Ours To Be (All Ours, #1)

Chapter 13

-Flashback-

He is drunk again.

I knew this would happen today. He just can't stop himself.

It's my cousin's sweet sixteen and I have no idea what I'm doing here. I have never really been so close to my dad's side of the family, but he insisted we show up to his brother's eldest birthday bash.

My brother and I didn't want to go. Mainly because we knew how this day would end. Not because we don't love our cousin, but because we lived through this enough to know that this was just another excuse for our father to get hammered with our equally as alcoholic family members.

I do like her, she's... not the worst. We've just never been very close. And I know she would much rather spend this day with her girlfriends than have her sozzled uncles, aunts, and grandparents over.

The girls are at the movies right now.

I wish I was there with them instead of watching my father drown yet another shot of pure vodka, slugging it down like it's some kind of fruity juice.

That has been going on for hours now.

Oh, who am I kidding? This has been going on for years.

Whenever these brothers get together, all three of us prepare for it all to go downhill.

I'm pouring my brother some apple juice when I notice my mom whisper something in my dad's ear across the pine table. She's calm, but he looks like he's bottling up anger. I think she told him it's time for us to go. It is nine o'clock, so past my 11 year old brothers curfew. He's normally gone to bed by now. Especially on a school night, and tomorrow is Monday. The ride home is also a meager hour. So if we go now, we'll be home after 10. Way past his bedtime.

Dad ignores Mama and falls back in conversation with one of my other uncles. He's not technically an uncle. But I've known him since I was very little, so I always revere to him as one. He's been close to the family for as long as I can remember.

Mom's shoulders sag and she slumps back into her seat defeatedly after realizing she's not getting through to him. Which is nothing new. I've watched this happen about a million times in the past years.

She stands back up and skulls to my aunt's kitchen. My cousin had just blown out the cake, so I think she's helping her cut it to pass some around.

I follow behind, wanting answers. I go up to the counter and lean by her side.

''Mama, what's going on?''

She looks down at me and her indignant expression softens. ''Nothing, Hayati.'' She shakes her head and brings her voice down to a whisper. ''Why don't you go remind Baba of the time and day? Then we may get out of here. Maybe he'll listen to you.''

There's only a handful of times baba has actually listened to me. But I'll try if it means there's a possibility of us leaving.

I nod. I want to get away from here as well. I turn to make my way to the living room where the wasted adults can be detected, but halt when I find Richen looking up at me. I didn't even know he was following after me the entire time.

His little pout makes me want to cradle him in my arms and rock him like a baby until he's asleep. I can't just put him in the car for a couple of hours and wait until the brute is ready to put the bottle down and take his family home. I hate this town. Especially the part where we're at right now. Everywhere around us are horses and cows and green. Not to forget, alcoholics.