As It Was (COMPLETED) (wattys2023)

Better Than This

I got a headache from watching AJ race to every corner of the living room, returning to me with some sort of toy and pulling on my arm until I stood to play with him.

A year ago, I would have laughed and moved to the floor in a heartbeat so I was eye level with him and allowed him to teach me everything there was to know about his toys and games.

Now? The only thing I wanted to do was stay curled up on the couch and stare at the ceiling.

I'd only been here for a couple hours but hadn't been able to sit down since I'd arrived. Garrett hadn't been home but had let me know the sliding glass door had been left open I could let myself in if I walked around back. By the time I'd set my stuff in his bedroom, he'd come home from his game with AJ in tow. The seven-year-old had nearly knocked me off my feet at the foot of the stairs when he'd laid eyes on me, immediately yanking me toward the living room to watch him play Fortnite.

Unfortunately, Garrett had been a mess of dirt and sweat and had hopped in the shower, leaving me to fend for myself with the energetic kid. Our intense staring match was broken when the knob jiggled a couple times and was kicked open, a woman's voice filling the quiet house. "Gare! Can you come help me with these bags?"

The woman was still dressed in animal print nurse's scrubs, her dark hair a few shades lighter than both of her boys, tied back in a messy ponytail.

"Mom!" AJ squeaked, breaking away from me and racing toward the door as the woman kicked the door shut with her foot. It was when she looked to her son running at her that her eyes finally fell on me and she straightened immediately, blue eyes flickering to the hallway.

"Garrett!" she yelled again. No doubt he'd heard her since I couldn't hear the water running anymore, but I wasn't sure why he wasn't responding. "AJ, where's your brother?"

The seven-year-old was too busy peeking into every grocery bag as I crossed the living room to her, finally grinning when he pulled out a half dozen donuts. "Yummy!"

"Aaron Jacob Brooks, where is your brother?"

He throws one of his hands down the hall with a pout, not liking the full name card used on him, "We just got home an hour ago, Mom. He's showering."

I gently pulled a few of the heavy bags from her fingers and set them on the kitchen table. Her eyes widened, and if I hadn't been aware who I was standing beside, I would have thought I was looking straight into Garrett's.

"Thank you." she said, dropping the remainder on the table. She walked back to the door, locked it, then hung the keys before returning to me with her arm extended and palm up. "I'm Felicity, Garrett's mother."

I took her hand, knowing that if I even tried at a smile it'd falter, so I remained indifferent and said, "Everly."

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect to have company over." she looks over my shoulder down the hall. "Gare didn't mention anything."

It's as she stares me down that I see the realization of who I am enter her eyes, and with that dawning comes sympathy. To my relief, before she can say a word, Garrett takes the half of donut AJ is holding and throws it into his mouth before leaning over to kiss his mother's cheek, "Hey, Mom."

He leaves a little bit of crumbs, but she doesn't bother to wipe at it, but instead catches his arm and brings him back so he's standing between the two of us.

Upon walking into the house Garrett had been a mess of dirt and grass stains, not much else visible beneath. Now that he'd been cleaned up, I could see how marred his arms and face were. Under the scar my nail had left from scratching him during the drill was a nasty black and blue mark, and there was a wide-open cut along his bottom lip. She reached and pushed the hair matted against his forehead with water off and frowned when she found another cut there.