Page 95 of Trip Through Your Wires

I turn to her, unable to fight the smile tugging at my lips. “She’s amazing.”

“Ah, man.” She nudges my shoulder with her own. “I knew it. I was trying to figure it out when you were just sitting there eating like some kind of zombie. And then it hit me.”

“That’s why you were so quiet.” I look at her in disbelief. “You were watching me.”

“Guilty,” she nods. “So, tell me more.”

“Well…” I grip the railing and lean back, stretching my arms, then straighten again. “I told her everything.”

“Everything?” she repeats with emphasis.

“Yup. What happened with mom and our sperm donor.” She narrows her eyes at the name we have for our birth dad. “And what happened in high school.”

“And?” Nat presses. “How did she take it?”

“She was amazing about all of it. She’s amazing about everything, actually. Her life hasn’t exactly been easy, so she gets it.”

My sister’s eyes fill with tears and she presses at the corners. She knows how much I have struggled with what happened in high school, so she knows how big a deal it is that I told someone. “That’s great, little brother. I am so happy for you.”

“Yeah, well, don’t throw a parade just yet.”

“Why not?” she asks, tilting her head.

“Well, she’s got her life and plans, and we’re still feeling our way through a long distance relationship. Add baseball to it, and it gets more complicated.”

“Jake…” My sister shakes her head. “Love is never easy.”

“Love?” I pull my head back. “Who said anything about—”

“Stop,” she laughs.

“Stop, what?”

“If she’s the one, little brother, which judging by that smile on your face, she is, that means you love her. Which also means, you do whatever it takes to be with her.”

I look at her and shake my head. “That sounds like something dad would say.”

She looks into the house and smiles softly. “Yeah, well, we had a great teacher.”

I wrap my arm around her shoulder and give her a hug. “We sure did.”

“What’s going on out here?” Dad pulls open the sliding glass door and steps out onto the deck.

Nat looks up at me, flashing me a shit-eating grin. “Jake was just telling me about his new girlfriend.”

“Oh yeah?” He arches a brow. “You got a girl?”

I look at her, shaking my head and she pulls back. “I’m going to help mom with dessert. See you two in a bit.”

She makes her way to the sliding glass door and when she pulls it open, turns and winks. “I can’t believe her,” I laugh.

“Yeah, she’s something,” he laughs back.

He makes his way over to me and we both turn and look out over the back yard. “That deal,” he taps the railing. “Does it make you happy?”

“It’s got a lot of zeros,” I nod. “I could pay off the house and Nat’s student loans.”

“No son.” He turns to me and shakes his head. “Does it make you happy?”

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