I dumped the ashtray that started the entire ruckus and put a cup of water in the microwave to boil. I could hear Lucinda’s and Jim’s muffled voices as I approached the bedroom door to return the ashtray. Jim was taking advantage of the opening I had created and was feeding her the words she needed to hear. I stood there for a moment, listening as I was painted as the villain. Jim was such a chump, and he wondered why Kevin and I had nev
er warmed up to him, I thought to myself as I knocked on the door.
They were both sitting with their backs against the wall smoking when I walked in. Lucinda’s new computer sat on a piece of plywood on the mattress in front of her.
I handed over the ashtray silently and headed back to the kitchen as the microwave dinged. I stirred in instant coffee, creamer and sugar, just the way she liked it.
Once Lucinda’s coffee was in her hands, I finished up the kitchen before heading to my room with an ice pack in hand.
My bed was not empty when I walked in and I wasn’t surprised. Kevin was curled up in a small ball, pressed against the wall. His eyes were open wide as I came in with the ice pack.
“It’s okay, bud,” I said, climbing into bed beside him. I placed the ice pack to my blazing eye and nearly groaned in agony from the cold against my tender skin. I momentarily looked away, knowing it would only upset Kevin further.
“I heard her calling. I should have come in to wake you up,” he said, grief stricken.
“Hey, this is never your fault. You got me?” I asked, reaching over to wipe a stray tear off his cheek.
“I kept-t-t thinking-g-g any minute-e-e you would get up,” he choked out, sobbing quietly.
I placed the ice pack on top of the dresser next to me and pulled him into my arms.
“This is not your fault,” I said fiercely, hating Lucinda for doing this to us. Kevin’s sensitivity was only compounded by her fits of rage.
Kevin continued to sob for several moments as I rubbed his back to comfort him. Finally, his sobs turned to half-hiccups as he sniffled and dried his eyes against my shirt.
“Don’t worry, it’s almost like a tissue,” I teased lightly, earning a watery smile.
“Katelyn, you won’t ever leave me behind with her, right?”
“No, buddy. I won’t ever leave you alone. How could I? We’re waiting for our someday soon right?” I asked gently.
“Yep, someday soon it'll just be the two of us,” he agreed.
I nodded my head. I hadn’t figured out the logistics, but someday, when I was legal, Kevin and I would leave Lucinda behind.
“Where will we live?” Kevin asked yawning, playing a favorite game of his.
“Somewhere cold,” I said for the first time ever. My standard answer had always been someplace warm, but a certain dimpled hunk had me thinking the cold had a certain appeal.
Kevin looked surprised at my answer, but moved on to the next question. “And we’ll never be hungry again?”
“Nope, our cabinets and fridge will always be filled to the brim.”
“And we'll never move again?” he said sleepily as his eyes drifted closed.
“Nope, we’ll never move ever again,” I whispered to him.
I watched him lying there asleep. No matter how I felt about Max, Kevin would always come first.
***
The next morning, my face was still on fire from Lucinda’s midnight freak out. I winced trying to open my right eye, but to no avail. I sat up quickly in a panic and rushed to the bathroom to inspect the damage. I groaned when I saw my eye resting at half-mast since the skin surrounding it was swollen and comprised of colors ranging from dark navy blue to black. I reached up tentatively to touch the skin and cringed as the pain rocketed throughout my face. This was not my first black eye, but it had been a long time since Lucinda had left a mark where someone could see it. The last time it happened a neighbor had reported it, and we moved the following day. How would I explain this at school on Monday? I ran through several feasible excuses, but came up empty. I looked like I had gotten into a fist fight and lost.
I spent the day icing my eye, hoping the bruising would miraculously disappear. Lucinda was remorseful about her actions and tried several times to engage me in conversation. Under ordinary circumstances, I would have responded and made her feel better about her actions, but the stress of going to school the next day made it harder to forgive her this time. Kevin spent the majority of the day glued to my side, watching me warily. He had seen me suffer Lucinda’s wrath multiple times over the years, but usually the marks were hidden by my clothes.
After her attempts with me failed, Lucinda turned her attention to Kevin. She tried to bribe him from my side by offering to let him watch his favorite television program with her in her room. Kevin mumbled some excuse and remained stoically by my side. Lucinda finally stomped down the hall, cursing something about our selfish behavior.
Kevin looked at me worriedly as her door slammed, making the entire trailer shake.