Coming Home to Omaha

Chapter 1: Life is Full of Surprises

Chapter 1: Life is Full of Surprises

Eleanor's POV

"Ellie...Ellie."

I hear my name being whispered as I am rocked back and forth. Someone is putting a little too much effort in waking me up from my beauty sleep, not that I would gain anything from it.

"What?" I groan out groggily.

"Mommy says you have to help me set the table," my little sister Katie's voice rings out cheerily. I groan once again before smashing my face into the pillow.

Contrary to what most of you are probably thinking, it is not morning. It is dinner time, because I am a lazy bum who never wants to get out of bed on the weekends.

"Ellie! You can't go back to sleep! Mom will get mad," she scolds me.

"Alright, I'm up," I mumble as I sit up slowly as to not get a headache first thing in the....evening. I rub the sleep away from my eyes and stretch. I push myself off of my bed before making my way down the stairs into the dining room where we eat dinner every night. We being my mom, Katie, and I. My dad usually joins us about halfway through because he was out with some whore or drinking the night away because he lost a bet. It's the same thing every night.

I open the cabinets and grab three plates, and set them on the table. Katie is taking care of the silverware thankfully which is my least favorite part. I grab three glasses before setting them on the top right corner of each place setting. Just as I set the third glass down my mother walks into the dining room to set what looks like a spinach casserole on the dining room table.

"Eleanor you look like a mess. Go get dressed for dinner!" She commands.

"Mom," I complain, "why do I have to get dressed? It's just us," I point out to her.

"You're only wearing a t-shirt for God's sake!" She cries out. I just look at her with a so look on my face, and she clearly wasn't having it today.

"Go upstairs and put something decent on," she demands.

"Yes master," I mutter under my breath so that she can't hear me. As I reach my room I can hear my mother telling Katie to put out another place setting for my father. She does this every night, and every night he doesn't show up until dinner is almost over.

I shut the door to my room as I shrug off my large t-shirt that came to about mid-thigh. Mother didn't specify for clothing. She only said decent, so there was no need to go all out. I slip on some grey sweatpants and a loose white knit sweater before hopping back down the stairs and taking my seat at the dinner table across from Katie.

Katie is eight years old now. She's had to endure mom and dad's fighting for almost as long as I have. I'm 18 now, and I cannot wait until I finish high school so that I can leave this place, but I just can't leave Katie. I am still trying to work out how I will keep her away from all of this.

My thoughts are interrupted when my mother sits herself down, and Katie sits herself across from me eagerly. My stomach rumbles. I didn't realize how hungry I was.

Halfway through dinner, and dad still isn't home yet. It doesn't surprise me. Mother just sits there like she doesn't have any worries. She just keeps bringing the food up to her mouth like dad not being home doesn't bother her in the least. I don't know what was different tonight that made me snap, but I just couldn't take it anymore.

"How do you do it?" I demand. She looks shocked for a second, but recovers easily.

"I don't know what you're talking about," She says avoiding eye contact.