Another thing Soda does for his brothers is that he can always tell when they need each other.
Darry thinks that Pony only ever needs Soda, and Pony will never admit when he needs Darry.
But when Pony has a nightmare and Soda’s usual methods of soothing him don’t seem to be working, he’ll notice how Pony’s eyes keep darting toward the door, only drooping closed after Soda has shepherded him into their oldest brother’s bed. When Pony is sick and shivering, Soda can tell when all the blankets in the house plus his own body heat aren’t enough without the person who runs the warmest. When Pony is scared of something and he needs more than Soda’s gentle calming, he needs someone to slay the monster; someone whose love and protectiveness is more ferocious and animalistic than the beast.
And Darry, well, Darry will never admit to needing anyone, especially his youngest brother who it’s his job to care for, to protect. It’s his job to be needed by Pony, not the other way around.
But Soda knows that on the days when Darry feels like he’s failing, his own reassurance won’t mean as much because it’s nothing he hasn’t said a million times. So he’ll make offhanded comments like “Pony, Darry made the cake this time” so that Darry can see Pony’s eyes light up with the reminder that Darry’s cake is his favorite. Or when Darry’s had a rough day, Soda will nudge Pony to go sit by him on the couch, “maybe read him that part of your book you liked so much that I didn’t understand.” Pony will look at him like he’s crazy at first, but soon he and Darry will be locked in a conversation about a book that Darry remembers reading for school but never looked at the way Pony does, Pony’s head on Darry’s shoulder and Darry petting Pony’s hair.
And of course they pull Soda in with them. Because they know they haven’t been the best at noticing when Soda needs them, but between the two of them, they’re getting better.
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