No Regrets

Chapter Twenty - Without Trust What is There?

KATIE'S POV

  Mom and Dad are more than furious with Dominick. Due to his drunken state, my parents sent him to his room to sleep the alcohol off. My parents and I know from experience there's no point trying to have a productive or actual conversation with him when he's drunk. I can hear them downstairs discussing a punishment for him. Mollie was moved out his room into their's for the night.

  Sawyer called to check in and sure I got home safely. I assured him that I was fine and apologized for Dominick.

  As I lay on my bed, staring up at my ceiling, my mind is filled with a great many wonders. I wonder if Dominick being a part of Mollie's life will do more damage than good to her. Having an unpredictable alcoholic parent is not easy for a kid to have growing up. I've seen how children with such parents are effected. The  children sometimes end up following in their parents' footsteps. In all the cases I have seen and heard about, the children never escape without some mental or physical scars. Sometimes both.

  I think of what Mollie's life would be like if Dominick stayed the way he is and raised her. What young wants to have her friends over to her house only to show them drunk dad?

  The custody case will be re-evaluated in three months. If Dominick had gotten arrested to night, or worst... The judge would not even question who should have custody of Mollie.

   I get up and walk across the hall to Dominick's bedroom. I crack the door open slightly and hear his heavy breathing. The light from hallway shines in through the crack allowing me a clear glimpse at my brother. He's sprawled out on his bed, still wearing the clothes he was wearing. For the first time in months, I see the "old" Dominick. The Dominick who acts without considering the damage he may do to himself or his family. He acts carelessly and messes up more than he fixes.

   There's a lump in my throat and a knot in my chest. I put to much hope in the ability for a baby to change him. Does he even want to change?
                                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DOMINICK'S POV

   My head may explode from the pounding headache. I have spent a majority of this morning in the bathroom clutching the side of the toilet bowl. My parents refuse to give me any pain-killers to help with things; which pisses me off. Even though, I can understand why, they're punishing me. I can't help but be pissed at them, they're my parents, they should help me when I'm in pain.

   Katie has not spoken a single word to me. She hardly will even look at me. She has spent most of her day upstairs in her room. I would go upstairs and try to talk to her; but I've managed to get comfortable on the living room couch.

   What all happened last night? I try to piece together the events. Last thing I can clearly recall is having a good time with Linkon. Everything after that is either a blur or a complete blank. The next memory I have in regards to last night, is waking up this morning hangover and rushing to the bathroom to throw my guts up. I didn't know Mollie wasn't in my room until I returned a while later.

  Have I seen Mollie today? I ask myself. After attempting to fall back asleep in my room, I dragged myself down to the living and laid down on the couch. I begged my parents for pain killers. Guess I haven't seen her.

  I should probably interact with her at least once today; but not until my headache subsides a bit. But it's not the end of the world if I don't. I tell myself as I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   "Wake up!" A firm angry voice orders as my shoulder receives a hard shake. I jerk awake and find Mom standing in front of me. It only takes one glance to know she is furious. I stretch my arms a bit and slowly sit up on the couch, the pounding in my head only a bit better.