In which we meet my brother's girlfriend and she is FABULOUS and then, two months later, I find out that my brother might Not Be That Much Into Her

I thought I had told you guys about this, but I looked at the unpublished posts and realized that I had not.

My sister organized a party for my brother's 50th birthday party.

I haven't told you much about my brother.

He is 50 years old and never married. He brought home a few girls in college, but after that, nothing. I asked him why he never brought any girlfriends home and he said it was because they were not the kind of girls he wanted to introduce to our parents. I said he shouldn't be dating them and he said that they were fun.

He had a girlfriend about ten years ago who broke his heart. I don't know the whole story - I doubt there was an intentional heartbreaking, but just a lack of fit, which is always so sad. It's easy to break up with someone who is a jerk, but to break up with someone you really like but know would not be a good life partner, that is hard. It is hard to know that you will hurt someone you like. But you can't marry someone just to be nice.

So his heart was broken. Since then, he has not had a serious girlfriend.

My sister organized this party. Primo and I flew to Austin for the weekend. Went to Fiesta grocery before we even went to the hotel. Hung out with college friends. Hung out with Austin friends. Had not seen some of these friends in nine years, which is way too long not to see a friend. Ate Mexican food. Ate more Mexican food. And more. Saw yoga-teaching friend from Cedar Rapids who is now repatriated to Texas. Went to Central Market. Saw gay high school boyfriend who is now a pilot for Southwest. Ate at Threadgill's. Saw more college friends.

Missed Texas, missed Texas, missed Texas.

And we hung out at my brother's house and went to the party.

Back to my brother's house first.

My sister, my mom, my brother in law, and one of my brother's and sister's friends from junior high, when we lived in the Panama Canal Zone, were at my brother's house. (My brother has very loyal, long-term friends.)

My brother in law gave my mom an iPhone last year and put her on his plan.

Overall, this was a good thing, as my mom will drive two days to visit us and I don't like the idea of her being on the road without a cellphone.

I have nagged her about it for years and of course she laughed at my worry.

And of course, two years ago, I get a call from someone I don't know on my cellphone - my mom's car has broken down in New Mexico and she has left a message on my phone calling from someone else's cell phone. The message gives me elaborate instructions about how to contact her - "Call Sue's phone but tell her it's for me and if I'm not here I'll be at the pizza place next door" - but she gives me NO USEFUL INFORMATION.

No useful information such as, "I am fine. My car has broken down. It is being taken care of. I will be a day late getting to your place because of the delay, but that's only because they can't get the part until tomorrow."

Nope. All I know is I need to call my mom on someone else's phone.

It was stressful. And annoying.

(Everything was fine.)

So my brother in law gives her a phone, puts her on his plan (he is very generous), and now I do not have to worry so much.

The other thing that I learned from my brother in law is that he is a ratfink.

A few months ago, I had a bike accident. The ER wanted to do a CT scan, but I did not want one. I snapped a photo of my injury - my prescription sunglasses broke and cut my eyebrow - fortunately, my helmet was just fine - and sent it to my sister, asking if she thought I needed the scan. She is a nurse practitioner and I trust her judgment. That is the reason I called her - as a medical professional, not as my sister.

She told me not to be an idiot and to get the scan. "Remember Natasha Richardson?" she asked.

And that was that.

And then my mom calls. And my brother. And I am thinking, "What the heck? Why are they calling? We are not a phone-calling family!"

I was angry at my sister because I thought she had called my mom and brother to tell them about the bike accident. Honestly - it was none of their business and wasn't anything they needed to worry about.

Well, at my brother's house, my brother in law admitted that he was the one who had called my mom and brother to tell them about the accident.

My jaw dropped. I stared at him. "You did WHAT?" I asked.

He had called them, he admitted.

I didn't think my sister would appreciate my yelling at him, so I just narrowed my eyes and hissed, "Do not do that again." And I made a mental note to tell my sister, the next time I called her, that any information I share with her is covered under the sister contract, which precludes disclosure to spouse unless specifically allowed.

Honestly. Some people.

Where was I?

So we went to the party, which was great fun. I saw people I had not seen in over 20 years, including my brother's best friend since high school.

And I met my brother's girlfriend.

I had not met a girlfriend in 30 years.

I met his girlfriend and she was fabulous.

She is smart and interesting - she designs parks!  can you think of a cooler job? - and funny and grounded and nice and cute.

My sister, my brother in law, Primo, and I all loved her. We voted and decided she would be a great addition to our family. My mom likes her. We all like her.

So the other day, when I was messaging with my brother, two months after the party, I asked what was up with the girlfriend.

"Oh I don't know if I am that into her," he said.

WHAT! No! She is the one! She is the one we all want! He has to be into her!

And now I am sad.