A Puck Between Us

I listened to the clatter of Emerson banging his spoon against his highchair, giggling and babbling in that unknown tongue of his.

My mom was busy dabbing away at the blobs of orange baby food forming on his freckled cheeks. His chubby legs kicked the chair, enough times to wobble the bowl right off.

It collided to the floor with a bang, as my dog, Rufus, hurried over to lick up any remains he could gather before my mom cleaned it off the pearly white tile.

I idly stirred my orange juice with my straw. Yeah, I drink orange juice with a straw…so what?

The sun was shinning through the bright curtains that were meant to be parted but obviously were forgotten about. Just as I was about to get up to fix them, my mother faced me, a smile flashed at me, before she threw out the mess.

“Jeff is coming home today.” She simply said, before cleaning out the bowl.

“I know.” I mumbled. Of course I knew. It was on every local news station. It was as if he wanted me to see. It was as if he wanted me to feel the pain.

“What happened to you two?” She asked, her tone odd, but I disregarded it. She knows better then to bring up Jeff.

“Goodbye Jeff.” My words swarmed my head, taunting me. I ran inside my home, away from him, trying to escape. I wanted to disappear from the words swarming in my head, from the thoughts and memories that were crushed.

How could he? I remember thinking to myself. He said forever and now this. What were we now?

Nothing. That’s what we were.

I slammed the door, and sunk to the ground below it. I clutched my knees to my chest before letting out a cry. At first, it rang through the house, but slowly it calmed until it was just my chest heaving in and out.

I sat there until it got dark…I sat there until my mom came home, through the garage…I sat there, realizing she wasn’t going to comfort me. I was alone.

I was no longer the child in my family. I couldn’t sulk because of Jeff. He was just some stupid boy.

I had to look after my mom, and not respond to whatever was outside this house.

And that’s just what I did.

A month after this, my mom found she was pregnant with my father’s last child. She named the boy Emerson, which means brave, Just what she wanted to be.

My mom, you could say, was in a state of depression. For the first six months of his life, I took care of him.

She finally came around enough to go job hunting, leaving Emerson and I on our own. This is why I’m not at college, like I dreamt.

I didn’t follow any of my childhood plans. I never went off to college in a wide wedding dress next to...

My mother’s voice broke me from thought.

“Addison Marie Banks, I asked you a question.” I felt her glare on me, as she shuffled back to Emerson, attempting to feed him the remainder of his dinner.

I bit into the buttery mess of toast, as I refused to look up at my mom. Instead, my eyes darted around to the yellowing-beige walls, anywhere to avoid her piercing blue eyes.

I heard my mom start to begin her sentence when Rufus let out a loud whine at the door. My mom paused, as he began to scratch.

“Addison, get the dog. Please.” She strained out, obviously stressed out. She hated when people didn’t respond, and the kicking baby and whining dog wasn’t helping her infamous “migraine.”

Emerson let out a wail, and began throwing a fit. “And take your brother too.”

Getting up, I gathered Emerson in my arms as I started out the door, grabbing the leash on the way, attaching it to the large golden retriever’s color. I kept my eyes down, avoiding the moving trucks.

I prayed the eyes I felt on me were the moving guys and not Jeff’s. I prayed he wasn’t home.

I set Emerson on the ground, as he ran off into the grass. The dog began to bark and I let go off the leash. My mother would have a fit if she saw this, but hey, Rufus was old, it’s not like he’s going anywhere.

I glanced up just in time to see Emerson take a running slide onto the ground. I sighed as I began to walk on, before I saw a young man kneel down beside him, helping him up.

“Awwi.” He sniffled, reaching toward me, as I scooped him up onto my shoulder.

That’s when I realized that young man was Jeff. His dark eyes peered back at mine, as they seemed to connect, before I looked away.

The spasms of pain shot off in my stomach like fireworks and my eyes were already heating. The chilled wind seemed to freeze those in place though.

I glanced up onto slightly to see his smile. What a cruel bastard leaving me here.

I instantly turned around, as the sky began to get dark. I bounced Emerson up, as I snapped for Rufus to come over.

I heard footsteps pounding behind me, as I felt a warm hand on me. Half of me wanted to turn around and wrap myself in the familiar smell and feel, but the other half knew better.

Pulling away, I took one more step before half turning to him. “What do you want?” I asked simply, letting my hatred fill my voice.

“I just- I thought- I wanted-.” He began to blabber nervously. That just made me angrier. Not at him, just because of how everything happened.

“I don’t have time for this. We’re done, remember? It was your choice.” With that I walked away, right through the same black door as before, and this time, I didn’t regret it.