AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fuck,” I whispered, setting Kierra’s plate in front of her. By the time I made it to Casey, Simone was already helping him on his feet. He cried as blood poured from his bottom lip that he’d bitten when he fell on the floor. “I got him, Simone,” I said, picking him up. He buried his face in my neck, muffling his whines. “Grant, get up, and let’s go.”
“But—”
“Get up, and let’s go,” I repeated sternly. He kicked away from the table and stormed in my direction. I grabbed the back of his collar firmly and dragged him to the kitchen. He fought against me, swinging his arms and dragging his feet. I switched my grip to the back of his neck, gaining better control over him. I wished I could say I was surprised by Grant’s behavior, but I wasn’t. He was acting out because we couldn’t get ahold of Eliza the night before.
I eased Casey onto the counter, grabbed a clean dishcloth from a drawer, and wet it before handing it to Grant.
“What is this for?” he asked gruffly.
“You did this to Casey, so you’ll take care of him,” I answered, sliding over a step stool with my foot.
“He can take care of himself,” he spat, disrespectfully throwing the towel in Casey’s face.
He better be glad I’m not my father, or he would have a knot on the back of his head the size of Mount Rushmore. Gentle parenting is not for the weak.
“Okay, Grant,” I said, removing the towel from Casey’s face. “You have two options: you can care for your brother since you injured him or be punished. Which would you prefer?”
“What is the punishment?” he asked, further testing my patience.
He can’t be serious right now. I need to hit him where it hurts…
“You can’t speak to Kiyah for three days.” I rolled my eyes when he snatched the towel from my hand, climbed on the stool, and dabbed at Casey’s swollen bottom lip. “Why did you push your brother?” He shrugged. “That’s not an answer. Why did you push Casey?” He shrugged his shoulders again as he continued to administer first aid.
“You’re done, Case,” he said, discarding the towel on the counter and stepping off the stool. I set Casey on his feet and waited for Grant to apologize. “I’m sorry for pushing you. You didn’t deserve it. Will you forgive me?”
“No, you’re mean,” Casey answered, leaving the kitchen.
“He’s supposed to accept my apology,” Grant said angrily. “Tell him to come back and accept my apology.”
“I won’t do that.”
“Why not?” he asked, nearly whining.
“Because you hurt him, and he’s entitled to his feelings. Casey either felt that your apology wasn’t genuine, or he needs more time to cool down. Forgiveness isn’t given; it’s earned. After we’re all stuffed and decorating our Christmas stockings, I suggest you extend an olive branch to him again.”
“But what if he says no again?”
“You’re brothers—work it out.”
“Is she going to call back?” Grant asked, suddenly rerouting our conversation to Eliza.
“I don’t know, Grant. But I have my phone right here just in case,” I relayed, removing my phone from my back pocket,showing him my willingness to keep my word. Grant stood in front of me, shifting from foot to foot while he fiddled with his fingers before repeatedly adjusting the collar of his shirt.
I waited patiently for what I knew would come next.
Grant’s eyes met the floor, and his arms went up in the air. I didn’t hesitate to pick up my son and lock ourselves in the laundry room while he had a good cry. I bounced him up and down and rubbed his back in soothing circles.
“Let it out, Grant,” I encouraged, hoping he’d release some of that pent-up frustration. He wasn’t the most affectionate child, so the fact that he was asking for it meant he was beyond hurt. I finally spoke when we made it to the hiccupping stage. “I want you to listen to me very closely. Your mother is your mother, and Kierra is Kierra. Kierra may not be your mother, but you can depend on her like she is. You can look up to her because she won’t disappoint you.”
“B-but what if she’s not here because she gets in another accident?” he cried.
“Sometimes accidents happen—they can be preventable, or freaks of nature.”
“What’s a freak of nature?”
“Like getting struck by lightning. There’s nothing you can do to prevent that; you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kierra will get better. Instead of focusing on what could’ve happened, we should be grateful that she’s still here with us.”
“I love Mommy, and I love Ms. Kierra.”
