Daddy's Son

Camden's fourteen when his mom leaves. She'd been threatening to do it for years, but he'd never thought she'd actually go through with it; that is, he hadn't thought that until he saw her pack away his great-grandmother's oriental plate set and put it in her car along with her suitcase did he realize it wasn't just another fight with his dad about how much he drinks, yells and (sometimes) swings at them with fists raised.

Trotting after her as she put on her shoes, he called; "Mom?" Isaac's still asleep and Camden wouldn't be up if it weren't for swim season.

She doesn't turn. "Go back to the house Camden," she said instead.

"What's going on?" He demanded part-desperate, part-angry that she's pulling this stunt again.

The narrow shoulder's he's known all his life tense and she actually spun around; mascara smudged and the worry lines in her forehead glaring at him in the mid-morning light. "I'm leaving!" She snapped.

Searching her, he was shocked to find she was for real. "Are ya comin' back?" He asked desperately.

"No, I'm done with your father." She told him as she opened her car door.

Swallowing thickly, he implored; "You're going to come home right? What about Isaac? He's still little and needs you."

Sitting down on her old worn car seat, his mom revs her engine and looked out the windshield-not at him-as she answered; "I don't think so," that familiar sadness swimming in blue eyes she begged "Take care of your brother, okay?"

Closing her door, Camden watched shocked as she backed up the car and drove away-never looking back. Never stopping. Never returning to tell him it was a mistake.

A while later, his dad came out of the house and put a hand on his shoulder. "She was a bitch anyway," he grumbled.

Blinking back tears, he tried not to think about how heavy his dad's hand felt. "Mom just left," he murmured voice hoarse.

"Really Camden," he sneered. "Didn't take ya to be a momma's boy."

Teenage indignation spiking, he whirled around ripping himself out of his dad's grip. "Am not! Issac's the one who was always talkin' and followin' her!"

His father's dark brows shadowed his eyes as he grinned with all his teeth. "That's right," he agreed. "You're my son."

When his dad usually said things like that, Camden felt good; it meant he'd done something right in his father's eyes and it made up for all they insults and hits he'd get. This time, though, he didn't feel like a winner as he followed dad back into the house (the door closing behind him like a the lid of a coffin).

XxxxX

When Isaac stumbles into the kitchen a half-hour later, scrubbing at his eyes with his curls flying every which way; Camden has to bite the inside of his cheek because goddamn if the kid isn't mom's spitting-image. Pulling down his too small hammy-down shirt's hem, big blue eyes looked to where he was sitting at the table drinking coffee (like mom used to).

"Where's mommy?" Issac inquired quietly around a yawn.

Putting down his mug. Camden got up to bring down Issac's favorite cereal from the cupboard behind the kitchen table. "Gone," he answered; "Want some breakfast?"

Little lip puckering in a pout, his kid brother then questioned; "When's mommy comin' home?"

Stealing himself as he pours the boy his bowl of cereal, he told Issac "She not comin' home."

"What?" The boy bleated shocked.

"Left while you were sleepin'" he went on, "Said she was done with us."

Hurt, his kid brother's eyes pooled with the tears Camden hadn't let come to him. "But, but-"

"Issac," he snapped. "She's not comin' back and there isn't any good to be done by crying about it!"

Coming in the back door with the empty trash can, their dad smiled at Camden like he'd done something better than win at a swim meet. "You tell him, Camden; that little bastard's gotta know he can't be crying over the bitch-'specially since she left us!" Shoving the trash can back where it belonged, the man took out a six-pack from the fridge and shouted over his shoulder;

"Wake me up for swim practice in the morning!"

It wasn't even noon and dad was drinking. Maybe he was just as upset about mom going as the rest of them. Not noticing his brother until he's sniveling beside him and tugging on his sweatshirt; Camden gazed down at him stoically. "What do you want brat? You're breakfast's on the table."

"Did she leave 'cause of me?"

Camden knew the answer was no, but as he heard the TV blare in the background and the popping of a beer can's tab; he knew things weren't every going to be their regular dysfunctional again. No, something about the air told him it was only going to be worse now that mom had gone forever. So, with great pains, he sneered at his kid brother and answered:

"Yeah she did," glaring meanly at the third-grader, he hissed; "It's 'cause your always such a cry baby, you know."

Blue eyes fill with tears and the teenager shoved him. "See? That's what I mean!"

Sniffling, Isaac wiped away his tears and stood in front of him with his head drooping in dejection. Sighing, he gently pulled him back to him and directed his kid brother to the table where his breakfast was waiting. "Go eat you little brat," he grumbled.

Slowly, the boy did climb up into his chair and begin to eat in that listless way upset kids do. Camden knew he should have felt bad about the way he treated his brother (mom sure as hell would have made him), but in that moment he instead stole himself away and quietly reminded himself it was for the best. Isaac needed to toughen up if he wanted to stay on dad's good side. He only had to stick around another four years, but Issac? He had twice as many years (the poor kid).

Taking up the spot across from his kid brother, Camden went back to his coffee and ignored the quiet plonk of tears that dropped into Isaac's milk. He knew he was being a real asshole of a brother, though, he really couldn't bring himself to care. Besides, it wasn't like the boy was the only one who missed mom. He'd never say, not to Isaac, dad, or any of his teammates or friends; but mom had hurt him just as bad. If not even more so, because, why had she left them here? What about them wasn't good enough for her to want to take them along?

Were they really so awful that they deserved to stay with dad? Reflecting on how he'd treated his brother, Camden thought maybe he was. And it'd only be a matter of time before Isaac was just as much an asshole as him and dad.

He mourned that day.

I've always been curious about Camden Lahey and never feel as if he gets enough attention in fanfic, ergo, why I wrote this fic.

Let me know what you think, thank you all for reading :)