From a Criminal Family

That's Not Tomato Sauce

A normal day passed. We were eating dinner. My brother, Ethan, my mom and my dad. I was 4 at the time.

My dad was a strict man. He had blonde hair and brown eyes. His burly figure scared me. He trained Ethan and I with harshness and punishment. He was never in a good mood. He reminded me of Sportsmaster from Young Justice. I never really liked him, even though he was my father. I gave him gifts on Christmas and on Father's Day, but he doesn't even open them.

My mom was a nice lady. She had warm brown eyes. Her Chinese face was pretty. She was the one who usually defended me against dad. I looked more like her than my dad, but I had dark brown hair than black hair.

Ethan had light brown hair. He had blue eyes, but unlike dad, he had the warmth of mom's eyes. He was 16 then. He had chalky skin. Both of us got the leanness from mom. He got the muscularity from dad and I got the agility from mom.

We weren't the perfect family, of course. And I wouldn't say we were happy. But we were a normal family, other than the criminality. Ethan and I were close. He played with me and my dolls and I watched the Super Bowl with him. He was the real father. 

So we were just eating. And me and my brother were having a competition on who could make the best artwork with our food.

Mom and dad were watching us. Mom was smiling and dad was unemotional. Well, not really. Since his unemotional face is his angry face. His eyebrows were scrunched together and his lips were pressed together. He never smiled, at least I never saw him.

My dad told us to stop a little later. Me and my brother looked at him blankly.

"You're making your food cold. Food is not a play thing, it's for you to eat," he said gruffly.

"But daddy!!" I protested. "I'm winning!!!" Dad's eyes narrowed. I immediately set my fork down and looked at my lap guiltily.

"Let her be, Kile," Mom said gently, but sternly.

"She's wasting her food, Martha!!" Dad replied angrily.

"No she isn't. She's going to eat it after she's done making her art, aren't you Aveline?" Mom reasoned. I nodded.

"I don't care. She does what I tell her," Dad snapped. I tried to contain the anger inside. "I don't care if she's a kid and kids need freedom. I don't care if she's old enough to take make her own decisions, I don't care."

"Daddy!!" I screeched. "It's my food though!!" My dad slammed the table, causing me to curl up. "Sorry. I won't do it again." Ethan put his hand over mine under the table.

"That's more like it," my dad growled. "Now eat your food! And don't play with it!"

Ethan stood up and slammed the table. I looked up in surprise. "You know I'm getting pretty tired of you always trying to be boss!! You always want it your way and never appreciate put gifts!!"

"Ethan..." Mom warned.

My dad stood up angrily. "You wanna fight me, weasel?!"

I looked at the two of them with wide eyes.

"Yeah I wanna fight you!!!" Ethan yelled. I remember being surprised of how bold Ethan was.

"Fine!!" Dad barked. He whipped out his knife. Ethan took out his dagger. My eyes went wider. I was so grateful when mom stopped them.

"Enough!! Ethan and Aveline, go outside!!" She ordered. Ethan put his dagger away obediently and grabbed my hand, I picked up my teddy bear.

"Kile, you're staying here, it's time we had a talk!"

Ethan led me out the front door. "Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you try to beat up daddy?"