This is me trying

 

"Of course, it's gonna happen,"  Liam was certain of it. How could Joon doubt him about the wedding?

"You're still so young, don't do it," was all Joon had to say about the matter. They were in the backyard having a beer while the steaks sizzled. Liam looked out the patio door and wondered if Emily was listening.

"Bom is helping me," Liam told him. "I really don't want Emily's parents spending any more money on us. After all, we are living in their house."

"I'm just warning you," he shook his head. "I thought Natalie and I were forever." Joon was serious. "You know, how..how even you thought Lizzy was your one and only. Look what happened?"

Liam sighed and took a sip of the lite beer. It was imitation lime flavored. Actually, it was hard to swallow. A lot like what he was about to say. He and Lizzy didn't speak anymore. "Have you talked to her? Does she know you're back? I'm sure she'd love to spend time with Niah." After all, Lizzy was Natalie's cousin (Joon's ex-wife).

"I don't want to." Joon was still full of hurt as he stared at the beer. Of course, Niah was off with Emily at the moment they were playing Barbies. 

"You know, you have to. Niah needs to know who Lizzy is," Liam said but Joon only shrugged. It was quiet then.  Perhaps a dead-end of a conversation. But Liam wanted to see if Joon would be part of the wedding. "I was wondering if..if you could be my best man."

"What?" Joon squinted hard. "Don't you have friends?"

"Yeah," Liam sighed with a smile. "I have two best men already. I just thought-"

Joon sighed heavily.

"Bom's going to be in the wedding," Liam spoke up. She was after all Joon's step-sister and the best sister Liam never had.

"Bom?" Joon looked at him as if that was ridiculous.

"Look, she thinks the world of you and Niah and you have to be-" he didn't want to finish that sentence.

"All right, I'll be in the wedding." Joon remained even lipped.

"And you have to be nice to Brian."

"Brian?" He might as well have said, "What on earth for?"

"Welcome back, brother," Liam laughed with a smile. Hopefully, Joon would get out of this sour mood of his, but he knew it wouldn't be anytime soon.

Jory wished he had more to say, but he couldn't think of anything. No, not when he looked at his sister Lynsey with a new man. She'd asked them to dinner.

Of course, before they ever sat down, he couldn't help but say, "How's Casey?"

Silence. She acted as if his name was not in her vocabulary and Rachel looked at him as if she might slap him in the gut. How could he?

Naturally, no one answered. It was as if they had him on mute. They moved on with the tossed salad. There were the steaks from the grill. Of course, he got the largest one.

He talked to his baby nephew for a bit, but the toddler acted like he wasn't listening either. 

The dinner proceeded without incident. But he still wanted answers. Just how did Lynsey make an exit so unscathed? It was as if Casey was a slight ache now. Not even a lump in her throat.

"You shouldn't have asked about him!" Rachel whisper-shouted later while they were getting ready for the banana pudding she brought. "Can't you see how..how raw it all is, right now?"

Jory winced with a soured frown. 

"Don't you care about your sister at all?" Rachel pulled him to the side. "It's like the Ukraine war. You siding with the Russians. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I can have my own opinions." He looked away as if she was wrong. Not him.

"Fine." She left their little spat at that and went to talk to Lynsey then.

He watched them together. It was so easy for Rachel to be friendly. She never met a stranger. And yes, he did want to be on his sister's side. He hugged himself, trying to remember who left who. He just remembered as a child not wanting to leave her at the orphanage. But he hadn't said anything then either.