justprompts 6/15-6/19
If you become a nobody
Blind, to your family
Who would you be?
And life has gone into reverse
Re-living every hurt along the way
Everything that you fear
Is calling you and drawing near"Demons" Brian McFadden
"...and den Kio said, 'You can't do dat.' He said he'd tell, and I said-" Phillipe continued talking about his day as everyone somewhat listened. It was family dinner night again, and Avery was at the table in between Bailey and Akela. His face was angled down as he concentrated on eating. He actually had elbow room. Something that didn't usually happen at the Rallita dinner table. But with Kala and Lani across the country and Evie being...only God knew where - the table was quite empty.
He didn't really listen to his nephew or anyone else as they spoke around him. He wasn't in the mood to be there. At all. He barely heard the doorbell ring. It was only moments later when his Mama reappeared in the dining room, with Lulu in her arms and Rebeka at her side, that he snapped to. Actually it wasn't until he heard the all too familiar, "Daddy!"
He glanced up and smiled when he saw Lu. "Hey!" He got to his feet and walked over to them and she leaped into his arms. He hugged her tightly. "Whatcha doin here?"
"Mommy said!"
Avery glanced at Rebeka with raised brows. She nodded her head to the living room then walked off. He sighed and turned back to the table. "Go sit with Aunt Bailey," he told his daughter. Bailey opened her arms for the little girl while giving Avery a look. He shook his head, not wanting to get into it. Then he went to find Rebeka.
She stood at the wall beside the television and looked over the framed photos. He stood beside her and looked as well. Pictures of all the kids growing up, their parents, grandchildren, other foster children, and friends.
Rebeka pointed to the photo of herself, Avery, and Kala sitting on the beach years before. "Always loved that picture."
"Me too," he nodded slowly. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked to the floor. "What do you want?"
"I want to take Luna on a trip."
"Where? When?"
"Next week."
His jaw set and he nodded. "Where?"
"My parents are renting a place up by Disney again."
"And you've known about this how long?" He looked up at her and watched her shrug. He shook his head.
"C'mon Av, you just had over a month with her."
"Yea, because you decided to have your own vacation," he argued. "Didn't leave me a choice."
"Avery."
"Fine. When is she coming home?"
"Two weeks."
He nodded. "Fine." He sighed and watched the floor again. Her eyes returned to all the photos.
"You...you could come, too."
"No," he said softly.
"She'd love it. If we were both there. She's always happiest when-"
"I know."
Her hand went to his arm softly and she gave it a squeeze. He met her eyes and she stared back at him. His stance relaxed as he stared back. As much as he'd hated her at times, she was still Beka. "We could all be happy."
"No," he whispered.
"You're not happy now."
"I am," he closed his eyes to avoid seeing her and she moved closer to him.
"You don't look it."
"Please, Bek, please...just leave." His hand grasped her elbow gently.
"Convince me you're happy like this. Being with a woman you never see? Never feel?" Her hand brushed down his chest slowly and he let out a long breath. "I know you, Av. I know what you need." His head shook and he refused to open his eyes. Her fingers rested to his stomach. "Touch...and warmth." He kept thinking he'd stepped away from her, but he hadn't moved at all. She pushed closer to him and let her hand travel to his hip. "We both know it." Her other hand ran up his arm and gently cupped his cheek. He still didn't open his eyes to her. "She can't make you happy. She doesn't know you like I do. She doesn't know how to take care of you." Rebeka pulled slightly on his face. He was somewhere else completely in that moment and he started to lean towards her.
Someone cleared their throat and Rebeka pulled her hand down before stepping away. Avery's eyes opened and they both looked over to see Bailey standing in the room. She gave the steamiest of glares to Rebeka and Rebeka held herself tall with her chin in the air. She met Bailey's eyes with an even look and glanced over to Avery. "I've got this thing tonight. Can Luna spend the night at your place?" She asked gently.
He wouldn't look at her. He just nodded. She nodded back and went for the door. No one spoke to her as she left. Bailey stepped towards her brother and watched him. "Crazy bitch," she muttered.
"B," he shook his head. "Don't."
"Don't? Oh my god, Avery! Were you here five seconds ago?"
He looked over at her and the moment she saw his face she shut up. The pain on his face was a kind that she usually only saw when Rebeka had left him for whatever millionth time. "Just don't," he said tightly.
"You're not thinkin' about taking her back, are you?"
"I need to take a walk. Watch Lu?" He headed for the door not bothering with shoes. Bailey took a step after him.
"Tell me you're not thinking about it."
He said nothing. Just walked out the door and pulled it shut softly behind himself.
