tribute to the nuclear family

Age- 15

"The show went to shit when Cristina left that's common sense."

"No you're just mad because you relate to her the most and now you feel cut off. You're just projecting, don't worry. The feeling will fade soon." he shoves another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

she kicks her feet up onto the coffee table, laughing. "Wow a big word. Is that what your therapist tells you?"

ty moves from the kitchen to take a seat next to her, carefully holding his cereal in one hand while the other tosses a throw pillow towards her face. "Fuck off."

She's still doing that stupid smile she does when she makes fun of someone and ty can't help but start laughing with her. "God you're literally the worst!"

Age - 6

"I think 28 taught me like this...come here." She sets the half empty bottle on the island countertop and brings the kid to stand with his feet on top of her's.

"You're drunk right now." he balances, holding onto her warm hands like a lifeline. " 'nd did you say Nat taught you?"

"Shhh...you're not paying attention. Now we have to step….and turn….and twirl around...all this stupid shit makes it pretty." she's more graceful than her language puts off. they move into the living room, her feet moving them both across the carpet.

"You're not good at this.." his hands grip hers tighter, scared of falling backwards.

"I'm not going to drop you." Her voice sounded sober for a moment and ty trusted it, allowing her to quietly dance them around the living room.

"See? Not so bad."

he shrugs haphazardly before she gently pushes him off her feet. "we can show Natter when she comes back."

"Mmmm. Maybe she'll come back." She takes the bottle again, moving to her usual spot on the couch and the quiet returns to the apartment.

Age: 17

"I'm not bad. I'm not gonna hurt everyone."

"I know." her eyes lied, her face lied. the sentence felt incomplete...like there needed to be a 'but…'

it was stopped in the beginning to spare him. Like she always tried to do. "You're not bad, ty."

the hole in the wall told a different story. the yelling over what he could….and inevitably would become had frustrated him. in a fit of rage he hit the wall.

these arguments were common and the anger that followed was always present.

She stopped for tonight and grabbed her keys. "Fix the wall before 28 sees that shit."

Age 12:

"You're not driving me."

"How're you gonna get there, smartass?"

"Tommy's mom is gonna drive."

"Tommy's mom is a republican"

ty finishes brushing his hair and turns to face her, chest puffed out. he had a clean"How do I look? I'm definitely gonna kiss Wrath tonight."

"Gross. Move I'm trying to watch this." a leg not so gently pushed him to the side. Ty whacked her with the brush, the pre-teen angst getting the best of him.

"I can't look UGLY if I'm going to kiss her!"

"You're not ugly! You're annoying! Besides you want Tommy's mom to take you so ask her."

"You drive crazy! And all my friends like you better than me! So yeah! Angela is driving us to the dance—why're you laughing?!"

"I'm not even mad I just think it's funny when you work yourself up like this. Okay, okay I'm done. You look great. Go kiss Wrath or whatever."

"I will!"

Age 16:

"Stop fighting."

he winced as she pressed the ice pack against his eye. he didn't remember the reason the fight started, only that he kept punching until someone pulled him off.

"You stop fighting."

"I get paid. And I stop once they're dead."

"I didn't kill him—ow!"

"You could have, the way you were beating him. Stop moving." she poured alcohol over the cuts on his knuckles as she had done a number of times to herself and gently began to wrap them up.

"Well I learned it from the best." he always wondered when he was little how they did what they did. how they could so easily hurt people, kill people. but as he grew it became ever so clear, almost blindingly so.

She didn't reply, finishing wrapping the gauze around his hands.

"Don't be mad."

"That's rich coming from you."

"He deserved it!"

"You don't decide who deserves and who doesn't! Next time you pull a stunt like this you won't live here anymore. Nat won't always be there to save your sorry ass."

"That's wildly unfair—you and Nat do shit like this all the time! You beat each other up!"

"You're not like us! You're supposed to be better!"

Age 5:

"Can I sleep in here?" whatever the response may be he had already managed to pull himself onto the bed, dinosaur in tow. "Nat is forgetting again."

without a second though she gets up and locks the bedroom door. just as a precaution. "Did she hurt you?"

"No. She was just standing and talking but I didn't know what she was saying so I want to sleep in here…" he rambles, already tucking himself under the duvet.

her ear presses against the door, hearing the familiar sound glasses being pulled from the top shelf in the kitchen. she sighs after deciding not to attempt to put her back together and returns to the bed. "...does she scare you?"

"Sometimes...like when she yells at me for feeding Liho spaghetti." he yawns, eyes closed as he manages to curl up next to her without any push back. He knows that's not the way she meant but he doesn't want to answer truthfully, it's easier to pretend everything is okay. "Does she scare you?"

"No." She answers too fast but he's too tired to bombard her with questions. She turns the table lamp off, waiting to hear the familiar sound of quiet snores to assure he was asleep.