SISTER EATS BROTHER

3

When the doorbell rings, I pretend not to hear it. I'm sitting at the dining room table with Jacob, helping him with his math homework. He's been quiet, staring down at the page, asking me questions without looking up. I don't understand most of the problems on the paper, so I'm not much of a help. But it's not like I'm trying very hard.

"Ben. Will you get that?" Anastasia asks me. "Please? I'm busy."

"So am I," I say, swallowing down the panic that's starting to rise in my throat.

Anastasia sighs loudly and throws me a look, but I pretend not to hear her or see her. She hurriedly wipes her hands off from cooking her signature chicken casserole - without the chicken since Adam's a vegetarian, because of course she is.

"Is that Adam?" Jacob asks hopefully, watching Anastasia's retreating back and then glancing up at me.

I rub a hand down my face, massaging my closed eyes until I see spots. "I certainly hope not..."

"Don't you want to see her, dad?" Jacob asks, blinking up at me, fingers fidgeting with his pencil. Always fidgeting and averting his eyes when I'm around.

I open my eyes and stare back at him as Anastasia opens the front door. Do I want to see her? Of course not. She's blood, but she's a trainwreck and I don't want her around me, influencing my family with her...ways.

"Anastasia!" Adam cries out happily.

I listen, feeling my heart rate pick up speed at the sound of my sister's voice. I take a deep breath. Don't be a disaster, please, God. I'm begging you. A quick visit, then she's gone, and we can all get back to our lives. WITHOUT her.

"Adam, it's so good to see you again," Anastasia exclaims.

I wince.

"Damn, you look spicy," Adam replies, her voice loud, echoing all the way into the kitchen, slamming against the walls like a bowling ball or something. "I'd steal you away if you weren't married to my brother."

Here we go.

Anastasia's laugh sounds surprised and genuine, even though this is how Adam has always been, and then the sound of Clara squealing jabs my eardrums as she rushes past me, pulling Jacob along with her by the hand. And then I'm all alone in the dining room - with fourth grade math equations staring blankly up at me from the wooden table. Jacob's pencil rolls and clatters to the floor, and I watch it go.

The floor must be uneven for it to roll that far.

"Adam!" Clara shouts.

"Come 'ere, you two," Adam demands. "How old are you now? You look like you're in your 30s!"

"No!" Jacob laughs, for the first time in the past two hours. "I'm only 10!"

"And I'm 6!" Clara pipes in.

"Oh, my mistake..speaking of old age, is my dear brother around?" Adam's voice cuts through the air, and I grimace at the sharp tone.

"He's hiding from you," Anastasia scoffs. The front door creaks as she opens it wider, then the walls rattle as it's slammed shut.

I sigh, closing my eyes. Since when did they all team up against me?

I hear their procession of footsteps leading toward me, like a marching band, and it sounds like it's happening in slow motion. I count the times I blink as they get nearer. One, two, three...four, five six...seven, eight. Then Adam's arms are circling around my neck and she yanks me up from the chair, squeezing hard enough to make me gasp for air.