The Cockney Canuck - 161. Chapter 161 The Eagle Has Landed

For a woman whose marriage was on the brink of disintegrating, Sue was remarkably composed when she summoned her four children to the living room on Sunday afternoon for what she later described as the most difficult conversation of her life.

I sat on the couch with Nicola and braced myself as Amy jumped between us, wiggling her backside to squeeze into a non-existent gap. The last to arrive was Daniel, reluctantly dragging himself upstairs to slouch sideways across the armchair, barefoot and shirtless. He still looked angry at me for interrupting his fun earlier, but this was more important, and Sue wasted no time getting to the point.

“Your father and I will be separating. He doesn’t know it yet, but we have discussed divorce in the past, and I don’t expect it to be a huge shock to him. I wanted to tell you first because it will affect us all, and it’s only fair that you know the reasons, at least from my perspective.”

She paused to gauge our reactions. It wasn’t unexpected, but it was still an important announcement, and no one said a word.

“I want you to know it’s not your fault. No matter what you hear in the coming days or weeks, none of you are to blame for what’s happened. It’s important to remember that.”

I got the feeling Sue was talking mostly about me. Don already believed I was trying to sabotage their marriage, and to some extent, I was, but only for reasons of self-preservation. My conscience was clear; I had no intention of accepting responsibility for his mistakes.

“It’s a decision I’ve put off for a long time because I wanted to keep the family together, but it’s reached a point where continuing down this road is likely to cause more harm than good. Yesterday was a wake-up call. It scares me to think how close we came to tragedy.” She stopped to compose herself as the first strains of emotion began to creep into her voice.

“But it gave me the impetus to do what I know is right. I don’t hate your father, but I have issues with his church and certain people within it who are using religious doctrine as an excuse to undermine our family. I disagree with their views, and I’ve made it clear to Don that I don’t want them influencing our children. This applies to all of you but Robbie in particular. They have targeted him because of choices he made that have nothing to do with them, and Don has encouraged them and allowed it to continue. I’ve talked to Robbie about this before, and I apologised because I also made mistakes ….” She reached for a tissue to dab her eyes as her emotions finally got the better of her. “I made mistakes because I’ve never had to deal with this before, but I promised to do better. When we adopted Robbie into our family, it was unconditional. There are certain things we don’t get to choose, and neither should we want to. I can’t be married to a man who won’t accept that.”

I felt humbled by Sue’s heartfelt explanation. We hadn’t always seen eye to eye, and there were times when I had deliberately made things awkward for her to get at Don. In the early days, I pushed her away and tested her limits. I gave her every reason to hate me, but she stood up for me instead, and because of that, I had a tremendous amount of respect for her. Sue’s speech made me teary-eyed and brought Nicola to her feet.

“Mom, it’s okay; we understand. You don’t need to explain.”

Daniel was next. “We know what they’re like, Mom. You shouldn’t have gone there today.”

Amy was more pragmatic. “Where are we going to live?”

“You’re going to live with me, and I hope the rest of you will want that too. Whether we stay in this house or not isn’t certain at the moment.”

“Do we have to choose who we want to live with?” asked Daniel.

“Don’t be a dick,” said Nicola, prodding Daniel in the chest. He recoiled and tried to push her away before Sue intervened.

“Only Nicola is old enough to do that, but I don’t expect Don to fight for custody. It would be a little late for him to start taking an interest in his children.”

“Where is he now?” asked Nicola.

“We left him at the church. I gave the pastor a piece of my mind.”

I nodded and smiled at Nicola to confirm.

“I knew it,” said Nicola. “What did you say to him?”

“She gave him a bollocking,” said Amy, and all eyes turned on me.

“Don’t look at me. I didn’t teach her that.”

Amy giggled, and Daniel tried hard not to join her, but no one believed me.

“You’re the only one around here who uses that word,” said Sue.

‘Not anymore, apparently.’

“She probably doesn’t even know what it means.”

“Yes, I do,” said Amy, and she looked like she was about to prove it, so I put my hand over her mouth to silence her and spare us further embarrassment.

