Aiden is working with Jack, and I work alone. I see how they communicate with each other, and I can't understand what worries me.

They get along well. Aiden is recovering. He smiles, and he feels comfortable around Jack, but...

I circle around the farm and realize that there is only one thing that disturbs me - our dim future. Summer will come to an end as will this work. Will I go back to the university? Will Aiden come with me? What will we do? Now everything seems to get better, to fall into place, but it's like building a house of cards on quicksand. We have no ground under our feet. And the scars on Aiden's wrists are still too fresh...

I drive to the stables and see Jack and Aiden busy knocking cans off the fence with horseshoes.

"Is everything OK?" Jack shouts at me when he spots me.

I nod, "And how are you doing here?"

"Great! Aiden is a fast learner."

My brother smiles and waves at me from behind the fence. Apparently, it's only me who can't get rid of thoughts about our past and our future.

I work late again and barely stand from fatigue. Laura brings me dinner, but neither Aiden nor Jack are here.

"They might have been racing on horses again," Laura says, rolling her eyes.

"What?!" I choke on a piece and start coughing.

"I'm kidding!" She grins and claps me on the back. "Why are you so nervous as if your brother were six?"

"He's still not himself."

"And, in my opinion, he is fine. And you act like an over-protective brother. Or a mother hen," she smirks. "And he's having a great time with Jack," she gives me a strange look with some vague hint.

"What do you mean?" I frown.

Laura looks at me without changing her expression but is in no hurry to explain, "Well..." Her tone becomes usual. "You never get bored with Jack! Once when we were kids, he released geese, and we competed over who would catch more of them before sunset. Three went missing. But it was definitely not boring," Laura laughs. Unfortunately, I can't share her careless joy. Darkness falls quickly.

"Why aren't you having dinner with your father?" I wonder.

Laura snorts, "He likes giving me lectures. The first week, he is glad to see me, and everything is fine. But then there is only continuous nit-picking and talks about the future."

"Your father is worried about you," I say.

"He should worry that I want to leave as soon as possible and stay away as long as possible. Lucky Jack, his last semester is starting in a week. And I'll be dying of boredom for another month. Will you and your brother stay? Father needs help. It will be difficult here without Jack..."

"Jack is leaving?" I ask, surprised, an unpleasant chill creeping up my neck.

"That's what I said. He'll stay until Friday and then 'ciao-ciao, dear brother'. I believe he already bought a ticket."

Damn...

For some reason, I immediately think of Aiden. I can't figure out what I'm more concerned about - that Aiden is with Jack or that Jack will leave, and Aiden will, quite possibly, isolate himself from the world again.

"He never told me. Will he come back here after the semester?" I ask.

Laura shrugs, "Father needs help, yes. He would like Jack to be here, but... Jack wanted to study and went to university. I don't think he'll give up so easily now. I think he'll stay in California if he finds a job."

"His uni is in California?"

"Yeah," she looks at her foot in bright yellow sandal. "And what about you? What are you going to do? You're a student, too, as I recall."

Instead of an answer, I put food in my mouth and chew to buy at least some time and come up with something. However, there is no need for this, because I see Mr. Phelps driving up to the house. We hardly met each other lately, but Jack always said that his father was quite happy with our work.

"Good evening, Mr. Phelps." I get up. He comes closer and looks at what we did with the shepherd's shack - it looks pretty decent. A couple of days ago, Jack and I even painted it.

Mr. Phelps nods and glances at Laura then looks at me again.

"How are you doing? Alright?" He asks without much care in his voice.

"Yes, everything is great. I don't remember if I thanked you for allowing us to stay. You helped us a lot..."

"I see your brother has come to his senses," he goes on.

"Yes, sir."

"Good."

A little doubt creeps into my mind. Maybe he came to ask me to move out?.. But Laura just said that Jack was leaving, and he would need our help.

"Come on, help me out on the pasture," Mr. Phelps says after a short pause, during which I've already done a lot of guesswork.

"Yes, of course," I say. "Thanks for dinner," I turn to Laura and get into Mr. Phelps's car.

