A few weeks later, he called, his voice shaky. When I arrived, the house was a disaster—boxes everywhere, toys scattered, Lila upset, and my brother pacing like he couldn’t catch his breath. She had been thinking about moving back in with her parents because she felt he wasn’t being fully transparent.
So I asked him straight out, “What are you not telling her?”
“Lying by omission still hurts,” I reminded him. “She doesn’t need you polished—she needs you honest.”
I sat with both of them, helping guide the conversation. Through tears, Lila explained that it wasn’t losing the job that scared her—it was feeling shut out. Over the next month, my brother committed himself to change. He cooked meals, watched Mason, sent out applications, and actually listened.
Then one afternoon, he called me, full of excitement—he’d been hired for a new job. One he actually enjoyed. One close to home.
A Small Wedding and a Big Shock
Their wedding came soon after—simple and sweet in a nearby park. Just close family. Mason, serving as the flower boy, dumped the entire basket of petals onto my brother’s head, sending everyone into laughter.
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