Beth Rivera's car pulled into an empty space in the parking lot of a hotel in Burlington, Vermont. Three people climbed out of the vehicle: Kevin from the driving seat, Oscar from the front passenger seat, and Jessica from the back. They all took a moment to stretch their cramped limbs and drink in their surroundings.

'Oh God,' said Jessica, nodding towards the hotel's main entrance, 'that's her, isn't it?'

Kevin and Oscar turned to look. Sure enough, Emilia Wallance had run out through the double doors and was already well on her way across the parking lot.

'Yup,' said Oscar, 'that's Emilia.'

'I can't stand people who rush out to greet you before you've had a chance to get your bearings,' Jessica remarked.

'Things can only get better from here, then!' Kevin said bracingly.

'Oscar!' Emilia cried joyfully. 'You made it!'

She ran up to Oscar and gave him a hug, which he returned with some awkwardness.

'Hi, Emi,' he said. 'Yeah, I made it, and so did Kevin and Jessica.'

Emilia took a moment to give Kevin and Jessica a warm smile each, which they both returned to some extent.

'It's so great that you're all here!' Emilia enthused. 'Lars and Hayden are staying at this hotel too. We've all been really, really looking forward to seeing you!'

'Is that a fact?' said Jessica, raising her eyebrows.

'Oh, yes!' Emilia assured her. 'It's been really nice to have them here for the past two days – I've pretty much only been going back to campus to sleep – but it's our grand reunion that's really got us all excited! You managed to get your rooms booked with no trouble, didn't you?'

'Me and Oscar managed to get a double room,' said Kevin. 'I've got the confirmation here.'

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of A4 paper.

'My kid brother gave me hell for printing this out,' Kevin said with a grin, as he unfolded the paper. 'He thinks I'm completely crazy 'cause I don't have a tablet!'

'Aw, love 'im,' said Emilia.

'Here we go,' said Kevin. 'We're in number twenty-one.'

'Oh,' said Emilia, 'that's right next to Lars and Hayden! They're in twenty-two. That one's a twin.'

'What're the chances, huh?' said Jessica.

'Maybe your room's the next one along!' Emilia giggled.

'I don't think there's any possibility of that,' said Oscar. 'Jess has organised herself a penthouse suite.'

'Very nice,' said Emilia, smiling at Jessica as though her life depended on it. 'Okay, well, let's get you all booked in, then!'

With that, Emilia grasped Oscar's hand and led him towards the hotel. Jessica frowned at the sight for a few seconds before mooching along behind them. Kevin quickly grabbed all three overnight bags from the boot, locked the car, and jogged to fall into step beside Jessica.

'Are you okay, Jess?' he asked quietly.

'I just don't know why we're doing this!' said Jessica. 'They lost touch for so long, and she has big brothers and he has a little sister and, okay, so they've met up while she happens to be here but... but why all this?'

Kevin gave her an odd look. 'If that's the way you feel...'

'Then what am I doing here, right?' Jessica said with a dry laugh. 'Well, let's just say I'm curious. Isn't that why you're here?'

'Partly,' said Kevin, as they entered the hotel and drew to a halt in the lobby, 'but mostly it's to support Oscar. And y'know, I'm not harbouring any resentment, so...'

'I guess that is what I'm doing,' said Jessica, suddenly looking pensive. 'I should really give her a chance, shouldn't I? I mean... she seems sort of... well, nice,' she finished grudgingly, looking over to where Emilia was chatting to Oscar at the reception desk while they waited for attention.

'We'd better get over there with our booking references, huh?' said Kevin.

'Yeah, we had,' said Jessica. 'And then I guess we'll go dump our bags in our rooms before we... before we get on with it.'

'I guess we will.'

'And then... well, then we'll get to meet the boys, huh?'

'Yep,' said Kevin. 'That's exactly what's about to happen, Jess.'

'It just got real,' said Jessica, half to herself, as she strode towards the reception desk.

Twenty minutes later, Emilia was leading Oscar, Kevin and Jessica into a big function room with a large buffet table and two people standing some way away from it, looking very small.

'Wow, Emilia,' said Kevin. 'How much do you think we eat around here?'

