Page 10 of Another Postcard

7

Levi

My phone beeped, distracting me and popping the little bubble that had been shutting out the world. I almost ignored it, but then I remembered that my sister, Lily, a senior in high school, was going to her winter formal and it was most likely time for pictures. It seemed kind of early for her to be getting ready, though. I picked up my iPhone and stared at the time in shock. It was already after seven. We’d been working for a little over five hours and it had felt like no time at all. Damn.

Sure enough, my screen showed a picture of my little sister in her formal dress, if you could even call it that. I typed in the code to open the messages and scrolled through the many, many, photos she’d sent. I frowned when I saw her dress and with each swipe of my finger, my brow furrowed deeper.

“Wow, that’s quite an expression, Levi. I’d hate to be whoever messaged you right now,” she teased. My gaze swung up and I couldn’t form words around my anger and disbelief. I shoved my phone at her.

“She’s basically naked!” I barked.

Brooklynn smirked. “I wouldn’t think you’d have a problem with that—whoa!” She blinked owlishly at the screen before lifting accusing eyes in my direction. “She’s practically a baby,” she said in a low and quiet voice.

“Exactly!” I agreed, not really understanding her reaction but glanced right over it, still hung up on the fact that my parents were letting my baby sister prance around in a fucking dishtowel.

“Kind of young for you, Levi. Don’t you think?” Brooklynn’s voice had turned sugary sweet, the kind of sugar that looks deceptively tasty but in reality, it’s simply hiding—insert the nastiest thing you’ve ever eaten here—and will make you sick.

“Young for—” Then it hit me. “Fuck no!” I shouted, taken aback as her accusatory tone started to make sense. “She’s my sister.”

Understanding dawned on her face then morphed into sheepishness. “Sorry, I thought—”

“What the fuck, Brooklynn?” I interrupted furiously. “Do you really have that low of an opinion of me?”

She cringed and curled into herself a little. “No. I don’t know where that came from. I really am sorry, Levi.”

I blew out a breath in an attempt to expel some of my anger. We needed to talk, but first…

I pointed at her. “Don’t fucking go anywhere,” I instructed gruffly. “I have to deal with this shit first. Then we’ll talk.”

She nodded and her quick agreement washed away another layer of my fury. My finger stabbed “Mom” in my contacts and I put the phone to my ear, pacing as it rang.

After the fourth ring, my mom picked up and sighed dramatically before saying, “You just earned me a week’s worth of dishes, young man.”

It wasn’t anywhere near the realm of what I’d expected to come out of her mouth and it threw me off kilter for a half a second. Then I righted myself and exploded. “What the fuck, Ma? Please tell me you did not let Lily leave the house looking like that!”

“Watch your language, Levi,” she chided. “You’re not too old for a spanking.”

I shook my head in exasperation as even more of my ire leaked out. “Sorry, Ma,” I apologized guiltily. “But seriously. She didn’t wear that, right?”

My mother belly laughed, and I heard giggling in the background. I assumed Lily was standing right there and I immediately knew I’d been played. “Who won?” I asked dryly.

“Me!” Lily exclaimed, having stolen the phone away. “I know your big brother ways better than anyone, dude.” I couldn’t help laughing, relieved that my sister wasn’t out romping around in a scrap of cloth, and equally amused at their antics.

“I bet Mom that you would call within five minutes of getting my text,” she crowed smugly. “Mom said twenty and Dad bet you’d just drive here like a bat out of hell without calling. Thanks for being so predictable, big brother! You got me out of dishes and laundry for a week!” She was so excited, it reminded me of when she was a little girl and I could still impress her. You know, before the “older brother” was no longer cool.It doesn’t even matter than I’m a fucking rock star,I thought grumpily.

“Want to see my actual dress?” she squealed. I smiled, missing my fun, boisterous family. We’d been so busy ramping up for the album and tour that I hadn’t been home for a couple of months.

“Absolutely, sugar. I’ve got to go, but I can’t wait to see it.”

“Awesome!” There was a shuffle, and I assumed the phone was being passed around, which was confirmed when I heard my mother’s warm voice once again.

“Next time, hold your horses, Levi,” she huffed. “I gave birth to you, so you should always be helping me win.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time, Ma,” I laughed. “Everything going okay?”

“Ain’t nothing but sunshine,” she replied, making me even more nostalgic for home. She’s been using that phrase for as long as I could remember. Fitting because she had the sunniest personality out of anyone I’d ever met.

“That’s great. I’ll try to get home this weekend.”

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