Blind, to your family
Who would you be?
And life has gone into reverse
Re-living every hurt along the way
Everything that you fear
Is calling you and drawing near"Demons" Brian McFadden
"...and den Kio said, 'You can't do dat.' He said he'd tell, and I said-" Phillipe continued talking about his day as everyone somewhat listened. It was family dinner night again, and Avery was at the table in between Bailey and Akela. His face was angled down as he concentrated on eating. He actually had elbow room. Something that didn't usually happen at the Rallita dinner table. But with Kala and Lani across the country and Evie being...only God knew where - the table was quite empty.
He didn't really listen to his nephew or anyone else as they spoke around him. He wasn't in the mood to be there. At all. He barely heard the doorbell ring. It was only moments later when his Mama reappeared in the dining room, with Lulu in her arms and Rebeka at her side, that he snapped to. Actually it wasn't until he heard the all too familiar, "Daddy!"
He glanced up and smiled when he saw Lu. "Hey!" He got to his feet and walked over to them and she leaped into his arms. He hugged her tightly. "Whatcha doin here?"
"Mommy said!"
Avery glanced at Rebeka with raised brows. She nodded her head to the living room then walked off. He sighed and turned back to the table. "Go sit with Aunt Bailey," he told his daughter. Bailey opened her arms for the little girl while giving Avery a look. He shook his head, not wanting to get into it. Then he went to find Rebeka.
She stood at the wall beside the television and looked over the framed photos. He stood beside her and looked as well. Pictures of all the kids growing up, their parents, grandchildren, other foster children, and friends.
Rebeka pointed to the photo of herself, Avery, and Kala sitting on the beach years before. "Always loved that picture."
"Me too," he nodded slowly. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked to the floor. "What do you want?"
"I want to take Luna on a trip."
"Where? When?"
"Next week."
His jaw set and he nodded. "Where?"
"My parents are renting a place up by Disney again."
"And you've known about this how long?" He looked up at her and watched her shrug. He shook his head.
"C'mon Av, you just had over a month with her."
"Yea, because you decided to have your own vacation," he argued. "Didn't leave me a choice."
"Avery."
"Fine. When is she coming home?"
"Two weeks."
He nodded. "Fine." He sighed and watched the floor again. Her eyes returned to all the photos.
"You...you could come, too."
"No," he said softly.
"She'd love it. If we were both there. She's always happiest when-"
"I know."
Her hand went to his arm softly and she gave it a squeeze. He met her eyes and she stared back at him. His stance relaxed as he stared back. As much as he'd hated her at times, she was still Beka. "We could all be happy."
"No," he whispered.
"You're not happy now."
"I am," he closed his eyes to avoid seeing her and she moved closer to him.
"You don't look it."
"Please, Bek, please...just leave." His hand grasped her elbow gently.
"Convince me you're happy like this. Being with a woman you never see? Never feel?" Her hand brushed down his chest slowly and he let out a long breath. "I know you, Av. I know what you need." His head shook and he refused to open his eyes. Her fingers rested to his stomach. "Touch...and warmth." He kept thinking he'd stepped away from her, but he hadn't moved at all. She pushed closer to him and let her hand travel to his hip. "We both know it." Her other hand ran up his arm and gently cupped his cheek. He still didn't open his eyes to her. "She can't make you happy. She doesn't know you like I do. She doesn't know how to take care of you." Rebeka pulled slightly on his face. He was somewhere else completely in that moment and he started to lean towards her.
Someone cleared their throat and Rebeka pulled her hand down before stepping away. Avery's eyes opened and they both looked over to see Bailey standing in the room. She gave the steamiest of glares to Rebeka and Rebeka held herself tall with her chin in the air. She met Bailey's eyes with an even look and glanced over to Avery. "I've got this thing tonight. Can Luna spend the night at your place?" She asked gently.
He wouldn't look at her. He just nodded. She nodded back and went for the door. No one spoke to her as she left. Bailey stepped towards her brother and watched him. "Crazy bitch," she muttered.
"B," he shook his head. "Don't."
"Don't? Oh my god, Avery! Were you here five seconds ago?"
He looked over at her and the moment she saw his face she shut up. The pain on his face was a kind that she usually only saw when Rebeka had left him for whatever millionth time. "Just don't," he said tightly.
"You're not thinkin' about taking her back, are you?"
"I need to take a walk. Watch Lu?" He headed for the door not bothering with shoes. Bailey took a step after him.
"Tell me you're not thinking about it."
He said nothing. Just walked out the door and pulled it shut softly behind himself.