Doomsday

chapter five

"Mummy," asked Reece, an evening before bedtime a couple of days later, when he had finally plucked up the courage to ask his mother about what had been on his mind for the past few days. "What's dyslexia?"

His mother paused, looking down at him with a frown etched on her face, confused. "Dyslexia?" She repeated, and when Reece gave an eager nod, she tilted her head to the side. "Why, Reece?"

"Because Mia said that the teachers think she has it," he explained, and a look of realisation formed across her face. She sighed, stroking Reece's hair in the way that calmed him, and looking at him with a tender expression.

"It's a learning difficulty," she tried to explain in a way that would be suitable for him. "It means Mia struggles with reading and writing, and spelling; that kind of thing. But it doesn't mean she can't do it, she just needs a little bit more support than you would, for example."

"Oh," he responded softly, his voice not quite as loud as he had originally intended for it to be. His eyes were drooping with tiredness, but he was still wanting to stay awake to talk to his mother. She seemed to notice this, and her hand was placed gently on top of his with a smile.

"Is everything okay, honey?"

"Yeah," he shrugged nonchalantly, biting his lip as he stared at the door. Reece could just about hear his father downstairs, and he could make out a few of the words he was saying: something about Autumn. Reece furrowed his eyebrows and looked back at his mother. "What's—"

"Ignore him," she soothed. "He's a bit mad because Autumn's annoyed him today."

Reece briefly remembered the story his mother had told him whilst walking home from school; when she went to pick Autumn up from Nursery she'd been told herself that today Autumn had decided to use her fists instead of her words. It was safe to say that their father was very displeased and for the rest of the evening, their mother had kept Autumn safely away from him. Reece had the sneaking suspicion that she was scared he'd do something to Autumn in a fit of anger.

He hated his dad.

"How did you and Daddy meet?" He asked after a while, looking up at her with sad eyes. Reece had always wondered how someone as soft and nurturing as his mother could end up with such a monster. She gave him a sad smile, coaxing him to lie back down whilst she rubbed his shoulder.

"Well, a long time ago, way before you were born, me and Daddy actually went to University together."

Reece knew what that was. "Oh. Was he nice? Then." He added as an afterthought.

"He was," she nodded, "hm, well he seemed it. He still...well...Reece, it's past your bedtime."

Reece let out an annoyed whine. "But—"

"No," she said firmly. "It's bedtime."

He scowled at her as she firmly tucked him under the covers and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "If you're good, I'll take you and Autumn to the park tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"After school?" He asked.

"Yes," she replied gently. "But you have to be good and go to sleep now."

Reece let out an irritated sigh but complied and slipped down underneath the covers and allowed his mother to firmly tuck him into bed. "I love you okay?" She told him, passing him his teddy bear. He clutched it tight and smiled.

"Love you," he whispered and watched as she turned the lights off, leaving the glow-in-the-dark planets and stars stuck to the ceiling as the only source of light left in his room.

His mother was true to her word the next day, and after school, Reece was delighted to see both her and Autumn when he ran out of the classroom door at three o'clock, hand in hand with Mia. "Hi, mummy!" He shrieked, throwing himself into her arms, and then waving at Autumn, who was in her pushchair. She looked up at him with wide eyes, but didn't greet him and instead said,

"Mia!"

Mia blushed, turning red all across her cheeks and ears at the fact that Autumn had chosen her to call out to. Reece frowned and watched as Mia knelt down in front of Autumn and gave her a gentle hug, and turned to his mother. "Why does she prefer Mia over me?" He whined, stomping his foot in indignation and jealousy. She simply laughed.

"Don't be silly," she replied, "Aut just sees you every day. She does love you too."

Reece rolled his eyes, watching as Mia and Autumn began to giggle together, and Mia's dad stood beside his mum with a fond smile on his face. "She's always wanted a little sister," he told them, and Reece turned to glance at him.

"She can have mine, I don't like her anymore," he huffed bitterly, not noticing the way his mother rolled her eyes at Mia's dad. He scowled. Mia turned to him with a smirk.

"You're jealous."

"Am not!"

"Are too," she snickered. "Loser."

Reece scowled and was about to bite back at her, but found himself distracted by Autumn waving at him. His heart melted and he grew appeased once again as he leaned down to give her a hug. "Going to the park," Autumn babbled, and he nodded.

"Yeah Aut, we are."

"Daddy, can we go to the park too?" Mia begged, turning to her father and tugging on his sleeve. The man paused, looking down at her hesitantly, but with a look from Reece as well, he caved and nodded. The five of them began to make their way to the park, Reece and Mia eagerly running ahead. Mia was a lot faster than Reece, and he found himself panting to try and keep up with her. "Come on Reecey," she giggled, "you're so slow!"

Reece huffed and with all his might, ran as fast as he could to catch up with her. He gripped onto her arm to gain some momentum from Mia herself, and she chuckled, dragging him along with her. As they reached the park, Reece immediately ran to the swings, desperate to go as high as possible. "Mummy watch!"

"I'm watching honey," his mother called from the bench she was sitting on next to Mia's dad, Autumn cradled in her lap. His sister was squirming and trying to escape, clearly eager to join him and Mia on the swings too. He chuckled and made an effort to swing himself higher, loving the freedom that was elicited by it. Autumn, whose mother was still in the middle of trying to convince her to put a sun hat on, let out a loud shriek, and looking murderous and on the brink of a tantrum, tossed the hat onto the floor. "Autumn," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose as she knelt down to Autumn's height. "You can't play unless you have your hat on, baby."

"But it's stupid."

Reece deliberately made an effort to look away, feeling a little sheepish as he knew full well that it had been him who taught his sister that word. He could feel his mother's gaze burning into him. Mia was holding back a laugh, and he heard his mother let out an annoyed sigh of air. "I don't like that word Autumn, don't use it." She sounded a lot more annoyed than usual, and Autumn's lip wobbled as she stared up at their mother, and angrily put the sun hat on.

She looked adorably angry in the hat, and Reece could not help but snicker softly at it. With a pout, Autumn clambered off her mother's lap and rushed over to the swings, sitting in one of the baby ones next to the 'big kid' swings that he and Mia were on. "Mummy push me," she demanded with a whine, and Reece watched the woman roll her eyes fondly as she stood up and went to push Autumn back and forth on the swing.

They stayed on the swings for at least another ten minutes before they got bored, and Reece insisted to Mia that they go on the seesaw. When Autumn shot him the look of a kicked puppy, he agreed to let her sit on his lap. She squirmed and giggled as they bounced up and down, and he smiled. It was rare moments like this when Autumn was genuinely really happy, and it always made his heart melt. He just hoped that they'd stay this close forever.

A/N; we're back bitches!! ngl the ending was a little rushed because i just didn't know how to finish it, but we'll make do. and i don't have an excuse as to why this update took so long considering i'm on exam leave and have been for the past month, i'm just lazy. this has literally taken me a month to write. anyway uh, hope you enjoyed xx