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“Okay, so wait. You quit your family racing company to start a new family racing company? But with Rob this time?”
He’d just laughed, and nodded, telling me all the details they still had to work out, but from what he knew, it was a done deal.
“Wow. That’s honestly really amazing. What are you guys thinking of naming the business?” I had asked.
“I don’t know yet. We’re still in the early stages, but once everything is up and running, we’re going to be looking for racers.”
Frowning, I asked, “Wait, what about you? You don’t want to race?”
“Honestly, no. Racing stock cars has never been my passion. I’d much rather be out there in the streets with you.”
He reached out and tucked away a loose stand of my hair. His touch was comforting, and I let myself close my eyes and just be in that moment for a few seconds longer.
“I doubt I’ll be out there anytime soon,” I finally said.
“Eh, we’ll get you all set up when you’re ready, Princess. There’s no rush,” he’d said.
I’d finally agreed to take him to see Eli, but told him not to get his hopes up.
“He’s never once let you see him?” Bodhi asks, sitting beside me in the visitation area at Northern California’s Correctional Center.
“Nope. He thinks it’ll make us see him differently,” I say.
“He said that?”
“Well, no. But that’s what I assume he’s thinking.”
Inmates start filtering into the room, and I sit up a little straighter, scanning their faces, looking for my brother’s familiar one.
Bodhi reaches out, taking my hand in his. I feel steadier with him here, though I’m not sure why I’m so nervous suddenly.
And then I see him.
My eyes go wide, glossing over with tears.
He looks the same, and completely different at the same time.
“That’s him,” I hear Bodhi say, but I can’t move to respond.
Eli’s eyes meet mine from across the room, and I don’t break eye-contact once as he makes his way to our table.
He’s so much bigger than I remember. His hair is cropped short, and his honey-colored eyes hold a sharper edge to them than they used to. But this is still my big brother, and my heart aches seeing him again after these last couple of years.
When he reaches the table, I stand.
“Can… Can I hug you?” I ask, my voice just barely above a whisper as I stand before my brother.
I watch as he swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion.
“Yeah, but not for too long, and only now and before I have to go back in,” he says, his voice so low that my skin breaks out in chills.
He’s barely got the words out before I’m wrapping my arms around his middle and breathing him in. He smells like my childhood, and long summer nights camped out on the beach.
He clears his throat and I release him, stepping back.
Bodhi stands to shake Eli’s hand, but Eli doesn’t take it. Bodhi doesn’t seem to take it personally. We sit back down, us on one side and Eli on the other.
“Somebody better start talking,” Eli says, motioning to the bruises on my face, and I know that he’s about five seconds away from tearing into Bodhi if necessary.
