Tradition Comes Third

One Or The Other

Author's Note: Family Comes First now has 10 million views. I can't believe it! You guys are all the greatest and I can't thank you all enough. I love reading comments, and knowing what you think. Sorry this update is short, but I just wanted to update tonight as a thank you

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 Ava clung to my shirt, and I tried to pull her up onto her feet. Dad opened up the door. I looked over my shoulder. Jared had Leah in his arms, and was walking down the hall. Mom's eyes widened, and she shook her head before Dad slammed the door shut. Ava buried her face into my chest. I turned around to face Dad, and pulled Ava behind me.

"Don't touch her," I said.

"Hunter, I'm not going to hurt her," he said. "But she did hurt your cousin. I want you to punish her."

"I'm not hurting her," I said as my grip tightened on her.

"You're not hurting her." He took a step forward. "You're teaching her a lesson, so that she'll learn some respect."

"I don't want to."

"Either you do it or I'll do it."

Ava pulled herself away from my back. She placed her hand on my shoulder, and took a step to the side. She let out a shaky breath.

"I want you to do it," she told me.

Dad lifted his lips into a smile.

"Ava, I don't want -" I started.

"Please," she cut me off. "I want you to be the one to do it."

"Good girl, Ava," Dad said. "Go lie down on the bed."

Ava squeezed her eyes shut, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She lied down on my bed. Her face winced when her back hit the bed. She kept her arms by her sides.

Dad reached into his pocket, and placed something into my hand. I looked down to see that it was a pocketknife.

"Sit down next to her," he told me.

Ava had her hands clutched up to her chest. Her deep breathing was causing her chest to rise with each breath. Her eyes flew open when she felt the bed dip as I sat on the edge. Dad pulled out my office chair, and sat down beside us. He reached forward, and pulled Ava's arm out toward me.

"Hunter, open the knife," he told me.

My hands were shaking as I fumbled to open up the blade. Dad thrusted her arm into my grasp.

"Start with one cut," he told me.

Ava curled her fingers into a fist. She closed her eyes, and dug her teeth into her lip. I slowly brought the blade down on her skin and lightly dragged it across her arm. Her skin didn't break under my light touch.

"Try again," Dad said.

I took in a deep breath, and pushed harder into Ava's skin. She flinched, and I held onto her arm tighter. The blood bubbled up to the surface of her skin.

"Good job," Dad said. "Do it again."

"I think she's had enough," I said.

"No," he said, "keep going."

"I don't want to."

"If you don't do it, you will both be punished."

I looked down at Ava, and she nodded her head. The blood was running out of the cut, and down her arm. I placed the blade against her skin again, and pushed down. Ava let out a whimper as the blood rose to the surface. A lump was forming in my throat, and my mouth was starting to feel dry.

"One more," Dad said.

"No." I shook my head.

"Hunter, do you realize what she did?" he asked. "She hurt Leah, and could have made her lose the baby. She's getting off easy."

The warm blood started to roll off her arm and over my fingertips. I placed the blade above the two slashes on her arm. I dug the blade into her arm again, and she let out a cry. The blood followed the blade, and mixed with the crimson mess covering us. I dropped the knife on the ground, and Ava sat up. I wrapped my arms around her, and pulled her tight into my body. Ava cradled her wounded arm to her chest, and she slipped her other arm around my waist. I cupped the back of her head with my hand, and kissed her cheek.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered into her ear.

"Julie, come up here," Dad shouted.

I took a quick glance behind me to see Dad standing in the doorframe. He was staring out into the hallway. I pressed my lips against Ava's, and I could feel his fingers curl into my back. We snuck in a few more kisses before looking down between us. Ava's blood was covering both of our shirts.

Mom's footsteps echoed through the hallway, and I looked back over toward them.

"I want you to help bandage Ava," Dad said. "Help her sleep after too. She must be exhausted."

"Okay." Mom nodded her head.

Dad snaked his arm around her waist, and pressed his lips against her temple. Mom walked over to us, and kneeled in front of the bed. We looked at her, and she gave us a soft smile.

"Let's clean you up," Mom told Ava.

Ava looked over at me, and I kissed her forehead. She unfolded her legs, and got up off of the bed. She kept her arm tight against her body. Mom placed her hand on Ava's shoulder, and guided her out of my bedroom.

Dad walked back over to me. He swooped down, and picked the knife up off the ground, and handed it over to me.

"I want you to keep it in your pocket," he said. "You'll never know when you'll need it."

I took it out of his hand, and saw Ava's blood was staining the blade. I tucked it in my pocket, so that I wouldn't have to look at it anymore.

"Come out to the shed with me," Dad said. "I want to show you something."