The Existence I Crave

5

"Are you fucking kidding me, Kathrine," Kevin yelled at my mother.

"Don't talk to me like that Kevin."

"How am I supposed to talk to you then? You abandoned us then showed up a year later, asking for forgiveness, as if nothing happened."

I was currently sitting in the hallway, eavesdropping in on their conversation. I was woken up at five this morning by Kevin yelling at someone, when I peeked out my door, I never expected to see my mother standing there.

"I said I'm sorry Kevin, I know I fucked up. I'm a terrible person for what I did, what kind of mother and wife just up and leaves their families like that."

There was a long pause before she continued.

"I was going through a lot, everything was overwhelming me, it was too much, everything was too much."

"You weren't the only one who was going through shit Kathrine, you weren't the only one who lost a daughter that day, you weren't the only one who was suffering. We all were and still are, you can't just up and leave cause shit gets too hard," Kevin said, venom dripping from his voice.

"I know."

I drew my knees closer to my chest, waiting for one of them to speak again. Why did she come back? After a year of us not knowing where she was and all of a sudden, she shows up. Did she want something? That had to be the only reason she was back. Maybe money?

"Where's Thomas at?" My mom asked, causing my body to tense.

I didn't want to see her, I knew one day I'd probably have to face her over what happened, but today wasn't the day. I was in a lot of pain from last night's events, I didn't want to add another type of pain to it.

"He's in bed still," Kevin said.

"You let him sleep in this late?"

This late? I was like eight in the morning right now.

"It's Sunday, I let him sleep in as long as he wants on the weekends."

Not like you have a say in the matter, I thought to myself. She left, she doesn't have a say about anything in my life anymore, she lost that right when she abandoned me.

"How's he doing?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Goddammit Katherine," Kevin yelled out, slamming his hand down on the coffee table, causing me to jump and my mom to make a surprised gasp.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I want my family back," she said.

"I'm sorry what?"

"I want to come home, I miss you two, I miss being here, I miss my family."

"No," Kevin said.

"Why?"

"Seriously? Do I have to spell everything out for you? You had us, you had all of this, but you left it all behind and you aren't welcomed back, ever."

I could hear Kevin stand from the couch, his footsteps getting closer to me, I tried getting up, so I could go back to my room so they wouldn't know I had been here, but my bruised ribs made it very hard to get into a standing position. I had just gotten into a standing position when I heard Kevin's voice behind me.

"Tommy?" Kevin said, sounding surprised to see me standing in the hallway.

I slowly turned around to see Kevin and my mother standing behind me.