That brought out Hawk’s protective mode. I wondered that he and Mark couldn’t at least agree on the simple concept of keeping their mother out of things. Did they need her as an audience to their rebellion?
“Ewwww… that Marga. She’s a cool one,” I added, hoping to draw Hawk away from Mark. Mark was just becoming a man. I knew that if things didn’t settle, it could become physical. Once it did, it was very difficult to back off.
“Aw, she’s a spoiled bitch too. Both of them. That’s what he is, nothing but a whiny little bitch. They have no idea what I went through. They’ve had everything handed to them on a silver platter. ‘Here’s a horsie, here’s a brand new car, do you have a big enough wardrobe?’” he mocked his parents’ indulgence of the twins. “While their asses were riding around on a yacht, I was getting slashed by a gang!”
“Hawk, please, none of that was their fault. If circumstances had been different, you would have been offered the exact same thing.” I sighed, holding my stomach again. “Can we talk about this tomorrow? I really need a lie down. All that energy…” I pleaded with him.
His face immediately changed. “Liane, I’m sorry. Of course. I forget how sensitive you are to all this. I’ve lived with shit all my life. I guess I’m used to it. Here. Let me take you in and get you settled. Then I’ll make you a cup of mint tea. I think that’s good for your tummy, isn’t it?”
I nodded and sighed, glad that the storm was over. At least for the moment.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Auggie
The sky grew dark earlier than it should have for that summer night. I knew there was a storm coming in and called down to Lily to make sure the animals were all inside. They would be skittish already. Horses knew when there was a storm coming.
I replayed the scene in the family room in my head. I’d never heard Mark talk like that. He’d never so much as raised his voice to Worth in all his years. I couldn’t imagine what had provoked him to attack so violently.
I sighed. That was a lie. I knew exactly what, or rather who had been at the root of it. Mark was more like my side of the family. Very much like Dad. I think that’s why we were so close. It made Worth and now Hawk a bit envious, perhaps. There wasn’t any reason for it. I loved them all equally.
Marga had to add in her bit of drama. I’d have to remind her of that later when it came time for a prom gown or a sleep over at one of her girlfriends’ house. She needed taming.
I felt bad that Liane had to witness all that. Surely she must think us a horrible family. Perhaps we are? Perhaps I’d lived with dysfunction so much of my life that I accepted it as normal. I hated to think about that.
Then there was the news of a grandchild. I wasn’t sure if I hoped it would be a boy or a girl. We seemed to have the LaViere blood in both sexes. Perhaps the baby would be more like Liane; gentle and helpful, loving. In that case, I hoped it would be a girl. It would be difficult for a male to possess those qualities and stand up to Hawk. I knew it would happen. He was too much like his father. It was inevitable.
I heard the growl of distant thunder and looked out the window. There was, indeed, a storm brewing and it was coming quickly. I went through the house, shutting the windows. Worth was closeted in his study downstairs, and I let him be. I wasn’t in the mood to listen to all his rationale. It would only heat things up again.
I found Letty in the kitchen, putting away leftovers. Unfortunately, upon seeing all the family at home, she’d started cooking barbecue ribs and salads. By the time dinner was ready, it was only Worth, Marga and myself left, but Marga wasn’t coming down. I thought about taking a plate down to Lily, but Brandon’s car had just pulled into her driveway, and I knew that eating was not on the agenda for her evening.
I sat in the window seat of my bedroom, watching the lightning. It cut through the darkness like light sabers thrown down by the Gods. I tried to imagine what civilizations thousands of years before had thought about such things. They all thought they were alone; that the entire world only consisted of them and what they knew. How wrong they were. Even today, we only know what we can see. How primitive will we be considered a thousand years from now?
I drew a bath, filling the tub with bubbles. I needed a good soaking. It was therapeutic for me. The storm escalated in intensity, and the walls of the house shook with the thunder. I grew sleepy and climbed out of the tub, pulling on a sleep shirt and climbing beneath the covers. I hoped Worth would choose to sleep somewhere else. I really wasn’t in the mood for his negativity.
I’d just flipped on the television with the remote to see how big the storm was when the power flickered and then went out. The house was completely dark. I didn’t hear anyone moving around so I assumed they’d gone to sleep. Worth just probably lit a candle and continued brooding. I wished Mark would come home soon but knew it would only be another confrontation. That’s probably what Worth was waiting up for. I hoped Mark would have the sense to stay at a friend’s. Inspired, I tapped his number, but there was no answer. It went to voice mail. I didn’t blame him. He needed to cool down without any interference.
I slipped the heavy coverlet off the bed. With the electricity off, the air wouldn’t be on, and it would grow warm in the room. I laid atop the sheets and slipped off to sleep.
***
I was deep in a dream of riding Carlos. He was running at a full gallop, and my hair was flying behind us. We came up to a stream, and he launched us across in one bound. I felt so free, so young, so untroubled. Something was pulling me from the dream, and I resisted. The images of the dream were suddenly vacuumed from my brain, and I awakened to a bright light. Startled and trying to gather my thoughts, I pulled back and grabbed a corner of the sheet to pull over my eyes.
“Worth? Is that you? Turn off the light, would you? Did the power come back on?” I was only vaguely coherent in my confusion.
“Auggie.” It was Worth’s voice, but it was somehow different. “Auggie, you have to wake up. Here, sit up and talk to me. I need to know you’re awake.”
“Worth? What’s wrong? Please take that light out of my eyes. I pushed against the mattress, fighting to sit up. Just then the power must have come back on because the entire room lit up. I realized I’d forgotten to flip off the lamps after the power had shut down. “What’s going on?”
“Auggie. The sheriff is downstairs. Listen to me. There’s been an accident.”
“What? What kind of accident? Is it Marga?”
“No, Auggie, Marga is in bed. It’s Mark.”
My heart squeezed in my chest, so hard I found it momentarily hard to breathe. “What?”
Then came the anguished cry I would not forget for the rest of my life. “It’s bad, Auggie. We have to leave for the hospital now.”