Take care of those you love

Oldest brother went bust for the second time and killed himself; I'm hanging on by my chipped painted nails; and middle brother was always the King of Cash.

- Carine Hartman

Bought his house cash; a boat; an Alfa Spider; built a grotto bar – fugly but expensive – at his pool... But then the government contracts stopped. It didn't dry up; it just stopped – and I guess he dried up. Our relationship certainly did.

As much as he was my best friend – buying my Barbie a Bob riding a Jeep growing up – it withered under the strong women (mother, I call it) he married. And there were three: the last two each a decade older than him.

They never liked me; always thought our relationship was inappropriately threatening. Maybe they were right. I did play doctor-doctor with him, too, as a child. But child's games don't define either me, or my brother.