Shadowed Dreams & Rippled Water

The Argument

Chapter 8

The Argument

After breakfast, Mum tidied the kitchen, finally uncovering the marble countertop. Footsteps creaked through the floorboards behind me. I peered over my shoulder to see Dean on the stairs, leaning over the rails.

“I think you would give me a run for my money, Mum. That smells awesome.” He skipped down the staircase, his unbuttoned pale blue shirt lapping freely behind a toned and mesmerising bare chest. “I think you must be why I have “A” grade cooking skills.”

Wow... I couldn’t turn away from his flexing muscles as he leapt over the staircase rails, landing with the agility of a pouncing tiger on the kitchen floor. Every glass in the kitchen cabinets rattled, and I was glad they distracted me enough to pull me away.

He paraded behind me and then dropped onto the closest chair. “Oh, bacon and eggs... isn’t that Lucy’s favourite meal?”

“Mmmm...” I nodded, absently pushing the bacon around my plate with the fork. Having him closer, the contours of his chest more defined, made my attention return to him.

“By the look of that, I think you’re enjoying it...” He said as he leaned back and took his plate off the counter. He inhaled the food and grinned. “Nice…!”

Mum waved a wooden spoon at him. “How many times have I told you not to jump off the staircase?”

Dean shrugged. “I lost count after err – after the first twenty-six times.”

“You’re teaching Stacey bad habits!” Mum glowered at him with piercing eyes that could cripple anyone. “She tried to copy you the other day!” Sighing, she hung the tea towel over the sink and crossed her arms. “And I swear you’ll go through the floor one day.”

“If that’s the case, I should buy a video camera. That way, I can record it when Dean goes through the floor,” I added with a small laugh. “I might send it into a comedy show or something…”

Unamused, Mum sighed. “This is no joking matter. Think about Stacey…”

Dean ruffled his damp hair, flicking beads of water through the air. “Ahh, Mum, I had to do it. It’s a habit now… and breaking a habit is harder than creating one.” He grabbed a fork and peered down at his plate. His eyebrows rose. “Look at this mountain of eggs… This is awesome!”

Hitching her hands on her hips, Mum’s eyes narrowed in on him. “I’m serious, no more, please. You’ll hurt yourself, besides...” a smile crept across her, “There’s more exercise in walking down the staircase... You could become chubby around the middle if you’re not careful.”

“And ruin this physique?” he asked, walking his fingers across his toned stomach. “Why would I ever let that happen?”

They continued their conversation while I carried my plate over to the sink. Closer to the window, I could see the entire backyard. It began at the rear fence where Dad’s shed stood and travelled to the patio table by the clothesline. I could see the wooden guards around Mum’s little garden and the hose wound over the wheel beside it.

It was Saturday, and I had half expected to see the twins busy in the backyard working on Stacey’s half-finished cubbyhouse. Stacey would zip in and out of the house, getting in their way. My baby sister was usually known for her punctuality and ability to be up before the birds, but she wasn’t out there this time.

“Mum, where is everyone?” I asked, looking left then right, practically pressing my nose into the glass. “Where are the twins?”

Sipping the last of his orange juice, Dean appeared at my side. “They’re putting the new work truck to good use, helping old Mrs Norris with her veggie garden.”

“Oh, poor Mrs Norris...” Mum chirped. “She would have been devastated seeing all her prised veggies destroyed—stripped of everything. I hope they catch the vandals. Who would be so cruel to such a lovely elderly lady?”

“The police are still searching for them…” Dean said, rinsing his cup in the sink. “I hope they find them soon…”

Reaching across the sink, I unhooked the tea towel from the rack. “I’m fond of Mrs Norris. She’s lovely. It’s so much fun taking Stacey there and listening to her many war stories about her late husband.”

Mum slipped between us and handed me a plate. “Did you know Mrs Norris was there the day your Dad died? She was parked right behind him. Her son, Jared, called the ambulance… and tried to help him.”

Her bottom lip quivered at the mention of the accident, described as the most horrific event to rock this small country town. There was no stopping her tiny tears from pooling in the corner of her eyes.

“Since her husband died,” she continued, “we both understand how the other feels. It’s easier to talk about it. And the poor lady has no one else. I’m lucky enough to have my five wonderful children.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Dean interrupted, wringing the water from the dishcloth over the sink. She’s got Jared, and doesn’t he have a wife and kids, too?”

“I know,” Mum wiped her eyes against her sleeve. “But he’s such a troubled young man. Poor June is at her wit’s end, trying to get him reunited with his wife. She hasn’t seen her granddaughters for two years. They would be about Stacey’s age now.”

“Speaking of Stacey,” I said, peering outside again. “I haven’t seen her.” If my sister wasn’t outside, she was my shadow. So, for her not to be around, she had gone with the twins, or something was wrong. “Where is she?”

“Oh, Stacey’s sick,” Mum said, wiping her eyes. “She came down with a fever last night. I’m giving her Panadol, and I’ve set up her old baby monitor to keep an eye on her.” She patted the pocket of her coat, hinting at the monitor. “It’s just a virus that will pass soon enough... which reminds me… I need to give her some electrolytes.” Mum headed towards the pantry cupboard. “The poor darling is why I stayed up most of last night…”

After I stacked the final plate in the cupboard, I wiped down the sink and called back to Mum, “I hope she’s okay. When Sissy gets sick, it brings the whole house to a standstill.”

Smiling, Dean perched himself on the edge of the counter beside me. “I reckon when Stacey gets better, we should all head to Mrs Norris’s place. I’ll cook something for lunch, and we could spend the day listening to the story about Mr Norris joining the circus.” He lowered his voice to a mere whisper. “I bet Krissy would love to come along too.”

