Upside Down

Forty Two

Tyler and I walk up the driveway hand in hand on our way back into my house after the Christmas show.

I really enjoyed today and I hope Tyler did too. I really appreciate him doing this for me. I really do. He is doing a great job at keeping me happy and keeping my thoughts off of the new evidence in the murders of my mom and step-mom.

I care so deeply for him. He is special. And he stumbled into my life when I really needed him most. He is like an angel that was sent to me from above.

I wish my mom could meet him. I wish I could show him off to the world. I want to scream my feelings for him so that the whole universe can hear me.

Him and I share a sweet kiss on the porch before I reach for the door and open it. I wish I could stay out here with him all day but I need to make the kids lunch. 

Stepping inside, I can immediately feel the tension in the house.

"What's going on?" I ask, seeing the terrified look on Summer's face.

"Peter-"Summer says and points to the next room over. I immediately let go of Tyler's hand and run into the room where everyone else is. Pete is laying across the couch.

"What happened?!" I ask, scanning his body to see what may have happened.

"Your dad, he, he freaked out." Logan explains a tiny bit of the situation. He struggles to form a coherent sentence.

"What do you mean he freaked out? What does this have to do to Peter? What is going on." I look around at all of the terrified faces around me.

"I was standing in the kitchen with your dad. He was cutting sandwiches for the kids. When Peter came home with them, he grabbed the knife and- and he attacked Peter with it." Logan does his best to explain.

"What?! Where is he now?" I ask. "Are you okay Pete?" I touch his head. Peter nods.

"I don't think he cut him deep at all. I was able to stop him because I was right there. He took off after that. The kids- they were screaming and I think it scared him off. He took off. I tried to run after him but he got into the car and I couldn't chase after that." Logan continues.

"Did you call the police?" Tyler asks, touching my back lightly.

Logan nods. "They are on their way. But it's too late now. He's gone."

I turn around and pull at my hair. "Why can't we ever have a normal day around here?" I scoff.

Is this really happening? My father really tried to kill Peter? I can't help but cry. I can't believe my father would ever do something like this. I mean, I had suspicions about my mother and they way she died but to have him actively try to kill Peter with witnesses around is just insane. I can't wrap my head around it.

Did I do this? Did he act out in violence because of what I said to him this morning?

"What are we going to do Avery?" Kara looks up at me.

Tilly runs over and hugs my leg. I lift her into my arms and squeeze her tight. "We are going to fight back."

"But how?" Peter asks, sitting up, holding his hand over the cloth bandage on his arm. "We're just kids and he's a lunatic with a knife. He's our dad." Tears well up in Peter's eyes.

"I," I shake my head. I am at a loss for words. How can I inspire these kids to keep fighting when day after day, their security and happiness are ripped away from them?

"Well we start by changing all of the locks on the door. And if we can all stick together, he won't stand a chance." Tyler speaks for me when he sees that I am physically unable to. "I can stay up all night and make sure that if he does come by here again, we won't be taken by surprise."

"No, Tyler. You need to sleep. You should go home and sleep. I can't ask you to do that for us." I reach for his hand.

"You don't have to ask me to do anything. I won't be doing much sleeping if I go home anyways. Let me help you guys."

"Thank you, man." Logan grabs onto Tyler's shoulder. "I'll stay up with you. We can take shifts."

Authors note: merry Christmas to those who celebrate!