Tell Them This When I Die

Like Father, Like Son

Adam goes home drunk a little too early. Sarah is just walking past with Daphne when he comes in. He stumbles past their shoes, almost falls into Sarah. She pushes him away, takes Daphne to bed. Adam gets to the kitchen. Can't find the glasses. Can't find the water.

"Get out."

Adam turns around. She's standing there, round eyes misty. Adam lifts a hand. "Sarah—"

"Get out of this house," she whispers. She walks around the counter, not letting him come any closer. "Get out. Don't come back until you're sober."

Adam laughs, tries to get around the counter. "It's my house."

"Get out," Sarah says. Her hands shake. Adam has never been violent like his father. Never. But she doesn't know him like she thought she did.

Adam lifts his hands in surrender. "I'm just going to sleep."

"No, you're not. You're getting out of this house."

"Fuck you, Sarah. New boyfriend and you're back to the bitch—"

Sarah's eyes fill with tears. "Get out of this house, Adam."

"And go where?" Adam slurs, flinging his hand towards the door. He moves around the counter; she moves around the counter away from him.

"I don't care. Sleep in your car. Go to Nyx. Just get out."

Adam laughs. "Right. Nyx."

Sarah hopes Daphne can't hear them. "I'll call her for you. She'll come get you."

"Why the fuck would you even have her number?"

Peter gave it to Sarah. She'd told him that Eris had helped her with a few things, and she wanted to be able to contact her if she had questions. But that wasn't exactly the truth. Yes, Sarah liked Eris' advice and wanted to keep it close, but Eris had also said she'd make sure nobody hurt Daphne, and Sarah wanted to be able to call her if anything happened.

Sarah reaches for her phone. Adam lunges across the table, tries to knock it out of her hands. "Don't you dare call her."

"Get out of this house, Adam," Sarah says shakily. "It's her or the cops."

"I'm going to go to sleep," Adam insists, trying is best to keep his words separate. "I'll say goodnight to Daphne—"

"No. Get out. Get out of here—"

"She's my fucking daughter. You can't play god with my fucking daughter." He moves to the hallway.

"You will not—" Sarah darts out from the counter and gets in front of Adam. Pushes him back. "Do not go in there."

Adam pushes her away. She pushed him first. She stumbles into the hallway. Tears are running down her face, over her neck. She reaches for his shoulders, pushes him with all her might. Tries to get him to go back down the hallway. Get away from Daphne.

"Move, Sarah."

"No." It's a whimper, soft, quiet, just like Adam's mother.

"Fuck you," Adam spits. He won't hit her. He won't push by her. But he'll do his damage. "Fuck you and your mindless fucking personality—god you're so fucking stupid, Sarah."

Tears race down her cheeks, over her eyes. Adam goes back down the hallway, throws something against the counter. It shatters. Something else gets thrown.

Sarah slides down the wall, fumbling for her phone. Her fingers shake. Eris' number. That precious, lovely compilation of numbers. She clicks on it.

"Fucking bitch," Adam shouts, throwing an empty bottle of gin he kept under the sink.