'Please, call me Emi – everybody does,' Emilia said cheerfully. 'And you know, it's better to have too much than too little, but never mind that – the important thing is, the gang's all here! Come and meet my brothers. Champagne for everyone!'

'I don't like champagne,' muttered Jessica, mooching across the room after Emilia's light and carefree steps.

'Is this you giving her a chance?' Kevin murmured, nudging Jessica playfully. She laughed and nudged him back, then found herself standing face to face with the two young, blond-haired men in the middle of the room.

'This is Hayden and Lars,' said Emilia, indicating each of her full brothers and then turning a beaming smile onto her half-brother. 'Oscar, you remember!'

'Er... yeah,' Oscar said awkwardly. 'Hi, guys.'

'Hello,' Lars said non-committally, before tossing back a slug of beer from the can in his hand.

'Hi, Oscar,' said Hayden, offering a handshake, which Oscar accepted. 'Long time no see. And this must be Kevin.'

'Hi,' said Kevin, smiling warmly and shaking Hayden's hand while Lars mooched off to the buffet table.

'Hello,' said Hayden. 'And, um... Jessica, of course. Hello.'

'Yeah,' said Jessica. 'Hi.'

They shook hands stiffly, then stood and stared at the floor while Emilia went towards Lars, looking concerned. Oscar drifted after her with a palpable air of unease about him; Kevin cast Hayden and Jessica a sidelong glance before following.

'So, um...' said Jessica.

'So,' Hayden agreed. 'It's, er... a nice hotel, isn't it?'

'Yeah,' said Jessica.

'It's nice to get away sometimes.'

'Yeah, you gotta get away sometimes.'

Hayden nodded. 'You do.'

'So,' said Jessica, 'how could your brother get away in February? I thought he was a teacher.'

'He is. It's half-term.'

'What's half-term?'

'It's a week off in the middle of the school term,' said Hayden.

'Oh.'

'Yes – see, in English schools, they get a week off in the middle of all three terms. In October, and February obviously and, er... May.'

'Oh,' said Jessica. 'Cool.'

'Well,' said Hayden, 'sometimes they overlap into November or... or... oh my God, Jess, what're we doing? Let's have a proper conversation!'

Once he'd said this, she looked him in the eye for the first time, and then suddenly they both burst out laughing.

'God, Hayden,' Jessica chuckled, 'you were boring the shit out of me!'

'Well, at least I was saying something!' Hayden tittered.

'You know something? I was so nervous about meeting you.'

'Me too... you.'

'Isn't it ridiculous? We've talked face to face a million times, and it was... it was good, wasn't it?'

'Yes, it was. A mic and a computer screen do make a difference, though, don't they?'

'I wish they wouldn't,' said Jessica. 'When we talk online, you make me laugh so much, but you haven't done any of your jokes yet!'

'I can't think of any,' said Hayden.

'Sure you can.'

'No I can't – I've gone completely blank!'

'Oh, come on!' Jessica tittered.

'Don't hit me!' said Hayden, and Jessica's titters exploded once more into full-on laughter.

They carried on in this way for quite some time while, in another part of the room, Oscar and Emilia were chatting together while working their way through a selection of pizza slices and finger food.

'I knew Hayden and Jessica would hit it off,' said Emilia. 'I suppose that's a bit of a redundant thing to say, really – they actually hit it off twelve years ago, even though they've never been in the same room or even the same country before!'

'Yeah,' said Oscar, looking slightly uncomfortable. 'I, er... I see Lars is enjoying himself too.'

Oscar nodded to where Lars was steadily working his way through a six-pack of beer. Judging by the array of empty cans nearby, it was certainly not his first.

'He's really putting it away,' said Emilia, frowning slightly. 'He was at it the minute they unlocked the room. I've never seen him drink so much!'

'Maybe this whole thing we're doing is making him nervous,' said Oscar. 'I was a bag of nerves the night before you came to New York to reconnect with me. I hardly slept at all.'

'Did you drink?'

'I didn't need to – I had Kevin. He just lay awake and held me 'til I finally dropped off. Then when I got back from seeing you the next day, he was making me a really nice meal.'

