The Next Morning Was Worse

Josh and Megan opened the cards together in their hotel room.

Most were ordinary wedding gifts.

Checks.

Cash.

Gift cards.

Notes.

Then they found one envelope from Aunt Denise.

Inside were two separate cards.

One for Josh and Megan.

One for Ryan.

Ryan’s card contained a check made out directly to him.

For $2,000.

Megan stared at it.

Josh laughed bitterly.

“So the whole thing was unnecessary.”

Carol had been right that Denise wanted to help Ryan.

She had simply handled it normally.

By writing his name on his own check.

There had been no reason to open anything else.

Josh Sent His Brother the Check

Megan agreed.

It wasn’t theirs.

They mailed it to Ryan.

He called the same day.

“Thank you.”

Josh answered:

“It was always yours.”

Then Ryan apologized.

Not vaguely.

Specifically.

“I shouldn’t have opened anything.”

Josh said:

“No.”

Ryan continued:

“And Mom shouldn’t have convinced me that being family made it okay.”

That mattered.