Stepbrother Dearest

by Penelope Ward

“Are you saying my room normally smells like shit?” “Did you quit smoking?” “I’m trying.” “Really?” “Yeah…this weird girl who walks around commando once told me it was bad for me. So…I thought about that and finally listened.” “I’m really proud of you.” He sat up straight and looked at me. “Well, the truth is, you were right. That shit will kill me someday. A lot of aspects of my life may suck, but there are other things that make it worth living.”

Through death there was life. Through hate there was love. I looked down at my son. “In the end, there was you, and that made it all worth it.”