My Little Shadow

Chapter Ten: Just the Beginning

It takes her a moment to catch up with me, I hear her converses hitting the sidewalk.

She just follows behind me and I don't offer up any information. She was probably confused why I had avoided her for the past week and wondered why I am so hostile all because Daniel is her father.

Instead of offering any of those answers I address where we are going so she isn't bombarded and overwhelmed when we get here.

"We're going to my family home. My dad is throwing some kind of get-together. Killian's forward, Sawyers flirty, Archers goofy. My dads an ass and my mom's a sweetheart." I glance behind me to see her listening intently. It was as if she was taking mental notes, preparing herself for the on slaughter of Thatcher's.

I honestly didn't care what any of them thought about May, but I knew that she was probably nervous.

"It's only about five more minutes until we're there." I let her know because she sounded winded behind me, there wasn't much physical activity in Mary Hill, and she had been in there a lot longer than I was. I imagine it would be a little while before she got used to physical activity again.

We walk in silence the rest of the way and sure enough, when I spot my family home my mother's car isn't in the drive. My dad's isn't here either. The only car in the driveway is Archers. 

He would be a good buffer in this situation. He would settle her nerves, this way all of them weren't just sprung on her, that would be enough to send anyone running for the hills.

As we're walking up the front steps Archer opens the front door and jogs up to me throwing his arms over my shoulders, like he had been waiting at the window looking for me. He hasn't even noticed the meek girl currently hiding behind my tall frame. I'm pretty sure I hid her entirely.

I share the embrace with my youngest brother, letting May's bags fall from my shoulders onto the manicured lawn. My father always did keep a clean-cut lawn.

"I thought Mama was picking you up. You walk here?" His words came out squished against my shirt.

"Yeah, it's fine. Listen, Archer, I want to introduce you to someone." He pulls back and his face morphs into one of confusion. I step to the side to let him see a wide-eyed May. She was clutching her hands together in front of her. 

"Archer, May. May, Archer." They were both just staring at each other, so I kicked Archer's boot with my own snapping him out of his slumber.

"Nice to meet you."

She smiles slightly before moving back behind me, using me as a shield between her and Archer.

"She doesn't talk," I explain following behind Archer as he goes into the house. Everything was tidy and cleaned, Mama must have polished everything off this morning because of the dinner tonight.

Photos from when all of the Thatcher boys were little lined the walls, my eye snags on the one of me and Killian before Sawyer was born. A frown was permanently edged into my face, even though I was dressed up in a t-ball uniform.

"All you do is bitch woman!" My father's voice slurred worse with every word that came out of his whiskey-scented mouth.

"Go upstairs, Killian." I whisper from the corner of the room. We had just got back from the t-ball game, we won but I didn't feel happy because Dad missed me playing. Mama said it was because he was at work, but I don't think they serve whiskey at his job.

Killian looks at me with teary-filled eyes and I grab his elbow yanking him up the stairs, I wanted to be down here to hear what they said. Was Mama going to make him leave? Was he going to break things?