"You mean everyone can see you now?" Ruby exclaimed as soon as Tom finished reporting to her.

"No," Tom hurriedly explained, "The Hemsworths only... All three of them can see me."

Ruby nodded, waving it off. "Wow. I've never had a case where the entire family can see one of us before..." her voice trailed. She has heard of it of course but it was rare. Definitely rare for someone like Tom who just specialises in children.

"What do I do Ruby? I love a new challenge but this... This is really huge! Where do I start? How do I help them? What do they need?!" Tom babbled, flustered at all of this. The whole ruckus the Hemsworths made the night before was enough to scare him out of his wits. He didn't want it to repeat again.

Ruby put out a hand as if to stop Tom's never ending rant. "Calm down Tom. I'm sure we can guide you in this... But so far, you did the right thing. Calming them down and making them talk things out is the first step." She gave him an empathetic look as her hands squeezed his. "Adult friendships are always hard. I've been there."

Tom nodded helplessly. He was sure Ruby had many experiences. But according to her, adult friendships are much more complex than children. Emotions, motives and issues get in the way. When he left the previous night, Chris had reluctantly let Liam stay in the house. His old room was now Alex's so he had to use the guest room. Tom knew he has to be there when morning comes. God knows what Liam might do to trigger Chris's temper again. Liam irritates the hell out of him but he could sense that all he needed was attention and someone to listen to him. Just like Chris.

"I'm here if you need anything, Tom," Ruby assured him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Sure," Tom replied. He was about to stand and leave when a nagging thought hit him. He sat back down hastily.

"Ruby... What's a boyfriend?"

Ruby widened her eyes at Tom's question. "You don't know?"

"I... do..." Tom faltered nervously, "Just not too sure the connotations the term carries really." He shrugged and slumped back. Adult relationships and their lingo will be the death of me.

A soft giggle escaped from Ruby's lips, making Tom smile. "Oh dear... Boyfriend is usually for a special someone... A lover to be precise," Ruby explained. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she spoke with a hint of amusement on her lips.

"A lover..." he repeated. Tom instantly blushed at the thought and could feel his ears turn hot. He wasn't sure why but the term brought so many inappropriate suggestions to mind. "Oh my goodness. That's just... Oh my…" Tom sputtered, embarrassed. He covered his crimson face with his hands, not wanting Ruby to see him like this.

More laughter could be heard as Ruby left her chair and came around to give Tom a sisterly hug. "Oh you naive little thing," she whispered, still chuckling.

Tom laughed nervously. "But I'm not... I'm not... you know..."

Ruby pulled away, cupping Tom's burnt cheeks, "Oh I know. I know." She winked at him and giggled some more before sitting on her desk. "Having said that Tom," her tone became serious and Tom's ears perked up to listen. "It's wise to not form any romantic feelings with anyone."

Tom shrugged. "You don't have to worry about that Ruby," Tom assured her. "I'm not even sure I know how to..." he instantly blushed again and waved it off – embarrassed at the way he left the sentence hanging. It didn't sound decent. He wanted to rectify what he just said but couldn't think of anything to say.

Ruby could only beam. "I'm just saying," she teased before shooing Tom out of her office.


Chris was too exhausted to even speak to Liam yesterday night. He checked that Alex was still asleep before retiring to his own room. He didn't even bother checking in on Liam. He's an adult. He could take care of himself. This morning was absolutely awkward for them but Alex wanted pancakes and Chris managed to avert any conversations with his brother by throwing himself in cooking.

"You love pancakes?" Liam asked Alex. The boy nodded vigorously as he drummed his fingers on the table.

"I love them too," said Liam pensively. Then an idea hit him, "What's your favourite vehicle Alex?"

"Aeroplanes!"

"I love them too!" Liam quipped. "They can fly!"

Alex grinned and it warmed Liam's heart. His innocent smile reminded him of Coraline and how he used to be the reason why she's happy. He wanted to make amends and having a good rapport with his own son is the first step.

Chris pretended not to pay attention when Liam and Alex continue to banter. He could feel an odd sense of jealousy and at the same time an urge to protect Alex. Chris managed to suppress them, reminding himself that if Liam claims that he just wanted to see Alex, then he wouldn't hurt his own son. When Chris was done, a tall golden tower of pancakes was ready. He took out the maple syrup from the fridge before placing the stack on the dining table.

