Relative issues (On hold)

Chapter 5.

She appeared like a dark cloud on a sunny day. Her long dark hair hung like a silk sheet behind her, the ends of of which was a perfectly straight line that ended just below her waist. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach the moment she reappeared in the doorway to our house. Body shaped to perfection, angelic face and iridescent grey eyes surrounded by dark eyeshadow and a sharp eyeliner wing, Antonia Marston stood in the door looking like a saint depicted in a catholic oil painting. She had come back a second time, appearing unannounced yet again like a stroke of unwanted déjà vu.

Micah stood his ground in the doorway, blocking her off with his muscular frame. "Why are you here?" He asked through gritted teeth. After a short pause, he scoffed. "Trying to pick another fight?"

My mother did not offer an answer to Micah's interrogation. Instead, she peeked over his shoulder and sought out my eyes. The action only served to enrage Micah further. His already sour mood was leaving the air full of tension and as my mother ignored him, I could see his shoulders begin to tremble with anger.

Micah slammed his hand against the door frame, creating a loud bang that shook the lamp hanging in the ceiling of the mudroom. Mom flinched and jumped in surprise at the loud noise, her eyes widening as she fixed them on Micah's face. "That's right, don't look at him, look at me," he growled. "Just cause they let you in last time doesn't mean I'll be as nice."

When she showed up a few months ago, Micah had been a bit less muscular than he was now. Seeing how thin she was in comparison to him, it was not hard to imagine that Micah could easily dislocate her shoulder with a shove. The one-inch height advantage she had over him meant nothing when she had arms like twigs, a fact she seemed very aware of.

My mom took a cautious step back as Micah stared her down. She had yet to utter a word, but it was already obvious who was in control. Had I not been as anxious and surprised as I was, I would have found his behaviour rather amusing.

"Well?" He asked sharply. "Why are you here? Didn't he tell you not to come here again?" Micah's tone was laced with poison and disdain.

My mom opened and closed her mouth a few times, fidgeting with her fingers as she nervously looked to and from Micah's face, glancing at me behind him and anxiously looking back at something on the street. Before she managed to answer though, a tired whine emerged from Smith's room. The sound immediately tore my and Micah's attention from my mom. Even Kennedy, who had anxiously stood up from his position at the table and peeked around the corner to observe the situation at the door, turned toward Smith's room.

I stirred from my seat on the couch and shuffled into the nursery. The moment Smith saw me, he reached out from me, his eyes confused and irked at having awoken early from his nap. Carefully, I wrapped my hands around his body and picked him up, leaning him against my chest as I rocked and shushed him. From the mudroom, I could hear Micah cussing as Kennedy tried to calm him. His annoyance was understandable. If Smith's naps were interrupted, it was sometimes difficult to get him to sleep again. No nap meant he would be cranky later in the evening which meant that our usual relaxed tv-time would be significantly shortened.

"I've got you, buddy," I whispered and kissed his forehead. Smith cried out in frustration, his eyes searching the room as he squirmed. The loud bang must have woken him up and he had felt lonely when he found that I had left his bedside. With a heavy sigh, I tried to calm him by rubbing his back and humming, but it just served to further aggravate him and he began wailing. In situations like this, it was clear what he wanted.

With a sigh of defeat, I poked my head out of the nursery. Micah and Kennedy were by the door, Kennedy trying to calmly speak to my mother while Micah was angrily muttering to himself. When I could not get their attention and Smith kept crying, I stepped out of the nursery, mildly annoyed that no one came to my rescue.