SMELLING ROSES

Chapter Twenty-Six

Grease popped out of the pan and into my skin. I stepped back and inhaled the smell of freshly cooked bacon. It was only a matter of time before it was embedded in all of our clothes. The smell always reminded me of my family. Sunday mornings, before the restaurant took over our lives, we'd find our parents in the kitchen. They'd play Earth, Wind & Fire as they cooked us breakfast. When Zacari and Shae joined them in their two-step, my father would cackle, "What y'all know about that?"

I never thought I'd miss those days.

When I finished the last batch of bacon, my job was almost complete. Running to the windows, I threw back the curtain. The sun shined into the suite. It cascaded over the carpet and reached the outskirts of Wren's bed.

Taking his phone was a great idea. He slept right through his alarm. After practically threatening Uncle Ronnie with Wren's life, he finally agreed to give him a proper day off. Wren definitely needed one. I couldn't shake how defeated he looked yesterday. Today was his day. I had a surprise for him.

Placing the scrambled eggs on the tray, I peeked over at him. He grumbled as the sheets rustled. The sun must have woken him up.

"Morning!" I shouted. My voice bounced off the walls and rang in my ears.

I turned on my heels and his mop of hair sprung from the tangled sheets. He squinted against the sun before patting his hands over the bed. "Wh-where's my phone? What time is it?" he asked.

"It's eleven o'clock." I smiled. Now I understood why Wren always seemed happy when I slept in. He already looked better.

He hopped out of bed, but I forced him back in.

"Nora—" he huffed. I tucked him under the covers. "I have to go to the studio."

"I told Uncle Ronnie to give you the day off. I thought you needed a break." I shuffled back to the kitchen for his tray and placed it in his lap. Before he could protest, I shoved a piece of bread into his mouth.

"Is this because of yesterday?" he mumbled. "I told you I'm fine, Songbird. I can't miss a day of—"

"Sure you can. It's just one day, Wren. It'll help you with your music, too."

"I can't imagine breakfast in bed is going to help me much." His eyes danced over the spread. He picked up a piece of bacon, and it crumbled onto his shirt. As he took a bite, I drizzled syrup over the pancakes. If he was going to fight me on this, I needed food to sway him.

"No, not breakfast in bed," I shook my head. "I'm taking you somewhere. It's a surprise."

His eyes lit up. Of course, we'd have different reactions to the word 'surprise.' He looked like a little kid, the way he scarfed down his breakfast. He asked for a hint every five minutes. When we got into our Lyft, I was sure he would burst.

God, I hope it likes it.

As the driver came to a stop, Wren looked around the shopping mall strip. It was nearly empty and plenty of stores had gone out of business. I chose this place because out of all the programs; it seemed to be the most genuine. It looked just like the picture online.

"Cadence and Inflections?" Wren read the sign out front when we got out. "What is the place?"

I took his hand. Little kids bustled in and out of the doors, playing on the sidewalk. They painted the windows with black and white music notes, making it impossible to see inside.

"It's a music youth program," I said once we made it to the door. "I thought maybe you could mentor here some time. You know, when you're not busy."

Wren's dreams meant something to me, like mine meant something to him. It wasn't just about music for him. He wanted to help someone else. He wanted to experience what it was like being an older brother. There was no way I'd leave without giving him the opportunity.