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So what if I broke my arm? I'm still doing it

"So what if I broke my arm? I'm still doing it."

"This is one of your worst ideas, Jake," Gretta mumbled. Normally she could take the antics of her younger brothers, but today he was pressing it.

"Hey it's just one arm down, I'll be fine," Jake said as he spun in a circle, brandishing his cast for all to see. Although, in this case, all was his reflection in the floor length mirror and his grumbling older sister.

"You broke your arm jumping off a swing."

"And I have no regrets."

"You're 35."

"Age ain't nothing but a number."

"Are you quoting R. Kelly?"

"Yeah, I'd like to backtrack on that right now."

"Deal."

"But I'm still going to do the triathlon." Jake then went to his wardrobe and began to dig through his athletic clothes.

"Or, bear with me," Gretta began, "you could decide not to."

"But I've been training for it. It's my time to shine!" Jake exclaimed as he pulled a bright red pair of bike shorts from the drawer.

"Uh huh, and why did you try to jump off the swing while doing a flip?"

"Cause," Jake looked down at the bike shorts, "it was my time to shine."

"Life isn't all about shining, Jake," Gretta said, pushing herself up from Jake's desk chair. "Sometimes you actually have to do the dull thing of taking care of yourself."

"That's for boring adults, like you," Jake said, sticking out his tongue.

"I'm not that much older than you, you know. And I've never broken a bone jumping off a swing."

"And how many triathlons have you competed in?" Jake said, thinking he'd have a moment of triumph.

"Exactly as many as I wanted to. None."

"Ah, well that's fair enough I suppose. But I want to do this one." Jake then moved to be in front of the mirror again and held up the pair of bike shorts. He smiled, clearly enjoying the color.

"And I'd like you to obey doctor's orders."

"He didn't specifically say I couldn't do a triathlon," Jake said, beginning to pout.

Gretta came up to Jake and put her hand on his shoulder, "Is it too much for me to ask you to take care of yourself?"

"I take care of myself," Jake said, looking down.

"When do you eat healthy meals?"

"When I'm training."

"When do you go to the doctor?"

"When I'm hurt."

Gretta raised an eyebrow at him.

"When I'm hurt and I complain about it enough to you that you make me," Jake muttered. "But I go!"

"When do you clean your house?"

Jake didn't reply.

"How often have I lent you money?"

"You said it was okay..."

"Of course it is," Gretta replied, moving herself in front of him. "I am here for you, Jake, but I need you to be there for yourself too. What would you do if I had broken my arm and said I wanted to do a triathlon?"

"I'd say you hadn't trained for one," Jake tried to joke.

Gretta's glare cut off his humor.

"I'd tell you not to."

"Exactly, because you want me to take care of myself."

"I wouldn't have to tell you that though...you always take care of yourself."

"Now, we both know that's not true. This isn't meant to be a lecture about me being perfect and you being imperfect."

"Feels like it."

"Jake, it's meant to be a wake up call. I will always be there for you and I will always help you, but there's only so much I can do. I can't make you not do this triathlon, I can't make you stop doing dumb tricks of swings, I can't make you--"

"I get the point."

"Do you?"

Jake stayed quiet for a moment and then moved away from Gretta.

"Jake..."

Jake put his bike shorts back in his dresser and closed it. "There are other triathlons."

"Maybe even ones that will happen after your cast comes off?"

"Well this is an annual one so there have to be."

"Good."

"Guess it gives me more time to train."

"Exactly," said Gretta smiling.

"Hey, Gretta?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

(Prompt sent by Katie Durr)

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