Garden of Sins

“Excuse me?” Mason responds insistently and patiently takes a bite of his French toast.

“Weren’t you meeting A

“Yeah, sure, A

“I drove her there, Dad. It’s okay.” You calmly stir your coffee while I watch Melissa. When you speak, she trembles slightly. What the hell is that about? What’s there to tremble about, huh?

“And Melissa, you’re back with us again too?” Looks like Mason’s going all out. She clears her throat and nods. I hope I won’t be on the receiving end of Mason’s combative mood.

“Leave her alone, Dad,” Carter demands half-heartedly and yawns.

“I merely want to talk.” When Mason is like this, I see you in him, Caden. Openly, you smile at me because you know my thoughts as you continue to play with my hair.

“So, how are your parents? Do they know you’re here? They didn’t like the company you were keeping, which I can understand and appreciate.” Your father looks from you to Carter and then back to Melissa.

“They have no idea where I am. I told them I was going away for a few days, but they know I’m back...” She looks at Carter with such insecurity and Carter abruptly freezes and looks at Melissa out of the corner of his eye in alarm. Is she trying to turn it into a relationship because she thinks he’ll agree in front of the others?

Slowly, Carter pales and Ava laughs into her coffee.

“…together with Carter.” Melissa finishes her sentence, and Carter’s eyes widen even more. He doesn’t like that, Caden. I’ve never seen him so rigid.

Your smug grin widens. Caden, don’t be angry. “Oh, how nice,” you sigh and eat a cocktail tomato. Melissa winces. Oh, man...what’s wrong with her now? Scared of tomatoes?

“And you, Caden, what’s going on over there?” Your dad points the fork at both of us and I wince. “You’re not pulling that sick shit again at this di

“Okay, Dad. Sorry,” you say unmoved and eat another tomato.

Now Emilia is getting involved. “You don’t appear sorry, mister.

“He’s a psychopath, they have no remorse, baby,” Mason explains soberly.

“Don’t call my child a psychopath, Mason.” Emilia gives Mason a deadly look.

“You keep calling me that, but I’m okay with it.” Mason gestures at you with his knife.

Emilia leans back and stares at Mason for a long time. “It was during the summer about twenty years ago, Mason. We were sitting at your parents’ table, me with Riley, and you alone, and you said to me out of nowhere, Bring me a glass of water, Emilia.” She imitates his voice. “Mindlessly, I got up and only realized what I was doing when everyone was staring at me, including Riley. Mason. Have you forgotten?”

“Fuck, you’re an elephant. That was a hundred years ago and I was merely thirsty,” he mumbles sheepishly.

“And yet it happened. So, shut up. Caden will never do it again, will you, Caden?” Pleading and desperate, your mother looks at you. Only a mother can be so hopeful when things have gone wrong a thousand times.

You take her hand and squeeze it briefly. I love it when you do that, Caden. “Sure, Mom,” you calmly reply and she drops her forehead onto Mason’s shoulder as she does so often when she’s desperate. I don’t think she believes you, Caden.

Your dad strokes her head. “Everything will be okay when they move out, baby.”

“I love my garage, Dad. I don’t want to move out of there,” Carter immediately responds, outraged, after finally seeming to have recovered from the boyfriend shock.

“See, he doesn’t want to leave,” Emilia whines, pointing at Carter. “We’ll never have an attic for junk or a garage for our car again, Mason.”

“You have me,” he says encouragingly.

“Oh, God, it simply gets worse and worse,” she mumbles. Mason then leans over to her ear and whispers something as Carter throws a cocktail tomato at them. “Not at the table, you two horny teenagers.”

“You’re so disgusting,” Ava says emotionlessly and takes another sip of coffee, shaking her head slightly.

Melissa looks at Carter with a grin, suddenly not shy at all. “Nothing has changed here at all,” she says.

Carter pats her head and delivers a fleeting kiss to her lips.

“Shall I book a hotel room for all of you?” Ava inquires. Carter throws a tomato at Ava. I hate cocktail tomatoes and Emilia hates them too.

You wipe your mouth with a napkin. I know your mind is working again, Caden. I grow uneasy as your expression changes.

“And, Melissa?” you ask in a voice I don’t recognize. Maybe it is the voice in folder M.

Okay, I don’t want to think like that now. I want to be better that, just fucking rise above it.

Soothingly, you stroke my shoulder with your fingertips. Meanwhile, Melissa seems to be forcing herself to look at you.

“Caden,” Carter again half-heartedly warns, but you won’t be discouraged, Caden.

“I merely wanted to ask how things were at her job. You are still working at Mr. Brown’s coffee shop while attending college, right?” You blink at her with interest.

She nods with her lips pressed together and you, Caden, slide down further in your chair.

“So, are you still enjoying the job?” Your voice does weird things to me even though you aren’t even speaking to me.

“Yes,” she almost whispers, which nobody notices but the four of us because Ava is begging Mason and Emilia to go to a party tonight.

But this cow, she’s whispering to you, Caden. I don’t like it, not at all. From now on, you’re all mine and no woman whispers to you. What is that? What’s that twinkle in her eye?

“Caden,” Carter warns again.

“Calm down, Carter, I’m not doing anything. I simply wanted to talk.” Carter throws an I-know-what-you’re-doing look at you. I wonder if I have deciphered one of your secret exchanges for the first time because you look like you’re saying, Calm down, bro.

“And what about that Tony guy who was so into you? Does he still work there?” you continue pressing. “And what was that other guy’s name? Marcus?” Melissa glances at Carter. He is a little tense.

“No,” she replies timidly.

“Didn’t you see him after you forever turned your back on us?” you whisper and honestly, Caden, enough has been whispered now.

“I thought I saw you two in the park a week later near where you work. I’ve wanted to ask you about it the whole time because I’m really interested.” She turns pale and Carter is about to fall off the chair because he’s so tense.

“It was nothing,” Melissa mumbles frantically. “We were just friends.”

“Really? It didn’t look like that when he kissed you and his tongue was down your throat.” She squirms and I don’t know whether to celebrate or feel sorry for her because of what you’re doing. I get it, Caden, she’s not good enough for your brother and, naturally, you can’t have that. But, I don’t want you to stoop to that level, you’re too good for that. You don’t need that.

“It was...just...”

“Yes? Melissa?” you probe gently.

You’re so focused on her, I’m starting to get a little jealous, Caden.