Ocean Eyes

Responsibilities

Ryder Kane had never been happier to see her house.

The dilapidated baby blue shed didn't look like much of a home. There were tarps covering the roof, protecting the various leaks. One window was boarded up, having been shattered during a vicious game of tag. Half of the porch held a wooden chair set and a  small table but the other half had caved in, leaving a cavernous hole.

No, it didn't look like much. But it was home.

Ryder quickened her pace. The torrential downpour had soaked her through the bone and as much as she loved rain, she couldn't wait to get out of it. It was dark outside and Ryder's eyes had grown accustomed to the night. She maneuvered her way over various rocks, breaking out into a run as she neared the porch.

Her truck, mongo, was in the shop. A particularly nasty pot hole had knocked the wheels out of line the day prior. Seth had begged her to let him fix it and she had decreed, only to have the 14 year old accidentally pop a tire. She wasn't sure how it was even possible, but she did know it would cost a lot of money to replace.

So she found herself walking the four miles home in the night, having picked up an extra shift. It had started raining a few minutes into her journey and Ryder quickly became soaked. The October downpour was cold and it left her shivering.

Reaching the confines of the porch, Ryder let out a relieved sigh. The sheets of rain had stopped blocking her eyes and she pulled her soaked hair back. Her eyelashes clung to raindrops and she shook her body, flinging the excess water over the porch.

The promise of heat and new clothes beckoned Ryder to the door. She had barely opened it when she heard the tell tale screams. Jackson was upset.

Sue was chasing him around, her face a mask of annoyance and complete exhaustion. The boy was flinging a pair of underwear around his head and with a gasp, Ryder noticed they were hers. He wore a bra that also belonged to her, clasped over his eyes. A t shirt flew out behind him like a cape.

"I am MUSCLE MAN" Jackson narrowly avoided Sues grasp,jumping up on top of the table and striking a pose.

"And what do we have here?" Sue and Jackson froze, both startled by Ryder's sudden appearance.

"Ry Ry!" Jackson smiled, running towards her.

"Don't you even think about it!" Sue darted forward and grabbed the boy around the waist, pulling him up into her arms. Jackson thrashed around, Ryder's bra coming askew from his face.

"You are a piece of work, Jackson." Ryder sighed, walking over and plucking her underwear from his grasp.  She looked over at Sue with a questioning grimace.

"It's bedtime." Sue explained. "And he didn't want to go. I left to grab his pajamas and I came back to this." She gestured helplessly to Jackson.

"Alright, muscle man, how about you go get ready for sleep, yeah?" Ryder tried to smile but she was so exhausted she could barely lift her lips.

"But-"

"No buts about it." Her voice became hard. The stress of her day did not bode well with a five year old. "Do as Sue told you and get ready for bed, or you won't be able to play outside for the next three days."

Jacksons eyes widened at his sisters tone. Nodding quickly, he ran towards the bathroom as if she was chasing after him. Sue sighed, wiping her brow.