Oh Zoe

06 | SISTERLY HATE

A week passed in agony for the Taylor family. They continued to visit their father around work and school, but the hospital's visiting hours were strict and out of line with their day to day routine. On the day that marked a week after the accident, Mari made the life-altering decision to turn Rodney's life support off.

It was now the morning of the funeral and the house was in a frenzy. It was scheduled to begin at 5 in the afternoon, which left them plenty of time to get everything organised. Mari had wanted to watch the sunset with her husband one last time before he was gone forever.

Everyone was at Mari's house in preparation of the funeral, even Bea. She was very familiar with the Taylors and was classified as a family member, so nobody minded that she was there on such a sentimental day.

As Elliot walked in the door with his girlfriend, arm in arm, he couldn't help but notice how destroyed the house was. The kitchen was overrun by dishes, the couch covered in washing, the table piled with books and papers and small unnecessary objects.

And they weren't the only one's noticing the change. Pete was rushing around the living room, trying to tidy the place up with no assistance.

"I'll go start on the dishes," Bea announced and left to the kitchen with a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek.

Elliot ran a hand down his face. This was the last thing their family needed.

Ava and Hollie then walked in the door, shock freely displayed on their faces once they took in the state of the house.

"Oh my God, why didn't mum say anything?" Hollie moaned. She would have been there in a second if she had known.

"I don't know," Elliot mumbled. He couldn't believe it himself.

Just then, Mari walked into the room and stopped dead when she saw the faces of her three eldest children. She swallowed and averted her eyes. "Were leaving in an hour, make sure you're ready," Mari said and left to go tend to other matters.

Their mother had lost all hope in her life and was now trudging through knee-deep mud made from sorrow and pain. She was only at the beginning of destroying herself.

Elliot, Hollie and Ava didn't know what to do after their mother left for there was too much to do. They had all acquired black attire and were ready to go in terms of themselves, but the rest . . . that was questionable.

Elliot and Hollie set to work on the washing while Ava went to check if everyone was getting ready. She left Pete to his work and went straight up to Leon's room first.

"You getting ready?" She asked him as she leaned against his doorframe. He was busy on his laptop, typing something, presumably for collage. Though his subject was focused on sport, there was always a theory side to everything.

"No," he said bluntly. Leon was to irritable and bad-tempered after numerous bad nights.

"Leon, come on. Mum needs our help right now. Have you even seen the house your living in?"

Leon felt a surge of anger as he spoke. "I haven't been home to care," he gritted out.

And he was right. Leon had been crashing with his collage mates, partying and drinking every night. This was the first time he wasn't trashed and at another's house in weeks.

"And mum just lets you wonder off, does she?" Ava couldn't picture a world were Mari didn't revolve around her family.

"She doesn't care," Leon said with a shrug for emphasis. But that was a lie and Ava knew it. The truth was crushing Leon from the inside out.