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Pure mortification settles over me. How am I ever supposed to look Mark in the eye again? I’m going to have to work with him. Danny went too far. This is so embarrassing! Older brothers are the WORST!
I don’t stay too long after Danny leaves. I’m still beyond embarrassed and Ashleigh isn’t helping things. Sometimes I feel so lucky that my brother married one of my favorite humans on the planet. Today is not one of those days. Today I wish Ashleigh didn’t know how to read me like a book since she’s been in my life since I was ten. She’s seen me at all my levels of awkwardness and twitterpation when it comes to guys. I never told her about my crush on Mark, but I’d be surprised if she hadn’t at least suspected over the years. Which just makes this whole situation even worse!
No sooner am I in my car to leave, then my phone buzzes with a notification from another one of my brothers. They’re just coming at me in droves this morning.
Matt: Are you sure you don’t mind watching Maddie tonight?
Millie: I love watching Maddie. Besides I’ve been telling you to go on this date for weeks now.
Matt: It’s not a date!
Millie: Then what is it?
Matt: A work function.
Millie: A work function where the two of you will be alone, you made reservations, and you will not be discussing work at all.
Millie: At least you shouldn’t be.
Millie: Matt, don’t you dare talk about work to this woman all night, do you hear me?!
Matt: Fine, it’s a date, but it’s not that big of a deal.
Millie: Not a big deal?! Do you remember when your last date was?
Matt: It hasn’t been that long
Millie: 5 years! That’s a long time! You haven’t gone on a date since Maddie was born. This is a huge deal!
Millie: Go have a good time, and don’t worry about me and Maddie. I won’t let her stay up a minute past midnight, promise.
Matt: I won’t be out that late
Millie: I’m just saying if you want to see how things go for longer than dinner I am available for as long as you need.
Matt: Quit suggesting what you’re suggesting, Millie, it’s a first date.
Millie: I’m not suggesting anything. Any suggestive thought that passed through your head was all your own. And even if I did suggest anything, which I didn’t, you and Jennifer have been in this dance for months now.
Millie: Now if you’ll excuse me, some of us actually have work to do. See you tonight.
Matt: Thank you. You’re the best.
Of all my brothers, I’m probably the closest with Matt, and not just in age. Matt is the brother who will do anything for you with no judgment. Not that my other brothers are super judgmental. Well, Ben can be. We all fill our roles.
Danny is the oldest and, I would say, the wisest. He will help and support you in anything you need, but he also is going to give you advice whether you want to hear it or not.
Ben is the bulldozer who is going to share his opinion about anything and everything in your life, and you just have to take whatever he says with a grain of salt. He’s not going to sugarcoat anything he says. Ben is no-nonsense and straightforward. His opinions have only become more abrasive the longer he and Belinda have been together.
Jake and Drew are the troublemakers and jokesters of the family. No family gathering is safe if both of them are home at the same time. They’ll never take things too far, but they are going to get as close to the line as they can without crossing it. It will be interesting to see how things change once they grow up some more and get into actual relationships. It’s going to take some special women to tame those two.
Maeley and I are the most similar in our temperaments, though my siblings would argue that I’m the most stubborn. To which I usually stick out my tongue. I would also argue that Maeley has the most grace and poise. Nothing rattles her. She always fights for what she wants. She’s definitely main character energy.
Then there’s Matt, who has the most patience of anyone I have ever met. Even when life gets hard, he is still there for everyone else. When his ex bailed, leaving only a single page letter, he never batted an eye. He just picked up and made a life for him and his daughter. When I was having a hard time at school and almost quit, he found a way to fly out to Texas to spend the weekend with me. It didn’t matter that he was still in school, working full time, and suddenly a single father. He was still there for me like he always had been.
Babysitting my niece, whom I adore, is the least I can do for the brother who literally drops anything he has going on to be there for me. And if that babysitting happens to be because he’s finally going on his first date since his terrible ex broke his heart, all the better.
I pull into the parking garage at work Tuesday morning, the lack of sleep hitting me hard, but it’s worth it knowing that my brother had a good time on his date. I get out of my car and head to the passenger side where I have a large box that is filled to the brim with potential manuscripts to go through with my team today.
