Title: It happens sometimes.

Words: 529

Series: FMA-1, probably

Rating: PG

Characters: Trisha, Ed, and Al; no pairings

Summary: Ed makes one of his first actions he regrets.

Notes: Small reference to another drabble, but it's not needed to understand the context.

"I hate you! You're the worst Mom ever!"

Ed poked the dead bug in front of him with a stick. Everykidsaysthatatonetimeoranother.Iwasjustangry,Ididn'tmeanto,butnowshe's... He looked up as Alphonse trotted past him into the house. From Edward's position on the stairs, he could see his mother through the back kitchen window, hanging laundry. Shealwayshangslaundrywhenshe'supset.I'msurprisedwegetclothesdoneatallwhensheisn't.Usuallyit'sthatbastardthatpissesheroff...I'mgrowingmorelikehimeachdayshesays...IguessMom'sright.I'mjustgoingtogrowupandleaveher,too.I'llforgetaboutherjustlikeDaddidandshegrowsmoresickuntilshediesandI'llbetoblamejustbecauseIbrokeherheartmorethanHeevercould.Mom...I'msorry.I'vetoldyouathousandtimesoverandit'sbeenlikethisforadaynow.I'dgiveanythingtotakebackwhatIsaid.

"Brother, Mom needs us to hold clothes pins. Come on!" Alphonse called, circling around the kitchen like an airplane as he swooped in and swooped back out again.

Ed lifted himself up and met his family out back. He stood about a foot away, unsure to move closer. He just watched as Trisha slowly hung the laundry using the pins that Alphonse handed her. His giggling in that moment was incessant, but Ed eventually grew lost in watching his mother so that he didn't notice anymore. "Mom..." Ed whispered.

The clouds hovered overhead. When one had completely passed them, half the basket was empty. He spoke again, "Mom, I'm sorry." He reached out and grabbed her apron, burying his face into her hip. "Please, Mom."

"Ed..." she said lightly, pressing a hand to his cheek. "You don't have to keep telling me so. I'm sorry, too, because I'm such a horrible mother to you."

Ed's lip curled under. He wasn't sure if it was his anger or his guilt driving home first. "Mom, you're perfect!"

"Yeah!" Al chimed in.

"I mean, who else's Mom answers questions about dumb stuff at the stroke of midnight, like you? Or peels my apple because I'm too stubborn to eat the peel?" Ed said, all the while smiling with tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, no one else's Mom loves their kids as much as you!" Al continued, rushing over to join in the hug. "Ed didn't mean it, did you, Edward? Right?"

"Right... I didn't mean to get angry at you. Please, Mom, don't cry," Ed breathed, reaching up a tiny hand to brush back the tears from her face. "I should've listened to you anyway... When I disobeyed you, it just got the cat killed in the end, because I sheltered it too much from reality... You were trying to teach me that."

Trisha smiled and scooped her boys under her arms, carrying the empty basket with her as the sun broke through the clouds to dry their tears away.