Dancing Delicate

Ichiro Kaito, Father

"Akachan" mom's tired voice was hoarse from not talking much

she moved albeit sluggishly trying to stop her from running after

Katashi.

I watched Ao in awe for a few silent moments as she turn back to mom

appeasing to her in gibberish before I got up from the kitchen table putting

down one of her clothes I folded to follow her tottering towards Katashi's

disappearing figure.

Katashi didn't like being disturbed after working long hours.

It has been six months since that day

Ichiro Kaito brought Hiroshima Daisuke to our house.

Katashi does the disappearing act often in these dark months and my mother

inhibited her bed unable to move unless Ao coax her out to sit with her on the

couch.

Ao was the only one keeping us from forgetting to look okay on the outside.

I have been watching her and doing mom's tasks around the house.

Katashi and I promised each other that we won't ever try to rely on mom when

she gets better.

We don't even try to bring up Ichiro in our conversations either.

We were men of the house now.

"Get out"

His eyes were daggers, sharply pointing at me threateningly in the mirror as he carefully

dabbed a cotton ball soaked with tap water.

His hands clenched hard. His knuckles were bleeding and bruised.

Bruises scattered on his pale skin alarmingly.

From his front chest to his stomach all the way back to his back.

On his right lip and his left cheek were fresh bruises that were not as bad as the rest as if he

had tried hard not to have bruises that can be seen easily.

A blood-soaked gauze and a facemask was haphazardly thrown near the garbage bin.

He must have missed his shoot.

I couldn't stop myself as I spill out a million questions confused and scared for him

"where- what happened--who did this to you?"

He whirls around face taut lips pulled back to snarl but at the sight of Ao staring up at him

he gritted his teeth "get the kid out now!"

I picked Ao up as she tried to talk to Katashi.

I felt lost in the storms of emotions bubbling up from my numb chest.

My thoughts began to get loud. But one question seems to rise above the noise of my

conflicting thoughts.

Will everything be alright?