Beau and Arrows (A Beau Brooks/Janoskians Story)

All Happy Families Are Alike; Each Unhappy Family is Unhappy in its Own Way

 “Dad?” Paige asked, popping her head up. Cameron was sleeping next to her, snoring quietly. She laughed at him, remembering the time when they were little and had teased to calling him 'little piggy'. She whispered the word and he grunted. She remembered the times back when her family had been close, back when everything had been so much more simple. Back when her parents got along and they were bound together by something known as love.

“Angela?” Brian asked. His tone was aggravated. He was drunk and didn't want to have to fight another battle with her. Paige jumped up and flew down the stairs like a bird.

“No dad, it's me.” Paige told him. “Just plain old Paige.” She heard him take a sigh of relief, but his breathing was rapid and out-of-time with the next breath.

“Where have you been?” Paige asked when she reached the bottom of the stairs. She held onto the banister for support, hugging it as if she was a child.

“The... The pub?” He seemed to ask her, slurring on his words.

“Why? You're letting her get the better of you!” Paige exclaimed, getting angry. “She wants to destroy you, and you're just letting her!”

“I don't even.. I don't even have someone to talk to.” Brian was holding onto the table for support, as if the world was going to fall apart if he didn't. Paige could detect the hurt in his eyes, she could tell something was bothering him. She could tell that to him, this was more then a divorce, more then a marriage gone wrong. This was the woman she loved. Paige walked over to him, slowly so he didn't get scared. She bent his body back so he was standing straight instead of crouching over the table, and gave him a tight hug.

“You can talk to me.” She told him.

They sat for several hours discussing everything, sharing their hatred for Angela, their love of all of the great memories their family had created. They talked about the future, and how Paige would always be there for him, no matter what. She loved her father more then she loved anybody and she couldn't bear to see him unhappy. But the entire time, there was this feeling in her stomach, this look in his eye and the direction of the conversation that there was something he wasn't telling her. That there was something eating away at him that he wasn't sharing. And most of all, that there was more to this divorce then she had originally expected. The sun was rising in the sky and they must have been talking for three or four hours.

“Are you coming to Sam's goodbye?” Paige asked, breaking the few seconds of silence.

“Of course I am, I wouldn't miss it for the world. We will be arriving on Christmas morning after we open our presents.”

“Why can't we go earlier?” Paige asked. Brian wasn't sobered up but at least he wasn't slurring any more. His head was coming back into reality.

“Your mum's rules.”

“And you still listen to her?”

“I have to. Apparently, she will still be taking half of my money, even though she's never worked a day in her life. It could be more, if I don't go along with her rules.” He sounded terrified of her, of even speaking of her.

“Alright, fair enough.”

“I liked Sam, he was a good boy, he didn't deserve to be murdered.” Brian's head hung low and Paige could see a tear collecting in his eye.

“I know.” Paige replied, looking down as well.

“I will have to meet this new boyfriend of yours.”

“Of course you can, when?”

“I'll see him at Sam's goodbye, no doubt. We can talk then.” Paige smiled. “Now get to bed, you need your sleep. And please, go out tomorrow. I'm not really comfortable with you being alone in the house with your mother. Especially at a time like this.”