Page 11 of Reaper and Abby

“University I had to withdraw from the gallery but no one was there.” She closed the door. “I left a note.”

“You could have woken me.” I could hear my tone, but I couldn’t stop my aggression from coming out.

“I know you had a big day today,”

“How would you know that?”

“You told me,” she frowned, “Two weeks ago, when I asked if you could come to the gallery show.”

“What do you mean you’ve dropped out?” Kim walked around the corner, coming to stick her nose into mine and Abby’s conversation.

“I didn’t get the piece done. So yeah, I withdrew.”

“If you don’t display that piece, you fail.” Kim said each word slowly, as if English was Abby’s second language.

“It’s not a big deal, Kim.” Abby went to walk around her. But Kim didn’t let up, blocking her path.

“Five years, you’ve studied for this. So all those late nights, all those exams and practical pieces, were for nothing?” Kim shouted at her. “Abby, wake up! If you don’t do this, you’ve failed!”

Abby’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve already failed,” she hissed. “I failed when my daughter will not sleep by herself. I failed when my other daughter can not sit still because she has abandonment issues. I failed when Tyson started destroying everything and anything, then turned to me and said he hated me.” She scoffed, shaking her head and pointing a finger into the kitchen. “You think I care about a piece of paper, when I’ve failed as a mother.”

On cue, Tyson and Eve started screaming at each other.

“You aren’t their only parent,” Kim growled at Abby, and threw me a dirty look.

Abby laughed, with no humor in her tone. “Kim, don’t go there.”

Tyson screamed at the top of his lungs, causing Abby to bolt from us and we were right behind her.

“Hannah threw my controller in the dishwater!” Tyson screamed, and I saw him about to dive for Hannah. I caught him with my arms, pushed him behind me.

“You smashed the screen of my tablet!” Hannah screamed back.

I catch sight out of the corner of my eyes, Eve about to drop the other controller for the game station in the sink.

The three kids were screaming at each other, and I glanced at Abby, who had her canvas in hand and was about to take a knife to it.

I saw it now. All four of them, completely out of control.

“That’s enough!” I roared. Everyone in the room froze.

“You three,” I looked at my teenagers. “You thought life was hard when mom was in control. Well. It’s school holidays right?” I looked around the room. Tyson’s sharp glare at me, Hannah and Eve gave me a blank look. While Abby one second away from ripping the knife through her canvas so she can destroy it completely and give up on her dreams of following her passion for the arts.

Grabbing a laundry basket off the table and emptying the clothes on the table.

I walked to the television and ripped the cord of the game station out of the wall.

“Technology is a privilege,” I said, gripping the iPad from Eve’s hands, dropping that into the basket as well.

“You broke the screen!” she yelled at me.

“Trust me sweetheart, you aren’t seeing any of these things again.” I walked up to my son. Tyson had my attitude but Abby’s ability to be deceiving. “Now you, my son, are going to hand over everything you have hidden through this house.”

He scoffed. “Why would I do that?” then crossed his arms. “So you can take them away? I’m not stupid.”

I laughed, “You want to test me, boy?” He’s my son, so naturally he just stared me straight down, and shrugged his shoulders.

I put the basket down. Noticing how Abby was a second away from stepping in. I raised a hand to her. “Don’t get involved. You are in as much trouble as them.”

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