Chapter 6 - Winston
Brandon asked to meet me alone.
I almost said no.
Then agreed at a café.
He brought no dog.
Good.
He looked terrible.
“I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“All of it.”
“Specific.”
He sighed.
“Winston should have been walked.”
“Yes.”
“I knew you were deploying.”
“Yes.”
“Mom told me you were acting like your work mattered more than the family.”
“Did you agree?”
“Kind of.”
I waited.
Then he admitted something.
The dog mess had not been a planned setup.
Winston had scratched at Brandon’s bedroom door around 10:40.
Brandon was gaming with headphones.
Lorelai saw.
She told him:
“Leave it. Eloin can handle one thing for this house.”
Brandon laughed.
Thought joke.
Then Winston had accident.
Instead of cleaning, Lorelai went for me.
That was deliberate entitlement.
Not conspiracy.
Then Brandon said:
“Thatcher knew you had deployment.”
“Obviously.”
“No, I mean he told Mom not to let you ‘hide upstairs all night.’”
My eyes narrowed.
“What?”
Brandon pulled text.
Thatcher: If Eloin ships tonight, her London transfer gets real. Keep her downstairs for dinner after 10.
Lorelai:
She thinks that job is everything.
Thatcher:
Just keep peace. Don’t start another fight.
Not “break laptop.”
But motive.
London.
Northstar had floated a temporary Senior Director rotation in London if I got promotion.
I had not decided.
Thatcher knew.
He had told me:
“We’ll talk after deployment.”
Apparently he had talked to his mother first.
I read again.
“Why did he want me downstairs?”
Brandon looked ashamed.
“Mom thought if you kept taking bigger roles, you’d leave.”
“Did Thatcher?”
“I don’t know.”
Then another message after laptop broke.
Lorelai:
She chose computer. I fixed problem.
Thatcher:
What the hell did you do?
So he had not ordered destruction.
Then:
Lorelai: She’ll calm down.
Thatcher: She better. We need payroll Friday.
My stomach dropped.
Payroll.
My salary deposited Friday.
He knew.
That was what he cared about first.
Then Brandon said:
“I didn't know the business needed your money like that.”
“You worked there.”
“I thought the transfers were investments.”
“Some were.”
“I thought you wanted.”
“Sometimes.”
He stared at table.
“Did Thatcher know?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Yes.”
That answer hurt him.
Then:
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Why would I?”
He looked.
“You’re family.”
“No, Brandon. Family doesn't mean financial disclosure to every adult in house.”
He nodded.
Fair.
Then he pulled key from pocket.
Company Range Rover.
“I turned it in.”
“Why are you telling me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t perform repentance for me.”
His face reddened.
“I’m trying.”
“I know.”
Then:
“Train Winston.”
He almost smiled.
“I hired trainer.”
“Good.”
Then serious.
“Is the company going under?”
“Ask your accountant.”
“She says no if we change.”
“Then change.”
“What if Mom won’t?”
“Then that is board problem.”
He looked at me.
“Would you ever come back?”
“To company?”
“Family.”
I thought.
“I don’t know what that means anymore.”
He nodded.
Then:
“Can I testify about laptop if police need?”
“Yes.”
“You already gave statement?”
“Yes.”
Good.
He had told police Lorelai intentionally stomped it.
No covering.
That mattered.
Then he said:
“I’m sorry I stood there.”
That was the one.
I looked.
“Thank you.”
No hug.
But something shifted.
May you like
Brandon was not suddenly hero.
He was the first Cole who had started choosing consequence over comfort.
