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Description
It was late that warm May evening as Victoria climbed into bed. Falling dramatically onto her fluffy pillows, she stared around her recently painted room with pride. After much nagging, her mother had finally convinced her father to let her paint the dull white room a bright and vibrant aquamarine color. Her eyes traced the teal swirls that adorned the walls from the floorboards to the ceiling feeling herself become mesmerized. The swirls were Marcus’s idea. He and Corinne had painted them for her; she smiled as she remembered their choice of words whenever they made a mistake as they echoed in her emptied bedroom. How her mother would call from her home office "Watch the language!" with the immediate "Sorry mom!" right behind it.

She wondered if her father had seen the handiwork yet. He had just returned from sea earlier that week. She smiled as she remembered the all too familiar routine; the phone rang and her mother answered it. After a couple minutes of "I’m so glad you home safe and sound" with the "We’ll see you in a few then. Love you too," her mother would hang up the phone and look at the mess that would need to be cleaned before yelling "We’ve got three hours before daddy returns home! This house needs to be spotless and I mean spotless!"

Corinne, after much complaining, went and began cleaning the bathrooms; Victoria was given dusting duty while Lacey was given the job of stripping the beds. Her mother vacuumed the floors before putting fresh sheets on the beds. Victoria frowned; Marcus wasn’t there to join the cleaning duty. He was never really home when their father was home.

She heard the garage door open as she heard the front door slam. A car door was shut and racing footsteps were heard as someone shut the back door with force, shaking the walls. Curious, she climbed out of bed and ran to the stairs. Corinne and Lacey were already there, watching through the banisters their father corner Marcus. Victoria hoped her brother didn’t say something stupid.

"You look a little angry Dad…did you have a bad day?" Marcus asked innocently. On the stairs, the three sisters smacked their foreheads.

"You’ve got a lot of nerve boy," Leo growled. "Do you even have the slightest clue as to how many felonies you’ve made over the past four years? Do you realize you could be charged with rape for those underclassmen girls? Do you realize that getting the answer sheet and photocopying it and then selling those copies to you fellow slackers so they can pass their final is illegal? Do you—no, I’m not going to continue this argument. You’ve got three options Marcus; you join the service, go to jail…or you die. Choose carefully." The swishing sound of mom’s nightgown gave her away as she hurriedly descended the stairs to the commotion in the kitchen.

"Leo…Marcus? What’s going on?" She asked rubbing Leo’s back soothingly. Corinne, Victoria and Lacey heaved a sigh of relief—their mother would be able to calm them down.

It was something about the way her father looked at her mother that sent the hairs on Victoria’s skin stand. She knew her father was in one of those moods where only her mother could calm him…but this argument between father and son was something different. Something that her mother couldn’t help out, even if she tried. Victoria sensed something bad was going to come out of this…but "when?" was the question.

"I’m not a fan of jokes when they’re played on me Kaitlyn," Leo said lowly. Victoria watched her brother’s face; if anything was going to happen his face would reveal all.

"What are you talking about Leo? What joke?"

"DON’T LIE TO ME!" Everyone in the room seemed to cringe…except for Leo. Kaitlyn took a step back, surprised. "You put on the family information that I was some inexistent father, the only number to call as a last resort…that I’m some jerk who fled to be with his lady friends as soon as he was done with you. I know you to be a ‘high on life’ kind of woman but I will not—"

"Leo that's ridiculous." Kaitlyn interrupted. "You're their father—"

"Exactly!" He exclaimed, grabbing her arms. "And I expect to be treated as such!" Yelling this, he shook her roughly with every word.

"Leo you're hurting me,"

"Hurt? I'll show you hurt!" In one swift motion, Leo slapped her, the sound ricocheting off the walls. The girls watched in horror their mother fly across the room, impacting the side table by the couch. The lamp that was sitting there broke, cutting off the light instantly as the bulb shattered into tiny peaces upon impact with the hard wood floor. They watched with increasing fear their mother as she lay there, unmoving.

"V," Corinne whispered, her eyes streaming with tears, "He's never hit her! Why can't she calm him down? She can always calm him down!"

