Page 52 of Share with Me

This is Brinley. Your grandma is tired. I’m driving her home.

Mentally he rephrased it.

This is Brinley. Your grandma’s commode is broken. I’m fixing it.

He got it that Brinley wanted to be helpful but—

“Hello?”

A pleasant voice.

Ivan felt so nervous he had to sit down. “Uh, er, uh, is this Brinley Brooks?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“Ivan McMillan. Quincy’s brother.”

“Oh. I didn’t recognize your voice. You sound like you’re in a cave. How are you?”

Ivan gulped and felt like a giddy schoolboy. For a moment there he couldn’t remember why he had called or what question she had asked him.

“You didn’t have to fix my commode,” he finally said.

“Your commode? I thought that’s Yun’s commode. She agreed to have me call the plumber.”

What a mess.“I would’ve fixed it two weeks ago, but I was busy rehearsing and teaching.”

“Your studio closed for the holidays last week.”

“But SISO gigs and string ensemble performances pick up every Christmas season, and we’re busy through New Year’s Day.”

“And I want to know your schedule because…?”

“I’m saying that we can take care of our own problems. We’re not charity cases.”

“Did I say you were?” Brinley said. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing. I was trying to use your bathroom and it was broken.”

“So you have to do something about it.”

“Wouldn’t anyone?”

“I don’t want us to take advantage of your kindness and generosity.” Ivan tried to calm down.

“It was nothing. Really, Ivan. Don’t worry about it.”

“I can take care of it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ivan had to know.

“You’re both a violinist and a plumber. You can do it all.”

“How hard can it be to fix the commode? Home Depot has kits.”

“But when can you get to it?”

Ivan went silent. She was right. He had no time. And if he did, did he really know how to use those kits?

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