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“Something inside her snapped,” he continues, lost in thought. “She kicked him out and threatened to go to the police if he didn’t leave. Of course, he left, and things were okay for a while. Mom worked so hard, but she never once complained. The only downside of not having Dad around was we didn’t have an adult to look after us, not that he ever did much anyway.
“So I grew up fast, and I became the man of the house.
“Things were good, and I loved that it was just Tristan and me when Mom was at work. It was him and me against the world, you know?”
I nod, indicating I’m listening because I have a feeling things are about to get real.
“Then one day, just after my fourteenth birthday, my mother came home and told us our uncle Brandon was coming to stay with us.”
“Uncle?” I softly question.
Quinn nods, finally lifting his eyes to meet mine. “My uncle Brandon, he was my father’s brother—his younger brother, and he’d just got discharged from the Army because he got hurt in combat. The moment I met him, I just knew something wasn’t right. The way my mother fawned all over him and made a big deal that he was finally home was weird.
“I mean, she never got this excited to see Dad, and she was married to him. But I shrugged it off and didn’t think much of it because I liked him. Uncle Brandon had a welcoming smile, and his smile would especially grow big whenever he looked at Tristan.
“So, of course, I liked him because anyone who liked my brother was a friend.”
The dread forming in the pit of my stomach begins churning, but I nod, as I need to know what happens next.
“Uncle Brandon, he looked after us when Mom was at work. At first, I wasn’t too happy about it, as I liked our family as it was. But after a while, I came to realize I was missing out on a load of fun stuff because I was babysitting Tristan all the time.
“So I began hanging out with my friends more often and leaving Tristan in the care of Uncle Brandon.
“Uncle Brandon ended up moving in, and I’d never seen Mom so happy. And her appearance changed, too. She wore makeup, bought new clothes, and started getting her hair and nails done. I really didn’t understand why, but she was happy, so I didn’t question it,” he says with a shrug.
“Uncle Brandon coming to live with us was the worst thing that ever happened to me.” He sighs, chewing on his lip ring. “He started acting like my dad, bossing me around and telling me to be nicer to my brother. By this stage, I was fifteen, and I started to rebel. I despised being told what to do, so I started hanging out with my friends more, who were just as messed up as me.
“But it was better than staying at home with Uncle Brandon, who thought he had a say over what Tristan and I did. Tristan and I grew apart. My uncle favored him over me, and in a way, it pissed me off.
“Tristan was happy he finally had a father figure in his life who treated him how a parent should treat a child. But me, I hated his guts. He and Uncle Brandon could both go to hell.
“I told Mom that I didn’t like him and wanted him to leave, but she said he was a part of our lives now and wasn’t going anywhere.
“I was hurt. I mean, I was her kid, and it felt like she was choosing him over me. So I started staying out late and snuck home when everyone was asleep, but they didn’t care. I ended up skipping school a lot, and when I wasn’t causing trouble with my friends, I hung out with…Hank,” he confesses, and I bite my lip, holding back my tears.
Quinn looks at me, and I nod, silently telling him I’m okay with him continuing.
“Hank knew I was skipping classes, but because he was friends with my grandma, he let me hang out there ’cause he knew things weren’t great at home. I told him everything, and he told me that sometimes, we must make sacrifices for the people we love.”
I choke back a sob because, true to his word, Hank did that for me.
Quinn reaches forward to brush away my tears. “I’m sorry, Red,” he whispers. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Shaking my head, I lean into his comforting touch. “You didn’t. You just reminded me of what a kind, gentle man he was.”
Quinn nods, his eyes growing soft. “He was. Night Cats was my sanctuary, and talking to Hank, knowing he was there for me, and knowing I had someone to talk to, was my salvation.”
I barely hold back my sniffle, but Quinn allows me to grieve, as I know we’re both brokenhearted over the loss of a beautiful man.
“I remember it was a cold day,” he softly continues, removing his hand from my cheek. “But it was like any other day. I skipped school and headed to the motel to hang out with Hank, but he wasn’t there. I then remembered he was out of town for some car show, and I knew all my friends were at school because they were getting their asses kicked by their parents for skipping.
“My mom didn’t seem to care, and my dad, well, I only really saw him every now and again around town. But he never came to see Tristan and me, and I always wondered if he knew Uncle Brandon lived with us.
“I decided to head back home and play some video games, as Mom would be at work, and Uncle Brandon would probably be there too because he started helping her out during the day. I remember coming home and thinking something wasn’t right. But I ignored it, grabbed a beer, and went to my room.
“However, I had to pass my mom’s room, and suddenly, I had that feeling again. I felt like I wasn’t alone.”
Quinn nibbles on his lip ring, his eyes in a distant place.
