"Yes, Ephram?" she smiled. She dusted her hands against the white apron plastered around her waist, and peered more closely at him. It was then that she noticed the quivering lip. "He'll be home soon," she promised softly. She walked into the room and kneeled next to the arm chair.
"He's never home anymore," Ephram disagreed. He shoved his thumb into his mouth and sucked on it. It was an awful habit for a six year old, but sometimes Ephram felt like he was four again. At least it had been less stressful when all he had to worry about was stacking his blocks.
Julia sighed, "That's true, yes," she clucked her tongue as she removed his thumb from his mouth, "Don't do that," she lightly scolded, "it'll mess up your teeth."
Ephram rolled his eyes, but shoved his hands into the pockets of his red sweatshirt. "Mama," he frowned, "does daddy like the hurt people more than us?"
It was moments like these when she wanted to do nothing but throttle her husband. But she knew how important his job was, so she tried to let it slide. But when it hurt their son...
"No, sweetie," she assured him. He looked doubtful at those words and just shook her head. "Why don't you go find a book and I'll read to you."
Momentarily distracted, Ephram nodded, and hopped off his chair, toddling down the hallway towards his room.
---
"You were never home," Ephram said.
Andy Brown looked up, startled, and nearly dropped the kitchen knife he held in his hand.
Well. This was different. Ephram was talking to him. Using actual words.
"You were never home," Ephram repeated. "Do you know how it felt to be just sitting there, waiting for someone you adored to return home?"
Andy bit his lip, but didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. It all usually led to a fight, anyway.
Ephram stood there. And waited.
When he didn't get a response, he laughed bitterly, and turned to leave.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't," he said, stopping just outside the doorway. "You never gave us the chance to."