"Alex, get the plates and the utensils," Chris instructed.

"Why are you making the kid do the job?"

"Why can't I?" Chris countered, annoyed.

Liam had half a mind to tell Chris to stop commanding his kid but remembered that Alex didn't know what's going on. "Dude. You have your hands – do it yourself."

"I can do it Uncle Liam," Alex interrupted. He left his seat and started to set the table, shooting Liam an annoyed look. He wasn't sure what the big deal is.

"Well in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to teach my son responsibility. So if you don't mind..."

Liam bit back a retort and grudgingly accepted a plate from Alex.

"Eat."

When Tom arrived at the Hemsworths, all three of them were sitting around the battered dining table devouring a stack of pancakes each.

"Tom!" Alex called out, spotting Tom at the backdoor. Liam barely looked at him and continued munching on his breakfast. Chris nodded grimly at him and Tom could tell that from his expression Liam had ticked him off again and was just bottling up his emotions for Alex's sake.

Alex jumped off his chair before running towards Tom, giving him a hug around his midriff.

"Hey you," Tom greeted him, bending to return the hug.

"Pancakes, Tom?" Chris asked, holding out an empty plate. Tom politely declined.

"It's okay. I've had breakfast... I'm here to just check on Alex. He glanced from Chris to Liam. "Is everything alright?" But both kept mum. Tom had lowered himself to his knees as Alex tugged on the hem of his shirt.

"Did you sleep well Alex?" It was Tom's way of checking if his fathers had brawled when he left. If they had, Alex would have complained about it. But instead, Alex nodded, "Yes I did!"

Despite the racket yesterday night, Alex had slept so soundly. Chris's assurance that he won't let Liam take him was enough to make him feel at ease and safe. He dreamt of Coraline that night, smiling and laughing, poking for Chris to stop telling his jokes. They were in the truck – all three of them. Chris was driving with the windows down. The wind swept their hair back, cooling the humidity. Alex didn't know where they were going in the dream but he knew he didn't want it to end.

"Dad is gonna send me over to Ellie's today. He said he has some work to do. You wanna come along with me?" Alex asked Tom innocently. It had been some time since he played with Tom. He missed his best friend.

Tom ruffled his hair, smiling warmly. "I'm not sure I can buddy..." He shot a concerned look over to Chris who returned him a solemn look. Tom knew he wanted to talk things out with Liam. Tom had a strong gut feeling that there'd be a brawl again and sending Alex away would avoid him witnessing anything ugly. He wasn't sure whether to watch over Alex and Luke or his fathers. Truth be told, he was more worried for the adults. At least the kids will have Ellie.

Chris's fork clattered against the plate as he swallowed the last of his pancake. "Buddy, I think Uncle Tom is going to stay with me this time. You'll have fun with Luke," he said before chugging down a mug of coffee.

Alex's face fell and his eyes searched Tom's face, wanting him to say otherwise. But Tom knew Chris needed him more. Probably to hold him off whenever he feels like punching the hell out of Liam. Tom shook his head, defeated, at Alex before ruffling his hair again. "Maybe next time okay?"

Alex nodded unenthusiastically. "Okay."


"Liam? He's back in town?" Ellie asked in disbelief. The last time she saw him was a year ago, before Coraline's death. She wasn't sure if Chris knew of Liam's affair with his wife. Liam and he weren't exactly on good terms even before Chris married Coraline. Liam's drug abuse was well-known across town. So when she found out that Coraline ended up marrying Chris, Ellie was relieved that her friend made the right choice. But that feeling didn't last long.

Chris rolled his eyes before nodding his head grimly. "Yup. He's back alright."

"I hope you two can work things out," said Ellie earnestly. She had grown to care about Chris and she hated the fact that his volatile brother is back to screw things upside down. Chris shrugged at her comment, giving her a small hint of a smile. He was fond of Ellie but something was telling him that she knew something she shouldn't have. Chris wondered if she knew of Liam's affair with Coraline but brushed it off. Even if she knew, who is he to be angry at her or even pin the blame on her?

"If you need anything, just give me a call," said Chris before waving goodbye to Alex.


"I've never seen you in town before," Liam lamented, eyeing Tom. He had poured himself cup of coffee and had observed Liam eating his pancakes until Liam felt harassed. Chris had left him behind with Liam.

