Older Brothers | ✔

t h i r t y n i n e

The chatter of man voices filled the dining room, our father told the boys storys about his time in jail.

They laughed, they even giggled. Like little boys they all admired their father.

Still everyone kept giving me glances, while I held my fork tightened in my hand.

Literally spearing my potatoes and hiding a small smile everytime I heard the clink of the fork meeting the plate.

This was my way of coping, so I wouldn't throw another plate.

I didn't listen to their conversation after some time passed, every five minutes the man would brag about how he missed his boys.

And I am happy to see my brothers this happy about the return of their beloved father.

Still it made me feel bitter inside of me.

The clock behind me was ticking, I counted the second as the time went by, soon we would sit here for one hour.

My legs started to fidget around, as my eyes met my fathers. I promptly looked away, cursing myself for looking up.

"So, Lilith?" He said, making the room go silent, as their heads turned all in my direction. "How was it living with your brothers, it must have been a big change for you?"

My mouth set in a hard line, as I opened them to answer him, it felt like I ripped them apart. "It was fine."

The dry answer didn't seem to sufficient him. "It must have been a little hard, with no woman around." He tried to joke.

"There was no difference." I pressed out through gritted teeth.

"Good, good." He nodded, clearly uncomfortable with our talk. "So, school, huh? You visit a club?"

I put my fork down, breathing slowly as my eyes met Jon's who seemed to slowly turn his panic mode on.

"No."

"Why? I thought this was an obligation at your school, wasn't it, Victor?"

"Yes, wasn't it, Victor?" A smile formed on my lips as I tilted my head, meeting Victor's eyes.

"There were some disagreements." Victor bit has lip as he spoke.

"What kind of disagreements?"

"It was complicated." Victor answered, eyeing Jon to help him out of this.

Our father noticed and looked at Jonathan as well. "Jon, tell me. Why does Lilith not go to a club activity?"

"Victor punished her." Jon started slowly, thinking about the best words to describe the past months. "Because of some circumstances with Grandpa, so Lilith isn't allowed to go outside alone or go to club activities after school."

"I won't judge you, Victor. But club activities are part of her school life, you shouldn't have done that." Our father scolded Victor.

"I will think about it." Victor said.

"Well, I am your father and I decide about my children, so I think the best is to let her go." He smiled at me, trying to get my sympathy.

Yet I only noticed Victor tensing up, his eyes widned in disbelief.

"Technically Lilith is my child." Victor told him, making my mouth form an o shape. "Dad, right now I am Lilith's legal guardian and I take care about her well being."

The man coughed, his face clearly heating up, as he remembered that he couldn't take custody of us after just coming out of jail.

"Grandpa will come to visit us soon, Christmas is in some days." Elijah changed the subject, grinning like his usual bubbly self. "I hope everyone bought a present for me."