come back home when he resolves things in his heart and head, and not before then. We need to watch over Renee and Brian for him, and keep their fears at bay. Just do what he did for us, long ago. We each had to go through our own share of grief over the deaths, and being separated…but Tyler knew that and he let us go through it. We’re stronger because of it.”
Jacob nodded his head, but Sean was still feeling anxious. “This is different, Vinnie. We weren’t out for blood.”
Vincent put his hands on Sean’s shoulders. “Neither is Tyler. If you think about it, did you have any doubt that this encounter between our brother and Sebastian would happen? Did you think for one second, that we could prevent it?”
Sean embraced his brother and patted his back firmly. “No, you’re right, Vinnie. But this is going to suck until Tyler makes contact with us.”
“He will. Just keep your phone on at all times. All we can do is be there for him.” Vincent, just like Sean and Jacob, wished there was something more he could do, but if there was anyone who’d make sound decisions, it was Tyler.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Tyler could hear a slow, shuffling sound when he knocked. When no one came to answer the door, he began to pound on it with his closed fist. Tyler had a gut feeling that Sebastian was just a few feet away, on the other side. He’d kick the door in before going back home without answers. The steady repetition of something hitting the floor was getting closer, but Tyler wasn’t going to allow anyone to take their sweet time today. He began to pound harder on the weathered wood. Hearing someone unlock the door, he stepped back a foot and stared straight ahead.
The first thing Tyler saw when the door cracked open was a large, but shaking hand. The fingers were wrapped around the handle of a walking cane, which appeared to be crudely made out of an oak tree branch. The bark had been whittled away, but only the handle and tip seemed to be smooth on the crooked limb. There was more shuffling and then the door slowly opened. Tyler’s eyes instantly went to the ground. His breath caught in his throat, and the insides of him wanted to heave. The ground started to spin so he closed his eyes for a moment before letting them rest on the ghost of someone who’d been dead to him for so many years.
“Oh, Son!” Sebastian leaned his cane against the wall and opened his arms.
That was all it took. Tyler cocked his fist back, looked at the haggard, thin man standing before him and swung with all his might. Instead of striking his father, he let his fist splinter the wooden doorframe. His eyes began to burn as bile rose up in his throat. He quickly turned his body to the side and vomited until there was nothing left.
“Don’t ever call me that again, Sebastian. I’m not your son!” Tyler seethed.
“I’ve been waiting for years to speak with you, Tyler. Please, come in.” Sebastian pulled the door the rest of the way open, and then stepped back from the entrance.
“You’ve been waiting ?! I’ve been waiting for eighteen years to understand my mother and father’s suicides! I’ve been waiting for eighteen damn years to understand why you both thought it was okay to abandon us! Then, presto! You’ve been alive the entire time , but you chose to let us suffer anyways?!” Tyler drew back his other fist and slammed it into the wall next to the small window.
“Son, I know I’ve made some very serious mistakes—” Sebastian began.
“ Mistakes ?!” Tyler laughed boisterously. “No, you son of a bitch, you didn’t make any mistakes . You ruined the lives of four young boys. That’s what you did! Did you know that we ended up being separated the day you and mom died?” Tyler looked Sebastian in the eyes, his lip curled in disgust.
“Yes, I knew you were all going into foster care, but I felt like it was for the best.” The man shuffled over to a worn, cushioned chair and carefully sat down.
“You knew
Jacob nodded his head, but Sean was still feeling anxious. “This is different, Vinnie. We weren’t out for blood.”
Vincent put his hands on Sean’s shoulders. “Neither is Tyler. If you think about it, did you have any doubt that this encounter between our brother and Sebastian would happen? Did you think for one second, that we could prevent it?”
Sean embraced his brother and patted his back firmly. “No, you’re right, Vinnie. But this is going to suck until Tyler makes contact with us.”
“He will. Just keep your phone on at all times. All we can do is be there for him.” Vincent, just like Sean and Jacob, wished there was something more he could do, but if there was anyone who’d make sound decisions, it was Tyler.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Tyler could hear a slow, shuffling sound when he knocked. When no one came to answer the door, he began to pound on it with his closed fist. Tyler had a gut feeling that Sebastian was just a few feet away, on the other side. He’d kick the door in before going back home without answers. The steady repetition of something hitting the floor was getting closer, but Tyler wasn’t going to allow anyone to take their sweet time today. He began to pound harder on the weathered wood. Hearing someone unlock the door, he stepped back a foot and stared straight ahead.
The first thing Tyler saw when the door cracked open was a large, but shaking hand. The fingers were wrapped around the handle of a walking cane, which appeared to be crudely made out of an oak tree branch. The bark had been whittled away, but only the handle and tip seemed to be smooth on the crooked limb. There was more shuffling and then the door slowly opened. Tyler’s eyes instantly went to the ground. His breath caught in his throat, and the insides of him wanted to heave. The ground started to spin so he closed his eyes for a moment before letting them rest on the ghost of someone who’d been dead to him for so many years.
“Oh, Son!” Sebastian leaned his cane against the wall and opened his arms.
That was all it took. Tyler cocked his fist back, looked at the haggard, thin man standing before him and swung with all his might. Instead of striking his father, he let his fist splinter the wooden doorframe. His eyes began to burn as bile rose up in his throat. He quickly turned his body to the side and vomited until there was nothing left.
“Don’t ever call me that again, Sebastian. I’m not your son!” Tyler seethed.
“I’ve been waiting for years to speak with you, Tyler. Please, come in.” Sebastian pulled the door the rest of the way open, and then stepped back from the entrance.
“You’ve been waiting ?! I’ve been waiting for eighteen years to understand my mother and father’s suicides! I’ve been waiting for eighteen damn years to understand why you both thought it was okay to abandon us! Then, presto! You’ve been alive the entire time , but you chose to let us suffer anyways?!” Tyler drew back his other fist and slammed it into the wall next to the small window.
“Son, I know I’ve made some very serious mistakes—” Sebastian began.
“ Mistakes ?!” Tyler laughed boisterously. “No, you son of a bitch, you didn’t make any mistakes . You ruined the lives of four young boys. That’s what you did! Did you know that we ended up being separated the day you and mom died?” Tyler looked Sebastian in the eyes, his lip curled in disgust.
“Yes, I knew you were all going into foster care, but I felt like it was for the best.” The man shuffled over to a worn, cushioned chair and carefully sat down.
“You knew
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