Page 41 of Our Unexpected Beginning
“My brother wanted to be a Marine more than anything. Well, almost. Pleasing our mother and being the son that could do no wrong. She wanted him to be a doctor. ‘Dr. Devin Michael Sinclair - Director of Oncology’ was the aspirational board that my mother hung in his room. He tried to compromise and reason, explained it would help pay for schooling and he’d have resources and skills to fall back on. He gave in after a few years, and pushed her wants over his. They got into an argument and instead of doing his MCAT, he went to the recruitment center instead. I was so proud of him for doing it for himself. He was twenty-three and she couldn’t do anything about it.”
Julia got up from the bench and walked to the balcony’s edge. It’s where Devin had carved some ditzy girl’s nameinto the corner post. When she reached over the edge, her fingers grazed the worn-edged cuts that bore the faintest resemblance to ‘Kimberly’ in her brother’s writing.
“I was gone for the weekend with some friends. Uncle Steven called and I could hear my mother screaming in the background. I couldn’t make anything out.” Julia shook her head, using the back of her hands to wipe her tears. “Now, what we knew at the time, the crossing gate was broken and his car was stuck on the tracks. H-he didn’t survive.”
“I’m so sorry.” He kissed her temple and rubbed his hand over her arm.
“We were cleaning his room a few weeks later. N-neither one of us wanted to clean it or move anything. But she thought doing something little like the laundry would,” she shrugged. “I don’t know, make us feel something. I was in the living room and she yelled. I ran.”
Julia lowered her head, wishing she could hide from the memories. Stupid to believe and trust someone who’d shown time and time again that she didn’t have her best interest at heart.
“I was wrong to trust her.” It’d become an inherent part of her that refused to die. There was a part of her that had hoped for change. Maybe somehow through their loss they could bond and become allies instead of always getting picked on.
A memory pushed itself to the forefront and Julia squeezed her eyes closed. “Tell Juju.” The grief torethrough her, breaking from the inside, and for the second time that day–she sobbed.
Julia’s knees buckled and Graham scooped her up before she could hit the stone floor. With ease, he bundled her into his lap as if he were providing aftercare and wrapped his arms around her.
“I tried to read over her shoulder,” Julia sniffled in defeat. “She kept telling me to wait, she mumbled bits of words out loud and I’d never seen her like this before. I didn’t. She destroyed the letter before I could read it. Graham, by the time I…There were scattered words, nothing you could put together except ‘Tell Juju’. Tell me what? Not to be sad? He’s sorry? Don’t forget the constellation game. Tell Juju to do her homework?” she snorted sardonically, knowing how absurd it all sounded.
“Tell Juju is all I know. She was too fast. I don’t know what’s in there Graham. It’s the most unfinished sentence and being here around her shuts me down in ways.”I’m sorry. “I don’t know how to recover.”
“Okay.” He whispered into her hair, tucking her against his to shield her from the night air. Graham allowed her to absorb the silence, shoring her emotions and allowing her to assess the personal damage.
Graham rocked her slowly, almost soothing her into closing her eyes long enough to fall asleep. Julia pressed her face into his chest and inhaled deeply with a subtle sigh.
He whispered in her ear. “We can’t hide all night.”
“Wanna bet?” Julia scrubbed her face and nodded. “I know, I know. I can’t leave Aunt Elaine down there to fend alone.”
“She isn’t, your mother left shortly after you came upstairs. I see a lot of your aunt in you.”
“How so?”
“She told her sister if she couldn’t be nice then she could be herself at her house and see who comes for dinner.”
“I swear, the stork brought me to the wrong house.” Julia tilted her head back and wiped her eyes. “So um, please don’t judge me for what I’m about to say.”
“Hit me.”
“Pack your shit and let’s get the fuck out of here before anyone shows up. Aunt Elaine knows I’m leaving.” This wasn’t the first dinner the two Sinclair women ended up at odds and separate rooms.
“I’ll follow you, kitten. You’ll get no judgment from me.”
“Really?”
“Let’s go on an adventure.”
Six
Graham
With his arms full of coffee and supplies, Graham quietly slipped into the hotel room, careful not to let the door slam shut and wake Julia, who was sleeping sprawled diagonally across the bed.
After their talk the night before, Julia said a hasty goodbye to her aunt, and they headed to the nearest hotel, planning to leave in the daylight.
Graham grabbed one of the hotel coffees and headed over to the seat by the window. He sent a message to his boss requesting an update, then Wes, he was unsure if Julia had updated Melody when they’d left the night before.
Graham:
