Innocence
"Francis?" Lenny tugged at his arm, and when Francis looked down at him, kept his fingers wrapped around his bicep, his expression open and inquisitive as only Lenny of his siblings could still manage.
"Yeah?"
"There's really a Santa Claus, right?" Lenny asked , his brow furrowing with genuine concern as he continued to lightly grip his arm. "'Cause it's December next month…and that's the month Santa is supposed to come, right?"
"Uh…well, Lenny-" David started, from where he stood several feet away, a plastic cup of blood in his hands. With the emergence of Lenny from his box, the family had suddenly become equipped with plastic cups rather than glasses and mugs, many with cheerful cartoon characters or decorative figures, such as hearts or snowmen, from cheap stacks of leftover holiday cup sets that David had recently purchased.
"Yes," Francis told his younger brother quickly, before David could begin with his likely tactful, but altogether too honest response.
His eyes shifted to the twins, who had entered the room shortly before Lenny's question and were watching with faint interest, warning them with one look to keep silent. Usually they would immediately disregard anything he asked of them on the simple grounds that he had asked, but this time both held their tongues, with Wendell instead leaning back against the kitchen counter, Darlene resting back against his chest into the arm casually looped around her waist as they watched Francis's handling of it.
"Yes, there is," Francis repeated with more confidence, nodding, and braced himself for Lenny's next question. One thing about Lenny they had all learned by now was that if he had one question, several more would be sure to follow.
Lenny looked no less worried by his response. If anything his eyes darkened, becoming troubled as he tilted his head and bit his lower lip.
"Well…does he know that I'm out the box now? So he'll know he can come by for me and not just you guys?"
"Well, Lenny, actually-" David started again, no doubt to tell him that since their parents had died nearly two years ago, they had not bothered to celebrate Christmas with each other. It had seemed more than just pointless or joyless, almost obscene. But this time it was the twins who interrupted him with a look.
"Yeah, sure, bud," Wendell nodded, one finger lightly twining through Darlene's hair, and she nodded too, backing him up.
"Yeah, Santa knows everything, right? He'll be here…won't he, David."
The addressing of David was not a question, and all listening knew that. David hesitated, then gave a weak grin as he too gave a short nod.
"Um, yeah. I guess…that's right."
Still, Lenny was frowning, and he lowered his eyes, his shaggy hair falling partly to obscure one. It took Francis a moment to understand his next almost whispered word.
"Will he come for me?"
"Come for you- Santa?" Francis tried to clarify, and Lenny nodded, still not looking up at him.
"You're supposed to be good…and you know, what we do…you say people would think we were bad, if we ever told…so…is Santa going to think that too, and not come by for me?"
It was the seriousness of his request that got to Francis, the genuine fear shadowing his eyes even as he tried to keep it from their view. Looking at his brother then, seeing the naivety that still resided so clearly within his soul, it was almost impossible to believe that this same boy who still harbored such undeniable innocence would, without careful supervision, rip out someone's throat with great relish and glee.
But this was Lenny, both the brutality and the innocence, and even as Francis answered him in the affirmative, it was hard not to wonder if any but him and his siblings, should they know of his violence, would ever be able to see the innocence as well.