The Splintered

Scenarios vs Reality

That night, when I flipped off my entire family, well after my mother cried herself to sleep. I sneaked some whiskey from my father's cabinet into my bedroom for well depressant purposes. I'm not an idiot, I know it's not going to help me through my grief, but I just needed a moment where my heart wasn't bleeding all over my ribs.

"Anthony?"

Once I was pretty drunk, I mustered to call Ezra. Like I told him, his family needed him and so he had to leave a day after my Dad died. Sniffing, I started to bargain out loud.

"You know if I just pressed my Dad a little more ya know. That my extended were just greedy bitches..."

"Don't, don't do that Anthony."

Blowing raspy through my lips, I let out a wheezing type chuckle.

"I don't e-even know why I'm calling you..."

"You're calling me because you know I love you."

Ezra replied as I hiccuped, taking another swig of the bottle I heard him say.

"But also because you know I won't judge you for being drunk right now. You've been so strong."

I snorted and retorted.

"You call this strong? Giving in to, to..."

"You've had many reasons to give up. But you didn't. And here you are calling your boyfriend and having only bad things to say about yourself-"

"Don't tempt me now, I c-can go in."

Ironically I started to smile, even with a few tears rolling down my face.

"Don't let me stop you, go on."

Ezra said as I cleared my throat loud so he could hear me. Then I realized I could hear myself out of his phone a bit too close. That's when it clicked he was outside my door right now. With a simple knock, I opened it up to find him on the other side. The whiskey bottle was still in my right hand, he gently took it away from me as I moved back to my bed. Ezra gave me a look to continue what I was going to say but I was very distracted at the moment.

"What?-"

"Do you have a-any idea how hot you are? It's a-nnoying when you go 'I don't look good type shit' it's ugh..."

I climbed on top of Ezra, mounting his waist with my own in the bed as his sitting up caused me to gasp.

"Not now Anthony-"

"Oh come one don't be a p-party pooper..."

"You've got a lot of emotions to process, sex wouldn't help."

"Whaaa where does it say that?"

I replied as he chuckled and said.

"In every book, but through life experience as well."

"S-Such a smarty ooh...oh..."

A rush of drowsiness rushed over me, which made me realize that was Ezra's endgame by now. I plopped onto his chest, finding myself here a lot of these days.

"There you go."

Ezra said knowing he won by now as I hummed and drifted in and out of sleep. Shifting from a snore or memories trying to breakthrough. Eventually, I let the memories of my father wash over me one last time. The next afternoon I was hungover but rushed to my Mom before she did anything, got on my knees, and said.

"I'm so sorry! I was an asshole to our family and I-"

"Slow down snuggle bug, get off the floor."

My mother said with a slight smile lifting me off the ground.

"I agree that your extended was mostly there in terms of making appearances versus honoring your father."

"Who are you and what have you done with my Mom..."

My mother chuckled at my comment but finished.

"I do however accept your apology, you were, as you put it an asshole."

"Thank you."

I replied hugging her as she hugged me back tight.

"Is that alcohol I smell?"

The happy moment was over as Ezra snuck out the back door as I confessed my deception. My mother and I were in depression mode for a while, we would occasionally watch the door waiting for my father to come home. Eventually, we stopped doing that and focused on each other. We grew closer together as mother and daughter. I didn't know how I felt about that.

"Movie?"

"Sure."

My mother poured out all the alcohol in the house hers included so neither I nor she would be tempted to drink again. Some nights we would have intense fights, about how one of us should behave versus just standing by and letting things be. The alien's reports only to get more numerous, and riots were starting to emerge. As you can expect I was failing my courses for college. They were online but promptly kicking my ass.

"Come on, let's go."

"Mom I've got homework up to my forehead tests longer than my arm-"

"Let's go."

My mom glared as I shut up and got in the car. She drove me to an aquarium, at this point a month had gone by and I was looking for a purpose. What would I do when I got out of college? I didn't know anymore.

"Well well well, look at you."

I gasped then ran and hugged Ezra who spun me in his arms. My green dress flurried up, as I took in his red hoodie and tan pants.

"Did you plan this?"

"I did not, it was all your Mom's idea."

Promptly I gave my Mom a tight hug before officially starting the date with Ezra. Adjusting my ponytail, my mood lifted. The more I explored the more I realized that I loved the water. And shifted my focus towards oceanography than say becoming an EMT. I originally wanted to follow in my father's footsteps, but I'm just not cut out for that. However, he always wanted me to do what I loved versus what ran in the family. I honestly might have just found it. At the perfect time for life to hit me with another wave. Hurrah bitches.