Under Shadow

5. Sam

"Don't let go!" Vincent cried. His small hands gripped the handle bars, turning his knuckles white.

"I won't let go," Sam assured him as he pushed his little brother down the street on the two wheeled bike.

"I can't do it, Sam," Vincent said. The bike wobbled under Sam's hold.

"Sure you can. Just sit still."

Vincent stiffened.

"Pedal, dude, you gotta pedal."

"You said to sit still!" His feet began to pedal the bike forward.

"You just need to practice balance."

"I want my training wheels back."

"Those are for babies," Sam said.

"I don't wanna be a big kid!" Vincent shouted as the bike picked up more speed.

"Watch where you're going!" Sam reminded him. His voice was distant.

"Sam? Sam!" Vincent looked over his shoulder at his brother standing alone on the street. "I did it!"

Sam started running. Sprinting. "Slow down!"

"I don't know how!" The bike started to wobble as Vincent lost his balance. Frightened, he stopped pedaling and slammed the pedal backwards, lurching him to a stop and sending him falling to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked as he hurried to his brother's side.

Vincent groaned and inspected his scraped elbow. "I'm never riding a bike again," he grumbled.

Sam smiled as he picked up the bike and walked his brother back to the house. "You'll get it. It just takes practice."

"I don't want to practice," his little brother said. "I want my old bike back."

"Dad's gonna make you learn when he gets back, you know."

Vincent crossed his arms. "That's gonna be in forever," he said.

Sam pinched his lips together and shrugged. "He'll be home soon."

Vincent ignored his brother, hurrying into the house and leaving Sam alone in the driveway. Sam moved the bike into the garage for the night before making his way into the house to help Vincent clean his scrape.

"How'd he do?" Jodi asked her son when he came into the kitchen.

Sam shrugged. "He says he's never gonna ride a bike again."

Jodi smiled. "Go help him before he uses up all the bandages on that little scrape."

The phone rang as Sam made his way into the bathroom where Vincent was standing on a step stool, admiring his wound in the mirror. He already had three unnecessary bandages open on the counter, ready to be crisscrossed on his elbow.

"You only need one," Sam said, taking the elbow in his hand and wiping it down with a wet cloth.

"More are better. I look cool with more."

Sam rolled his eyes and listened to his mother on the phone as he helped his brother.

"What do you mean?... This can't be... Are you sure?... Are you coming home?... Why?... What are we supposed to do?... Where are we supposed to go?... Kent... Kent, please come home..."

Jodi hung up the phone. Sam's heart raced, but he forced himself to remain calm as he finished bandaging his brother's elbow.

"There," he said quietly. "All better."

Vincent hopped down from the stool and hurried into the kitchen where he stuck his nose in the fridge. "What's for dinner?"

Jodi was still standing by the phone, now hung up on the wall. She stared at the receiver, as if expecting another call. She cleared her throat as Sam made his way into the kitchen, his eyes hard on his mother.