We drive to the other side of the farm with cattle pastures. Mr. Phelps has a large farm and, for the most part, tries to manage it on his own. As I understand it, he doesn't really like outsiders.

We drive in silence. I don't want to start a conversation because I don't want to annoy him with my questions. He doesn't ask me anything, so I see no point in some lengthy unsolicited discourse about my life here or the one I had before...

Though... I haven't spoken openly to anyone for a long time.

"I see you got along with Jack," Mr. Phelps says suddenly. I nod.

"He's a good guy, sir. He is easy to get along with."

Mr. Phelps frowns and purses his lips as if my answer displeased him.

"Did you graduate from college?" He asks a little later.

"I am a second-year student at the university."

"So you will continue your studies in the fall?"

And I thought I had gone away from questions... But it's like my own thoughts are embodied in other people's words. I have to answer these questions.

"I... I don't know yet, sir," I say honestly.

"And your brother?"

"He graduated from high school this year. But... I don't know either."

I look away. This conversation turns out to be harder than I thought. Mr. Phelps notices this and says nothing more.

I return to the house in the dark. It feels like Mr. Phelps was putting me to the test.

I sit down on the bed, exhausted, and notice that there is no one on the next bed.

Damn...

I don't know... maybe Laura is right, and I'm, as she said, over-protective... But she did not see my brother the way I saw him. And I can't let things slide.

So I get up and walk to Phelps' house. In the dark, the glowing windows on the ground floor are clearly visible. I knock on the door, and Laura opens it. Her loose hair flows like waves. And why does she keep putting it in the tail?

"Sorry to bother you. Have you seen Jack or Aiden? He's still not home and..." I start.

Laura smiles with one corner of her mouth and tilts her head, examining me as if I have "Fool" written on my face.

"I don't think they got lost," she replies and grins again. "Maybe they decided to go to the city."

Why am I so worried that Aiden is spending time with someone else? He enjoys it, no doubt. But... this is some kind of fraternal jealousy, a feeling of injustice that I was left out. I thought, after everything that happened, we would somehow become closer, but it turned out not as I expected. I really feel like a father of a teenager. He has his own interesting eventful life, and I am left with nights of restless sleep, disturbing thoughts, and constant waiting.

I'm only three years older than him. But the story of suicide, our parents, and Aiden's recent condition pulled me out from the position of a cheerful older brother and put me into a different category. I feel the burden of responsibility on my shoulders. For him, for myself, for his future, for his condition. I have been responsible for him since childhood because I am the elder one. Because he was weaker, he was more vulnerable. If I was a sensitive kid, I quickly grew a thick skin because, behind my back, stood someone who needed my protection. And I protected him even if I was not sure of my victory. It's like it all came back to me. Click, and it started like a program.

I have to protect my brother. That's all I can think of.

And he... knocks cans with horseshoes. With Jack.

He laughs. With Jack.

Disappears into the night. With Jack.

But Jack doesn't feel the way I do. Even though he is older than me, although he is Laura's older brother, but still. He doesn't even know the whole story of what happened to me and Aiden.

I have to protect my brother. Even if from himself.

"Sorry," I say and turn around.

"Hey, wait," Laura catches up with me on the porch. "Father has already gone to bed. Do you want to come in? Wait for Jack here..."

"I need to find Aiden... And I'd like to talk to Jack too."

"He's leaving soon anyway, so..."

"So what?" I ask impatiently.

"Listen, Jack won't hurt your brother. Of course, I can't vouch, but he certainly does not wish him ill. He likes your brother, is that bad? He helped him out of that stupor. They just fool around and have a good time. And your brother is already big enough and can decide who to be friends with."

"Don't tell me how I should treat my brother."

Laura's face changes instantly, and she leaves. My last sentence sounded rather rude. I am left alone on the porch.

I wander back to the shack in the darkness. Voices reach me. This is Jack and Aiden. They talk and laugh loudly. They even try to sing something. When I reach the porch, I see Aiden walking, leaning on Jack's shoulder. They both are tipsy.

"Brent!" Jack smiles broadly. But I don't see him. I only see the face of my drunken brother. And I feel words sprouting from anger on the tip of my tongue. And they fly out of my mouth even before I have time to comprehend them.