'I think Lars would like to have someone special,' said Emilia. 'In fact I think there's a particular someone special he'd like to have, if only he'd... I mean, if only he was...'

'You wanted me to talk to him about that, didn't you?' said Oscar.

'Oh, well,' said Emilia, 'only if it comes up naturally in conversation.'

'Maybe I should go over and speak to him right now,' said Oscar.

'There doesn't seem a lot of point when he's pissed. Tell me more about you and Kevin; he seems like a really nice guy.'

'Then he's exactly what he seems.'

'How long have you two been together?'

'Just over fourteen years.'

'That's practically half your life, Oscar,' Emilia remarked.

Oscar smiled and said, 'The better half.'

'I lost my virginity that night,' said Emilia.

'Huh?' said Oscar. 'Which night?'

'The night before I came down to visit you,' said Emilia.

'Wow,' said Oscar. 'That's... that's big, Emi.'

'Me and Chris – that's my boyfriend – had been out on our second date,' said Emilia. 'I invited him back to my room and asked him if he'd like to stay the night, and he absolutely jumped at the chance! The sex was good – really good! And there's no doubt it was special and meaningful to both of us. But I did do it partly to take my mind off being nervous about meeting you... or seeing you for the first time since I was three, anyway. I explained the whole situation to Chris the next morning. He was really nice about everything and he offered to drive me to the airport. We had sex again before we left. I very nearly missed my flight, actually.'

'You know,' said Oscar, 'I'm surprised you feel comfortable talking to me about that kind of thing. The sex, I mean; not almost missing your flight.'

'Of course I do!' said Emilia, fixing him with a smile. 'You're my big brother, aren't you?'

'Yeah,' said Oscar, laughing slightly, 'that's exactly my point!'

'You just told me about you and Kevin being in bed together.'

'Only in a non-sexual way.'

'Hmm, I suppose you're right,' said Emilia. 'Perhaps I'm starting to think of you as a friend, rather than as a big brother. I mean, I do think of you as a big brother, but not in the same way as I think of my other big brothers. Does that make any sense to you, Oscar?'

'Believe me, Emi,' said Oscar, 'it makes perfect sense.'

Meanwhile, Kevin was filling a plate from the buffet. Lars came up to him and unceremoniously invaded his personal space.

'Well lookie what we have here,' Lars slurred, taking a swig from his can of beer.

'Hello, Lars,' said Kevin, stepping away from him. 'Enjoying yourself?'

'No!' Lars declared, grinning all over his face nonetheless. 'I think Oscar's having a good time, though, and that's... that's why we're all here – to give Oscar a good time now that he wants to see us again! So everything's totally, totally fine!'

'I think we should get you some coffee,' said Kevin.

'He's certainly done... done well for himself,' Lars went on. 'Oscar, I mean. You're a nice big hunk o' man, aren't you?'

'Um... look, I really think you need to –'

'Oscar used to talk about you, you know. The last two or three times he came to see us, it was all Kevin this and Kevin that! He was so pleased your uncle had got the two of you together and you were the best friend he'd ever had, and he was so excited he was gonna be moving back to New York and living a few blocks away from you, and he couldn't wait to have sleepovers with you every bloody week!'

'I felt exactly the same way about him,' said Kevin, smiling nostalgically.

'Fucking sick-making!' said Lars. 'Still, I can see why he's always been so into you. Christ, you're fucking sexy as fuck! You must be... be bored of Oscar by now, aren't you? How'd you like to take a ride on me for a change? My bum's younger and firmer and suppler and it's never, ever been used... well, not for what people like you like to use it for, anyway!'

'Look, Lars,' said Kevin, 'I have to tell you that you're making me feel incredibly uncomfortable, so maybe we should just... oh, Christ!'

Kevin hurled himself backwards as Lars lunged at him and tried to kiss him. Oscar was on the scene in a trice, with Emilia not far behind.

'Oh hey, it's Oscar!' Lars laughed boorishly, while across the room Hayden and Jessica stopped their own laughter abruptly and turned to stare at the scene. 'What's happening, bro?'

'What do you think you're doing, Lars?' Oscar asked, dangerously quietly.