"I don't know Corinne, I just don't know." They waited, wishing their mother would get up. Kaitlyn stirred, hoisting herself from her sprawled position so she was sitting. She was encased by the shadows of the dimly lit living room, but Victoria could tell she was hurt. Lacey, the youngest of the three sisters, moved as if she was going to her mother. But with a visible shake of their mother's terror-wracked body, Lacey stayed put. Relieved her mother was at least conscious, Victoria turned her attention back to her father and brother.

"…she wasn't the one who filled all that B.S. on the form. I snuck in and changed it." Marcus said, his voice shaking with emotion. He paused. "And speaking of felonies, don't you know it's wrong to hit your wife?"

"She was my wife before she was your mother Marcus,"

"And what did she see in you I wonder? Here is this bright, fun, loving woman who marries a crabby, boring, mentally deranged man who has no idea of fun whatsoever—" in three steps Leo had walked across the room, holding Marcus by the neck. The room held its breath. Marcus clicked his tongue. "Really Dad, I haven't written my will and testimony yet. Could you give me a couple of minutes?" Leo growled before violently pushing him away.

"Get out of my sight,"

"Gladly," Marcus replied darkly. As he neared the steps, he called over his shoulder, "I choose option three," before running up the stairs and retreating to his room, patting his sister's on the head as he passed them.

Everyone sat in silence. After a couple minutes of willing himself to calm down, Leo turned around. Corinne, Victoria and Lacey were still sitting behind the banister, looking at him with wide, terror filled eyes. Walking over to the bottom of the stairs, he flipped on the light switch. Light from the upstairs hall poured over them, shedding light over all of them.

"Mama!" Lacey cried as she stood. Kaitlyn looked like a mess. Her lip was bloodied and she was nursing her right hand. She looked like a terrified kitten than a top notch lawyer who had everything under control.

"Stay there girls," Leo ordered as he gradually approached his wife. It was a heart wrenching sight for Victoria as her mother immediately scooted away from him, tears streaming down her face. "Katy," he said softly the earlier menace in his tone non-existent. He extended his hand towards her.

For a moment, she just stared at it before timidly putting her hand in his. Slowly, he pulled her towards him, enveloping her into his arms. "I am so, so, sorry," he kissed the crown of her head before gently wiping away the blood from her lip with thumb.

"Don't you ever do that again Leonard Howe! This is your home with your family, not your ship with its well disciplined crew!" Their mother sobbed as she buried her face into his neck. The three sisters watched as he rubbed her back while resting his head in the crook of her neck, tears stinging his own eyes. Pulling back, he did a once over, looking for any other injuries he caused. When he spotted her swelled wrist, he helped her to her feet, wrapping his arm around her slender waist.

"I'm taking you to the hospital. Corinne, you're in charge. Get the girls to bed. We'll be back in a few hours at the least. Victoria, go find your mother some shoes and a sweater. Lacey, go get some ice." As Victoria scurried off to get her mother some flip flops and a sweater, she heard her mother say,

"You could be a little more sensitive Leo; you've scared everyone shitless tonight." As she walked towards her parents' room, she noticed Marcus's door was cracked open. Strange, she thought, usually Marcus shuts his door to block everyone else out. Deciding not to worry about it at the moment, she quickly found what she was looking for and hurried back downstairs. Dropping the shoes on the floor in front of her mother, she handed the sweater to Leo.

"Alright girls, be good for Corinne." He said as he began to guide Kaitlyn towards the back door. "There have better lights out when we return. No staying up and talking you hear?"

"Yes dad," they mumbled. As soon as they were in the garage, Corinne, Victoria and Lacey rushed upstairs to check on Marcus.

"His door was cracked when I went past," Victoria explained. Corinne nodded, stopping outside her brother's door.

"Lacey, if a peep of this gets out to Dad—"

"I'm not gonna tell Corinne! V, tell her I'm not gonna tell!" Lacey whined, exasperated that she was always the scapegoat for her siblings.

"Just open the door already Corinne, she's mute on the subject." Rolling her eyes, Corinne pushed the door open, revealing Marcus's shadowed room. The curtains were billowing in the breeze through the open window.

"Well what a surprise," Corinne said sarcastically. "Not,"

"Lemme see!" Lacey cried.

"There's nothing to see," Victoria explained. "Marcus isn't here."

