Page 85 of Night and Day
Izzy sighed, balled up the notes and stuffed them into a pencil holder. Mac glared at him under his brow. “You’ve heard of wallets, right? They’re great.”
Izzy coughed up a sound that faintly resembled a laugh.“Do you think love is like a brain tumour?” He asked his brother. “Does it alter who you are and how you think?”
Mac dropped his smile, granting him a surprisingly level gaze. “It doesn’t change who you really are, I don’t think. Maybe it helps you access some under used parts of your brain? It’s still you, but high on courage and optimism. And you need that, because it’s not easy.” He looked away. “No, it doesn’t change you, but it peels off the layers. You’ll see what you really value, what you’re willing to suffer for.”
“Wow, deep.” Izzy tossed him a teasing look.
Mac sneered at him, taking a measured step back. “I meant to say... it gives you a kick in the butt.”
Before he realised his mistake, his brother’s boot landed on his ass. He should have never turned his back on the little devil and his karate kicks. Izzy pivoted, staring down at his big brother from the considerable height and weight that he had on him, his biceps flexing. “You really want to go there?” He assumed his best warrior stance, his eyes bulging out of his head.
Mac threw up his arms. “Nope. Definitely not. But keep that energy. You’ll fly anywhere, easy as.”
A sad, nervous laughter bubbled out of Izzy’s chest, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Mac was right. Feeling a little unhinged was probably his biggest asset right now.
“I’m going to do it,” he said, half to himself.
Mac came at him with a fist bump. “I know.”
#
WHEN MAC LEFT, IZZYsat at his computer and replied to Mia’s email.
Everything will work out. Trust me.
All yours, Izzy
Chapter 33
Mia stared at the wrinkled, swollen perfection of her tiny niece, her breath a soft whisper as she slept inside the odd transparent plastic crib, bathed in blue light. An alien creature. She’d come out healthy but a bit yellow, and needed the light to break up bilirubin. Mia shook her head, wondering if she’d ever be in a room like this with her own baby, the one sitting on the bed instead of the corner chair. Right now, the chair was empty as Tommi had left the room to fetch them something to eat.
“I think she looks like me.” Kati switched the breast pump from one side to the other like she’d done it a thousand times. The bottle she was pumping to only held a few drops of something resembling tree sap.
“How can you tell? They all look the same this early on.” Mia sat at the foot of the bed. “Have you agreed on the name yet?”
Kati looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yes! I got my way. I think after Tommi saw how hard I had to work to get her out, he couldn’t say no. She’s going to be Venla!”
