The Older We Get

Chapter 57

                "Dad!" I scream when he shoves William out the door, tossing him in the snow as mom hurries to control him from what looks like assault, Chandler running to get in the middle of everything when I find my limbs to stop him. At least I try, but he's too quick for me to keep back from getting in the cross roads of these two men.

My father's face and manner, changing him completely.

He's enraged and scaring me.

"Mo-m." My voice cracks when she screams for peace to come but William's attempt to get up is only met with my father shoving him again while Chandler yells at him to stop, for some reason his presence taming the situation even a little along with the rest of us pushing out some reality that dad's behaving like a wild animal or something.

One second he's calm and in the house, the next, out here pushing William around like he's an intruder.

"Stop it!" Mom screams in his face, her eyes different than usual as well, both of them showing me a glimpse of something I've never seen before.

Almost like they're my age, rising out of the past.

I'm so confused and I can't do anything except stand out here shivering with Chandler helping his dad up just to glare at mine a second.

"What the heIl?!" My boyfriend nearly spits out. "Are you fvcking crazy?!"

"Watch your mouth Chandler; you're still on my property!" Dad points to him when William pats his son's arm and takes over.

"You still don't believe me. Us. Still don't believe that what was in the past was in the past? You'll never change will you?" He speaks; blue eyes sad again while I feel the little child in me start to spread through like a drug, welling tears up in my eyes at this conflict that's hurting me, mom sighing out her aggravation while my father just stands heaving out his breath.

I shouldn't be this emotional, I think instead I should be shocked but, seeing dad that way just now, it was almost like the start of perfection cracking, a tiny break in a glass mirror which is making me panic, wondering how this mess will be fixed.

Wondering what's wrong with him to treat Will like this.

I'm not going to sob or fall to the ground like it's the end of the world but before the night is over I think maybe one tear will make it out alive.

"I told you." Dad starts. "Don't come here again. I said it 20 years ago, I'll say it again. Leave my wife alone and my daughter."

"Stop it!" Mom snaps. "This was over years ago, why are you so bitter?!" She shrugs when I realize that we cry alike, her and I, in some minimal way at least.

"Not bitter. Just cautious." Dad's body straightens a touch when Will, kind and gentle looks down and shrugs, pressing his hand to his eyes for a moment when Chandler sees his father hurting, turning to stare at his 'enemy' I guess, straight up.

"I don't know what the heIl is going on-"

"You're father will tell you. Tell you how he tried to take what I love." He glances at mom before going to me, my body tensing up at the contact in our pupils, wondering if I've done something wrong. "How you're probably following in his footsteps-"

"Dammit, you leave him alone! Leave them both alone!" Will's voice booms. "Don't drag every innocent bystander into your problems of paranoia like a child!"