The car ride back to New York was thick with an awkward silence as I looked out the window, watching as the bridge passes by us.

"So…. how's it been" Danny asked me with a shy voice.

I looked at him like he was stupid. "Alright, sorry I asked"

After a couple of minutes of silence, the only thing I could ask was "How's Linda?"

"Excuse me?" Danny asked, sounding confused.

"How's Linda" I said again.

"Oh she's fine, just fine…" Danny replied with a nervous smile.

"Does she know I'm coming?"

"Yah, of course she does, she's pretty excited!"

The way his voice sounded, I knew he was lying. I turned to look at him with as stern a face that I could muster "Danny, be honest with me"

"She does but… she's not happy about it"

"Y'know, you don't have to do this" I said as the city appeared in the horizon.

"I want to, your my brother and it's my responsibility, no matter what happened in the past" he replied with a sad smile and I left it at that.

The drive went silent for a while.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remember was Danny shaking my shoulder in an attempt to wake me.

"Waa… What time is it" I say, shaking my head a little to wake myself up.

Danny looked at his watch "About 4.30 p.m., you were asleep for maybe about an hour"

We stepped out of his car and took in a deep breath. So this is home, well at least until I find an apartment.

"Your house looks different" I said as I got my bag out of the trunk of the car.

"We got it renovated a couple of years ago, needed the extra space for another room" he said as we walked to the front door.

"Another room?"

"Jack said he was too old to be sharing a room with his brother"

We both walked in and it was as I remembered it, even the small flower pot that Linda put on the corner table.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, finally noticing how quiet the house was.

"Jack and Sean are grocery shopping with their mom" Danny said, walking into the kitchen and came back with a couple beers. "Here" handing a glass bottle to me.

"No, thanks I stopped drinking" smiling as I turned him down

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure"

"C'mon let me show you where you'll be sleeping" he said pointing with his thumb up the stairs

I followed him up the stairs, down the hall and into a room. "I got the room ready for you yesterday, I hope you like it"

The room was as simple as it could get. The walls were white and the bed was a simple single mattress with dark blue sheets and thick blanket, there was a table and a chair on one side of the wall and curtains were a strip pattern of yellow and light grey.

I sat on the bed and took the room in for a minute. "I hope you like, it was the best me and the kids could come up with" Danny said with a small smile on his lips.

"It's great" I replied in a voice that sounded like I was a little excited.

Danny just nodded his head and turned to leave

"Danny" and he turned around to look at me.

"Yes?"

"Thank you"