My Brother's Best Friend

Ember

Craig tried to lighten the mood by saying, “He’s not usually quite so brash. Don’t worry too much about it. He’s a fair boss and a good person.”

The raised eyebrows around me were enough to convince that no one believed a word of what Craig said. Moving along swiftly, he finished his presentation and sent us out to our cubicles.

Gracie and I snagged two next to each other and started packing away our purses and the few odds and ends we’d brought with us. For me, it was a small stuffed elephant Ryan had won for me at a fair when I was four.

It was ratty, but clean, and the same good luck charm I’d had with me throughout every single phase of life, from the day he proudly presented it to me at that fair. He was eight at the time, missing a few teeth, and when he handed it over, his chest was swollen with pride for having won it.

“Okay, everyone.” Craig’s voice boomed from the front of the massive office—bullpen, I corrected myself mentally. “Insert your name as a username, and a c