Gabriel lay in the dark, listening to his brother’s light snoring. He was so relieved that they had finally found a place to stay where they could let their guard down. At least, he thought they could. Part of him sensed tension between their mother and uncle. Why hadn’t she mentioned him all these years? Why had they never met until now? What did she do that created such a years-long rift between them?
As he rose and headed for the bathroom to relieve his full bladder, he heard their voices coming from the living room. Curious, he crept quietly down the hallway so that he could hear better.
“—had my third back surgery last year, but it still hasn’t relieved the pain. The upside of that moron’s incompetence is that workman’s comp is covering everything, and disability is enough to cover
