“It’s great, thank you.”
“This next one was Chloe’s idea—my apologies in advance,”Warren warns, and I shove at his shoulder. He rubs it as if he’s wounded.
“If you don’t like it, we can return it,”I sign to Luke as he reaches for the gift bag. After taking out the tissue paper, he reaches in and pulls out items one by one. A compass, multi-tool, flashlight, and a tin of matches with a gift card to the local outdoor sports store attached. Luke holds a few of the items in his hands as he looks at me for an explanation.
“Warren told me that you guys have never been camping. I thought it could be fun. The gift card will cover a tent or sleeping bags. If you don’t want to—”
Luke stands, lowers the items to the table, and walks around to where I sit. He stops a foot away, then waves for me to stand. When I do, he gives me a hug—a proper, full hug. My first ever from Luke. I gloat at Warren from over Luke’s shoulder.I knew he’d like it.
Luke pulls away, stepping a few feet back to sign,“Thank you, Chloe.”
“It can be just you and Warren, if you’d like.”
“No… we should all go.”As a family.I look at Warren. Had he seen?
“Okay, great.”I play it cool, but internally, I’m overwhelmed with relief.
Once the waffles and toppings are gone, I offer to clean up, insisting Luke get the day off for his birthday. Warren was going to ask Luke if he wanted to go out this morning to put the gift card to use, just the two of them. I hope Luke accepts—Warren could use the win.
Once I’m done cleaning a good twenty minutes later, I turn to find Warren and Willow sitting at the table, Luke not around. Warren is flushed and has two hands fisted in front of him.
“Everything okay?” I place a hand between his shoulder blades as I move past.
“No.” His voice is cold.
I turn back to him. “Did something happen with Luke? Did he go out?”
Warren places two palms over his eye sockets, elbows resting on the table as he leans into them. “He’s been talking to our dad…”Shit.Warren sits up, looking towards me, hurt and anger mix in a heartbreaking combination over his face. “Luke has been going to see him after school. Apparently, my dad found a place nearby and…” His voice trails off as I lower myself into the chair closest to the stairs. “He asked Luke to move in with him.”
I close my eyes, willing it to be untrue. Warren’s dad has drifted in and out for years, sometimes leaving in the middle of the night—often with bets left owed or someone’s angry husband coming to find him the next day. He’s done nothing but hurt Warren and Luke, and there’s no reason to think his dad would be any different now.
“Shit…” I start, reaching out for Warren. He jolts his hand away, placing it on his knee under the table as his leg bounces.That’s not about you. Don’t get upset.“Luke won’t…”
“Luke is a kid. He doesn’t…” Warren’s tone shifts to anger, his voice like gravel. “Asshole thinks he can show up now? Where the fuck was he when I was couch surfing in high school and Luke was stuck in that hellhole?” He pushes off the table, his chair falling backwards as he stands in a fury, rubbing his chin as he paces. “Making Luke lie to me.” He moves as if he wants to crawl out of his own skin.
I take a deep breath in, telepathically willing him to do the same. “We can figure this out. Luke is a good kid. He’ll—”
“Don’t tell me aboutmybrother.” Warren turns to me, leaning over the table to where I sit. “Sorry—just—fuck!” I hold my breath until he takes a step back and turns, still pacing. “He wants to. Luke wants to move in with him. He—” Warren stills.Double shit.“That’s why he has been holed up in his fucking room—he was counting down the days until he could…”leave.Warren doesn’t have to say it for me to hear it.
“Why don’t we just catch our breath, then come up with a plan? Your dad will probably not get CPS-approved anyway. We can talk to Luke, we can—” I stop at the sound of a fist hitting drywall.
There’s now a large hole at the end of the hallway where Warren stands. Willow cries loudly in response to the sound. I run to her. “Hey, it’s okay, baby.” I pull Willow out of her high chair and bounce her from side to side. Her cry grows louder.
Warren approaches us, regret pulling down on his face, and I reactively take a step away from him. He stops dead in his tracks, horrified.
“I didn’t mean to—” His voice cracks.
“Warren, you need to go calm down. Now.” I don’t look at him. I can’t bring myself to.
“I would never—”
“Just leave!” I shout in reply.
A dreadful silence floats around the apartment as no one moves. I slowly lift my eyes off the floor and turn to Warren. Even from across the room, I can make out the tears that roll down his cheeks. His eyes fixate on the floor. His face is tilted as if he’s been slapped. I told him to leave—the worst possible thing I could say to someone who’s never been allowed to stay.
“Warren, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that—” He raises a palm, and I stop.
“Don’t do that. Don’t apologise right now. It’s all my fault. I should be…” He licks his teeth as his body grows even more tense; there’s a slight shake to his hands. Without another word, he turns on his heel, rushing down the hallway.
