watch everything go

cupcake

Dad was sitting on the couch with a purring Winnieh by his side. It was a strange sight to see.

Almost like the old days.

The not listening through paper walls days.

"I bought you a cupcake."

I didn't ask why.

"Thank you."

All I could do was thank him. I knew that silently he was thanking me for keeping up with two broken people who screamed broken words at each other.

But what else could I do?

Once, they used to love each other. Now there's only me, who loves them very much.

I didn't ask to know where Mom was. Probably crying inside her locked room. Or went to visit Grandma.

Unless she got a job.

I really hoped she did.

The money Dad got wasn't enough for the three of us, much less for hungry Winnieh who always wanted to eat.

I stopped thinking about my family when I got my to room and decided to finish homework. The teachers let me turn in homework from the day I didn't go to school.

Because that day, my house was a mess.

Maybe it still was a mess, but at least it was clean and there wasn't a broken vase on the floor.

I was staring to miss that vase.

It wasn't until later when Mom came back.

I went downstairs to greet her.

"Hey."

"Hey."

There was silence. I watched her leave her bag on the table and went to the kitchen to wash her hands.

Mom always liked to do her nails.

They were a very dark and captivating violet, this time.

"How was school?"

She asked me, it has been weeks since the last time she asked me.

"Good."

I didn't really know if that was a lie.

"I'm glad. Do you want something for dinner?"

She walked to the fridge, her face fell when she opened it. We were running low on food, all there was inside was milk, four apples, and I think I saw a carrot when I checked in the morning.

"Well, there's a cupcake."

Mom took out the cupcake and put it on the table.

"Dad bought it for us."

Lies.

"Oh."

It took her a while to answer.

"You can have it."

"No, I already ate mine."

More lies.

"Alright, then."

She ate the cupcake. I was happy she did. That helped me ignore the screaming while I dozed off to sleep.

It was just a cupcake, after all.