Turning off the engine after I
pulled into the driveway I sat there listening to the music be cut off, as the
engine slowed down until it stopped completely. I had to get out of the car and
into the house. Sighing, I tugged on the hood, even though it was already up
and covering my face. Slamming the door, I strolled quickly to the front door,
ringing the doorbell and waiting on the front porch. Even though I was at
family's house I couldn't bring myself to just walk in. My once stand-up-right
posture was now slightly hunched over with my head hidden. Through the door I could
hear the dog barking and shuffling of feet before my sister, Charlotte, opened the door with a wide smile.
She stood aside as she let me in.
"I was starting to wonder when
you'd show up," my sister greeted, her voice was so cheery, giving me a
hug before moving aside for me.
"Well I was waiting for it to
get dark," I answered as their collie ran over to me, standing on it's
hind legs to put the front ones on my upper body.
My sister pulled the dog off me.
"Dumb dog, you're going to
wake up the kids," Charlotte
yanked on the dog's collar as she started in the direction of the kitchen. "Rily,
I love you and the kids miss you. You're going to have to eventually come out
in the daylight. You can't live like a nocturnal animal forever."
I huffed, rolling my eyes at my
sister's back.
"Don't you dare roll your eyes
at me!" Charlotte
snapped, turning into the kitchen, moving cups and the kettle around.
"Don't use your mommy ninja
skills on me," I sighed not in the mood to deal with my sister mothering
me, again.
"I'm your older sister and a
mother of two. It's a habit," Charlotte
turned to face me, head titled slightly as her long, loosely curled, brown hair
framed her pale face. "I worry about you."
Her blue green eyes softened their
shade similar to my own. Heavy feet came down the steps, and in a couple of
seconds her husband, Paul, strolled into the room. Paul nodded in my direction
as he looked over at his wife, she smiled at him.
"I'm finishing up the last
bits of my paperwork, but the little monkeys don't want to go to bed," he
stated, his gaze locked on my sister's, as a crash upstairs occurred on cue.
"I read to you guys your
bedtime story, go to bed," my sister shouted as she put water into the
kettle.
"But Mom," a small voice whined. I smirked, ready for what my
sister was about to bestow.
"But nothing, you two bed-"
Before my sister could finish, I
interrupted, unable to control myself, "Get back into bed before the
monster tries to bite your ankles!"
Yelps and screams poured from the
upstairs as thunderous steps came down the stairs. Charlotte glared at me as she threw the empty
box of tea at me. I chuckled. The two nearly slid into the kitchen with the
younger one almost falling from the footie pajamas against the tile.
"Uncle Rily," my niece, Madison, glowed as she
changed her direction to me with open arms.
Madison had only recently been that friendly
with me. When I came home she was in tears, refusing to come near me or even
lay eyes on me. Charlotte
talked to her about what I did overseas and why I was covered with burn marks. Madison slowly came
around calling me a hero, despite the fact that I didn't feel like one. Parts
of my skin were grafted while others were just distorted. She was seven, but my
nephew, Elliot, was four, and was still afraid of me. I couldn't blame him. I had
the appearance of a malevolent Greek creature. Madison jumped into my lap, giving me a hug,
while Elliot tip toed over to my sister, nearly hiding his face in his teddy
bear.
"Uncle Rily, can you read us a
bedtime story and check to make sure that the monster isn't there?" Madison begged, her eyes
grew wide, bottom lip puckered out.
"Maybe," I responded
ruffling the top of her head, my fingers getting tangled in her brown hair.
"Aw come on," Madison continued to
plead. "Elliot don't you want Uncle Rily to read to us too?"
Elliot further buried his face into
Charlotte's
leg.
"Elliot go on and say 'hi' to
your uncle," Charlotte
encouraged her son, putting her hand on his back nudging him in my direction.
The grin on my face faded. My eyes
drifted to the floor, knowing that my once happy go lucky nephew who was so
young when I left, was no longer that way with me. Everything changed. Now my
own family was afraid to look at me, and treaded on broken glass when they
talked to me. My sister was the only one who acted like nothing ever changed. Even
that I questioned. I felt sick and angry, wanting to go back into my gloomy
apartment.