Description
It was late that warm May evening as Victoria climbed into bed. Falling dramatically onto her fluffy pillows, she stared around her recently painted room with pride. After much nagging, her mother had finally convinced her father to let her paint the dull white room a bright and vibrant aquamarine color. Her eyes traced the teal swirls that adorned the walls from the floorboards to the ceiling feeling herself become mesmerized. The swirls were Marcus’s idea. He and Corinne had painted them for her; she smiled as she remembered their choice of words whenever they made a mistake as they echoed in her emptied bedroom. How her mother would call from her home office "Watch the language!" with the immediate "Sorry mom!" right behind it.

She wondered if her father had seen the handiwork yet. He had just returned from sea earlier that week. She smiled as she remembered the all too familiar routine; the phone rang and her mother answered it. After a couple minutes of "I’m so glad you home safe and sound" with the "We’ll see you in a few then. Love you too," her mother would hang up the phone and look at the mess that would need to be cleaned before yelling "We’ve got three hours before daddy returns home! This house needs to be spotless and I mean spotless!"

Corinne, after much complaining, went and began cleaning the bathrooms; Victoria was given dusting duty while Lacey was given the job of stripping the beds. Her mother vacuumed the floors before putting fresh sheets on the beds. Victoria frowned; Marcus wasn’t there to join the cleaning duty. He was never really home when their father was home.

She heard the garage door open as she heard the front door slam. A car door was shut and racing footsteps were heard as someone shut the back door with force, shaking the walls. Curious, she climbed out of bed and ran to the stairs. Corinne and Lacey were already there, watching through the banisters their father corner Marcus. Victoria hoped her brother didn’t say something stupid.

"You look a little angry Dad…did you have a bad day?" Marcus asked innocently. On the stairs, the three sisters smacked their foreheads.

"You’ve got a lot of nerve boy," Leo growled. "Do you even have the slightest clue as to how many felonies you’ve made over the past four years? Do you realize you could be charged with rape for those underclassmen girls? Do you realize that getting the answer sheet and photocopying it and then selling those copies to you fellow slackers so they can pass their final is illegal? Do you—no, I’m not going to continue this argument. You’ve got three options Marcus; you join the service, go to jail…or you die. Choose carefully." The swishing sound of mom’s nightgown gave her away as she hurriedly descended the stairs to the commotion in the kitchen.

"Leo…Marcus? What’s going on?" She asked rubbing Leo’s back soothingly. Corinne, Victoria and Lacey heaved a sigh of relief—their mother would be able to calm them down.

It was something about the way her father looked at her mother that sent the hairs on Victoria’s skin stand. She knew her father was in one of those moods where only her mother could calm him…but this argument between father and son was something different. Something that her mother couldn’t help out, even if she tried. Victoria sensed something bad was going to come out of this…but "when?" was the question.

"I’m not a fan of jokes when they’re played on me Kaitlyn," Leo said lowly. Victoria watched her brother’s face; if anything was going to happen his face would reveal all.

"What are you talking about Leo? What joke?"

"DON’T LIE TO ME!" Everyone in the room seemed to cringe…except for Leo. Kaitlyn took a step back, surprised. "You put on the family information that I was some inexistent father, the only number to call as a last resort…that I’m some jerk who fled to be with his lady friends as soon as he was done with you. I know you to be a ‘high on life’ kind of woman but I will not—"

"Leo that's ridiculous." Kaitlyn interrupted. "You're their father—"

"Exactly!" He exclaimed, grabbing her arms. "And I expect to be treated as such!" Yelling this, he shook her roughly with every word.

"Leo you're hurting me,"

"Hurt? I'll show you hurt!" In one swift motion, Leo slapped her, the sound ricocheting off the walls. The girls watched in horror their mother fly across the room, impacting the side table by the couch. The lamp that was sitting there broke, cutting off the light instantly as the bulb shattered into tiny peaces upon impact with the hard wood floor. They watched with increasing fear their mother as she lay there, unmoving.

"V," Corinne whispered, her eyes streaming with tears, "He's never hit her! Why can't she calm him down? She can always calm him down!"

