In The Name Of Love

Chapter 7

Therapy. That was bad. Really, really bad. I hurried after him, my worry for Mircea trumped by the worry I now felt for my bother. What had happened? Had someone hurt him? What could I do to help?

"What happened?" I asked and sat next to him on the textile sofa. "Why didn't you tell me?" I looked into his face searching for something, anything. Anything to tell me what was wrong. But there was nothing there.

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

Wait. What? "A surprise?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"Why?"

"Can I show you something?"

"I want to talk about you going back into therapy," I said sharply because now was so not the time to change the subject. The cat was out of the bag now, Mister. There was no way –

"It's about my therapy," he said.

"Oh. Well. Ok then."

He leaned towards me with his arms outstretched and then his chest made contact with my head because he was a giant. For a moment I thought he was attacking me. Then I realised he was hugging me. I didn't even hesitate in hugging him back. I'd wanted a hug from him for as long as I could remember and I'd wanted to give him a hug for that long too.

It didn't last long, just a few short seconds, but they were the most important seconds in the world. He was warm and the feel of his arms around me made me feel safe, like nothing could ever hurt me. He smelled like spices. His stubble scratched my cheek. He squeezed me a little too much, but I didn't care. I didn't know when or even if he'd hug me again and, oh it was beautiful.

He was waving his hand in front of my face.

"Surprised?" he asked.

"Yes!" I grinned and had to hold tears back, though that was mostly because he dealt with them as well as any other man. "When did you – have you hugged Mum and Dad yet?"

"I wanted to hug you first because you're my favourite person in the world."

"Are you going to?"

"When they're not angry with Mircea anymore."

I nodded and then looked tentatively up at him. "Can I have another?"

He grinned and opened his arms. I knew I should probably move slowly, calmly, but I kind of threw myself at him. He hugged me back anyway. I laughed and stayed there for as long as he let me. Again, it wasn't very long, but I didn't care.

My older brother had hugged me.

After that he asked me a lot of questions about university. We talked for a couple of hours and then the doorbell rang and the door opened. Mircea, knowing that Roy wasn't ready to have him in his rooms yet, stood in the door way.

"Your dad should be in the army," he said.

I laughed and translated for Roy. He laughed too.

"Are Mum and Dad angry with you still?"

"I think they're ok now."

"Roy," I said. "Go hug Mum and Dad."

He smiled and hurried from the room. I got up from the sofa and hugged my boyfriend. He sunk into it and held me tightly.

"I'm sorry they did that to you," I murmured.

"They had every right to."

"Oh will you quit with the being noble thing?" I asked with a laugh.