It's Definitely Not All Mary Poppins

You Must Understand One Thing: My People Come First (2)

"Enough," Matthew bellowed, making the children jump, a headache blooming in his temples. He ached for a cigarette. He ached for something, some kind of relief. "I'm ending this now. Audrey didn't hurt Lloyd. You, telling your cousin to take a knife to the grocery store does not, does not, make it any more okay. And you, throwing a tantrum and threatening someone with a knife is not cool." His gaze switched from each child. "Privileges, lost. You might not like that Audrey is here for as long as Lloyd is gone, but the decent thing to do is respect the fact that she's here."

"No way!" Eli shouted. "I'd rather be sacrificed to a Camazotz. You can't make meeeee!" The eleven-year-old took off for the ramp to the second floor, his cousin following close behind, leaving Audrey and Matthew behind.

"Take off your shoes, Eli. You know how your uncle is with shoes in the house," Matthew called after, which elicited no response. He turned his eyes to Audrey, staring. "Who was driving? That day?"

Audrey stared, her breaths slow and steady. She turned away. "Dad was. I told you, Matt. I wouldn't touch Lloyd with a five-foot stick unless I really wanted to hurt you."

"And you swear that's what happened?"

"He believed you said something to Yang, tainted his chances of winning the region."

"I said you went behind my back to sabotage my education career, and ruined the years of studying."

She clenched her jaw, turning away. Her eyes grew misty. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, voice flat.

"That. Defended me to them."

Matthew paused, not even realizing he had. In his eyes, Audrey was no better than the children, bickering and fighting, and needed setting straight. "My mistake," he whispered, turning away. "I'm going to start dinner. Bring in the groceries." With that, he walked off, a cool draft shuffling with him around his ankles.

In the silence as he cooked the pasta, the smell growing overwhelmingly gravy-esque, Matthew considered the last few months. The train of thought was odd, uncomfortable considering how far he had come before she came crashing back into his life. Yet she hadn't upended it like he had expected. It didn't seem real. Matthew didn't know whether to trust it or not.

His memories of their time together, paled in hurt and misery, grew warmer, nostalgic in places. It pissed him off to no end.

The house sat quiet for the next hour, Matthew cooking and Audrey unloading groceries. They didn't speak to each other.

He served the children first – Swedish vegetarian meatballs and pasta – before serving himself. An extra place setting sat beside Lilly. "Dig in while it's warm, guys."

"Is Daddy coming back today?" she asked, nudging the meatballs with her fork. She refused to meet his gaze.

Matthew clenched his jaw, irritated anger blooming in his stomach. Still Yang hadn't replied back to him, even with the countless emails he'd already sent. "No, he should be back later this week."

Eli threw down his fork. "Don't tell me she's going to sit with us."

"And?" he asked, leaning over. "If I say she is?"

"Matt, whyyy?" Elliot asked, leaning forward, chin almost touching his food.

"When Toby and Liza are here, they eat with us."

"But they didn't wreck Lloyd!"

"She says she didn't."

"And you believe her?" Lilly asked, eyes still turned away. She harrumphed. "You don't even like her. Why're you doing this if you don't even like her?"