"I don't know Corinne, I just don't know." They waited, wishing their mother would get up. Kaitlyn stirred, hoisting herself from her sprawled position so she was sitting. She was encased by the shadows of the dimly lit living room, but Victoria could tell she was hurt. Lacey, the youngest of the three sisters, moved as if she was going to her mother. But with a visible shake of their mother's terror-wracked body, Lacey stayed put. Relieved her mother was at least conscious, Victoria turned her attention back to her father and brother.

"…she wasn't the one who filled all that B.S. on the form. I snuck in and changed it." Marcus said, his voice shaking with emotion. He paused. "And speaking of felonies, don't you know it's wrong to hit your wife?"

"She was my wife before she was your mother Marcus,"

"And what did she see in you I wonder? Here is this bright, fun, loving woman who marries a crabby, boring, mentally deranged man who has no idea of fun whatsoever—" in three steps Leo had walked across the room, holding Marcus by the neck. The room held its breath. Marcus clicked his tongue. "Really Dad, I haven't written my will and testimony yet. Could you give me a couple of minutes?" Leo growled before violently pushing him away.

"Get out of my sight,"

"Gladly," Marcus replied darkly. As he neared the steps, he called over his shoulder, "I choose option three," before running up the stairs and retreating to his room, patting his sister's on the head as he passed them.

Everyone sat in silence. After a couple minutes of willing himself to calm down, Leo turned around. Corinne, Victoria and Lacey were still sitting behind the banister, looking at him with wide, terror filled eyes. Walking over to the bottom of the stairs, he flipped on the light switch. Light from the upstairs hall poured over them, shedding light over all of them.

"Mama!" Lacey cried as she stood. Kaitlyn looked like a mess. Her lip was bloodied and she was nursing her right hand. She looked like a terrified kitten than a top notch lawyer who had everything under control.

"Stay there girls," Leo ordered as he gradually approached his wife. It was a heart wrenching sight for Victoria as her mother immediately scooted away from him, tears streaming down her face. "Katy," he said softly the earlier menace in his tone non-existent. He extended his hand towards her.

For a moment, she just stared at it before timidly putting her hand in his. Slowly, he pulled her towards him, enveloping her into his arms. "I am so, so, sorry," he kissed the crown of her head before gently wiping away the blood from her lip with thumb.

"Don't you ever do that again Leonard Howe! This is your home with your family, not your ship with its well disciplined crew!" Their mother sobbed as she buried her face into his neck. The three sisters watched as he rubbed her back while resting his head in the crook of her neck, tears stinging his own eyes. Pulling back, he did a once over, looking for any other injuries he caused. When he spotted her swelled wrist, he helped her to her feet, wrapping his arm around her slender waist.

"I'm taking you to the hospital. Corinne, you're in charge. Get the girls to bed. We'll be back in a few hours at the least. Victoria, go find your mother some shoes and a sweater. Lacey, go get some ice." As Victoria scurried off to get her mother some flip flops and a sweater, she heard her mother say,

"You could be a little more sensitive Leo; you've scared everyone shitless tonight." As she walked towards her parents' room, she noticed Marcus's door was cracked open. Strange, she thought, usually Marcus shuts his door to block everyone else out. Deciding not to worry about it at the moment, she quickly found what she was looking for and hurried back downstairs. Dropping the shoes on the floor in front of her mother, she handed the sweater to Leo.

"Alright girls, be good for Corinne." He said as he began to guide Kaitlyn towards the back door. "There have better lights out when we return. No staying up and talking you hear?"

"Yes dad," they mumbled. As soon as they were in the garage, Corinne, Victoria and Lacey rushed upstairs to check on Marcus.

"His door was cracked when I went past," Victoria explained. Corinne nodded, stopping outside her brother's door.

"Lacey, if a peep of this gets out to Dad—"

"I'm not gonna tell Corinne! V, tell her I'm not gonna tell!" Lacey whined, exasperated that she was always the scapegoat for her siblings.

"Just open the door already Corinne, she's mute on the subject." Rolling her eyes, Corinne pushed the door open, revealing Marcus's shadowed room. The curtains were billowing in the breeze through the open window.

"Well what a surprise," Corinne said sarcastically. "Not,"

"Lemme see!" Lacey cried.

"There's nothing to see," Victoria explained. "Marcus isn't here."