A Furious Chick

Caught In The Middle

Brian

I was in the kitchen, cooking dinner with Ruby. She was standing on the stool, watching my hands and lips as I explained to her what I was doing. I let her pour measurements in the mixing bowl for the cupcakes. I believe Ruby has been feeling like her sisters come before her due to her lack of hearing. She's angry all the time and she's only two years old. Fucking wild.

"Guess what?" I signed to her.

She looked at me, curious.

"I love you." I poked her nose and she smiled brightly. I kissed her cheek.

Katherine walked in then with Alina. Ruby jumped off the stool and bolted to Alina. Ruby adores Alina.

"Hi princess." Alina cooed to her.

Katherine came over to me and kissed me. "Alina's moving back."

"I think that's for the best. She'd end up killing Kaleb."

Quinn came up to me with a piece of paper and red scribbles on it.

"You!" She declared.

"For me?"

She nodded.

I squatted to her level and kissed her head. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

She smiled wide and ran back to the living room.

"Kaleb is going to rehab." Katherine announced.

I listened as I checked the steak on the broiler. Alina immediately seemed disinterested.

"I told him the only way he'd be able to be around me and my children is if he's clean. He doesn't want to go. But he is. For the sake of my heart."

"I wasn't enough for him to change." Alina put Ruby down. "Not trying to sound rude but my love and care for Kaleb Howard has sailed a long time ago. I was holding onto fairytales."

Katherine smiled softly.

"I may be pregnant and on a better path, but my vow to brother will last forever. You don't get a pass to talk down upon him."

"Why not? I put up with him for years while you lived your fantasy. I don't have-"

"I will stab you in the face, Alina. You did the one thing he's feared his whole life....you abandoned him. You managed to make my brother cry while he was drunk. That's damn near impossible." Katherine scoffed. "You broke him. Shattered him. And it was simply because you couldn't stand his drinking. There were other ways."

"And you didn't abandon him yourself?" Alina narrowed her eyes.

"No. I never abandoned my brother." Katherine hissed.

"All right, lets have this conversation in a few months when my baby is alive and well." I stepped in.

"I will never abandon him. Because he's never abandoned me." Katherine flipped her hair and stood. She walked upstairs.

I looked at Alina. Alina shook her head and sighed.

"I apologize for thinking of myself."

"You know how the Howard's are. They hate each other but they'd die for each other." I shrugged. "Let Katherine cool off."