My brother gave me a small smile. “Look at us.”
“Not little shits anymore.”
“You’ll always be a little shit.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, well, I can accept that. We’re all we’ve got, man. You’re all the family I need. You’re all I’ve needed. You might think you didn’t do enough when we were kids, but just knowing you were there with me? That was enough.”
John cleared his throat and looked away. “Enough of this shit.”
I smiled.
This was a moment I never thought my brother and I could have. Understanding. Compassion. Forgiveness. I felt lighter than I ever had in my life, letting go of burdens I thought I would always have to carry. My counselor had told me at the start of our second session that things would be hard and tedious and I would want to quit. He’d warned me that it would take great perseverance to reach a place where I could finally start to feel like I was coming out from under the weight of my childhood.
And here it was. My first taste of true, earned, honest freedom.
I couldn’t wait to share this news with Gabi tonight.
I rose from my seat. “I should head back to the office. I have some important business I have to wrap up today.”
John pumped his eyebrows. “Is that important business named Gabi?”
I laughed. “Fuck off.”