“Aubrey, when have you ever known me to be upset when there’s food waiting to be eaten?”
“How about when Dad’s the one who cooked it?” she teased, knowing damn well we all ran in the other direction the rare times that he decided to help Mom out by making dinner. He was a disaster in the kitchen.
“Well played,” I said before taking a huge bite of the corned beef sandwich in front of me.
We both ate in silence until most of the food was gone. She hadn’t been joking when she said she was starving. Which meant something was wrong because Aubrey was a nervous eater. Any time something was worrying her, she went to food for comfort, thanks to our mom for having used it that way with us when we were younger.
“Mmmmm, that was so good,” she said, wiping her mouth with her napkin.
“Okay, Aubrey. Spill.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to sound all innocent like she didn’t know that I knew something was going on.
“You know exactly what I mean’” I responded as I pointed at the empty plates in front of us. “You know I appreciate you ordering lunch and all, but I know that when you eat like this something’s bothering you. How can I help you if you don’t talk to me about it?”
“Shit, Jackson. It’s not me I’m worried about,” she admitted.
That wasn’t what I had expected her to say. “Then what the fuck is going on? Because you’ve seemed different lately.”
“I’m fine, Jackson. I know I’ve changed a little over the last few months, but it’s just because I’m finally growing up. And just in time because I’m going to be a senior soon. I can’t act like a child my whole life.”
“Aubrey, one of the things I love most about you is that you can still act like a kid sometimes. Don’t change too much, okay? It’s part of what makes you who you are. Although I am sure the parental units will be thrilled at the idea of you taking school and stuff more seriously.”
“Yeah. I’ve even talked to Dad about working in one of the branches this summer,” she surprised me with since she’d always been so against working for our dad.
“Whoa! Really? What made you decide that?”
“I think it’s because I see so many people around me with purpose in their lives while I’ve been drifting a little aimlessly,” she replied. “Lex has her planes. Drake has rugby. You have banking. Kaylie has dance. Hell, even Char has her parents’ bar to go back to if that’s what she decides she wants to do next. All I will have is a shiny degree that says I did my time here with no plan for what’s next.”
“So the bank is going to be your plan?”
“For now. Maybe I’ll find something else, but it’s as good a place as any to start. As long as you don’t think I’m butting in or anything?” she asked. “We’ve always known you were the one of us kids who was going to end up working with Dad ever since you took to math so well and the rest of us kids didn’t.”
“Aubrey, I don’t mind at all. I’d love it, and I am sure Dad will too,” I reassured her. “But if that’s not what’s bothering you, then what is?”
The smile that had been plastered across her face from seconds ago wiped completely off. “It’s Kaylie.”
“Kaylie? Is something wrong?” I asked as I grabbed my phone to see if she’d tried calling me and I’d somehow missed it.
Aubrey reached out to stop me before I dialed Kaylie’s number. “I didn’t explain that very well. You know how she has the showcase tonight?”
“Yeah?” I asked, still not getting where she was going with this.
“Has she talked to you about it very much?”
“Not really. It’s just a show for the end of the year, right? What is there that really needs to be said about that?” I asked, still not understanding.
“Shit, Jackson,” she sighed. “There are going to be scouts from dance companies there. People who are going to be there in part because Kaylie is dancing.”
“Okay, and your point is what, exactly?”
“I know she means a lot to you, Jackson. I can tell how much any time I’m around the two of you or even just when someone mentions her to you. Your whole face lights up. So my point is this. What are you going to do if she gets an offer to go dance somewhere like New York or Chicago or Los Angeles? Dancing has been her thing since she was a little girl, and it means even more to her now because it makes her feel close to her mom. Have you guys even talked about what comes next for you with graduation just around the corner?”