"Hey mom, where's Dad?" Rebecca turned her attention to her mother.

She took a deep breath and said.

"I don't know honey probably out back." She said resting her but against the counter.

"Is he coming to Jakes game tomorrow?"

"I don't know" she whispered.

"Well, you'll be there right?"

"Of course"

"Good, cause Jake need us its senior night, and last year Donnie Mathway came, and his family didn't and he was devastate, he threw the game, and they need to continue this winning streak." Becca said matter of factly.

"Well thanks for caring about your school record." Her mother said faking interest.

"Well as head cheerleader, I need this, if Jake breaks down tomorrow, I can kiss the MVC award goodbye."

"Mvc?"

"most valuable cheerleader, mom keep up." He mother laughed.

"Besides, having the best player be your brother, gives me a huge advantage for the captain nod next year."

"I thought you were already captain."

"Head cheerleader mom, not captain, not quite, all I need is two more votes, and I'm in like fin"

"Well good luck sweet heart." Her mother finished, turning around to shut off the spigot.

Sarah walked to the patio out back, she knew he wasn't upstairs, in there old room. After the accident things had to be moved around, and rooms had to be switched.

Everyone coped, and understood, but Billy he was on a whole other planet of understanding, Blame.

"Hey, you going to Jakes game tomorrow?" she asked hoping to get a positive response.

"Have I ever gone?" his voice came out rasp and gruff.

"I was hoping this time it'd be different." She said in a whisper.

"Hope floats, but so does shit." He said staring out into the night forest, wanting to just run away.

"look," It came out stern, it caught him off guard, she'd never talked to him this way, yeah they'd argued but this, she spoke with authority, and he sat there and listened.

"You have got to stop this! You can't keep doing this Billy." She said shaking her head.

"He is your son, you said he wouldn't be anything, and he's trying to be."

"You've never talked to him; you said "Hi' once when he was an infant, a baby Billy, he's never heard your voice, just the vibrations of it yelling throughout the house." She stressed, Billy just flexed his jaw, not wanting to hear it but with nowhere to go.

"You touched him twice in his whole life, and once was with your car" her voice thickened, her eyes filled. He looked up then, one tear escaped down her cheek. She was beautiful, always had been, always will be, even in the times he broke her spirits, or made her feel unworthy, she'd still been beautiful.

"He is so good at what he does, so good." She whispered the last part.

"Look Billy, tomorrow night is senior night, it's his last high school basketball game ever, and he needs both his parents to walk him to the middle of that court,'

"I CAN'T WALK! CAN I?" he boomed. She jumped, but didn't back down.

"Then you have something in common then, a disability." and with that she stormed off, into the room they'd shared and though he hadn't been in it in years, she still thought of it as a place she could go to be with him, the old him. She sat on the bed, her head in her hands and sobbed.

The next morning she awoke to her daughters cooking, and her son, coming out of the shower in nothing but a towel, he looked more like his father every day, not to mention his height, he was the spitting image of Billy towering over her looking big enough to squish her, but being as kind hearted as he is, he bent down to kiss her cheek.

'Morning mom' he signed with a big smile on his face.

She kissed him back and hugged his huge frame,

'Morning sweetheart'

'Go get dressed, and come eat' he nodded and walked off to his room.

Her way to the kitchen was blocked by a man in a wheelchair, she looked down at him.

"Beautiful" he whispered, and her heart jumped, fluttered like they were teenagers again.

She bent down to hug him, and she could feel his smile on her ear, something he hadn't done in so long, smile.

After they were done sharing a breakfast as a family.

"Rachel before you leave for school could you vacuum the living room? I'm having guests over today."

"Jake will do it" she said, before bouncing off to her boyfriend's car with had bag flinging around.

She looked at the door, half expecting her to come back, false hope she deemed.

"Why don't you all take the same car in the mornings?"

'Because, Becca thinks it'd be social suicide.' Jake signed.

'With her yes, but I'd take you to school any day, my little star you.' She finished pinching his cheek as she cleared the table.

She saw Billy's eyes, he looked hurt put out, like he felt left out.

Rachel had started clearing the table.

"uhuhuh, I'll do that young lady fire up the vacuum, someone has to, don't make your brother do it he has a big game today." Trying to change the subject and start talking.

"so what he's deaf not stupid" she said, glancing at her father, he'd shot her look, as if he was defending Jacob. He'd never once talked to him, why the sudden change. That pissed her off; you can tell me how to talk about my brother? But you don't even know him, she thought.

"He can't hear me dad, why are you looking at me that way? Are you afraid, ill hurt his feelings, because you've hurt him more than I ever had, at least im doing with words, he can respond to what I throw at him, you throw nothing."

"REBECCA!" her mother warned.

He looked at Jake, his iPod had some game on it he was engrossed in, and he was oblivious to the conversation. This made him just roll away, just then Jake looked up to see his back as rolled away from the table.

'What happened?' he questioned them.

'Nothing' his mother signed back.

"Nothing" Becca said and walked out the door, Sarah heard the engine start.

'Well I guess I'm taking you to school today, after second period like always right?'

'Yup only four classes game day.' He finished.

'So did you talk to him?' Jake asked.

'Yes' she looked pitifully at Jake.

"He not coming is he?" Jake spoke, looking sad.

"I'm sorry honey." She whispered, and signed.

He shook his head fast,

"No don be. I don know wha I espectd" his eyes welled up.

"but your cumin righ?" he said looking up immediately

"I'll be there early" he gave a small smile

"I'm gonna go get ready."

"ok honey" she said as she hugged him, his head in the crook of her neck.