Page 19 of Stepbrother Mine

There’s Christmas music playing through the stereo and the heat is pumping through the car as the tires crunch on the gravel.

“You’re acting like you’ve never seen snow before,” I say, and he turns his head, blinking at me.

“I haven’t.”

I gape at him. “Seriously?”

He shrugs. “I mean, in pictures and stuff and on tv, yeah, but never in person.”

“Oh.” Somehow that makes me sad, but also determined to make sure he enjoys every second of this trip.

“Oh, Martin,” Gwen exclaims as we reach our destination, pulling up in front of it. Dad kills the engine and grins widely. “It’s beautiful.”

She’s right about that. There’s a gorgeous log cabin nestled amongst the pines and a breathtaking view of the snow capped mountains in the background. It looks insanely cozy and comfortable. Like the place where you just want to curl up with a book and some hot chocolate, watching the snow fall through the window.

We climb out and look around before grabbing the luggage from the trunk and crunching through the snow and up the stairs. The cabin has a huge wrap around porch and a jacuzzi out front, along with rocking chairs.

Dad unlocks the front door and we step inside, greeted by a warm, inviting room with a rustic feel. There’s a brick fireplace and overstuffed couches in the living area along with heated wood floors. The bedrooms are down the hall, and are all decorated in an old fashioned style with luxurious quilts on the beds. Large windows throughout the house offer a view of the falling snow. There’s even a window seat in each room and a large Christmas tree in the living area, decked out in red and gold ornaments and bows, with a star on the top.

Sebastian and I are sharing a room, and we spend some time unpacking before we decide to enjoy the jacuzzi. Dad and Gwen tell us they’re going to hang out inside when we ask if they want to join us and I have a feeling that’s code for fucking, so Sebastian and I move even faster to get out to the patio.

The sun is setting and the view is breathtaking as we turn the jacuzzi on and slip into the water. The warmth is a welcome contrast to the chilly outdoor air, and we both sigh as the bubbles fill the space around us.

“God, this is so cool,” Sebastian says.

I chuckle. “It is.”

“Have you done this before?”

I nod. “Been a long time. Last time we were here my mom was alive.”

“Oh. It‘s not weird coming with us?”

I shrug. “Maybe a little bit, but I’m okay making new memories. You and your mom aren’t so bad.” I wink at him and he grins. We close our eyes and enjoy the silence for a while before Sebastian speaks again.

“You excited for college?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” I say, looking at him. Though honestly I was more excited about it before Sebastian came along. Now there’s an ache in my chest at the thought of leaving him. I don’t tell him that, though. Might be kind of weird. We’ve only been brothers for six months. I can’t help but think we’ve grown close, though. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had.

“What are you majoring in?”

“Graphic design. I want to be a tattoo artist.”

His eyes light up and he smiles, making me smile in turn. “You would be amazing at that.”

“Really?” I feel myself flushing, which I never do.

“Yeah, from what I’ve seen of your art you have a lot of talent.”

“Thanks,” I say. “What about you? Do you know what you want to major in yet?”

“Pre-med,” Sebastian says. “I want to be a pediatric cardiologist.” I nod.

“Any reason?”

“I just like the idea of helping people, especially young people. Who knows, maybe it stems from some messed up daddy issues or residual trauma from bullying or some shit, but either way.”

“I don’t think you have to analyze it. It doesn’t really matter. Wanting to help people is reason enough.”

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