Garden of Sins

“Well, I’m not stopping, she’s awesome. She does things I’ve only heard about,” I state with my head tilted.

Dad shakes with disgust. “You’re sick!”

“Welcome to the Rushes!” Caden mumbles drily.

“Baby, come back! I did what you said!” Mom chimes from the basement and we both stare at Dad with raised eyebrows. Oh, please don’t. Why do I have to go through this?

He whispers, “Fuck!” and leaves. And the worst part?

He takes the joint.

* * *

It’s in the mid-eighties and I want to go to that shitty pool in the garden. I am dying from the heat. Alayna sits across from me at the breakfast table not looking at me. She is wearing a light, white summer dress with spaghetti straps and her hair is loosely pulled back with a clip. Plus, she is wearing no makeup, tan, and dead tired. It is only ten o’clock. Caden and I are used to it as we never sleep much because we are often out at night. But Alayna always has to deal with two guys, guys like us — and little sleep. Poor thing. Her eyebrows are pulled together as she stares at her plate. I can see her mind working. And that is interesting. Caden sees it too and doesn’t seem pleased.

“And what are we going to do today?” Mom asks, who is exhausted and has a headache, which she never tires of mentioning.

“Go to the basement and sleep.” Dad groans lazily.

“Now you’re here for the weekend and you’re getting so tired,” Grandma grumbles, so my grandpa gives her a little look out of the corner of his eye. She asks him if he wants more waffles and he shakes his head.

“No, Olivia, I honestly don’t want more waffles,” he mumbles gloomily.

“I know, Mom,” Dad replies after a pause, “but I’m so fucking tired!”

“Riley is coming today,” she calls out like it’s a great thing.

“Oh, Olivia, I told you not to invite him when they’re here!” Grandpa sounds pretty pissed off as he points at all of us.

“I won’t hit him in the face,” Dad mumbles with an eye roll and grabs another waffle.

“I hope so, fucking toad!” Keaton Rush hisses. Nobody wants a hissing Keaton Rush.

Ava is wide-awake and sitting next to Dad, her legs bobbing back and forth as she hums to herself. She usually sits next to Dad and appears well rested today. “I like Uncle Riley,” she states cheerfully and sprinkles powdered sugar on her waffle.

“You’re the only one!” Dad says and glares angrily at Mom. Finally, I understand all those cryptic remarks and looks all these years. Caden too. We nod to each other like two idiots who took an eternity before it clicked. Alayna glances back and forth between us as if she missed something again.

“Did you at least sleep well,” Grandma asks us, clueless, and images from last night play in my mind.

We both murmur something into our non-existent beard. “H’m, yeah, yeah...so...pass the milk, Caden!”

“Here you go, Carter.”

Alayna flinches as Caden’s arm whizzes past her and Dad mumbles something about morons!

Keaton, the grandpa, grins and gloats as he smears his toast with jam, and glances from one to the other. “I’m so glad your family is so intact, Mason.”

Dad looks at him with a distinct fuck-you Dad expression that I patented.

The doorbell rings and Dad groans. “OH, GOD, no, EMILIA!”

“It’s going to be okay!” She pats his head when he drops it onto the table. “I know your life isn’t easy, baby. You work hard and we have kids that I don’t want to talk about right now. Your daughter is a silly cow...”

“HEY,” Ava cries out and glances up from her waffle.

“Shut up,” Mom says, “and your dad is now gloating because you’ve drawn his lot, but still: I love you.”

“Wow,” he mumbles, unimpressed.

Mom sighs. “I’m going to say hi to Riley,” she a

Dad’s head whips up as he grabs her by the wrist and pulls her back to her chair. “Stay here, Emilia!”

Alayna watches this with raised eyebrows and probably slowly realizes the parallels between Dad and me.

Her gaze wanders to me and I grin broadly. “Is something wrong?” I ask charmingly.

“Yes, is something wrong, Alayna?” Caden asks. “After yesterday? With you know who?” He glares at Alayna and I quickly take a sip of coffee so she doesn’t see my laughter. He’s so good. Even better than me.

With bright red cheeks, Alayna looks at him guiltily. “I’m so sorry, baby.” Under the table, she puts one hand on his thigh. “I was really drunk.”

“We’ll talk about it again later, Alayna,” Caden replies, unimpressed, and pushes her hand away before he gets up and goes to the door. Uh, that hit home.

“Who is you know,” I ask with interest and pour myself some orange juice.

“Nothing, you TOAD,” Alayna hisses at me. I want to spank her ass, right on the dining table, between the buns and the orange juice. With my belt. Or the spatula, she can choose.

There is a racket and you can hear multiple voices. Dad’s head is on the table again. Mom strokes his hair and tells him everything will be fine, and I ask, “What’s wrong with Uncle Riley, Mom?” even though I know why now.

She opens her eyes and whips her head around to me.

“You guys are always saying odd stuff like that. I don’t get it. He’s really nice, right, Mom?”

“Shut up, Carter!” Dad growls and Mom glares at him through narrowed eyes.

“Mason...”

“What?”

“Did you tell them anything?”

“No, I didn’t tell them anything,” he growls.

“Mason.”

“Fuck, baby, don’t tempt me!”

Angry, she wants to get up and go into the hallway, but he grabs her arm without looking and pulls her back into the chair again. Alayna glances back at me from Dad and I lift the corner of my mouth. Yes, Alayna. I treat you the same way.

Uncle Riley enters with his two super kids — he always has everything under control even when his wife is away on humanitarian projects like now. He looks the same as always: ironed and groomed, neat and relaxed. Of course, he looks at Mom immediately. Now that I know all this, I want to punch him in the face when he does. She gives him a forced smile. Dad looks up and threatens him without a word of greeting. A warning shines in his eyes: Don’t talk to my wife or you’ll die. Keep walking!

Wow, I’d really like to know what went on that has them acting like this.

Uncle Riley rolls his eyes. “Hi, Carter!” His two perfect children stand by his side. Henry is my age while Susan is two years younger. They’re both blonde with dark eyes. So they look just as fucking perfect as Uncle Riley and his perfect wife Tessa. They piss me off as they stand there and I can tell that Henry is checking out Alayna. I guess it’s in the genes to go for forbidden women. Just as I am about to rise and greet him rather rudely because only I am allowed to cheat with her, Caden comes in and bumps him with his shoulder as he passes before sitting down next to Alayna and putting his arm across her backrest.

“What’s up, loser,” he asks and eats another grape before starting again. “So, this is Alayna, my girlfriend. Don’t look at her, don’t touch her, keep your distance or I’ll break your neck.” Oh, harsh words. He doesn’t actually talk like that in front of Dad or Alayna.

Henry flinches and Alayna stares at Caden in disgust because she isn’t familiar with that kind of behavior from him.

“Get a grip on your toad,” Riley growls at Dad, but he completely ignores him as if he isn’t here.

“My brother asked you a question, loser: What’s up,” I ask, leaving one arm hanging over the back of my chair. “And you finally grew tits, Susan. About time, you’re seventeen.” Mom drops her elbow on the table and buries her face in one hand. I think we’re embarrassing her. I don’t know why. Everyone else returns and Grandma chirps, “It’s so nice to see you all. You are finally sitting at my table again. I am so happy.” Keaton notices the tension in the room and gives us all a warning glare. Probably because he knows Caden and I could crush Riley’s cute kids with a thumb if we wanted.