Day 10 - rolled a blank - even with 50/50
Kaitlin was able to find a good buy on fresh fish at the grocers. With the cool evenings now more frequent, sitting outside by the fire pit and grilling sounded like a great change of pace so she splurged.
Reese went out and started the fire. He called out to his mom and Ben and told them to come on. But he didn't wait. He was ready to have some fish and started without them.
Kaitlin helped Ben get the his fish skewered then they sat down and joined his big brother. Kaitlin thought is was nice and cozy by the fire; the warmth and the glow emitted made the space feel cozy.
That was until Reese started in on Ben. “Mom," said Reese with a superior attitude, "would you tell Ben he isn't allowed to bother me when I am talking to Jade on the phone - or act like a stupid race car driver when she is here. It's so embarrassing. It's bad enough we live in a fire station plus having to put up with a stupid brother is too much.”
“Reese!” exclaimed Kaitlin taken aback and unsure of what to say. Reese never acted like this. He was always so protective of Ben. Most of all she was surprised that Ben just ignored him and didn't say a word in defense of himself. And the outburst about their living arrangements was new - well sort of.
“Mooom! Tell him! He does it just to annoy me!" pleaded Reese trying to get his mother to scold his brother and take his side.
Kaitlin wasn't having it. “Reese, that's no way to talk to your brother. Apologize!”
There was no way he was going to apologize to the brat so he just got up and left the two of them.
After Reese left, Ben looked up at his mother with those beautiful blue eyes he inherited from his father peeping out from under his dark lashes. He was going to look just like his father when he grew up. Finally he spoke up in a tiny little voice, “Am I in trouble?”
“No baby. But why are you bothering Reese?”
He busied himself with his fish not wanting to talk.
“Ben?” she gently prompted.
“Jade is stupid,” he mumbled.
“Honey, it's not nice to call people stupid. You know better and Jade is a sweet girl. Ben really likes her. Why would you say that?”
Ben thought for a second and finally blurted out, “But I am stupid - Reese said so! He only likes her and Maddy!"
“Oh baby. That's not true. He loves you very much, it's just that he also likes Jade. Being mean to him won't make it any better.”
Ben’s eyes grew wide. “I am mean.” Ben stated it is as a realization and a solitary tear that had been threatening to fall finally rolled down his cheek which he quickly wiped away. His mother was wrong. Reese didn't love him, he didn't even like him. Now he found out why. Reese knew he was mean, just like their father, but he didn’t want to be like him. “I’m sorry,” was all he could think of to say.
“It's okay Ben. Honey, you aren't mean, you are a very sweet young man.”
Kaitlin's heart was breaking for her little guy. She figured Ben was jealous of the attention Reese was giving to Jade and Maddy and she hadn't been around very much lately. If only he had his own friends then things would be better. She was going to have to find time to talk to Reese. Obviously he was still only 16, even though his 17th birthday was in December. She had saved almost enough in the past 4 months to put down the deposit. Soon, Ben and Reese, she thought, just hang in there a little longer boys. We will be okay.
At breakfast later that week, Reese gave his brother a warning, “Jade is coming over tonight and we are going to watch a movie. If you even try to come in and bother us, you will be in big trouble - got it?”
Ben just took a bite of his toast and nodded.
“Good!” said Reese, “and I mean it too!”
Ben gulped and just continued to quietly eat his breakfast as his brother glared at him. He was afraid to say anything. His brother was mad like Daddy was when he hit their mother and he didn't want to make him mad.
On her way home from working with the bees, Kaitlin noticed they had setup a pumpkin patch for the fall festival. Oh! she thought, I will get some and we can carve jack-o-lanterns!
She paid the vendor and started picking out pumpkins. As she picked the perfect ones she began to think about their situation. She wanted some time with the boys. This weekend was the fall festival and they would love to go. And Halloween was in three weeks, at the end of the month.
That's when she realized that with Halloween it would mark the 5 month anniversary of their time in Twinbrook. And not a peep from Newt. Staying off the grid must have worked. She had enough money saved now and she just needed to start looking for both an apartment and a job. With any luck she would be out of the station before Halloween. That was her goal. It felt good to have something to look forward to.
Kaitlin happily lugged the pumpkins back to the fire station. They could be settled before winter rolled in.
Go to Chapter 11
Go Back to Chapter 9
Kaitlin was able to find a good buy on fresh fish at the grocers. With the cool evenings now more frequent, sitting outside by the fire pit and grilling sounded like a great change of pace so she splurged.
Reese went out and started the fire. He called out to his mom and Ben and told them to come on. But he didn't wait. He was ready to have some fish and started without them. 
That was until Reese started in on Ben. “Mom," said Reese with a superior attitude, "would you tell Ben he isn't allowed to bother me when I am talking to Jade on the phone - or act like a stupid race car driver when she is here. It's so embarrassing. It's bad enough we live in a fire station plus having to put up with a stupid brother is too much.”“Reese!” exclaimed Kaitlin taken aback and unsure of what to say. Reese never acted like this. He was always so protective of Ben. Most of all she was surprised that Ben just ignored him and didn't say a word in defense of himself. And the outburst about their living arrangements was new - well sort of.
