“You are so awful to me,” Stephen said.  “Sometimes I just hate you.”

“Oh buddy,” his older sister replied.  “You don’t mean that.”

For several long seconds, he said nothing.  It wasn’t because he was sorry.  He wasn’t.  He didn’t feel the slightest remorse for what he’d said, but the single tear tracking slowly down Rebecca’s face had stopped him cold.

Stephen turned away.  He did love her, but sometimes he didn’t know why.  All he knew was that she picked on him constantly.  And he had heard their mom tell her to leave him alone.

Stephen looked out the window of his upstairs bedroom.  “When Dad gets home,” he said, “I’m telling…”  Glancing at Rebecca, who was seated on his bed, he darkened.  “You’re going to be the one in trouble.”

His sister’s eyes narrowed.  “Telling what?” she asked as he turned away from her, staring again out the window.  His head pointed one way, then the other.  Rebecca knew he was looking up and down the street, wanting to be the first to spot their father coming home from work.

“Stephen?” she tried again.  “What is it that you are going to tell Daddy?”

“You know,” he said.  “You know.  I saw you and that Hank Bartrum behind the gym.”  He turned toward her and with a goofy expression on his face, Stephen slowly enunciated, “And you were kissing him.  Kissing.  I will tell.”

Rebecca folded her hands in her lap and ducked her head. She knew Stephen would be furious if he thought she was laughing at him, but she couldn’t hold back a smile.  It was silly, she thought.

“I am old enough to kiss boys, Stephen,” she said.  “I’ve kissed Hank a lot of times.”

“You are not,” he said simply.  “I don’t care anyway.  I’m just going to tell Dad.  He doesn’t like Hank and you’ll be in trouble.  Big trouble.”

“That’s not true, Stephen,” Rebecca sighed.  With a deep breath and feeling all the responsibility of an older sister, she tried again with a soothing tone in her voice.  “Sweetie…you and I love each other.  We have always been best buddies, haven’t we?”

Stephen reached up to unlock the window and began to open it.  “Nobody likes me and I’m leaving.”

Startled, Rebecca stood and moved toward her brother who already had one bare foot out the window.  Reaching him, she latched onto his arm, ready to pull with everything she had, but relaxed when she saw he had been unable to open the window high enough to climb through.

Frustrated and angry, Stephen’s ankle was still trapped in the window when he fell to the floor and began to sob.  “I’m leaving,” he said several times as Rebecca carefully worked his foot free and checked to make sure he had not been cut.

Finally, she helped him stand and led him toward his bed.  Just that quickly, it seemed, Stephen had run out of steam.  He didn’t resist as his big sister turned down the covers.  “It’s time to take a nap, buddy,” Rebecca said.  “Do you still like your special sheets?”

Stephen nodded and eased between the cool bed linens.  They were white, but with brilliant yellow and silver cartoon fish jumping from splashes of blue water.  She’d given them to him for Christmas and had been thrilled by how much he had appreciated the gift.

Rebecca placed a hand on his shoulder and bent down to kiss his head.  “Close your eyes, Sweetie.  I’ll see you after your nap.”  She moved to the bedroom door and paused to look back at him.  He’s already asleep, she thought and whispered, “I love you,” before quietly exiting the room.

As she softly closed the door, she saw Betty in the hall.  The middle-aged woman in the maid’s uniform was tiptoeing toward her.  “Hello Betty,” Rebecca said in a low voice.

“Good afternoon, Rebecca,” the maid said softly.  “Is he asleep?”

“I think so,” Rebecca answered.  “I hope so.”

“Yeah,” Betty agreed, looking at the bedroom door as if she could see through it.  “He needs a good nap.”  The maid slipped her arm across Rebecca’s shoulders and gave a quick squeeze.  “You a wonderful sister,” she said.

Rebecca tried to smile but found it hard to do.  She wanted to believe Betty’s kind words.

“I already got the cake ready for after dinner this evening,” Betty smiled.  “Coconut with chocolate ice cream.”

“That’s his favorite,” Rebecca said.  “Thank you for doing that.  I know he will be excited.”

As Rebecca moved toward the stairs, Betty followed and before she descended, spoke again.  “One more thing, if you don’t mind…”

Rebecca paused and the maid smiled.  “I’m just curious…” Betty said and seemed to be waiting for permission to continue.  With a nod from Rebecca, she did.  “Again, if you don’t mind…” she said, “not that I’m gon’ put candles on the cake or anything…but how many birthdays is this for your brother?”

Rebecca’s eyes pooled with tears, though she managed to keep them from falling down her face and into her soft smile.  “Stephen is two years younger than me,” she said.  “So today, he is eighty-two.”

“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” Betty said.

“No, of course not,” the older sister replied.  “I’ll see you tonight at dinner, Betty.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Betty said as Rebecca eased down the stairs toward the foyer of the nursing home. “Oh…” Betty called again.  “Ma’am?”

Rebecca turned.  “Yes, Betty?”

“When did you say Mr. Hank will be moving in?”

“Next week, Betty.  I’ll be bringing Hank on Tuesday.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Betty whispered as the old woman disappeared from view.