Chapter 48
NATHAN
Max
I have something to show you.
I have no idea what it could be, but it’s the first time in weeks my brothers have written in our group chat, which dried up the day Arianna left the office.
Me
Okay.
Max
Then we move on.
Eli
And never speak about what happened again.
Cole
I agree.
Me
Show me.
My patience is on a knife edge. It has been for weeks. I feel like a shaken bottle of champagne about to explode.
A link to a news article followed by dozens more appear in the chat one after the other, making me clutch my cell in confusion. I tap open each one and skim read them.
Me
What is this?
Eli
Arianna helped us to get this information. She helped us set Julie up.
Max
As repayment and to apologize. To fix us.
Cole
Forgive her.
Eli
We spoke to Mom.
Cole
We can’t go on like this. Not talking to you every day is killing me.
“It’s killing me too.” Max appears in my office doorway, snapping my attention off my phone and onto Eli and then Cole behind him.
It’s Saturday; what the hell are they doing in the office?
“I messed up. I won’t let that happen again.” I hope they believe me.
“It’s what we would have done, too,” Eli admits.
“You were right to go through the case again,” Cole explains further. “It confirmed how great Dad is.”
I lift my chin. He really was a great lawyer. I just hope he’s as proud of us as we are of him.
“Go to her. Fix it,” Max states.
My eyes widen in shock. “That’s what Dad told me to do too.”
“He told us, too.” Max’s lips twitch at the corners.
“He remembered?” I’m surprised by that, but his moments of clarity have been growing by the day due to the new promising medication he’s been on for a few weeks and it seems to have started working.
Mom was so happy when she called me the other day to tell me he remembered her birthday. It’s the small things that mean the most.
“We good?” I ask, my brothers standing in a semi-circle on the other side of my desk, and I remove myself from it and walk to them.
“We’re brothers, we’ll always be good.” Max lays his hand on my shoulder.
“I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”
“Yes, you do.” He winks.