“Mooom! Tell him! He does it just to annoy me!" pleaded Reese trying to get his mother to scold his brother and take his side.
Kaitlin wasn't having it. “Reese, that's no way to talk to your brother. Apologize!”
There was no way he was going to apologize to the brat so he just got up and left the two of them.
“No baby. But why are you bothering Reese?”
He busied himself with his fish not wanting to talk.
“Ben?” she gently prompted.
“Jade is stupid,” he mumbled.
“Honey, it's not nice to call people stupid. You know better and Jade is a sweet girl. Ben really likes her. Why would you say that?”
Ben thought for a second and finally blurted out, “But I am stupid - Reese said so! He only likes her and Maddy!"
“Oh baby. That's not true. He loves you very much, it's just that he also likes Jade. Being mean to him won't make it any better.”
Ben’s eyes grew wide. “I am mean.” Ben stated it is as a realization and a solitary tear that had been threatening to fall finally rolled down his cheek which he quickly wiped away. His mother was wrong. Reese didn't love him, he didn't even like him. Now he found out why. Reese knew he was mean, just like their father, but he didn’t want to be like him. “I’m sorry,” was all he could think of to say.
“It's okay Ben. Honey, you aren't mean, you are a very sweet young man.”Kaitlin's heart was breaking for her little guy. She figured Ben was jealous of the attention Reese was giving to Jade and Maddy and she hadn't been around very much lately. If only he had his own friends then things would be better. She was going to have to find time to talk to Reese. Obviously he was still only 16, even though his 17th birthday was in December. She had saved almost enough in the past 4 months to put down the deposit. Soon, Ben and Reese, she thought, just hang in there a little longer boys. We will be okay.
* * *
Ben just took a bite of his toast and nodded.
“Good!” said Reese, “and I mean it too!”
* * *
On her way home from working with the bees, Kaitlin noticed they had setup a pumpkin patch for the fall festival. Oh! she thought, I will get some and we can carve jack-o-lanterns!
She paid the vendor and started picking out pumpkins. As she picked the perfect ones she began to think about their situation. She wanted some time with the boys. This weekend was the fall festival and they would love to go. And Halloween was in three weeks, at the end of the month.That's when she realized that with Halloween it would mark the 5 month anniversary of their time in Twinbrook. And not a peep from Newt. Staying off the grid must have worked. She had enough money saved now and she just needed to start looking for both an apartment and a job. With any luck she would be out of the station before Halloween. That was her goal. It felt good to have something to look forward to.
Kaitlin happily lugged the pumpkins back to the fire station. They could be settled before winter rolled in.
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Go Back to Chapter 9
I love these moments of normalcy, with the pumpkin patch.
ReplyDeleteI bet Reese would be ashamed of himself if he knew he was reminding Ben of their father.
He would definitely be upset with himself. Living like that is getting to all of them.
DeleteI like this so far! I really like how you develop their character. At first I thought this was going to be a sad story but It's only the prologue that was super sad the other was only half to quarter sad, hehe. I'm really liking all these kids. I really like Reese especially as the oldest he need to fulfill the role of his dad. I also like that he still had some of his teenage moment even though only a little. I'm not going to speculate about their future because I haven't finished reading but I really hope they're going to be okay.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Well, he is a teenager! So I had to let him be a teenager with an annoying little brother at least once or twice. He really does take on a lot to help. They will most assuredly have some ups and downs!
DeleteI don't think he's annoying, he's just a little bit rowdy remind me of my not so little anymore brother.
DeleteYup, definitely nervous about Ben! I actually wasn't crazy about how Kaitlin handled the situation with Reese and Ben. I feel like she's kind of taking Reese for granted... He's been so mature and done so much for the family. Yes, he was a little harsh in calling Ben annoying, but come on! He's a teenager with a girl he's interested in. Cut the kid a little slack.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily dislike Kaitlin, but I'm finding myself not crazy about her parenting style...
She defiantly mishandled that for sure. Everyones getting a little jumpy living like they do. Ben definitely is looking for someone to give him more attention. Middle kid, no friends his age, looking up to Reese as a substitute father and feeling rejected, mom gone a lot...yep...worried about him for sure. She had a good opportunity to really help him and she didn't go far enough.
DeleteAwww, I'm worried about Ben. He's clearly jealous and in need of attention but everyone is too busy for him. Kaitlin needs to spend some special time with him and of course, he needs some friends his own age. Reese is being a normal teenager with a girlfriend, which he needs that since he's had to take on a lot of responsibility in the last few months. Still, he's scaring Ben because of the history with their father. This family needs help.
ReplyDeleteYes. You are exactly right. He needs friends his own age and wants attention. Kaitlin is so busy trying to make ends meet she misses a lot of what Ben is really going through. Having Jade definitely helps Reese feel more 'normal'. And Ben is jealous of the attention he gives her and even Maddy.
DeleteI feel bad for them all. Sometimes, there is just no right or wrong situation. You do the best you can and you deal with the fallout of whatever consequences come up. As a mother, I know how torn and horrible Kaitlin must feel at times when there isn't though of her to go around.
DeletePoor Ben, struggling to get attention. I can see how it marked him later on and he didn't believe in love.
ReplyDeleteYes...he was fast becoming a bitter little boy starved for love and attention.
Delete