Alone in a world so cold

 

What the hell had he gotten himself into? Gabe stopped by because he felt brave that day. Like HELL YEAH, that's my girl Sammie kind of feeling and then everything got chaotic. In a blink of an eye, he'd been pulled in about how much he looked liked Pan and no way was that sort of sister of Sammie's gonna let it go. 

"At least she didn't call the police," Sammie grinned. She took his hand and they sat on the couch and watched the baby on the floor.

Deano brought him something to drink.

"Don't mind her," He grinned at Gabe. "Once she gets Pan over here, we'll all have a good laugh. It's not as serious as she makes it out to be. She's just Caitlin and I'm married to her."

Gabe nodded and took the soda from him. Before he knew it, Deano was breaking out the cheese and pretzels. "I think we ate all the crackers." He shrugged. "I really ought to go grocery shopping."

"Let me see if I can make some sandwiches or something," Sammie jumped up, but Gabe held on to her hand as if she wasn't going anywhere without him.

"Don't you dare, we didn't have you over just to put you to work in the kitchen." Deano grabbed his phone and ordered pizza.

Sammie nursed her lip as if this might take hours, but about fifteen minutes later, there he was with his girlfriend. Peter.

Gabe just about choked on a pretzel. Sammie looked at his white-haired brother and then at him. Gabe didn't expect this. 

"Gabe?" He winced hard as if he might fall back and pass out. His girlfriend was cute. Probably too cute for Peter but she looked a bit like a cartoon. Really, Gabe didn't know what to make of either of them. This couldn't be his family.

"What are you doing here?"

Gabe shrugged. What did he want to hear? They were strangers in a strange situation. Immediately, he introduced both of them to Sammie as if he had someone too and no one had to worry about him.

"I've been working," he nodded, thinking it wasn't the most exciting job, but it paid pretty good. Sometimes, he had to stay well into the early morning to break down stages, chairs and tables and put away whatever was needed. But he'd collected samples of ground coffee, gift cards no one ever took and other random things that needed a home, even dinners that no one ate at some of the presentations and weddings. Now he knew why his father's brother wanted him to work there. He liked the freebies too. "I just..I just didn't know you'd still be around here, Peter."

"Don't call me that." His brother's eyes lit. Of course, Caitlin did have to tease him. "I always thought you were Peter Pan, deep down. You've never wanted to grow up."

His brother got on his phone then and called his mom. Afterward, he looked at Gabe as if he was at fault.

"You, didn't even try to find us. What's wrong with you?" Pan was bitter.

"I just guess I was always told not to." He looked at Pan blankly. "Besides, I've been staying with Dad's side of the family, and well, I didn't want to be a bother. I didn't even know if you were still around here."

"God, why do you have to be so much like me?" Pan's face scrunched in emotions and he cried real tears. 

Gabe stood up with open arms. He tried to laugh as Pan practically jumped on him. He never thought anybody would cry this much over him, but then his mom showed up and he knew then how much he'd really missed her when he'd promised all this time that he wouldn't.