The Splintered

Nothing Like a Heartbreak

The next day was a blur up until Ezra continued to bicker with me.

"Ezra-"

"We shouldn't be arguing about this-"

"Then let's not! Your parents have been blowing up your phone since you got here!"

I screamed pushing back some of my blonde hair from my face. Ezra tried to console me again but I pushed him off and concluded.

"You are not listening to me, if it's real you need to go, now."

"Like I said I'm not going anywhere."

Scoffing I rubbed my temples feeling stress rise the back of my neck, Ezra knelt to my eye line and said.

"But I will call them back right now if that will help."

Swallowing slowly I nodded my head yes before sitting on my bed resisting the urge to cry. I felt selfish and stupid for even panicking about something like aliens. They were always a myth and I should just be carefree right?

Right?

"Anthony, come get something to eat."

I couldn't get much sleep last night from my racing and anxious thoughts, despite how much Ezra tried to help non sexually. Sitting down at the table, my eyes started to direct to the television but my mother clicked it off just as quickly but I knew there was no arguing with her. She was just as stressed as me since my father conveniently stopped answering his phone. I ate some Chinese leftovers, as I chewed the chicken wings it felt good to fill my belly at least.

"What do you mean he's not in the ambulance station?!"

My eyes shot up hearing my Mom yell, I haven't heard her do that in a long time. But she moved to her office so I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, I finished the leftovers and put them in the trash. My thoughts started to race again but before they peaked Ezra gently grabbed my cheeks rubbing away any stray tears that fell with his thumbs.

"Stop Anthony, he wouldn't want you to worry. Deep breaths, find your center again."

"O-Okay..."

I stuttered out as he let my chin go, rubbing away a few more tears with my palms I sniffed lightly. Moving to the couch, I got in a cross position with my legs then let my wrists hang on my kneecaps. Closing my eyes, my brain tried to remind me of all the things that could go wrong but with every breathe I took I filtered it out and focused on my heartbeat. It was tagged and all over the place. Somehow, someway I was able to slow it down. Once I opened my eyes again I was calmer, I didn't expect Ezra to start singing to me softly cuddling my head to his chest. Hugging him back, a slow smile grew on my face from his tender embrace.

"That's better."

Ezra said as I muttered.

"Shut up..."

"Don't fight it, baby. It's called joy, you should try it sometime."

That's when I started to laugh and Ezra made it bigger by tickling my neck, hopping on me to make sure I couldn't escape.

"Get off you hippo!"

I yelled with a wide smile as Ezra replied.

"I will not, this is the most I've seen you smile since I arrived. I'm savoring it."

Afterward, we touched foreheads, I knew my Mom entered back into the room but didn't say anything. I started to get up to ask about my father but Ezra sandwiched me between the couch and him.

"Hey-"

I started to say but he cut me off.

"Get some rest darling, I have a feeling you'll need it."

Ezra was dead serious then and wasn't asking so I rolled my eyes and cuddled him. He combed some hair out of my face then kissed my forehead, before I knew it I was starting to relax. Muscles started to fall asleep, soon my eyes were fluttering closed. Once they fully closed I didn't dream of anything, but it was the best sleep I had in a while.

***

"Anthony, wake up sweetheart."

My mother said gently pulling me out of Ezra's embrace, he was sound asleep as I crawled over him gently and moved to the kitchen. Dawn took the sky, as my mother led me to the front door confirming my worst fears with an officer standing there to say.

"Your father, Treyton Orelios, has passed on the line of duty. I'm sorry for your loss."

My mother closed the door with the flag in her hand, I wasn't saying anything at first. It was like time had stopped and I couldn't hear well. I had so many questions, so many things I wanted to say to him. My father was good to me, so for him to be taken like that it's...

"Anthony-"

"No no, it's not true."

I finally said shaking my head in disbelief. I did break down though and cried a river on the wooden floor in the lobby. The first responder funeral took place a week later, by then media was flooded with alien news and more and more people were unhappy with how the government was handling the rising death toll. To make matters worse, there were stories that first responders were being killed or taken by aliens. The firing party ironically broke me out of my thoughts, my mother was the first to drop a flower down and I was next. I had cried up to this point, now I had none left to shed.

"Bye Dad."

I said firmly, placing the white rose down. Many family members rose and spoke like they knew my father but they didn't. It took everything in me not to spaz out, but I kept my composure. Mostly anyway. I was shifting from my anger to my depression stage, I wasn't going in order.

"How is Anthony doing?"

My aunt responded in such a tone I wanted to puke.

"She's..she's doing what she can. Not resisting her grief."

"I see. Well, give her my best wishes-"

"Oh, you want to talk about wishes?"

I said walking out of my bedroom as my mother caught my arm, she was shaking her head but it's not like I was stopping now.

"How about the amount of money you drained from my father every month? Most of you here only called him when you needed something."

Glaring most of the extended kept quiet except for the aunt who I bashed first.

"I understand your going through a rough time-"

"How could you possibly understand? You know what would make me feel better?"

I said with an angry chuckle, seething in rage.

"If all of you would leave, all of you-"

"Anthony-"

"No Mom how could you let them step on his grave like this?! The moment we turn around they'll probably decorate his tombstone with dog shi-"

"Stop."

My mom glared this time, as I ripped my arms away from her and concluded.

"Of course, you'd take their side, Dad was right, you don't have a spine."

With that, I slammed my bedroom door closed.