Page 62 of The Wrong Brother

“Was it anything like the smackdown you gave her during that party, Catherine?” Griffin wants to know.

“How do you know about that?” Catherine asks, her hand relaxing in mine.

“What have you been doing today? That shit went viral! Someone took a video at the party and it’s all over the place.”

“What?!” we yell in unison.

“We were a little busy getting married,” I point out.

Griffin pulls out his phone and brings up a video titled “Classiest Badass Verbal Smack Down Evah!” He tilts his phone so our parents can see it too and everyone watches as Catherine expertly affirms the things Pressley should see in herself before telling everyone she loves me and warning she will take her down if Pressley tries to hurt me again. It’s as epic the second time as it was the first.

“You were behind me the whole time?” Catherine asks me.

I nod. “I only went to the hallway to get my breathing under control, to ward off a panic attack. I wasn’t going to let her move on to saying awful shit about you. I was coming back to get you, to get us out of there, when you laid into her. It didn’t seem right to stop you.” I know this means my homelessness is out in the open, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. We can talk about it if we need to. I’m no longer ashamed. It’s in the past and I’d do it again if it meant not leaving home.

Griffin sits his phone back on the table. “I told Mina, after we watched it, that you two would be married before the month was out.”

“Who knew we were so predictable?” I deadpan.

“Not predictable,” Griffin explains, seriously. Or, you know, in his usual manner. “But I told you before that you guys make sense. Seeing you together, I knew. I figured once the words were said, you wouldn’t want to wait. And I couldn’t see either of you wanting to be the center of attention at a big wedding.”

“I can’t fault your logic. I’ve been waiting for most of my life! Once I knew she felt the same way, I was done.”

My mom is crying again and the dads have their funny combination of happiness and embarrassment coloring their faces. We do that to them a lot. My dad surprises me, speaking up.

“I get you two wanting to do your own thing, having your own private wedding. But we need to celebrate. Let us have a party for you, like old times. We can set up tables on the street between our houses, string lights up, and invite the neighborhood. Tutu and Uncle and I will dig an imu.”

Catherine’s mom chimes in, getting excited. “Oh yes, let us do it! The guys will roast the pork, you know the uncles will show up with guitars and ukuleles, and maybe we can even persuade your Kuku to honor us with hula! It doesn’t have to be a big fancy thing, but you know everyone is going to want to wish you well.”

I look over at Catherine and she’s grinning. “We’d love that. Celebrating with our families sounds perfect.”

“This is what we were talking about, all those years ago!” My mom sniffles, using her napkin to dab at her eyes. “I always knew my Raffie only had eyes for Catherine. And even then, as a teenager, you were such a beauty, Catherine, with that sweet, caring heart of yours shining through everything you did. This is everything we’ve ever hoped for! Our little ‘ohana, now a family in our hearts and on paper.”

Dinner is filled with sporadic tears, heartfelt words, and lots of laughter. Our family is so much fun. They make the four of us promise to make family dinners a monthly thing. Dad picks up the tab, making everyone tear up all over again. It’s the best wedding reception we could have asked for. With one last round of hugs and hearty back slaps, everyone goes their separate ways. We go home.

HOME.

I still can’t quite believe I have that with Catherine.InCatherine. My love, my hope, my home all residing in one body. As a teenager, her sweet smile made my stomach flip and I lusted after her. As an adult, I grew to appreciate the fierce way she loves the people she cares about and the woman she has become. She’s kind and complex; she’s sexy and confident; she’s funny and nerdy. She pushes me to be more, to be brave. She’s supportive and challenging, calling me out on my bullshit and demanding I meet her in the middle. She’s mine. I thought I loved her all those years ago but those feelings were nothing compared to the depth of emotion I have now.

We got everything all wrong as teenagers. I thought my feelings for Catherine should be pushed aside because I was the wrong brother for her—the one who never measured up, the one who didn’t deserve her. The four of us stumbled through, making mistakes, basing ourselves on a misheard and misunderstood conversation over a decade ago. And yet, from the start, our parents knew our hearts and hoped for the best for us. I’m not the wrong brother. I’m the man made for Catherine. I’m the man who is going to keep loving her and choosing her, every day for the rest of our lives.

epilogue

catherine

1 year later

I finish tying the bow around the box, adjusting it until it looks perfect. I realize it’s going to be pulled off in mere minutes but my husband appreciates beautiful things and I like making him smile. He’s out on the water with the guys this morning but I expect him back soon. I don’t think Ames, Everett, or Jameson surf, they’re probably paddleboarding, but I know Raff, Griffin, and Ka‘eo were looking forward to carving some waves. I need to double-check my calendar but I’m pretty sure Chloe and Liam are hosting our get-together tonight. I’ll need to run out and grab some ingredients for the salad I’m supposed to bring. And some fruit for the kids to balance out the sweets Norah is sure to bake.

Life is busy and crazy good right now. Ka‘eo and Norah were true to their word and folded us right into their Couple Crew. Our dinner get-togethers rotate houses and are filled with good food, the chaos of little ones running around, and lots of laughter. We have friends! Actual, legit, adult friends who are fun and awesome to be around. I’ve never had that before.

The hard work I’ve put in with the Witherings is paying off with new, high-profile clients requesting me specifically. Their restaurant is open and everything is running smoothly. I was wrong about Connor, he isn’t in over his head. He’s a great manager and the ideal client to work with. He also seems to be a pretty great husband. He stood by Pressley through the backlash after that video went viral. She checked into rehab to battle a secret, years-long battle with alcoholism, and Connor was by her side the whole time. During our last check-in, he told me the therapist Rafferty recommended to him is helping them immensely. We’ll never be friends but I’m truly happy that Pressley is getting the help she needs and that she has good people in her corner. I like to believe everyone deserves that.

Mina and Griffin are engaged and planning their perfect wedding. It’s a good thing Mina is so strong and sure of herself because both of the moms have tried to go overboard, making up for what they didn’t get to do for me. Through it all, those two still work closely and their shared passion for social justice makes it obvious why they should have always been together. The four of us hang out a couple of times a week, trading off making or ordering dinner and bingeing shows together. I never would have dreamed that my sister/best friend and I would fall in love with our lifelong friends, making our circle deeper and closer than it ever has been. How did I get so lucky?

Rafferty’s work has blown up! He’s still doing personal training but now he sets his schedule to work around his painting instead of the other way around. Helen and Bob love the painting they commissioned and proudly tell everyone about it. In fact, it was featured prominently when their house was photographed for an interior design magazine! Between the exposure the Witherings have given him and the growing popularity of his Instagram account (thanks in part to Ka‘eo sharing work in his stories and posting photos he took of us in a sexy couple session we did after we got married, prominently featuring grandmother’s robe), he has more commissions than he has time for! He tries to balance those with painting for himself to avoid getting burned out. His paintings of women of all shapes and sizes have become more popular than his landscapes. My love has a real gift for making you feel the strength and fragility in his subjects.

I’m finishing remaking the bed with clean sheets when I hear Rafferty call from the front door. He comes back, smelling like sunshine and saltwater with a hint of sunscreen. He gives me a toe-curling kiss before dropping his clothes in the laundry basket. Swoon! That’s true love right there, making sure I don’t have to pick his laundry up from the floor.

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