Joe met a girl last week. But this time it’s different, there’s something there with this one that I haven’t seen in a long time. Since Iola to tell you the truth. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is, but it’s there. He’s talking to her on the phone right now. And he’s laughing. Like he used to laugh, before Iola died.

It seems like every event of the last year has revolved around Iola in one way or another. Not always a good thing in my opinion. (You know how intense my little brother can be.) If that day had never happened, Joe and I would still be blissfully unaware of the Network and the Assassins. So many things would have turned out differently. Dad might never have even gone undercover in that people-smuggling ring.

Now that was tough! I really thought we had lost him, that he really died when that bomb went off. Those next two weeks were the hardest of my life and I never want to experience it again. I’m really close to my dad, though most people don’t know it. Heck, most of the people we know don’t even know I’m adopted. Joe was the only person there who understood why I reacted the way I did. Only three people- Mom, Dad and Joe- know that I witnessed my mother being murdered. By my father. Dad’s the only real father I’ve ever known, the thought of losing him was just too much for me to deal with.

It did give me a better understanding of what Joe went through with Iola, his determination to get the men responsible for it. Both events helped, and a slew of others in between- like that time Joe was delivering papers in Colorado for Dad and ended up with amnesia thinking I was the bad guy. I still tease him about that every now and again.

We needed each other to get through those events, even if we didn’t exactly know it at the time. Everything we go through helps to bring us closer together as brothers. And partners. We need each other, it’s as simple as that. The heartache of losing a loved one is worse than any physical pain one can go through. To me anyway.

I think Iola was Joe’s soul mate, and that’s part of the reason why he sorta went off the deep end. I can’t tell you how relieved I was to get that call from Nancy inviting us to join them for spring break on Padre Island . The call came six weeks to the day after the funeral (Joe had just been released from care in regards to that nasty knife wound on his hand from al-Rousasa), and I thought it a great opportunity to get Joe out of town.

He made it known that he did not want to go. Mom and Dad forced him to and he sulked the entire flight to Galveston. I have never been so glad to see Bess Marvin in all my life! She’s got a knack for banishing foul moods and she worked her magic on my little brother.

But then the keys got stolen and he went right back into the anger that I was starting to hate. Buck and Ned tried to make him feel better, but it didn’t work. Our friends in River Heights knew what had happened, but they didn’t know those keys had been part of the catalyst for the whole thing. I found out a little later that Joe was absolutely convinced if he hadn’t started tossing his keys up and down in the air, Iola never would have stalked off. I don’t think he realizes we would have had two funerals with empty caskets that day, instead of one. If I’d lost my brother….

Once we got the keys back he settled down again. No one will ever know how hard he cried the night after they were stolen. He really did care about Iola, and part of the problem is that he convinced himself that she didn’t know just how much he cared. She knew. Everyone around them knew. Communication was just never their strong suit. They’re both so passionate and vibrant, and that often made for some heated arguments. Me and Chet could always tell when they made up because they’d get all “lovey-dovey”, to use Mrs. Morton’s term.

He was oblivious to Iola’s feelings about his wandering eye too. Joe is a very sensitive person, I won’t argue that, but he IS a guy! That “y” chromosome gets us into an awful lot of trouble with the female gender. He has matured a lot, and I think Iola would be proud of him. I know I am.

This Vanessa seems pretty nice too. Even if she does think I’m weird. She has no idea how weird I can be! If she hangs around long enough, she will see there is method to my weirdness. Well, most of the time that is. At least she doesn’t know I read CSI fan fiction. According to Joe, that proves I’m weird. Of course when I threaten to reveal his little “obsession” with MacGyver, he hushes right up.

I will never understand the draw of that show. He’s got a mullet for Pete’s sake!

I once heard a psychologist say that people are shaped by the traumatic events in their lives. When it comes to my family, I believe it! Mom’s brother disappeared (that’s how she met Dad, he was the detective assigned to the case), then Dad’s parents died right after he and Mom got married, the problems conceiving Joe, then all of Mom’s problems afterwards, adopting me, “fixing” me (I’d already had my share of traumatic events and I was only 6!), moving to Bayport, Mom’s cancer scare.

Now there’s a subject I don’t like to think about. It happened three years ago, turned out to be nothing thank God! Still three weeks I could have lived without though. I had already lost one mother, asking me to give up another was just too much for me at the time and I didn’t handle it very well.

One good thing did come out of it though. I finally told my family how my mother died. Turns out Mom and Dad knew all along. Hazards of having a detective for a father I suppose.

It’s quite amazing how one’s thoughts can wander isn’t it? Here I started out musing about Joe and Vanessa, and I think I’ve covered just about everything. Thinking is something I’ve always done a lot of. I’m a quiet person by nature, downright shy sometimes, though I’m not as bad as I used to be. It’s hard to be shy when Joe Hardy, the world’s most outgoing person, is your little brother. The things he’s made me do the last twelve years are things I never would have done if he wasn’t there. Needless to say I rather enjoyed dressing him up like a girl last week.

Since we started solving mysteries, a little over two years ago, Joe has learned to be leery of the words “I have a plan”, when they come from me. I’ve had the chance to talk him into doing some really stupid things. And I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Payback of sorts for the things he made me do. The kid can be such a drama queen.

Or should that be king? Oh who cares! You know what I mean.

I think Vanessa’s going to be good for him. Any girl who can leave my little brother speechless can only be good for him. I swear sometimes that kid does now know when to shut up.

Hmm, don’t think I have any wiggle room there. Put a pen in my hand and I can’t shut up either.

Ah! He just hung up. Think I’ll go talk to him.

The End