Living With Seven Brothers

Chapter 3: Getting Ready for Church.

Dinner conversation was light mostly Papa just talking to my brothers and getting to know them. I just sat there picking at my food in deep thought, my life was changing so much and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. My mother had just passed away and although she wasn't even a decent human she was the only family I thought I had. But now I had seven brothers, that was crazy. My Mom always said that my Dad was an asshole who overdosed when I was young. I mean I didn't think it was that hard to believe my Mom was a drug addict and drunk. But she never once said I had brothers and they looked very well put together. I mean they were dressed in suits and rented the best car. But what if they were just as bad as Mom, would they hurt me just like she did? I couldn't seem to wrap my head around it.

"Kat honey are you okay? You've barely touched your food." Momma said giving me a solemn look.

"Yeah, I am just not very hungry." I looked down at my plate, I had probably only eaten like a quarter of what was on it. "May I be excused?"

"You have hardly eaten Katherine," Pa said and I nodded.

"It's been a long day."

He paused as if he was thinking long and hard. "You may be excused."

"Thank you," I said getting up and grabbing my plate. I walked into the kitchen dumped the food into the trash, rinsed off my plate then put it into the dishwasher. I then headed up to my room to get clothes ready so I could shower.

The hot steamy water hitting my back did wonders. I didn't realize how tense I was until the hot water helped my body relax. However, it did nothing to help my swirling thoughts. How was life going to be now? How was I going to live without Jaz and Jason minutes away? We had so many plans for high school and growing up. Now I wouldn't go to school with them and spend the summer with them.

After my shower, I went to Jaz's room to find her sitting on her bed texting. "Hey, you doing okay?"

"Yeah just taking in too much. I am a little overwhelmed." I sighed flopping down on the bed.

"Well, sleep well, Momma still wants to go to church tomorrow so we better go to bed now." She sighed flipping off the light and laying down next to me.

"Night Jaz," I said staring into the darkness.

"Good night Kat." She rolled over on her side and it wasn't long before I heard her slightly snore.

I tried to fall asleep but my mind wasn't that kind to me. I closed my eyes but sleep seemed a million miles away. I sighed looking at my phone to see it was eleven thirty at night. I got up and headed downstairs to get a glass of water, not like I was going to sleep anytime soon. As I made it downstairs I noticed that the living room light was on. I wonder who was up at this time. I started to head toward the living room when I heard their voices.

"She seems like a very well-mannered girl." I heard Bruce say causing me to stop on the outside of the entryway standing up against the wall.

"She's a good kid, always has been for everything she has lived through," Pa answered.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked.

"I don't mean to offend you two but your mother was not a great woman. She was an addict and a drunk and didn't treat Kat well. She wasn't really a mother."

"She was like that when we were younger. Our Dad tried many times to sober her up but it never worked." Ben replied.

"Can I ask why Kat ended up with your mother?" Pa asked.

I heard Ben sigh and pause for a moment. "She left in the middle of the night and took Kat with her. When our Dad finally found her five years later our mother told him Kat had died in a car wreck. She even had a death certificate that I now assume was foraged. We were all so heartbroken Kat was so important to all of us being the only girl made us all head over heels for her. We wanted to protect her and couldn't."