"Keeva, please explain that to me again. Because I really don't think you said what I think you said." Brigh rubbed her temples.
"Well, what'd ya think I said?"
"I think you said you're moving out."
"Aye."
Brigh jumped to her feet, using her two inches of height on Keeva to tower over her angrily. "Keeva, you promised me you'd help take care of my kids! Catrina doesn't start school until next year! And I've got to work!"
"I didn't say I wouldn't still be around!" Keeva protested.
"Keeva, you haven't been around for two frickin weeks!"
"You didn't need me! You were still off work!"
"Keeva-"
"Brigh-"
Both sisters let out an angry yell and turned away from each other.
"This is about Murphy, isn't it?"
"Not entirely!"
"Then what is it?"
"I'm twenty-four! Brigh, you had Braden when you were twenty-one! When we talked about me coming to help you, you said you wanted me to have a fuckin' life! A family o' my own! Now that I'm trying to do just that, yer tellin' me I fuckin' can't?"
"Keeva, I need you! We need you!"
"Brigh, tell me once in yer entire fuckin' life. When have ye taken responsibility fer anything?!"
"Try eighteen fuckin' years ago! When Ma and Da died?" Brigh shouted. "I took ye in!"
"Fer five months! Then ye shipped me right back off!"
"I couldn't take care o' ye!" Brigh shouted. "I was twenty fuckin' years old!"
"You were twenty-one an' takin' care o' yer own kid!"
"No I wasn't!" Brigh shouted, and startled Keeva into silence. "John had to! I was completely clueless! I still am!"
"Then get yerself a fuckin' clue!" Keeva shouted back. "Because I deserve ta have a life!"
"And what kind of a life do ye think Murphy can give ye?! Running around, away from the cops?! I thought ye wanted kids o' yer own!" Keeva was suddenly glad the Braden and Catrina had gone down to the park down the street with Murphy. They couldn't hear the shouting match. Or, they possibly could, the park wasn't that far away.
"Brigh, you've got no fuckin' idea what yer talkin' about!"
"They're killers Keeva! Murders!"
"They're good people, an' they only kill evil men!"
"Keeva, would you listen to yerself? You're not a killer! You're not like them!"
"Yes I am!" Brigh froze, staring at her sister with wide eyes. She knew what Keeva meant by that.
"Yakavetta." She said quietly, then cried, "You didn't!" Keeva set her jaw.
"Aye."
"No!"
"I already told ye I did!"
"Murphy, watch out!" Murphy swung around, and tried to duck the little girl who was attempting to jump on him. When he'd agreed to go with Keeva to talk to her sister, he hadn't thought he'd be taking her niece and nephew to the park down the street. And he didn't imagine trying to play soccer with them either.
Catrina didn't seem to understand that it wasn't supposed to be a contact sport. She kept trying to tackle the boys, even though her brother was on her team. Now, even though he didn't have the ball, she was chasing him.
"No! Yer brother! He's got tha ball!" Braden just laughed, until Catrina tripped and fell the stream that fed a large pond in the middle of the park. She started crying, trying to get the mud out of her eyes.
"Cat!" Braden abandoned the ball, and reached her at the same time Murphy did. The older man lifted her up out of the cold water and set her down on the ground, using the bottom of his shirt to wipe her face off. She opened her eyes and stared up at him, green eyes wide as she slowly got to her feet, a muddy hand in her mouth. Braden took a step back as Murphy stood. Catrina suddenly leapt at Murphy, tackling his legs. Loosing his balance because he didn't want to kick the girl, he tumbled backward, straight into the pond.
"Keeva, are you insane? You actually put a gun to a man's head and pulled tha fuckin trigger?!"
"Yes!"
"You are insane!"
"Brigh, that man kidnapped you, threatened me and our family!"
"Our family? I thought it was my family! At least, that's what you said not five minutes ago!"
The door opened, and Braden walked in, pausing in the doorway when he saw the two of them. Behind him Keeva could see Murphy carrying a muddy-looking Catrina, and he was dripping wet and completely covered in mud.
"Don't ask." He said, and his eyes flickered from one to the other. "We'll uh. . . Be in the kitchen." He said, and gave the back of Braden's leg a gentle kick. The three of them hurried off into the kitchen, where Braden got his sister an ice pop.
A flurry of hushed shouts came from the dining room, and then Brigh's voice.
"What kind of fuckin life would you have?"
"You already asked that question!"
"What is it with you and dangerous men?" Catrina whimpered and buried her face in Murphy's shirt. Murphy looked up at her brother, who shrugged and shook his head.
"Don't look at me. They've never fought like this." He said quietly. Murphy tried to put Catrina down, but she was clinging to his shirt, and wouldn't let go.
"The last guy you went out with got busted for drug dealing!"
"I broke up with him as soon as I fuckin' found out!"
"And that biker?"
"Brigh!"
"What?!"
"Stop it!"
"No! I'm tryin' ta watch out for ye! Like I've always done!"
Braden tried to get his sister off of Murphy, but she held on tightly. Murphy sighed, and shifted her in his arms so he could rest a hand on Braden's shoulder.
"It's all righ'." He said. "She'd just get ya muddy anyway." Braden nodded. Catrina suddenly let go of his shirt with one hand, and reached up, pulling his rosary out from under his shirt.
"Hey!" He said as she hit him in the chin with it. "Be careful, all right?" She nodded, running her muddy fingers over the polished wood.
Keeva marched into the living room. "Murphy, we're goin'." He shifted Catrina in his arms and tried to hand her over to Braden, but she let out a yell and grabbed his shirt with both hands.
"Catrina! Stop that, right now!" Brigh demanded as she came in behind Keeva. This only served to make Catrina scream louder.
"No! I want Uncle Murphy!" Keeva blanched, and got a hold of her niece.
"Kitty Cat." She said soothingly. "Let go of Murphy, all righ'?" The little girl was still shouting, but she let go of his shirt. Before she could latch onto her, Keeva handed her quickly to Brigh and grabbed Murphy's hand, lacing her fingers through his as they left.
"Uncle Murphy?" He asked. He noticed that Keeva still looked a little pale. She shook her head, and he let go of her hand, sliding his arm around her waist. "Ye all right?" He asked. She nodded.
"It's just the whole thing with Brigh." She said quietly. Murphy stopped walking and narrowed his eyes at her.
"That's not fuckin' it, is it?" She chewed on her lip, refusing to meet his eyes. "Kee, we're not goin' anywhere till ya answer me, and I'm soakin' wet, so hurry up and answer the fuckin' question!"
"What was it again?"
"Why did you get nervous when Catrina called me Uncle Murphy?" She chewed on her lip, shivering in the cold wind. He wasn't doing much better, but at least he had a coat on. Whereas she only had a thin sweater.
"How about if I swear I'll answer you when we get home?" He considered it for a second, then nodded.
