Perfect For Me

CHAPTER 43 (Liam Williams)

It was currently 7:45 on a Thursday morning, exactly one day before the big game between mine and Ryan's Team. The last few weeks since the holidays hadn't been very exciting. Well maybe a bit. Ryan had finally come out to Andy and Jeremy. A few days later Benn and Jamie had caught us making out in the locker rooms after practise, assuming we were the only one left. I mean who could have known Jamie forgot his Jacket? Bot of our friends took the news really well, even though Benn complained about having to endure even more PDA in the friend group after already having to put up with Jamie and his girlfriend.

So, since the we are really open whenever all of our friends met up and share small kisses and cuddles. I'm afraid we turned into the sickly-sweet, stereotypical "only-have-eyes-for-each-other" couple of our friendship group. Even though we had to turn it down whenever Nate brings his girlfriend, she didn't know of us.

Cause yes, Maya had asked Nate to be her boyfriend and you couldn't imagine anything sweeter than an excited Nate turning up at my house at 9 p.m., grinning from ear to ear with red cheeks and a happy twinkle in his eyes, oversharing all of his experiences with Maya in his extasy. I heard way too much about their sex-life that evening. I tell you, that couple is kinky!

Also "Fanny's" closed a week ago, so I lost my workplace. I've already started applying to all the cafes I knew around town but until now, no one had called me.

Yeah, maybe the last few weeks HAD been exciting. Just like our morning today. We should get going any second now so both me and Ethan would be on time, but my brother had other plans. He was laying on the floor in the hallway, crying and shouting and occasionally kicking either his fist or his legs against the floor, throwing a tantrum. No, nothing had happened. I just had told him that his favourite jacket was still wet from yesterday's afternoon walk and he would have to wear another one. Needless to say he refused.

"No! *hiccup* No! I- *hiccup* I-" I sighed and tried stroking his head but he just turned away and started to sob louder. Slowly but surely my patience started to fade. I loved my brother, I really did but being "the parent" was not always sunshine and rainbows. Today it was rather clouds and rain without the -bow but a nasty storm instead! I sighed again before squatting down next to the toddler. "Look. I can understand that you are upset but you can't change anything about it now and neither can I. So either you accept the fact that you have to wear another jacket and put it on right now or I will have to do it an then you definitely won't be watching any TV tonight!", I said sternly. The only response I got was a shouted "No!" and Ethan trying to crawl away.

I grabbed him by the hips to hold him in place and put the jacket on the squirming child in my arms. "Okay Ethan. I love you but I can't do wonders either. So calm down or I'll have to extend the no-telly-time." Ethan started to hit my chest with his fist while I locked the door to our apartment. Firmly I gripped his hands in my bigger one and turned his face so he would look at me. "I understand that you are mad at me, and you can be if you want to, but you must NEVER hit me. Got that? Never! That's not something we do! Until you got that and say an apology to me, there will be no TV, okay?" Silence. "OKAY?" "Yes."

Defiantly Ethan buried his head into my neck with a last loud sob, obviously choosing to ignore me. It always hurt my heart having to be strict with him but there were rules and he had to learn them otherwise it would not work. I was just a kid either and especially hitting was something I really could not accept in our family.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After handing a still pouting and subtly sniffling Ethan over to his kindergarten-teacher I made my way to school. I hoped Ethan would have found his manners again by the time Betty would get him from kindergarten. He would be with her until almost 8 p.m. since coach had forced a double practise on us after school today. Usually you should rest before a big game, letting your muscles relax and get yourself in the right mindset, but coach had other ideas of pre-game preparation. Not that we should be surprised. It had been this way the last three years I had been part of this team.

Pushing my thoughts aside I concentrated on making my way through the rather empty halls of our school, considering I was rather tardy it surprised me to still see Nate waiting for me at my locker. "Morning." "Morning. What took you so long?" I stuffed my books into my locker before taking out other ones and sighed. "Ethan threw a tantrum this morning, didn't want to put on a certain jacket even though it was the only available one and I feel like I may have been a bit too rough on him. But he has to learn that not everything goes the way HE wants and that he has to obey MY rules sometime because otherwise I can't keep him safe but I still feel like sometime I make all the mistakes in education you could possibly make and am the worst parent to Ethan ever but on the other hand it's not like I would have ever experienced how it should be done and now I sometimes feel like failing even though I'm rally trying my best and-" A hand on my shoulder interrupted my rambling.

"Hey, don't put yourself down. Being strict and authoritarian sometimes does not make you a bad parent, rather the opposite. Kids need to learn their boundaries and knowing you, you showed your little brother his in the most gentle way possible. Even though it should be your responsibility to do this in the first place. You love him with everything you have and he knows that. He FEELS it. And the occasional fight won't change that. You are one of the best, most considerate parents I've ever witnessed, even though technically you are just the older brother. Ethan adores you and you can't change that 'cause you could never do something really wrong when you love someone. And that you definitely do. So stop worrying about it and take your books because we are fucking late!" Having to laugh slightly I did as he told me to and followed my best friend to our classroom. "Thank you!"