Don't Tell My Brother

Chapter 47 - Tolerant

As soon as he and Damien stepped in the door, the noise of the house hit them in a wave. Music was playing, something fast and lively without words, the kind of music people danced to. Gabriel appeared in the hallway as soon as he heard the door shut behind them, and ran full speed at Damien, who only just managed to scoop him into the air before he crashed right into the wall. Despite Gabriel's cries, Damien slung his brother over his shoulder, holding him tightly as he kicked legs in the air, and walked into the living room as if it was completely normal to be carrying his little brother around like luggage. Lucas followed, tucking his helmet under his arm, taking care to step over a pile of half-built Lego houses.

"—staying for dinner, is that alright?" Damien was saying as Lucas entered the kitchen.

Maria was bent over the stove, cooking round slices of corn in a skillet with butter and cayenne pepper, her masses of curls swept up into a scarf and tied behind her head. Another pan was on the stove beside her, covered with a lid. "Yes, yes, of course. I made enough for leftovers anyway." She looked up, smiling at Lucas, but her face fell into a frown when she saw the helmet he had tucked under his arm. "Damien."

"What?" He followed her eyeline, and sighed. "Ma, come on. Not now." He set Gabriel down onto the ground, where the boy promptly decided to cling to Damien's leg like a large, six-year-old shaped ankle weight.

"I've spoken to you about this, mijo. I don't like you using that bike, and now you're bringing other people on it too? It's just not safe."

"I'm always careful." Damien protested. "Mateo gave it to me, you think he'd do that if it was too dangerous?"

"I think you're both idiots, that's what I think. Did you learn nothing from his accident?"

Mateo himself chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. The argument was obviously a familiar one, because he sighed, leaning heavily on his cane.

"Ma. Stop it. I told you, as soon as he can afford a car, I'll sell the bike. But for now, he's safe with it. I made sure. Can we drop it?" He glanced to Lucas. "Tenemos una visita."

Maria didn't say any more on the topic, but Lucas had the impression that this argument wasn't over. Damien shot Lucas an apologetic look, mouthing a quick 'sorry'. Lucas waved it away. It was always slightly awkward when his friends and their parents fought in front of him, but at least it was over quickly.

The kitchen didn't stay silent for long. Maria lifted the lid of the pan to check whatever had been stewing beneath, and, after taking a small spoonful to taste, seemed to decide it was ready.

"I'm going to go wake up your father. Damien, serve this into bowls. Mateo, go get the girls and set the table. Where are they?"

"Andy's doing Lego, and Sofia..." Mateo shrugged. "In her room. No idea."

"Go and find out." Maria walked off, presumably to her own bedroom, and Mateo limped away to track down the other two.

Damien bent down and prised Gabriel off his leg, hoisting him high into the air. "Lucas, can you keep him busy for a second? I can't cook if he's got my leg." Gabriel giggled, evidently quite enjoying being a nuisance.

Lucas took the child. He was heavier than he'd expected, and looked up at Lucas with curiosity in his round, dark eyes as Lucas tried to adjust his hold on him into something less cumbersome. He had no idea what to do with a child.

"Hello?" He offered.

Damien was at the stove with a stack of bowls, ladling out stew into each of them and topping them with the sauteed corn slices. Lucas was pretty sure he heard him laugh.