Stone Cold

Intro

The rain poured as a young boy stood in front of a grave as tears raced down his cheeks while he had no one with him. Another Mother's Day but no memory of a mother. Another year of being called terrible names for having no excuse why he didn't participate in class for the month of making presents and gifts. He didn't see the point.

The nine year old trembled from the cold and from the bruise on his cheek from his father's rage. Another day of normal.

"Happy Mother's Day, honerva," a man with long icy platinum hair said calmly as he knelt in front of the grave, placing a red rose in front of it.

He wore black dress pants with his suit with a purple tie. He had olive tan skin with dark midnight blue eyes. He stayed in the crouched position as the 24 year old gazed at his mother's grave. He honored and respected his mother still... even if to him she held no face that he could resemble too. Not telling which parent he looked more like.

The man finally stood up to leave with a calm emotionless face. Six years, it's been six years since his last therapy appointment, six years since he's felt his father's fist against his face, his boot against his abdominal, a bottle being thrown at him, or being pulled across the room by his hair. Six years since he's cried in envy of his mother's freedom from this man. Six years since he's been able to escape.

But now he almost felt nothing from the eighteen years that over ruled his mental state of fear.

——

A nine year old boy waited in the living room for his grandmothers return. Since it's been a month since he's seen his mother, his abuela stayed and had money, he was to innocent to know where it came from, it kept him and his siblings off the streets.

Suddenly his father stumbled in with a beer in hand and sat on the other side of the couch that his son sat on late in the night.

"Dad? Where's abuela?" The boy smiled hopeful as the smell of his father with the mixture of sewer and horrid body oder that he no longer gagged at the smell.

"Ah that old bat? Ha she ain't coming back mijo," the drunken father reached out to his son but the boy moved back knowing his sisters rule, don't let John touch you unless he's sober, no drunken hugs, forehead kisses or patting on the shoulder, they where all fake.

"Why?" He asked confused.

"That bitch of a mother doesn't hold promises, cops got her lance, where's the other kids?" John pushed himself up with a groan.

"Marco and Luis and Veronica are working, Rachel is sleeping and Milo is over there," lance pointed to the one month old infant in a play pen sleeping with lances blankets as comfort.

Lance ran to the kitchen as he reached in the sink to get a cup and went to the fridge to get orange juice.

"Here you go papa, it'll help tomorrow morning," Lance beamed but John waved him off and slowly laid on the floor with a long groan.

"Dad?" Lance squatted down to him confused. John was already sleeping with a heavy snore.

The short boy crawled onto the counter and went to a cabinet as he grabbed pain killers, two dropped in his hand and he jumped back on the ground setting them on a napkin with the cup of orange juice next to the drunk father.

"Night dad," he smiled grabbing a pillow and put it under his head and walked to the living room. Lance picked up his youngest sibling and hushed the infant softly walking up the stairs.

"Lance?" He heard a soft whisper seeing a five year old girl at the top of the stairs.

"Dani you should be sleeping," Lance smiled walking past her to the room Milo and he share while Rachel and Dani shared one.

"I heard papa come home," she followed him.

"He's sleeping down stairs again," he put Milo in the crib.

"Come on, its pass your bed time Dani," Lance held her hand to lead her back to the girls room. Marco lived on his own in an apartment in the city part of Chicago as they lived in the ghetto, Luis took one other room as their grandmother took their parents old room. But guess not anymore. But Veronica shared a room with Rachel and Dani as well.

"Good night Dani," lance ruffled her hair playfully as she stopped in front of her room.

"Nighty lance," Dani giggled walking in and lance went to his room.

A 17 year old boy gasped as his alarm on his clock started going off and he groaned looking at the time. 6 in the morning.

He groaned getting up as he wore a white tank top and blue boxers while he had his own room that once was Luis's as his older sister had their parents room.

Lance walked down the stairs scratching his head seeing his dad on top of the table snoring away.

"Just where I left ya," he sighed grabbing a mug as he poured coffee and easily grabbed two pain killers and set them on the table next to his father. Lance nodded and went to pour himself some coffee like any normal day.

Mother's Day wasn't that important anyways. It's a normal day.