Lars gave Oscar a hard look and said, 'Jesus, calm yourself.'

'Lars, you're drunk,' Emilia said severely.

'So what if I am?' said Lars. 'This is supposed to be a party, isn't it?'

'You just tried to kiss my husband!' Oscar snarled.

'We were talking, that's all,' Lars slurred. 'You know, I could never see the point of you, Oscar.'

'Lars...' Emilia said warningly.

'I never needed you!' Lars persisted. 'I already had a big brother – my real big brother, who I really love! And I have a little sister, and I love her too! But we didn't love you, Oscar – we didn't need you! We still don't need you!'

'That has nothing to do with you coming on to Kevin!' Oscar snapped.

'And it's not true anyway!' said Emilia.

'It is true!' said Lars. 'You can just fuck off, Oscar! Why don't you fuck off over there, you shit? But you can leave Kevin for me!'

'What?' Oscar yelled. 'You piece of trash!'

Oscar leapt forward, and Lars flung his arms up in alarm. Less than a second later, Oscar had Lars's right arm in an iron grip, and Lars was yelling the place down.

'Oh my God!' cried Hayden, running towards them, with Jessica hot on his heels.

'Now you know the point of me, Lars!' Oscar snarled, giving his arm a vicious yank. 'It's to kick your ass!'

'Oh dear,' Emilia sighed, 'this isn't how it was supposed to go!'

'That's enough,' said Kevin, laying a gentle hand on Oscar's shoulder. 'You'll break his arm.'

Oscar nodded, threw Lars into the buffet table with just enough force to move it a little, and stormed out of the room. Kevin gave Emilia an apologetic look, then ran after him.

Hayden ran to help steady Lars on his feet while Jessica turned to Emilia and said aggressively, 'Is that true, what my brother said your brother did?'

'It was just a misunderstanding,' Emilia said helplessly.

'He's completely rat-arsed, Emi!' said Hayden, who now had Lars practically falling asleep on his shoulder.

'Total bollocks!' Lars declared.

'Lars, mate, what's going on?' said Hayden.

'I don't fucking know,' slurred Lars. 'What's going on with you, Hayden? Who are you trying to impress? Look at you! You're wearing all your least smeggy things.'

'I think I need to get him up to our room,' Hayden said to Emilia.

'Why don't I?' said Emilia, shrinking under Jessica's malevolent glare.

'Well,' said Hayden, turning his gaze onto Jessica, 'if you think that's best...'

'Really, it's no trouble,' said Emilia, putting an arm around Lars's shoulders, then stumbling a little as Hayden let go of him. 'Watch out, Lars, I can't take that much of your weight!'

'Thanks, Emi-chops,' said Hayden, smiling gratefully at his sister as she and Lars lurched out of the room together.

'A cute nickname, huh?' said Jessica, raising an eyebrow at Hayden, her malevolent glare now completely gone.

'I think she deserved it just then,' said Hayden. 'Poor kid.'

'Yeah, it's tough on her, I guess,' said Jessica. 'And how do you feel about Lars right now?'

'That's not a very fair question – it was my brother against yours!'

'But you can't defend what he was doing, though, right?'

'Not exactly,' said Hayden. 'Of course he shouldn't have done that... and he wouldn't have, if he wasn't really upset about something. How I feel about him now is worried, if you really want to know.'

Jessica smiled. 'That's sweet.'

'Me and Emi have been worrying about him for a while now, but if I thought he'd do something like that... I don't know what I would've done!'

'Better not to know, then, huh?'

'I don't suppose you're going to concede that your brother was wrong to use violence?'

'No way,' said Jessica. 'I'd have done the same thing myself.'

'You know what?' said Hayden, with a wry smile. 'I believe you.'

'Do you know what, Hayden? It's very interesting, the way you're talking about them: your brother and my brother.'

'Yes, well... that's how we both think of them, isn't it?'

'Absolutely,' said Jessica. 'I guess you kind of agree with Lars, then? That we're two separate families who should've never overlapped?'

'Well,' said Hayden, 'I don't know if I think that exactly. At any rate, I don't now that we're older.'

