Page 261 - The Midnight Library

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Living Versus Understanding

A few minutes later her brother came to see her. He’d heard the voicemail

she’d sent him and had responded by text at seven minutes aer midnight.
‘You okay, sis?’ en, when the hospital contacted him, he’d caught the first
train from London. He’d bought the latest issue of National Geographic for
her while waiting at St Pancras station.
‘You used to love it,’ he told her, as he placed the magazine beside the

hospital bed.
‘I still do.’
It was good to see him. His thick eyebrows and reluctant smile still intact.

He walked in a little awkward, head cowed, hair longer than it had been in
the last two lives in which she had seen him.
‘I’m sorr y I’ve been incommunicado recently,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t about
what Ravi said it was about. I don’t even think about e Labyrinths any
more. I was just in a weird place. Aer Mum died I was seeing this guy and

we had a ver y messy break-up and I just didn’t want to have to talk to you or,
recently, to anyone about it. I just wanted to drink. And I was drinking too
much. It was a real problem. But I’ve started getting help for it. I haven’t had

a drink for weeks. I go to the g ym and ever ything now. I’ve started a cross-
training class.’
‘Oh Joe, poor you. I’m sorr y about the break-up. And ever ything else.’
‘You’re all I’ve got, sis,’ he said, his voice cracking a little. ‘I know I haven’t
valued you. I know I wasn’t always the best, growing up. But I had my own

shit going on. Having to be a certain way because of Dad. Hiding my
sexuality. I know it wasn’t easy for you but it wasn’t easy for me either. You
were good at ever ything. School, swimming, music. I couldn’t compete . . .