This was how every family night went when they were all together, though with far less bloodshed and threats than the last time they’d played monopoly.
“Look,” Adam cried, grabbing everyone’s attention back.
The python had stopped squeezing their victim who was now very dead, his body misshapen from numerous broken bones. Jake unfurled himself from the body and slithered along the enclosure. Thomas watched, as fascinated as his children, as the python unhinged its jaw to a degree that didn’t seem physically possible and began to swallow their victim feet first.
“Woah,” Avi said, leaning in close to press his face to the glass like Asa.
“How long do you think it’ll take for him to eat him?” Asa asked, breathless.
“Approximately two hours to swallow him. A month to digest.” To Thomas, he said, “Imagine how much you just saved on his food budget.” Then slipped his headphones back in and turned on his music.
August used his headphones not only to silence the screaming, but to signal the others he no longer wished to bea part of the conversation. Usually, Adam and the twins would whine when August tuned them out, but they were too transfixed by the process happening in front of them.
“This is like when that python tried to eat that gator,” Adam said. “I hope Jake doesn’t explode before he digests him.”
Asa’s eyes went wide, gaze jerking to Thomas. “If he explodes you’re not gonna be mad atus, right?”
Thomas chuckled, then touched each of the three boys heads to reassure them that they would not be held responsible if Jake bit off more than he could chew…so to speak. “I don’t think we need to worry about that.”
Avi’s shoulders slumped. “Good. Jakes a good snake…and I don’t want to die.”
Thomas’s heart wrenched at Avi’s casual statement. Thomas had never explicitly stated he would kill them for violating the law, only that there was a line between good and evil and they needed to stay firmly on the side of good or face punishment like the others they’d taken out.
He wished it didn’t have to be like that. He wished he could just trust that they, on their own, would do the right thing, but it was too great a risk. They needed to know that their actions had life altering consequences not just for their victims but for them as well.
August didn’t leave, just joined Atticus and Archer against the wall as the older boys lost interest. Thomas sat on the floor behind the three boys as they oohed and ahhed every so often as the man disappeared and Jake’s body swelled to accommodate a whole person. It took ninety minutes for Jake to swallow him. The boys cheered when Jake’s jaws closed around the top of the man’s head and he disappeared for good.
It was the most patient and attentive Thomas had ever seen his youngest children. “Okay, it's time for bed.”
“But why? There’s no school tomorrow,” Avi whined.
“There’s no school for a whole week,” Adam added. “Why do we have to go to bed at ten like babies?”
“Fine. You don’t have to go to bed but you do have to go upstairs and play quietly. Separately or together. And no fighting,” he tacked on almost as an afterthought.
“Okay, dad,” Adam said, wandering off first, already fishing his cell phone from his pocket. These kids were obsessed with their phones. He hoped the novelty would wear off eventually.
The older boys stood, Archer stretching and Atticus moving to check on his arachnids. August pulled a headphone free and said, “Can I go now?”
Thomas nodded, eyeing the bloated snake for a moment. He was going to have a hard time explaining this to the caretaker, but he’d think of something. It was worth it to see his boys interested in something other than video games and their computers.
Avi and Asa were almost to the door when they stopped and looked at each other, once more silently communicating as they stared into each other's eyes. Just once, Thomas would love to know, for sure, what was going on in their heads.
Just when he thought he’d never know, they both ran back and threw their arms around him. “Thanks, dad. That was really fucking cool,” Avi said.
Thomas stood there, rigid, staring at the top of their heads. Before he could even compose himself enough to remind Avi of his language, they were gone, flinging the door open then letting it slam shut behind them.
“I…” Thomas trailed off, having no idea how to finish that sentence.
Archer came to stand close to him. “You gonna cry?” he asked, voice dripping with amusement.
Atticus pulled a face. “Oh, God. Please, don’t.”
A smirk crept across August’s face, but he said nothing as he headed out.
“I’m not going to cry,” Thomas muttered, glowering at Archer.
Archer laughed, raking his fingers through his long dark hair. “Are you sure?”
