I wish I could start again

 "It looks promising," Oliver said into his mobile when Brick finally called to check in on him. It was kind of funny these days that he was the one who was checking up on his step-nephew. Of course, he always felt they were more foster brothers than anything. After all, Oliver lived most of his life in foster care with an on-and-off Dad who didn't tell him much about anything until he was in high school.

He looked to Sophie who wasn't exactly a baby anymore, but she was hardly a preschooler. Suddenly, she'd been left in his charge full-time. He didn't want to move back home and he certainly would never be his father. Although Oliver loved him a lot, Oliver was no wayward artist either who drove a bus at an assisted living place now. Oliver hadn't been forthcoming in telling his dad the news that his ex had decided to be a traveling teacher in Europe because she'd always wanted to travel.

Oliver was expecting little from her but a postcard now and again. 

"Well, I hope you get that job at the Child Center, on base," Brick sounded enthusiastic, but Oliver didn't quite believe him. It wasn't long until Sophie found Oliver and was poking his cheek with a crayon.

Oliver felt crushed, but he still picked up on all was not well with Brick. They talked enough and he knew how Brick would sound excited about something as if he was making an effort to hide what was going on.

"Just tell  me, what's the matter?" 

Sophie had a tight grip around Oliver's neck and he winced as if she might kill him yet, but they played far too much when she was a baby and she'd be sitting on his shoulders expecting him to play Horsie.

"Oh, it's nothing." Brick's voice was dull and nonexpressive.

"It's something."

"Oh, all right."

Silence.

"Well, can you tell me. It can't be that bad."

Oliver wasn't sure how long he could wait.

"Lily wants us to get back together."

"But..but what about Harley?"

Oliver didn't know her personally, but Brick always talked about Harley. Lily was a forbidden subject, but they agreed on one thing, first loves never really worked out. He knew. Of course, in his case, it didn't mean second and maybe even third loves were going to work out either.

"I don't want to talk about her," Brick said about Harley.

"So she's the forbidden one, now?" 

Oliver managed to get Sophie off of him and offered her some Pumpkin Spice Cheerios and a glass of Almond milk. 

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, you don't sound so sure of anything," Oliver said before Brick hung up on him. About then a knock came to his door. It was someone he hadn't thought of in so long. No, he'd never imagined her as being any of his loves, just a friend who liked talking about all her old boyfriends. After all, she never asked if he ever had a girlfriend.