'I do,' said Jessica. 'I mean, I'm not crazy about Lars right now, but I can see exactly what he means about that. You guys had each other, and so did we; I never understood why Oscar wanted to go and play at having another family when he had us.'

'You mean you were jealous?'

'Yes. I don't mind admitting it. Hayden, I... almost ignored your first MSN message all those years ago, because of how I felt about your family.'

'Yeah?' said Hayden. 'Well, I'm glad you didn't.'

'Why did you even want to contact me in the first place?' asked Jessica.

'Because after we lost touch with Oscar, what I remembered most was you. Okay, I'd never met you, never even seen you before, but he used to talk about you and I thought you sounded brilliant. And then when I found your Myspace page... well, I just thought you were amazing!'

'Amazing? God, what was I even doing back then?'

'Captaining your school soccer team and binge-watching Jimmy Stewart films,' said Hayden. 'You were just doing what you felt like because it made you happy, no matter what anybody else thought, and I really admired that.'

'Yeah, I remember,' said Jessica. 'You wanted to know how I could not care about all the hate comments telling me old movies were for losers and soccer was a wimps' sport and shit like that, and I was like, why would I care? And you told me you didn't feel brave enough to do stuff your dad wouldn't like, and I thought... well, I guess it doesn't matter now what I thought about him.'

'You really inspired me, Jess,' said Hayden. 'My parents... especially my dad... they've always had this very conventional lifestyle that they just present as what you're supposed to do. They don't mean to, of course, and if I'd just had the courage to talk to them I'm sure... well...'

'I get it,' said Jessica. 'You love your parents and you know they've done their best for you guys. Please continue.'

'Well,' Hayden went on, 'Emi's all right – the things she wants to do are all the kinds of things our mum and dad approve of... up to now, anyway – but if you hadn't coaxed me out of my shell back then...'

'Then maybe you'd have ended up blurting out a lot of repressed emotions in a drunken rage and gotten yourself thrown into a snack table, huh?'

'Maybe. For different reasons, I suspect, but... yes, something like that. Anyway, that was all after you answered my message, wasn't it? So, why didn't you ignore it?'

'Honestly?' said Jessica. 'I don't remember. But whatever it was that decided me, I'm glad,' and with that she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

A few hours later, Kevin had put on a hotel-issue white towelling robe and was arranging his clothes neatly on a chair. He looked up as Oscar emerged from the en-suite bathroom, wearing an identical robe.

'Okay?' Kevin asked.

'Not really,' Oscar replied, shrugging slightly. 'I'm glad you stopped me from breaking Lars's arm, though.'

Kevin smiled and said, 'So am I.'

'I shouldn't have attacked him,' said Oscar. 'And I especially shouldn't have used my karate to do it!'

'Emotions are running high for everyone,' said Kevin. 'It was a totally understandable reaction to what happened.'

'Kinda like the time you attacked your dad's tenant 'cause you thought he was a drug dealer?'

'Exactly.'

'I hope Emi doesn't think I'm a total jerk now,' said Oscar.

'Just Emi, huh?' Kevin queried.

Oscar shrugged again, then he said, 'I hated seeing Lars all over you like that.'

'You had nothing to worry about,' Kevin assured him.

'Oh yeah?' said Oscar, allowing a mischievous smile to play on his lips. 'I'm not so sure – Lars is your type, you know.'

Kevin laughed and said, 'You mean he looks kinda like you.'

'Yeah.'

'Thought I might want to trade you in for a newer model, huh?'

Oscar giggled and said, 'Not really.'

'Good,' said Kevin, 'because I don't. It's always been you – just you.'

Oscar fixed Kevin with a loving look, then the two of them met in the middle of the room and fell into each other's arms.

'God, I love you,' Oscar breathed, as Kevin kissed his face and neck in a series of rapid movements.

'I love you too,' Kevin whispered in reply, as Oscar's left hand slipped between the folds of his robe.

'Even after I almost beat the shit out of my brother?' Oscar asked, caressing Kevin's abs.

'Even after anything.'

Kevin's lips met Oscar's and they kissed each other passionately. Both towelling robes quickly dropped to the floor.