Krissy? My ears twitched instantly. Over the last year, Dean and Krissy had broken up and gotten back together too many times to count.

“Ah, that’s a perfect idea,” Mum agreed, but she seemed distracted by other thoughts to dwell on Dean mentioning Krissy. “There’s nothing better than the company of a close family to make someone feel good.”

“Krissy Swanson,” I hissed under my breath. The mere mention of his no-good, gold-digging girlfriend poisoned my lips. An instant smouldering sensation exploded in the pit of my stomach. She was wrong for Dean, and our entire family knew that.

“What do you mean Krissy too?” I sneered. The sound of my angry voice surprised me.

Dean opened his mouth to reply. He, then, thought better of it when my blazing gaze fell upon him.

“That no-good... piece of... I don’t even know! You want to include her in our family gatherings?” My words were an uncontrolled storm that kept on going. “There’s no need for that thing to be a part of this family. She’s a no-good money-hungry creature that feeds off the souls of those around her!”

By this time, I had both of their full attention. What had got into me? This anger—I had never experienced it before. There was no denying I hated Krissy. She dragged Dean down to an unhealthy level. At that moment, I wanted her out of Dean’s life and all our lives.

“Lucy,” Dean gaped at me, his face flushed. “What on earth has gotten into you?”

“You’re kidding, right?” I hissed between clenched teeth. “You mention that thing and expect everything to be all good. I’ve seen the hell that toxic girl puts you through. She is nothing more than a no-good piece of—”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Mum demanded. She sucked in a deep breath and stroked my arm closest to her. “Lucy, settle down…”

Dean leapt off the counter and faced me. He studied my gaze, trying to think of the right words. All my mind could comprehend was that he deserved someone better, someone, who loved him not only for his money—someone sweet and caring—someone not Krissy. Dean rubbed the back of his neck and withdrew a few feet from me. He only did that whenever I gave him a look that made him uncomfortable.

The heat of my dropped to an angry simmer. What had he seen in my eyes? Was it the same thing he had seen before in my bedroom? My emotions had always been easy to read through my eyes—another thing I hated about them. Looking-glass eyes.

Mum stood beside me and faced her son. Something important passed between their shared glances. I couldn’t understand it and knew it wasn’t meant for my ears. It annoyed me and awakened that jealousy. They didn’t need words… they’re bond was that strong.

“Lucy,” Dean began, keeping his voice above a whisper. “One day, you’ll need to get over your issues with having Krissy around.

“Why?” I asked with a sneer.

“I had a plan…” he rubbed the back of his neck, “To propose to her tonight.”

“What!” I shouted, my hands clenching into fists.

You could have cut the growing tension with a knife. The room became deadly quiet. No doubt you could hear the shocked thump of my heart as it rebounded off my ribcage and dived into my stomach.

Swallowing hard, Dean adjusted the collar of his shirt. “I’ve been planning it for a while. I wasn’t going to mention it until afterwards...”

Speechless, both Mum and I stared at each other. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to scream at him... try and make him see sense. I was losing Dean all over again. This time, it was for real.

“You’re only twenty-one… Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Mum asked, collapsing in a chair. “It’s a big decision.”

Before he could answer, I interrupted, unable to control the words, “Do you even listen to what the kids in town call her? What they say she’s done?” I realised how childish the words sounded after I had said them, but I had to make him see. “You’re not the only one she’s dating!”

“That’s immature nonsense.” He defended, his eyes turning dark. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”

“Don’t do this, please,” I pleaded, edging closer to him. “She doesn’t love you. I know she doesn’t. She’s one of those spiders—the black widow spiders who eat their mates when they’ve had enough. She’ll ruin you.”

“How do you know what love is?” He almost laughed. “You’ve never had a relationship!”

“I–I know enough,” I grumbled, crossing my arms, heat burning the skin under my ears. An icky kind of anger and made my body ache.

Dean blinked slowly, speechless. We had never argued, even when we were younger. This had to be our first fight, and he was speechless. I was suddenly furious at myself, but when it came to Krissy Swanson, I had every right to protect him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the expression he had found in my eyes caught him off guard.

He snapped his lips shut and turned to Mum. “Mum, please give me your approval for this… I have to…”

They shared a glance I couldn’t defuse. It brought the whole room to another tedious silence. Mum shook her head, her eyes retreating to the lounge room archway. She searched through her ornament cabinets from a distance, searching for an excuse to withdraw from the discussion. This was Mum’s escape when she found a situation beyond her control.

Dean understood perfectly. He, too, knew there was no way to reach her while she was in this state of mind.

“I need time to think…” He stormed towards the stairs, then stopped and glared at Mum. “If anything happens—anything at all—it’s not my doing. I told you who I love... And you know where I stand!”

Once Dean vanished, Mum returned to the sink and stared into the distance. She appeared to be searching through the sky for answers. “It’s unusual for that boy of mine to act so irrationally. Why in the world does he want to marry her? I know he loves—” she trailed off.

I patted her arm. “Mum…”

She drew me into her embrace, holding my head against her chest. “It will be alright, darling. He’s confused. If you talk to him, you can try to make him see sense.”

“What can I do? I’m the one who upset him.”

“You and your brother have a close bond.” Grasping my shoulders, she held me at arm’s length. “You would have to be blind not to see that. A simple word from you might be enough to make him see reason. This time, try taming your temper. Sometimes arguments are best settled calmly.”

“Alright,” I agreed, “but I don’t know how much good it will do.”

I couldn’t argue with Mum’s pleading blue eyes. As she instructed, I hiked up the stairs.

How do I convince Dean not to make the biggest mistake of his life? He already knew what I thought of Krissy. Yet, I had to try, even if it meant pleading on my knees.