We let it go again. What else could we do? Then two weeks later, my brother got a call from Dad. “I think I made a mistake,” he said, his voice thin and hesitant.

He told us the trip had gone south—literally and figuratively. His girlfriend got into a screaming match over pool chairs, insulted the staff, and got them kicked out of the resort. “But more than that,” he said, “I missed you guys. It just felt empty.”

That caught me off guard. He wanted to meet. No girlfriend this time.

We met at a small diner we hadn’t been to since we were kids. He looked older—like the years had finally caught up. Between sips of coffee, he apologized. Not just for the vacation