The Weight of the Family

11 (NEW)

ETHAN

Everybody has their dues in life.

Father's words followed him through the air caked with tension's bone fingers when he stepped left on the pavement and entered the car with Old Joz as his driver for the week to head for the casino — another business meeting among his associates. Father tore into him with the abyss, and the distance grew within the heartbeat of the universe before he returned to his room and found solace in the silence.

One leg propped over the other, he put on his headphones and listened to the purposeful strings of a guitar and found his place within the mystery coated with lies.

Everyone will pay their due, Father reminded him while he sat among the suited associates. One way or another.

Ethan frowned when a voice dissonant from his music broke the white noise, a name on the horizon. He lifted one ear of his headset off to free the outer world, but frowned at the quiet.

"Ethan!" Mom called from downstairs. "Can you come down here?"

But what happens when they avoid paying? Ethan flipped to the next page's cliffhanger. What happens if they fight the inevitable? It dragged him into the words and longed for an answer to the dues Father referred to. "In a minute," he answered her call of his name, and he studied the noir mystery.

As with Keren, Mother never took no for an answer — not a respectful one anyway.

"ETHANIUS!"

Ethan leaped with the shout which echoed from his mother and his headset. He groaned and dragged himself out of bed. Guess I never have to wonder where Keren got his voice after all... when Dad isn't around. Hands on his knees, he abandoned the search and peeked out his door. "Yes, Miamta?"

Mom stood at the lower landing with a tip of her head and an innocent smile. "I thought you couldn't hear me through your music."

"I heard you the first time." Ethan made his way downstairs, and frowned when Mom put on her coat and picked up her carrying purse. "Where are you going?"

"Out, Chalen's going to be driving me to pick up some stuff for dinner tonight and some other things I need to do," she said with a nod at Keren, who perked up from the I-screen. "I need you to watch him for a couple hours."

"I can go grab stuff for dinner..." Ethan tipped his head at Keren when he waddled to his side with a smug grin.

Mom shook her head. "No, I need you here. I won't be too long."

Ethan frowned at her, then bowed his head. "Okay."

He stepped to the side while Mom squished Keren's cheeks with a softer twist to her lips. "Be good for your Kellzoro, I won't be long," she assured once more, and Keren swayed back and forth on the balls of his feet. Ethan blinked when Mother's smile died. "Your father should be back later tonight."

"I know."

Mother gazed at him, a distance created across pathways which buried the roll of dicey dues. "Try not to get into too much trouble," she said with a pat of his cheek, leaning forward to brush her nose against it into an air kiss. "I need to have a talk with you at some point."

You're a monster.

Ethan clenched his fists but said nothing when she gave Keren one more smile, but never gave him a due as she turned her back on him and left through the door. It rocked through the house, and he investigated Keren when he tipped his head back with a widening grin which screamed trouble.