I haven’t told J the whole story. There’s a part of my and K’s life that he knows nothing about. He wouldn’t understand. Sometimes I barely understand it myself.
But it’s there and it’s part of our lives. And remembering it gives me a clue as to where K could be.
I take a shower, dress in some clean clothes, and head out the door.
The Uber driver picks me up and we make simple small talk about the weather as he drives me to my destination.
Upon arrival, I get out and wait for a moment at the edge of the sidewalk. I rate my driver very well to take up some time. Then I take a deep breath and walk up the sidewalk.
Normally, I would knock on the door and enter on my own. I do have a key. This time I ring the doorbell and wait.
Nothing happens, so I ring again. I hear footsteps inside the house and see a shadow through the window. The door opens and she stands there, looking at me.
Rhonda.
She’s wearing a bathrobe over her pyjamas.
“Is he here?” I ask.
A pause. A deep sigh. A nod.
She pulls the door open wider and steps aside to let me in.
“He’s in the bedroom.”
I move past her to go talk to my brother.