Heartbeat

Family ruptures

Our lawyer sees us and gets closer.

– Hey guys, the other part insists on having a conversation with us, lawyer and clients, because they claim there's a situation that can change the paths of the judgment.

– What is it now? Fuck!– I groan.

– Probably nothing, they are just trying to gain some time.

– Let's Hope you are right.– Josh says and we all nod.

– Okay. Girls, you can come with us too if you want.

They nod and our lawyer makes a sign for them to follow us to the hall, outside the courtroom.

– Dr Granp, lawyer for the other part.– the bald middle aged man introduces himself to us. I give him a polite handshake and Josh just nods, which annoys both our mother and our father, which almost  makes me smile.

– There's my boys, we raised two gentlemens.– My mom says and I think I'm about to throw up.

I'm in shock with their faces, looking at us as they wouldn't have made our lives miserable. By my side, I can see Selena wrapping her arms around Josh to try to stop him. 

– And they have taste for girlfriends, look…– my father says and my blood boils but before I can raise my arm Josh throws himself on him, but unfortunately the lawyers help Selena to hold him, while he screams:

– Shut up your piece of shit! Don't you dare to even look at the girls.

– Oh my youngest boy, always more explosive than Joseph.

– Shut up you too, mother, you aren't even  an inch better than him.– I scream at her.

– Oh, what I did to deserve two angry and ungrateful children, uh?

– Let's make sure to raise the third right, love.– My dad says and I get confused. Josh looks at me as confused as me.

Our lawyer breaks the silence.

– Is that confirmed? Mrs Thompson is pregnant with a third child?

I freeze. For milliseconds I just hear my heart beating in my ears, and my brain try to process the information. We are having a brother, more than 20 years later.

She nods and I get out of my frozen state, running to the closer trash can to throw up everything in my stomach and something more.

No, this is one of my nightmares. This can't be real, right?

I slap my face but Taylor holds me, helping me to sit on a chair and open a few buttons on my shirt to help me get some air.

– Deep breaths, Joe, remember, deep breaths.

Eventually my breathing normalizes and I see my brother on the floor, so I run to him.

When I get there, Selena has his coat doubled under his head and she's holding his legs up.

– What happened? – I ask while Taylor checks the pulse.

– He blacked out, but he's awaking already.

– Pulse in 87– Taylor says and I nod, taking a deep breath.

He wakes up and we look at each other, and then to our parents talking with their lawyer and our lawyer somewhere.

– This is real? Mom really involved an innocent in a family battle? She's almost 44 Joe, how is this even possible?

I don't know what to say so I just put him into a hug.