Hayden looked nervous and bashful as Jessica led him into her hotel room, hanging the Do not disturb sign on the exterior door handle as she did so. When he took in his luxurious surroundings, however, his expression was transformed to one of sheer amazement.

'Wow, you must be rich!' he said. Then he looked awkward, adding, 'That was a bit rude – sorry.'

'That's okay,' said Jessica. 'I thought you'd be prepared, though – you know what I do for a living.'

'You obviously do it very well.'

'That's not the only thing I do well.'

Smiling seductively, Jessica draped her arms around Hayden's shoulders and kissed him. They stood by the door like that for some minutes, until Jessica pulled her head back and said, 'You're a really great kisser.'

'Thank you,' said Hayden. 'You're amazing... I'm glad to know I'm all right too. I'm very nervous.'

'Why?'

'I didn't know this was going to happen.'

She kissed him again. After a few seconds, she pulled out of the kiss and said with a smile, 'Hey, I know just how to help you relax.' Then she took his hand and led him into the en-suite bathroom.

Emilia entered her room at the University of Vermont, locked the door behind her and took off her dressing gown. After hanging it on the back of the door, she turned to look at the brown-skinned, broad-chested guy who was waiting in her bed and said, 'It's all gone to shit, Chris.'

'You don't think there's much chance of your brothers working things out, then?' said Chris.

'I don't think there's any chance!' said Emilia. 'Oscar would've kicked seven shades of shit out of Lars if Kevin hadn't stopped him, but I completely get why he reacted in that way – Lars's behaviour was inexcusable! But I do know why he did it and I can tell he's really struggling at the moment, and I think Oscar could actually help him if the two of them would only give each other a chance! And I wish Hayden had spent a little more of the afternoon with someone other than Jessica. I just don't know what to do, Chris!'

Chris smiled reassuringly and held out an arm to her; she crossed the room and got into bed with him. As Emilia snuggled against Chris's manly torso, he kissed her on the top of the head.

'Emi, it's not your responsibility to make your brothers get along with each other,' said Chris. 'You just need to leave them to it and see what happens.'

'Yes, I suppose so,' Emilia sighed.

'Maybe they'll all be the best of friends by the morning.'

'That's... that's certainly possible.'

'It'll be okay, you know,' said Chris. 'You'll go back to that hotel in the morning and find that you're all family, just as you always should have been. And even if you're not, Oscar and his entourage will be leaving soon.'

Emilia laughed and said, 'Yes, that's true.'

'Do you want me to come with you?'

'That's really sweet of you, Chris, but no. This is something I have to do alone.'

Back at the hotel, Kevin and Oscar were spooning under their king-sized duvet. Kevin planted a series of soft kisses across Oscar's shoulders, then leaned to whisper in his ear.

'You want to talk about your feelings?' Kevin asked.

'You want to hear about them?' said Oscar.

'Always,' said Kevin.

'They're not all very nice feelings.'

'All the more reason not to keep them bottled up.'

Oscar sighed and said, 'I like Emilia a whole lot, but I'm not feeling at all brotherly toward the two guys. Hayden's just been hanging around with Jess the whole time, and all Lars has done is get drunk and try to steal my man!'

'I think making a connection with Emilia is still a really good thing,' said Kevin, 'even if you're never gonna have any kind of a relationship with the boys.'

'Yeah, you're right,' said Oscar, allowing himself a small smile. 'But is it good enough to be worth driving five hours up here today and five hours back home tomorrow, and paying for the hotel room and everything? Worth it to you, I mean.'

'If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me,' Kevin said solemnly.

Some time later, Oscar snuggled into Kevin's arms and whispered, 'That was really nice.'

Kevin smiled mischievously to himself and said, 'I'll just shoot into the next room and do the same thing for Lars, shall I?'

'You might as well do Hayden too while you're in there and complete the set!'

'I think Hayden would rather do that kind of thing with someone else.'

'Mmm,' said Oscar, 'you could be right.'

'You know,' said Kevin, 'in all seriousness, there's still time for things to work out between you and your brothers.'

'You think so?' Oscar said doubtfully. 'We're leaving in the morning.'

Kevin gave him a squeeze and said, 'A lot can happen in a morning.'