Live with her or his brother. Not both.

He’d sworn before God to make his marriage work.

So he’d chosen his wife and found the best care home possible for his brother and visited every weekend.

It was a relief that Samuel had liked the group home. He’d been more independent than several of the patients, and the owners often gave him responsibilities that included helping with other patients, odd jobs, organizing crafts, working in the gardens, and even cooking. Samuel had been thriving. Each visit he’d drag Alex from one end of the Maxwells’ group home to the other, reintroducing him to people Alex had met dozens of times over the years and showing off his latest artwork or the blooming rosebushes.

The guilt never went away. Samuel was Alex’s responsibility. But he’d known he couldn’t provide him with the stimulation and socialization Samuel found in the home. It had ripped at his heart. Kathy Maxwell had patted Alex’s shoulder as he left each weekend and said her usual mantra. “He’s happy here. Stop beating yourself up.”

Alex would smile and nod at the kind woman. And ignore the spasms that squeezed his lungs.

He’d never forget his last visit with his brother.

Samuel’s greeting hadn’t packed his usual enthusiasm. He’d looked away when Alex held out his fist for Samuel to bump.

“Hey, Buddy. What’s wrong?” He tousled Samuel’s dark hair and made a mental note to remind Kathy that he needed a haircut.

“Don’t call me Buddy.” He knocked Alex’s hand off his head and scowled out the window.

Ouch.

He’d called Samuel “Buddy” since he was born. Their father had started the nickname when Samuel was an infant. When he was young, Samuel had informed people his name was Buddy, not Samuel.

Alex studied his brother carefully. Samuel looked thinner, and his eyes had dark circles under them. Usually Samuel sparkled. He had an infectious grin and a rolling, low laugh that pulled everyone’s attention to him. Alex had often wondered what Samuel would have been like with a normal birth, where he hadn’t been deprived of oxygen for so long. He had Alex’s height and coloring, but he was softer, rounder in the face and build. If Samuel had Alex’s obsession for running and weightlifting, they would have been twins. Now with the shadows and weight loss, Samuel looked more like Alex than ever.

Something was definitely wrong. Alex glanced around for Kathy, wondering if the grandmotherly caretaker knew what was bothering Samuel. When Samuel was in a cranky mood, Alex could rarely get him to talk. The woman wasn’t in sight so Alex settled back into the old flowered couch and tried to relax his brother.

“Want to watch some TV? I’ll see if SpongeBob is on.”

“No.”

Okaaay. SpongeBob was a favorite. Alex looked out the window of the cramped living room. Pouring rain. He couldn’t ask Samuel to take him on a tour of the garden. Maybe…

“Rosa’s gone.”

Alex blinked, trying to remember Rosa. He pictured a woman with black hair who carried around a little dog that could fit in a teacup.

“Where’d she go?”

Samuel shrugged.

“Did she go home for a visit? Or just shopping?” Had his little brother developed a crush on the young resident?

“She’s gone. And she’s not coming back.” Samuel’s voice cracked, and Alex worried he was about to cry. Samuel never cried.

“Did she take her dog with her?” It was possible Samuel was more upset about the dog than Rosa.

He nodded and rubbed at his eyes. Alex wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and Samuel leaned into his chest. He’d always been an affectionate kid who’d responded to a comforting touch. “What was the dog’s name?”

“Hero.”

Hero had been a tiny little mutt, but the name was fitting with the dog’s big heart. “That’s too bad. He was a cute little guy.”

“He was mean to Hero.”

“Who was mean?”

“That man. The new one. He doesn’t like dogs, and he was mean to Hero. I hate him. I was going to tell on him.”

“Is that why Rosa left?” Alex mentally flipped through the newer patients, trying to remember one who didn’t like dogs. Would that be enough to make a patient move out?

Samuel shrugged again. “I don’t like him. It’s all his fault Rosa is gone. He threw Hero in the pool. I saw him do it. It hurt Rosa. I hate him.”

He could picture Rosa’s fury at her little dog getting thrown in the pool. It must have taken ten minutes for the itty-bitty dog to paddle his way to the pool’s edge. Rosa must have been angry enough to move out.

Alex wondered how to cheer him up. Or should he let it go? In a few days, Samuel would have completely forgotten about the girl and her dog. Maybe Samuel would like his own dog? The two of them had always wanted a dog when they were kids. He pondered the idea, picturing Samuel romping with a big golden retriever. Maybe that wasn’t a good idea if there was a dog hater in the group home. Kathy Maxwell might not go for it either. Rosa’s little dog had been more like a hamster.

“I’m still going to tell on him for hurting Hero, but right now I’m tired.” Samuel stood and left the room, leaving Alex on the couch in silence.

Alex rubbed at his thighs and stood, feeling guilty and abandoned in the little living room. Once Samuel stated he was tired, he wouldn’t speak for hours. Samuel would come out of his bedroom when he was ready, no earlier. No amount of talking, ice cream, or potato chips would make a difference. Alex had just slipped on his jacket when Kathy Maxwell stepped in from the garage, her arms loaded with groceries. She looked like the perfect grandma in her old-fashioned housedress. Alex always expected her to offer him chocolate chip cookies and milk.