It was too much for Daniel, who was almost bent double with laughter as he dodged a reckless punch from Nicola.

“That’s enough,” said Sue, but she was also trying not to laugh, and for the first time, Amy had to put a dollar of her allowance into the swear box. “You as well, Robbie. She didn’t invent that word.”

“That’s not fair. Why should I have to pay for other people’s swearing? I spend enough on my own.”

“It’s not like you’re gonna go broke anytime soon,” said Daniel. “You’re probably the richest one in the family now.”

“It’s not much good if I can’t get to any of it, though, is it?”

Sue did a quick calculation. “It’s only fifteen months until your eighteenth birthday. When was it last reviewed.”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, when was your last statement from the bank?”

“I don’t get statements.”

“Well, you should do. Probably every six months. They’re sent to Don, but he’s supposed to keep you informed of your investments. That’s his job as the trustee. I’ll have a word with him about it. This is a good time to get it reviewed.”

“Will the divorce affect it?”

“I don’t think so. Don can’t access the fund, but he should be advising you. If he’s not doing his job, he should step down, and I’ll take over.”

“I’ll look after it for you,” said Nicola. “It’ll be safe with me.”

Daniel laughed. “Maybe for a day. Leave it with me instead. I’ll invest it wisely.”

“Give it to me,” said Amy. “I have a secret hiding place.”

Daniel smirked. “Everyone knows where your secret hiding place is, Amy.”

“No, they don’t.”

“The toy box under your bed. It used to be mine, dummy,” he laughed as Amy folded her arms and glared at him. “I found all your Easter eggs in there while you were out.”

Sue made Daniel apologise to his sister before she ran upstairs to make sure nothing was missing. She seemed to be taking the news of her parent’s divorce remarkably well, so Sue took advantage of her absence by returning to a more serious topic. She wanted to know who was in charge of the boat during the ill-fated sailing lesson.

“The pastor,” I said before explaining to Daniel and Nicola how he had blamed everything on the skipper.

“What a slimeball,” said Daniel. “The skipper’s the only reason we weren’t all killed.”

“So, the pastor was lying to me earlier?” said Sue.

“Yes,” I said. “I tried to tell you that when we were leaving the church. Everyone knows he’s in charge.”

“The skipper wanted to cancel the lesson,” added Daniel, “but the pastor wouldn’t let him.”

“Who is this skipper?” asked Sue.

“His name is Joseph, and he goes to the church, but he wasn’t there today.”

“They must have told him to stay away,” said Nicola. “To stop him from talking.”

It seemed a reasonable assumption. Why else would he miss the Easter Service?

“Nothing would surprise me with those people anymore,” said Sue. “I’ve put up with them for years to please Don while trying to keep you away; I’m glad I did now.”

It seemed like I wasn’t the only one indebted to Sue. Our family would have been much different had she not stood firm and resisted pressure from Don to get his kids involved. Daniel, Nicola, and Amy were spared the type of misery inflicted on Matthew.

Sue must have been pleased with how her children rallied around her, but the excitement generated by her announcement soon wore off—replaced by a feeling of uncertainty as we pondered Don’s likely response.

When Sue went upstairs to get changed, Nicola dragged Daniel and me into the kitchen for an urgent meeting. She was convinced Don would make it as difficult as possible and oppose Sue every inch of the way.

“He’ll probably try to turn us against each other, so we need to stick together and not get involved in their arguments. We have to stay as neutral as possible.”

That wasn’t going to happen. So, I made my position clear. “I’m not staying neutral. I’m backing mom.”

“Well, so am I, but if he knows that, it’s just gonna make things worse and give him a reason to blame you.”

“He’s gonna do that anyway.”

So much for sticking together. We were already at each other’s throats, but Daniel had noticed something that made him smile.

He tapped me on the shoulder. “Whose side did you say you were on?”

I was angry at him for doubting my loyalty. “Mom, of course. What kind of a question is that?”

He glanced at Nicola, but it took me a few seconds to realise why they were grinning.

