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“No!” Alan’s shout rang through the house, causing several heads to peek out from their respective rooms. “You can’t leave. You promised me you wouldn’t!”
The door slammed behind him, leaving a stunned eldest brother staring blankly at nothing. Virgil appeared from his room, hair rumpled and paintbrush tucked behind his ear. “What was that about?”
Scott startled. “I was just telling him I was going to be leaving for college in a few weeks. I didn’t think it would be such a big deal. I’ll be close enough that I can come home on weekends and breaks, so I won’t even be gone for that long. He’s just overreacting.”
Virgil shook his head at his brother. “Scott, of course he’s overreacting. The last time someone in his family left, she didn’t come back. And now you’re saying you’re going to leave him too. He doesn’t understand. All he knows is you promised you wouldn’t leave him, and now you’re breaking that promise.”
Scott sighed. Memories filled his mind of a hysterical baby brother, desperately calling for his mama. A promise made to calm the tears, a promise that Scott had no intention of breaking.
“I have to go after him! He’s right. I did promise. I’m not trying to break my promise, but I do need him to understand. I’m not leaving him, not truly.”
Virgil nodded, clapping his brother on the back. “Sounds like you’ve got this handled. Go fix it!”
Scott jogged out of the house, heading towards the most likely place for Alan to have fled. The barn had been the hiding place for upset Tracys for generations.
As he entered, he had to squint to see in the dim lighting. “Alan?” He called softly.
His brother didn’t answer, but he could hear muffled sobbing coming from the hayloft. The ladder was old and rickety, and Scott clung tightly to the rungs as he climbed up after his baby brother.
“Alan?” He could see the bright red sneakers sticking out from behind the hay, but wanted to give his brother the chance to initiate the conversation. If Alan wasn’t ready to listen, he wasn’t ready to talk.
He sat there silently for a while, counting the spider webs hanging from the beams to keep himself from fidgeting. It took a long time before Alan came scooting closer, silently tucking himself beneath Scott’s arm. Scott drew him closer, letting him rest close for a few minutes before he spoke.
“You promised you wouldn’t ever leave me.” He whispered.
“I know, Squirt. And I know this feels like I am leaving you. I’ll come home every weekend, and whenever we have a holiday, and if you ask nicely, I’m sure one of your brothers will fly you down to visit me. And you can call me whenever you want.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Scott stood, wrapping his arms around Alan. “I love you and I always-“
Scott had forgotten to watch where he was standing, and stepped backwards off the edge of the loft, sending them both tumbling down off the ledge.
The impact knocked the wind from both of them, and it was a moment before either of them were able to move. Alan recovered first, sending up a piercing cry.
Startled from his work for the second time that day, Virgil came running out of the house. He scooped Alan off the ground, checking quickly for any injuries. After he was satisfied that the boy was unharmed, he turned to Scott.
Scott had taken the brunt of the fall, twisting midair to ensure he hit the ground first. Blood was running from a cut on his forehead, and his leg was bent at a weird angle.
Virgil sent Alan running to the house for Grandma while he attempted to stem the bleeding. “What were you thinking?” He demanded.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was just trying to make sure my brother didn’t hate me. I wasn’t worried about anything else.”
“Well, next time you’re climbing around in the barn, please save a little part of your brain to watch your step.”
“I think I can do that.” Scott forced a smile, although it looked more like a pained grimace. Grandma arrived, quickly taking command of the situation and getting Scott moved into the car. A quick trip to the hospital later, and Scott was home, leg secured in a bright blue cast and with strict orders not to walk on it for at least a week.
And as much as he chafed at the forced inaction, the ability to spend some more time with his brother was taken full advantage of.