Don Never Complained
When Don was 7 and Charlie was 2, the Eppes family was beginning to suspect that Charlie wasn't your average child. One of the manifestations of his genius was Charlie's fascination with the koi. He watched them constantly, and whined if he wasn't allowed to look out the window at them.
However, the bedroom that overlooked the koi pond was the second largest, second best bedroom, and was Don's. But Margaret and Alan decided if it meant that much to Charlie, Don would be okay in the third largest and third best bedroom. And since Don didn't complain, they assumed he didn't care.
When Don was 8 and Charlie 3, they knew Charlie was a genius. So Alan started working more to earn money for tutors, and Margaret spent most of her time with Charlie and his tutors, so they told Don he had to take care of himself. And since Don didn't complain, they assumed he was okay.
When they started have less time for Don, Margaret and Alan stopped going to Don's baseball games. They arranged with other parents of the other players to take Don instead. And since Don didn't complain, they assumed he never missed them.
As the years went by, Charlie won more and more math awards, and Don won baseball trophies. Margaret and Alan didn't have time to go to all the awards banquets, so they usually went to Charlie's and skipped Don's. And since Don never complained, they assumed he didn't mind.
When Don got in high school, Charlie joined him, and they graduated together. Don was 20th in his class, and got a baseball scholarship. But Charlie was valedictorian, gave a speech, and had a full scholarship to Princeton. So everyone fussed over Charlie and ignored Don. And since Don never complained, they assumed he wasn't jealous.
Margaret went to the east coast to be with Charlie while he attended college. Margaret and Alan had told Don he had to commute, so he attended school in the LA area. And since Don never complained, they assumed he was happy to stay at home and didn't miss going away to college.
When Charlie became an adult, he was a math professor, just like Margaret and Alan had assumed he would be. But Don became a federal agent, instead of the baseball player his parents had assumed he would be.
And now Margaret wondered how many of their other assumptions had been wrong. Maybe Don liked the second best, second largest bedroom. Maybe HE had liked the koi also. Maybe he had tried to tell them that, but they hadn't heard him above Charlie's whining
Maybe Don had been scared and overwhelmed at trying to take care of himself. Maybe he had needed his mother, but she had been too busy with Charlie to pay attention.
Maybe Don had felt lonely and abandoned when no one came to his games, or to his awards banquets, but hadn't known how to tell his family that.
Maybe Don felt marginalized at his own graduation, but had been too ashamed to show it.
Maybe Don would have liked to go away to college, but had known there wasn't enough money, so he had never said anything.
Maybe Don had joined the FBI because he thought no one cared what he did. And since Don thought Charlie was the more important brother, maybe he assumed his parents wouldn't worry about him.
And now Margaret and Alan had plenty of time for Don and they eagerly listened for the phone, anxious as they were to hear his voice and be reassured he was alright. But since Don never called, they had no choice but to assume he was safe.