My Happy Family

Chapter 1

I sit in the corner of the living room holding our family portrait; we were a happy family.

I sat in the middle carrying my little brother, Aidan, wearing my pretty, pink, puffy dress, Mother wore her new gold gown from Spain and was on my right, and Father wore his black satin suit and was on my left, they both had a hand on my shoulder. We took the picture after Aidan turned one, that was four years ago when things were good.

Now I sit here trying not to hear. Not to hear hit after hit and scream after scream, as Father beats on Mother. Over and over, I hear his fists pound on her weak, fragile body.

I don't want to look. I don't want to see my enraged, drunk father beating on Mother.

She can't stop him; once he starts he keeps going until exhaustion and passes out on his chair.

All she can do is scream and try to shield her body from his hands. I want to help but I can only sit here frozen wishing it would come to an end. If she can stop him, could I?

Aidan was upstairs in his room sleeping, but I guess he must have woken up from Mother's screams. He normally sleeps through all the noise; he never sees Father when he's mad like this.

He wobbles down the stairs in his red footed pajamas, rubbing his eyes trying to wake up and see what is happening. He stops at the end of the stairs and looks up.

He just stands there frozen; he is still pretty young but he can tell what is happening.

His hero is attacking his mom. She isn't a bad guy; why was Father doing this to her?

He runs from the steps yelling at Father, "Father, why are you hitting Mom? Stop hitting Mom!" But Father doesn't notice Aidan and keeps hitting Mother.

Aidan starts hitting him with his little fists trying to save Mother, crying, "Father, stop hitting Mom!"

Father notices Aidan when he starts hitting him on his leg. Although, I wish he hadn't.

When he turns to look at Aidan, my heart sinks. I have never seen his face when he's like this because he only faces Mother. But once he turned to Aidan, I saw it.

Father's eyes are blood shot red and his pale, pink skin drips wet from sweat. His fists are balled up and ready to pound at his side, "What the hell do you want now? Always crying about something; damn it shut up!"

Slap!

Father just hit Aidan. He smacked him. He has never hit Aidan before, not even me. He only hits Mother; he has never hit one of us. He's just a baby. I can't believe what I'd seen, my father hit Aidan!