Finally Seen

Finally Seen-Part 4

Chapter Four

(Mary)

"Dean, Honey, can you set the table for me?" My mother asked my nine year old brother.

He nodded and went to get plates. I was sitting at the table, in my usual chair by the window. My mom was just about to finish cooking honey garlic chicken for the family to eat, and my dad was upstairs so he could clean up before dinner.

Dean came back to the table with plates for everyone. He laid a plate out for my mother, father, and himself, but not me of course. It was not like I would ever need one. He proceeded to do the same thing with the utensils.

"Thanks." Mom shot him a smile, and he returned it. My brothers smile was one of my favourite things in the whole world. It could light up a whole room, and brighten everyone's day. It had only been recently that I started seeing that smile again.

Dean then did a tradition he did everyday. He came over to my chair, and pulled it out slightly, as if someone was going to sit there. Little did he know, everyday, I did.

My brother and I had always been close. Most likely because of the age difference between us. I knew this whole thing was hard on him. It was hard on everyone, but since he was so young, it all really took its toll on him. He wasn't doing well in school for a while, and almost never left the house. I knew I should know better, but I often felt like it was my fault. I was glad he was healing. They all were, which was good. They deserved to be happy.

My brother just sat down at the table, when my father came down the stairs. "Hey Kid." he said and messed up Dean's hair, which he hated.

"Dad!" he whined.

My father just chuckled and sat down in his chair.

"Okay, here's dinner." My mom announced and carried the food into the dining room.

"Let me help you with that." my dad offered, but mom just waved him off.

"Honestly Liam, I can do it myself." Dean and I both giggled at this. That was how my family worked. My dad would try to act chivalrous, but my mom would always assert her independence by turning him down. The running joke in my family was that chivalry was dead because my mother killed it. I smiled at the thought as my family started dinner. 

Before anyone ate, they all took each others hands, of course no one took mine, and they all said grace. It was a tradition they started after the funeral. I like to think it was part of what kept them together.

"So how was school Dean?" My father asked him in the middle of dinner.

Dean just pushed his food around with his fork. "Fine."

I saw my parents look at each other from the corner of my eye. I didn't take my eyes off my little brother. Something was wrong, and we all knew it.

"Something wrong, Honey?" Mom asked. She tried to sound calm because she knew he wouldn't answer if he was put under pressure.

"It's nothing." Dean tried to shrug it off, but my parents wouldn't fall for it.

"Tell us son." My father said softly.

He was still quiet, and wouldn't look at either of them. Dean use to tell me everything, and we would always tray and solve problems together. "Come on." I whispered. "You can trust them."

Dean sighed. "Well," he started to say. "In school, we are all doing projects for the science fair."

"But you love science fairs." My mother pointed out. Unlike Dean, science wasn't my forte. I was better with history or religion.