Eight Hundred Grapes

Bobby dove for Finn, knocking him off his chair, the two of them landing on the floor, legs hitting chairs. Finn’s elbow knocking into the wall, crushing it.

Everyone was up from the table at once. My father moved toward Finn and Bobby, Ben moving to help my father. My mother and Margaret ushering the twins and Maddie away.

My father pulled Finn off of Bobby just long enough for Bobby to punch Finn in the face. Hard. The force of it pushed Finn back, leveling him, blood dripping down his face, through his cracked skin.

Finn held his jaw, shocked. His shock turned to anger, fueling him forward.

“Are you crazy?” Finn said.

“Screw you, Finn.”

The two of them were on top of each other again. Finn was on the offense now as much as the defense. He pushed Bobby through the front door, tumbling toward the lawn.

Finn tackled Bobby on the grass, the vineyard steps away, Bobby rolling over on top of him, ready to take another swing.

But Ben grabbed on to Bobby’s shoulders before he could, holding Bobby back and away, my father reaching down and pulling Finn up to standing. All of them stuck together.

Finn pulled away, straightening his shirt.

“What the fuck, Bobby?” Finn said.

Bobby, almost breaking loose of Ben, lunged at Finn again. But Ben grabbed him back. “What the fuck? You’re asking me what the fuck?” he said. “What about Margaret?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What about Margaret?” Bobby said.

With that question, Finn got quiet, aware that Bobby knew. He knew about him and Margaret. His eyes locked with mine, where I stood with my mother, two feet away.

“Don’t look at her,” Bobby said. “She has nothing to do with this. Look at me.”

Finn turned back to Bobby as Margaret ran outside, the twins and Maddie safely ensconced elsewhere. My mother put an arm around her protectively, not sure what else to do.

Bobby gave Finn a look, disgusted.

“You’re my brother,” Bobby said.

“Nothing happened, man,” Finn said.

“Oh, nothing happened? Okay,” Bobby said. “You’ve always fucking wanted her.”

Finn shook his head, laughing angrily. “Whatever, Bobby . . .”

“This isn’t even about her,” Bobby said. “It’s about me, you wanting my life.”

My father and Ben stood between them, holding them back. But they weren’t watching carefully. They were too mad, and I could picture it. One of them swinging, hitting Ben or my father in the head. Or both.

I moved toward both of them. “Why don’t you guys calm down and take this up tomorrow?”

“Why don’t you worry about yourself, there?” Bobby said, his voice harsh.

Ben immediately got protective, defensive. “Leave her out of it, Bobby,” he said. “She has nothing to do with this.”

Finn laughed and turned away from Bobby for the first time. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding. Now you’re in the business of protecting our sister, Ben? That’s impressive.”

Bobby turned toward Ben, confused. “What is he talking about?”

The vein was throbbing in Ben’s forehead. “Finn, now is not the time.”