"Yes, may I speak to Zac please?" She laughed lightly, "It's Grace, Jess."
   Knowing what was going to happen next, Grace held the phone away from her ear as she yelled for her brother to get the phone.
   She heard the hushed whispering as Zac questioned who it was, and the silence that followed when Jessica answered.
   "So I had this vision today." Zac started nonchalantly.
   Grace tightened her hold on the phone and smiled, "And what did this vision entail, Zac?"
   His dry laugh was short-lived. "I was standing in this hallway, you know, counting my change to see what junky food I could savor."
   She giggled, "Of course."
   He continued on as if she hadn't spoken, "And I see this vision at the end of the hallway. Bright lights and everything."
   Grace laughed outright, "Was there a translucent person going 'Come. Come towards the light'?"
   Zac scoffed, "No. No one was saying that. But I did see my girlfriend holding on to my brother as if he was a lifeline."
   She sucked in a breath, "Zac, listen, okay. It's not what you-"
   "I don't care anymore, Grace!" Zac shouted, his voice trying to force that amused tone he loved so well. "I don't. It was always between him and I, and I know when I can't win."
   Grace jolted up, her eyes widening and watering. "That's not it, Zac! You're not listening to me! It's not about him!"
   He laughed again, "Yes, it is. Otherwise you wouldn't hide yourself from me, and hold on to him."
   His sober tone bothered her, "I never meant to shut you out, Zac. I didn't. You have to know that."
   "I'm supposed to know that? How? You never talk to me anymore! You're talking to my brother, not me! So how am I supposed to know? And don't even think I'll ask him how my girlfriend is doing!"
   Grace could feel her face flushing and splotching, and her nose stuffing up as the tears welled up. "Zac! It's not like that! I'm trying to tell you how it is! But you're not listening. If you'd just stop yelling for a minute I could explain it all."
   It was quiet on the other end and Grace panicked. "Zac? Zac? Zac!" She waited to see if he would answer.
   "Your minute's up, Grace." She jumped at the sudden reply and choked. "Please, Zac. Just listen to me."
   She could almost picture him shaking his head and sighing as he talked to her. "I won't be the one you're unhappy with, Grace. I won't. And I won't be the one, who's unhappy with you either."
   She swallowed hard. "Is this it, Zac?" She murmured quietly. "No more lifesaver's?"
   Her mouth tilted up when she heard his weak reply. "No more lifesaver's."
   They both hung up, him before her.
   Zac let the receiver drop from his fingers and watched his brother stare at him. He smiled tightly. "Gave you what you wanted, Tay. Why aren't you smiling and being happy?"
   Taylor flinched, "I'm not going to be happy that you and Grace broke up, Zac."
   "Why not?" He questioned relentlessly. "This is your chance, man! You can have, Grace, and hug and talk way more often! Instead of having to do that in a hallway, in front of her boyfriend. This way, you'll be her boyfriend, and you can both live happily ever after."
   Taylor shoved past him, and slammed the cabinet door shut after he grabbed a glass out. "You know what your problem is, Zac?"
   He laughed, "The only problem I had was my girlfriend loving my brother! And I don't have that now!"
   Glaring, Taylor went to the refrigerator for the water pitcher. "You won't take into consideration that something else, totally different, happened yesterday."
   Zac watched the clear liquid fall from one glass to another. "No, Tay, my problem is that my brother played the girl I loved, and once I got to be with her, she wanted to be back with him."
   He sounded so tired that Taylor couldn't even look up at him. "I'm sorry, Zac. None of this should have happened."
   Zac shrugged it off. "No matter, it did, and it's over with now. Time to move forward." He shrugged again, "Just without Grace on my side."
   He walked off then, and Taylor fought the urge to go after him. Then fought the urge to call Grace and find out what had happened. It was a lose-lose situation no matter where he turned.
   He cursed softly under his breath, in case one of the little one's was around, or worse his mom, and dumped the rest of his water down the drain and set his glass down on the counter, harder than he needed to.