08 The Love Issue | The Span of Human Emotion · 8 of 12
walking into the Thai restaurantwhen I was leaving my apartment for the night. He was wearing the white Nikes I bought himfor his 22nd birthday with my first real paycheck.
I’d never seen him there by himself or by himself anywhere since I left home. But there he was across the street, in ancient sneakers, picking up fried rice and wontons and slouching like he was playing with Hot Wheels, driving them under the coffee table overpass, over the rolling hills of the dog’s back. I barked his name as loud as I could, urgent as a shepherd. He ran to meet me, dodged the hungry cars that filled the gulping street and beep-beeped like they did when he was three. He asked about the apartment. I live here now, I said, but I was just leaving. Let’s get a beer sometime soon, my brother said. He hugged me with his grown up arms and I choked, and instead of saying letsplay cowboys on our bikes I just said I love you.