brother to brother

"You're really tough on him, you know." Ian made it clear to Oliver that he knew this was Kayla's idea to help Jules. Fixing Jules room up while he was at work. She'd order a bigger bed. All he needed to do was put it together. Lola was coming with some bedding. They were spiffing the place up. Bringing in some bookshelves to help break the room up so it wouldn't look like the bedroom was in the kitchen. Kayla left him a diagram and everything.

"Well, I have to be." Oliver eye-balled him. "That's all he knows."

"Yeah, but..but he's like family, you know." Ian reminded him they'd spent most of growing up with Jules. This was their Christmas to Jules and Willow, a new room. They'd been invited to the family Christmas dinner. Willow's parents hadn't came through as Kayla had hoped they would. But it didn't seem to matter. Ian's family was here for Jules and Willow and so was Kayla, even if she was at work.

Of course, Oliver watched. He didn't help Ian, which he understood. He was only checking on the progress. Soon he left. Finally, Lola showed up with the dark green sheets and comforter.

Lola smiled getting out the box of little lights. "I thought this might brighten things up around the headboard."

Ian smiled back. It would be a sweet romantic touch. He moved the book shelves around. There were six tall stands he'd put together. They were cheap, but he put the backs to each other to make the black bookcase look more like a real wall.

He unloaded square wicker baskets to put their items in the book cases. Lola hung up a painting.

"Did you do that?" Ian was so surprised by her talent. It was red heart on black canvass. Very simple and yet the shadowing made it unique.

She nodded. "But what I really like to do is weld."

"Weld?" Ian never really thought of welding as art, but what did he know. He was quite a dummy when it came to art. He checked his watch. They were cutting it close if it were going to be a surprise for Willow and Jules. They'd be home in an hour.