybe it’s something else. Maybe it’s for the same reasons I look for her, too.

“You’re growing up on me,” Marcus moans. He wraps his arm over her shoulder and pulls her in till her mousy brown hair cascades over his shoulder and her cheek rests on his chest. “You were six the last time I checked. Now you’re not. And you said that thing about sex.”

She chokes out a watery, shaky laugh that cuts straight down the middle of my stomach.

“I was lashing out.”

“Ya think? You took my kryptonite, and shoved it up my ass. No mercy.”

“It’s because you’re so annoying.” She squeezes in extra tight and happily sighs. “This isn’t how things are supposed to be, Marcus. I should be arguing with the Turners about growing up. I should be discussing college with them. Not my brother.”

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