Chapter 4- The Homecoming

As the old vintage clock's arrow inched closer to 8:00 p.m., Derrick Robertson was having dinner with his girlfriend. Suddenly, flashes of car lights beamed through the windows and door, followed by a timid knock. Derrick sluggishly rose to check it, and as he opened the door, he found his brother Erick standing there. They looked at each other, pausing in a mix of hesitation and shock.

Derrick spoke, his voice heavy with emotion, "It has...has it been, ten years, I think?"

Erick, equally hesitant, replied, "I'm sorry, brother."

Derrick, overwhelmed by sadness, countered, "No, I'm the one who should be sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, especially after what happened."

Erick asked, "Can I ?"

Derrick extended a welcoming hand, saying, "Yeah, come in. I bet you can eat a whole person after such a game, Mr. Wimbledon champion."

Erick playfully teased, "You look like you've already done that," and both brothers shared a genuine laugh.

As Erick prepared to take a seat, he asked, "Who's this beautiful bird you've managed to trick, fam?"

Derrick chuckled, "Oh, she tricked me. Her name is Samira. Samira, officially meet my brother, Erick."

Erick's piercing blue eyes locked with Samira's warm brown gaze as he greeted her, "Hello, Samira."

With a hint of hesitation, Samira replied, "Hello, ni...nice to meet you."

Amidst the camaraderie, Derrick congratulated his brother, saying, "Congratulations, brother."

Erick humbly responded, "Thank you."

Derrick inquired, "So, what's next ?"

Erick shared his aspirations, "The grind continues. I'll strive to win more tournaments and defend this title next year. What about you? What have you been up to?"

Derrick revealed his current occupation, "I'm a high school teacher."

Surprised, Erick queried, "Really?" Derrick nodded. Erick continued, "Cool, what subject do you teach?"

Derrick replied, "I teach Physics."

Erick, clearly taken aback, remarked, "All this time, I didn't know my brother was Sir Isaac Newton."

Derrick smiled modestly, "Please, don't flatter me."

Erick playfully exclaimed, "So, my brother is in academia." Then he turned to Samira, "You're a quiet one."

At Samira's prompting, Derrick hesitantly revealed a secret, "You haven't told him about the club."

Erick, curious, inquired, "What is it?"

Derrick, downplaying it, responded, "It's nothing. I sometimes teach kids at the tennis club where our parents used to teach."

Surprised, Erick remarked, "I can't believe that place still exists. I have to visit it before I leave. When do you go there?"

As the last to finish his meal, Erick complimented the food, "This was delicious, thanks." Samira, taking their plates with a smile, replied, "You're welcome."

Derrick replied to Erick's question, "It depends, usually on Saturdays or Sundays, but this week, on Saturday, I'll be there. When are you leaving?"

Erick shared his plans, "I have about three weeks to prepare for the US Open."

Derrick nodded in approval, "Oh, cool. You're sleeping here, right?"

Erick confirmed, "Yeah, I just remembered I left my luggage in the car."

He collected his luggage and carried it to his old bedroom. As he settled in, Derrick called from the corridor, "Good night."

Erick, taking in the changes in the house, replied with a fondness in his voice, "Oh, this place has changed a little bit. Goodnight brother."