They had been pressing me for months to use the ‘mom’ word without fully understanding the implications on a young mind still grappling with grief. Yet now it felt like any other term would have been inadequate—almost insulting.

I was proud of my new mom and wanted everyone to know. I would have shouted it from the rooftops.

“It’s about time,” said Daniel.

“Was that a mistake?” asked Nicola. That would have been my usual response, and she braced herself for a volley of abuse.

“No, it wasn’t a mistake.”

Nicola’s reaction was very un-sisterly and borderline gross. I didn’t like women pressing their bosoms against me, and knowing they were my sister’s bosoms made it even worse. When she released me from her hug, I pulled a face and wiped her slobbery kiss from my cheek. I had no idea it meant so much to her, but that day, emotions were running at an all-time high.

“You’re not getting a kiss from me,” said Daniel. “And I’m still pissed with you for this morning.”

“Oh, come on, it was just a joke.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“You brought it up.”

Perhaps that wasn’t the best choice of words, but it was a mistake for him to mention it in front of Nicola. She could smell someone’s discomfort a mile away and rarely missed an opportunity to embarrass her brother.

“What did you do?” she asked, looking me in the eye while keeping Daniel at bay with a hand against his chest.

My brother shook his head in a silent plea for mercy, but he was never in danger. It was a private joke between roommates. Telling someone else, even another family member, would have overstepped the mark and risked further fragmenting the family at a time when I needed his support. So, I lied.

“I woke him up, that’s all.”

Nicola was confused. “How is that even a joke?”

I hoped my peace offering would deter my brother from seeking revenge, but I had a funny feeling it wouldn’t be enough.

Amy was the smallest of my siblings and the fastest down the stairs. A dozen rapid footsteps were followed by a brief silence and a loud thud as she cleared the last two steps in one and landed on the hardwood floor.

It made me cringe after my accident on the stairs at school, and Nicola was about to tell her off, but Amy had news that justified her Evil Knievel-type entrance.

“Mom's on the phone to dad in her room.”

“What did she say?” asked Nicola.

“She told me to go downstairs.”

“No, I mean to dad.”

“She was shouting at him, and she swore.”

I was intrigued. “Tell us then?”

Amy had a wry smile. “I’m not allowed.”

“You can tell me, though. Does it start with an F and end with a K?”

“No, she called him nasty.”

“That’s not a swear word, Amy,” laughed Daniel.

“Piece of shit,” said Amy sneering at her brother. “A nasty piece of shit!”

“Way to go, Amy.” I gave her a high five, but it wasn’t good news. Sue never swore, although Don often deserved it. It sounded like Nicola was right about him making it as difficult as possible, and I wondered why he wasn’t here to argue his case. This was still Don’s home, and I expected him to show up at any moment, with guns blazing.

It was a good reason to make myself scarce, and a text message from a rabbit on the other side of town was a reminder of what I was missing. My boyfriend wanted to know why I wasn’t at Ginny’s Easter party. So, when Sue came downstairs, I asked her if I could pop out to meet him.

“Yes, dear. Of course, you can.”

“Aren’t you gonna ask me where I’m going?”

She looked distracted as she thought about it. “No, dear. I trust you.”

I was dumbfounded as I watched her walk away with an equally baffled-looking Nicola. “I wouldn’t trust me.”

“Neither would I,” said my sister. “Make sure you’re back before ten.”

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Yes, I can. Mom’s obviously distracted. She’s got too much on her plate at the moment, so I’m in charge.”

“No, you’re not!”

Neither of us would give way, and Sue was forced to intervene. “Why are you arguing?”

“She thinks she’s in charge.”

“He won’t listen to me.”

“I thought you were going to see Nathan, dear.”

“I am, but what time do I have to be back?”

“You don’t. You can stay over if you want. In fact, I would prefer that. It’d be better if you weren’t here when Don gets home.”

I wasn’t sure if I liked the sound of that. “Why, do you think he’s gonna try to kill me or something?”

“Probably,” said Nicola.

“Don’t be silly,” said Sue. “Of course not. I just don’t want any arguments. You know what he’s like.”

“Robbie could stay in the basement,” said Daniel. “Dad never goes down there.”