"Doesn't mean I don't exist," Tom replied simply. "I haven't seen you around either."

"I've out and about," Liam said, waving his fork around before its sharp ends land on a piece of his breakfast. He popped the last piece of his pancake into his mouth before wiping his lips with a napkin.

"Where?" Tom asked curiously. Liam cocked an eyebrow up as he put down the napkin beside his plate. He's a weirdo this one. "Across the country... Las Vegas."

Tom's lips curved downwards as his brain tried to work out where Las Vegas is located. "What were you doing there?"

"Uh... I..."

"Gambling," said Chris, finishing his brother's sentence. A frown was carved on his forehead as he dragged a chair out of the table, twirling it around to face both Liam and Tom. He sat with his hands resting on the back of the chair. Liam shot him a derisive look.

"Trying to make a fortune more like," he corrected.

And Tom shot another question innocently, "Why don't you just get a job?"

"Yes, Liam. Why didn't you get a job like a normal person?" Chris enunciated, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Because," Liam explained impatiently, "When someone insists that only he can work on the family inheritance and convinces me that I am a good for nothing, my self-esteem is crushed."

"What bullshit is that?!" Chris chided, raising his hands up.

"Well Chris, unlike you, I didn't finish High School since you stole my gir-"

"That's enough," Tom asserted. "Enough of this nonsense. Please. You two are adults. What I'm listening to is what two emotionally unstable teenagers would say to each other."

"Who are you to be a mediator anyways?" Liam argued.

"He's here because we both know that without him, I'd have killed you with my bare hands by now," Chris muttered.

Liam clenched his fists but said nothing. What Chris said was true. He'd be dead right now if Tom wasn't there to intervene.

"I couldn't get a stable job ok?!" Liam said defensively. "All I could do was to be a kitchen hand or some temp cashier at a Walmart. Nobody wants me." His voice went soft at the end as if he was helpless and there was nothing he could do about it. "I thought with gambling I could make it big and finally take care of my son. I... I wanted to be responsible Chris. I really did. I was prepared to get beaten up and all by you when I come and tell you but... but Cora made a valid point. Alex would be better off with you..."

"And he is." Chris huffed and turned away from Liam. It was too painful to even look at him right now.

"You still haven't told me why you decide to come out of the blue," Chris said, twiddling his thumbs. His knuckles ached and his fingers were sore from last night. A slow migraine was creeping onto his scalp, making him cringe whenever it throbs. He instinctively reached the back of his neck and massaged it lightly.

"I told you Chris. I just wanted to see Alex," Liam insisted. Tom noticed the dilation in Liam's pupils when he said that. Liam was hiding something and Tom wasn't comfortable.

"Fine," said Chris. "You've seen him. Now leave." He cracked his knuckles, avoiding Liam's wild gaze as the words sunk in.

"You can't kick me out of my own house Chris."

"This is not your house," said Chris simply. "This is my house. I took care of everything in the house ever since the day dad died and you were nowhere to be seen."

"My name is on that will. I have every right to this house as you," Liam persisted. "Are you going to kick me out on the streets?!"

Chris didn't answer. Instead he stood up, put back the chair to the table and began to walk away from Liam.

"Chris. Please," Liam pled. There was something in his voice that made him stop in his tracks. Liam's voice was soft and pained and it was almost as if to say that he's at the brink and he needed help. Despite his anger, Chris could feel the pain in Liam's voice tugging onto his masochistic heart, making it ache. It had been a very long time since he felt the need to protect his younger brother.

"Tell me why you're here Liam. Tell me and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you stay." Chris didn't want to go back and forth on all this. He was tired of playing mind games. Liam has to straighten up and prove his worth.

There was a long pause. Liam had heaved a deep sigh as he slacked against his chair. A million thoughts and scenarios ran through his mind as he imagined himself telling the truth. He could only wonder what Chris's reaction would be like. He glanced at Tom who had been observing them both before making eye contact with Chris.

"You really wanna know the truth?" he asked. This time he sounded weak – as if he's ready to give up his entire tough act and just let go.

Chris could only fold his arms, awaiting for the big moment of truth.

Liam heaved another deep sigh. "I'm here to see Alex because…" he hesitated and he could see Chris wanting to just leave when he paused.

He has to say it. He has to let Chris know.

"I'm… I'm dying Chris."