“No.”
“You never stop competing, do you?” she said. “Despite all Mother has done to prevent it, you’re always competing.”
“It has nothing to do with competition, Haylee. I just thought you might feel safer if I was there with you. If it was the other way around, I’d want you there.”
“Well, it’s not the other way around, and I don’t have any of those fears. I feel safe. Don’t you think I know when I know someone well enough to trust him? Are you the only one who can tell what’s important about people?”
“Of course not.”
“So?”
“Okay, okay,” I said. “You’ll go yourself, but you’d better tell me his full name.”
“I said I would.”
I thought a moment and then sat on her bed, hoping we could have one of the close sister-sister talks we used to have. Maybe I could still get her to change her mind.
“Tell me more about him. Why doesn’t he have a girlfriend at his age?” I asked, stressing “age.” “Has he been married? Does he have children?”
“No, he’s never been married, and of course he has no children. He’s had girlfriends on and off, but he says most of the girls he’s met turned out to be immature, self-absorbed airheads. He was devoted to his parents. When his father became seriously arthritic, he had to do more to take care of them and their property. He gave up a lot in his own social life to do it. That should tell you a lot about him.”
“Maybe he’s too introverted for a social life. That’s a big reason for people who live on the Internet.”
She stared at me.
I shrugged. “It’s true.”
“Maybe he is,” she said, “and maybe I bring him out of it. Maybe I’m the first girl who has. What’s wrong with that? Well?”
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“Nothing.”
“Matt was like that when you first met him, wasn’t he? He wouldn’t even join a sports team. Did I tell you to avoid him because he was so unsocial?”
“No, but we know how that turned out.”
She shook her head.
“Okay, okay,” I said. “Where did he grow up?”
“Here in Pennsylvania. He wants to travel more now, but he’s still keeping up the family property and hasn’t decided whether to sell it or not. He’s someone who cares about memories. He’s not flighty.” She smiled. “In the beginning, it was hard to get him to joke and not be serious, but I finally got him to lighten up.”
“It doesn’t bother him that you’re in high school?”
“He couldn’t believe it when I told him my age. He said he’s met many girls our age but none as centered as I am. I gave Mother credit for that,” she said. “He was surprised she had done so well, considering how we were practically fatherless.”
“Are you expecting to introduce him to her one day?” I asked, wondering just how much of a dreamer she was. If she did, it would be like setting off a nuclear warhead in front of Mother for sure.
“We’ll see. The way you do something like this is to take baby steps, Kaylee. It’s just as I advise girls in our class. Don’t overly commit to anyone too soon. See? I know what I’m doing. But,” she added, “I know I’m going to want to commit to him. I have this deep feeling for him. He makes me feel better about myself, too.”
I nodded. I couldn’t change her mind. Maybe it was better to just let her work through it, make discoveries herself, and eventually tell me I had been right. I heard a beep on her computer.
“That’s Anthony,” she said. “Do you mind?”
I looked at the screen and then at her and got up. “Be sure, Haylee. Please. That’s all I ask.”
“I will,” she said. She gave me a quick hug and kissed my cheek.