"It's fine Charlotte,"
I mumbled, my hand formed into a fist by my side on the leg that was opposite of
Charlotte.
"It's not fine Rily. Go on
Elliot, see Madison's
fine," she spoke gently.
Elliot didn't even budge. My
brother-in-law just picked Elliot up and brought him back up to his room. Paul
had the personality of a wet rag. He managed to talk less to me since I've been
home the past year.
"He's four don't-"
"I'm a beast I get it," I
cut her off my voice gruff.
"You aren't a beast," Madison responded. She
turned around so that she was facing me. She placed a hand on both sides of my
face, even the deformed parts that were forever scarred. "You're nice."
Madison then leaned in and kissed my cheek.
"Night Uncle Rily," Madison smiled as she
hopped off my lap.
"Night Madison, sweet dreams," I responded, she
giggled as she went upstairs.
"See," my sister grinned,
her smugness shined in that smile as she poured the hot water into a mug. "Do
you want some tea?"
"Sure," I answered bracing
myself for the lecture that was about to be served with the steaming water.
"See Madison's not afraid of you. You can stop shutting
yourself from the world," Charlotte
started while I rolled my eyes. "You did a good-"
"Your husband's a grown man
and won't even look at me," I pointed out getting sick of this.
"Oh Paul's just awkward around
all people. It's not because of the burn scars Rily."
"Whatever," I grumbled.
"Rily, you're not Madison's age, use your words," Charlotte scolded her eyes narrowed.
"Yes mother," I continued to protest stirring the liquid
mindlessly.
"Rily seriously, you did an
amazing thing and received honors for-"
"Yeah the honors are really
helping me I can't even walk out of my house without being gawked at. My own
nephew won't come near me," I snapped, not able to hold back the fury in
my voice.
Charlotte sauntered over to me brushing the
hood off my head. My brown hair was scorched off of my skin leaving red
rippling skin. I cringed as she ran her fingers over the top of my head down to
my flamed chewed up ear. Her touch was so soft.
"Baby brother, you've got a heart
of gold, you always have. I just wish you could remember that and see past the reflection
in the mirror." Her voice was a tender lullaby as she bent down and kissed
the top of my head while laying strokes on my scalp.
"Easier said then done,"
I muttered my voice calmer then before.
"Uncle Rily you said you'd
read me a story," Madison
pointed out from up the stairs.
"Your audience awaits," Charlotte gave my back a
little push.
I sighed and took sluggish steps
towards the stairs to see Madison
in her pajamas with a stuffed dog in her grasp.
"Come on, Uncle Rily you're
walking too slow," Madison
complained causing me to run up the stairs as she squeaked.
I scooped Madison up so that she was in a ball near my
head, blowing a raspberry into her neck she giggled louder.
"Stop it!"
"Continue? Okay," I tickled
her stomach; her laughter filled the house as a door behind us cracked open to
show a peering Elliot.
"Rily I wanted them to sleep
stop winding them up!" my sister ordered. "So help me when you have
kids, karma's going to get you in the butt. And if karma doesn't I sure as hell
will!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I
stuck my tongue out at Madison.
She grinned, Elliot shut the door.
I sat on Madison's bed as she grabbed a picture book. Madison scurried under her
sheets curling against my side. I started to read the book as her eyes slowly
drifted to close and before the book was done Madison was asleep. Getting up slowly I
tucked her in before tip toeing out of her room, closing the door lightly. My
sister was standing there at the top of the stairs smirking, her arms crossed
over her chest.
"You're great with kids."
I shook my head.
"So?"
"You're going to be a great
daddy one day," Charlotte
continued.
"A girl would have to be able
to stand to look at me to make that happen let alone touch me."
"You would have to actually
leave your house at normal hours to start with. I just want you to be happy
Rily, you know that, right?"
"I do, but I probably should
get going," I spoke, and she gave me a hug and I made my way out into the
night.
