Free A Good Enough Reason by C.M. Lievens Page A

couldn’t avoid it anymore, Ellis looked at his brother. Connor was looking at him, his eyes curious. He was watching Ellis as if he were trying to read him, and Ellis hoped he couldn’t. “Mom should be back home soon. You’re lucky. You got her free night.”
    “Why do you think I came today? It wasn’t luck. I called to be sure she’d be home.”
    “You just wanted to avoid Dad’s cooking,” Ellis accused.
    “Of course I did. Even I’m not crazy enough to appreciate that.”
    Ellis laughed and made to take his book back, but Connor stopped him with a hand on Ellis’s arm. Ellis froze and kept his eyes on the book, scared of what was about to happen.
    “Talk to me.”
    “I can’t.”
    “Why not? I understand you’re not a kid, and I’m not your hero anymore, but I’m still your brother.”
    Ellis smiled and turned to look at Connor. “Yeah, still my favorite brother.”
    “Why don’t you talk to me, then?”
    “Because I don’t want to lose this.” Ellis gestured at the room, hoping Connor would understand him, and Connor let his hand fall away.
    “What could you tell me that would make you lose me?”
    “Connor… please let it go.”
    Connor sighed heavily, and it made Ellis feel guilty. He didn’t want Connor to think he didn’t trust him or that their relationship was weakening. Family was the most important thing in the world for Ellis, even if they were stubborn, loud, nosy, and annoying.
    “All right.”
    Ellis reached for his brother and hugged him. It wasn’t something they did often, not anymore, and he hoped it showed Connor how much Ellis loved him.
    Connor’s arms went around Ellis, and he hugged back. “I’ll stop nosing in your stuff, but I want you to remember I love you,” Connor whispered in Ellis’s ear. “I know we don’t see each other as much as we could lately, and I don’t say this often, but you’re my little brother, and nothing you do will make me love you less, I promise.”
    Ellis nodded against Connor’s shoulder, and after a few pats on the shoulders, they separated. Both of them leaned back against the couch and looked at everything but each other.
    Ellis grabbed his book again as Connor turned the TV on, and they didn’t talk again until their mom came home.
     
     
    “YOU READY, Al?”
    Alicia scowled at Dale. “Don’t call me Al.”
    “Sorry.” He loved teasing his sister, and she was especially prickly about her name. He’d been calling her Al since she was born, but she’d started hating it about a year before and corrected him when he used it ever since. “So? Are you ready?”
    “Yes. My bag is packed.”
    “Let’s go say good-bye to Mom, then.”
    They were going to their dad’s for the weekend, and Dale couldn’t wait. He missed his dad, and a few weekends a month weren’t enough. He wanted to talk to his mom about it, but he couldn’t seem to find the right moment.
    Dale knew his mother would feel bad about it, not because Dale wanted to see his dad more, but because she’d think it was because she wasn’t enough, and that wasn’t true. Yes, she worked a lot, but Dad did too, and Dale loved taking care of his sister. She was easy to deal with.
    Besides, in only a few months, Dale would start college, and he wouldn’t see either of his parents much. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t miss them, but he’d be going to the closest college, so he knew he could come home—to both his homes—whenever he wanted.
    Mom was folding laundry in her bedroom. Dale kissed her cheek quickly and hugged her, then left the room to put their bags in his car.
    Alicia got there soon after, and they left. The ride to their dad’s apartment wasn’t long, and Alicia spent the entire time singing the last single of whatever girl band she was in love with this week. Dale didn’t pay attention to it anymore because he was used to it, but damn, his sister would never win a singing competition.
    He grabbed both their bags when they got there and