Going Under

Rosemary sat in the living room, reading a book as Nickolas played with his puppy on the floor, the TV on in the background.

"Nana, where's mommy?" Nickolas asked after a while.

"Mommy is at home with her boyfriend."

"I don’t like him..."

"Why not?"

"He mean to me... makes me do things I don’t want to do..."

"Like what?" Rosemary couldn’t even fathom the things they made him do at the house.

"He tells me that I'm bad... he says that I drive mumma crazy and that's why she hates me..."

"Well, don’t listen to him..." She bit her lip. Adam was rather blunt about it.

"When is he leaving...? I want my mommy back."

"Nicky, I don’t think Adam will ever be leaving..."

"Don’t call me that. It's a baby name." he sighed as she pulled him onto her lap.

"Then what do you want me to call you?"

"Nickolas." He looked up at her. He looked angry, but she could understand.

"Okay, Nickolas. Are you a big boy?"

"Yes." He nodded a little to prove his point.

"Then do you use a big boy potty?"

"Yes."

"Then go. Before you have an accident" He groaned as she set him on his feet, but he obeyed none the less. What was she to do? Her daughter was a deadbeat, and didn’t even want to care for her son. She surely couldn’t do it herself, but there was a bigger fear. Most kids grow up and act like their parents. What would Nickolas do...?