I scowled at my brother for trying to scupper my good fortune.

“I might not wanna stay in the basement. I might wanna walk around the house and be annoying.”

“I don’t think that’s wise,” said Sue.

“That’s what he usually does,” added Daniel.

I was ready to hit my brother, and any other day I probably would have, but Sue had made up her mind. She was adamant that she didn’t want me to cross paths with Don.

Maybe there was a God, after all, and he obviously didn’t mind me being gay. Everything I asked for in my only prayer had come true. I decided to pray more often and see how far I could push him. With God on my side, I could get away with anything.

‘Please, God, can you make Rory turn gay?’

It seemed like a big favour to ask of someone who, up until a couple of hours ago, I didn’t believe existed, but who would have thought Sue would be telling me to go and bonk Nathan?

*     *     *

It was late evening, and the sun was setting when the cab dropped me outside Ginny’s house. The door was open, and the place looked deserted, but there was music coming from the backyard, where a group of teenagers sat around a fire pit, toasting marshmallows and smoking weed.

They were an odd collection of Ginny’s older gothic-looking friends and a few high school-age kids from Nathan’s drama club. I was looking for a rabbit, but my boyfriend had swapped his costume for a pair of skin-tight jeans and a black hoodie that made him difficult to spot in the fading light. He saw me first and jumped up to greet me with a salacious hug and a full-on snog to a chorus of whistles and disapproving stares from his friends.

“Ignore them,” he said before continuing our kiss and replying to their jibes with an outstretched arm and his middle finger. “I didn’t think you were gonna show up, so I took off the bunny suit. It was getting too hot, and they kept trying to pull my tail.”

“Sounds painful.”

“Kinda. I don’t mind if you do it, though.”

“I know you don’t.” I dropped my hand to his butt and squeezed it firmly to annoy his thespian friends. Like Ginny, they put up with me because I was his boyfriend, but we had nothing in common, and they couldn’t understand the attraction. I thought it was funny. They followed him around like he was a superstar and competed for his friendship, but whenever I showed up, he dropped them like a hot potato, and they hated me for it.

“How long can you stay?”

“Until tomorrow afternoon. I can’t go home tonight; my parents are getting divorced, and Don wants to kill me.”

I don’t think he heard the last bit; he was too busy peppering my face with kisses.

“Did you hear what I said?” I wiped the spit from my flushed cheeks as Nathan took my hand and dragged me towards the house.

“Yes, you’re staying at my house tonight. Come and see your penis. It was melting, so I put it in the fridge. It should be nice and hard by now.”

I had to laugh. “It will be later.”

“Definitely later, and I get to sleep with my boyfriend again.” He held the door open for me and winked. “Do you wanna come inside.”

“Try and stop me.”

“Don’t be rude.” He slapped my wrist and led me into the sparse kitchen. “What kept you anyway? I thought the mad Mormons had kidnapped you.”

“No, it was my parents; they’re getting a divorce.”

“I gave one of your testicles to Camp Simon; I hope you don’t mind. He had to leave and wanted something to chew on the way home. They’re filled with cream, you know.”

“You’re not listening, are you? I said my parents are getting a divorce; their marriage is over.”

“Oh my God, why didn’t you say?”

“I did. Three times.”

“But Isn’t that good news?”

“I suppose.”

“Then we should celebrate.” He opened the fridge. “Happy Easter. I hope Sue screws him for every penny he’s got. Sorry, I don’t mean to take sides, but I hate that fucking asshole. What do you think of your penis?”

“It’s a work of art.”

I was being kind. My chocolate penis looked a little sad with only one ball and nowhere near as succulent as the real one tenting my lover’s pants, but it was probably the only edible thing in Ginny’s fridge.

“Sue’s a good person,” said Nathan. “I got to know her better when I was in the hospital. I’m glad she’s finally standing up to that brute, but he won’t go quietly, you know that? He’s gonna blame you for everything.”

That seemed to be the consensus.

“I’m not scared of him.”

“Well, maybe you should be. I don’t trust him. He’ll do something bad just to be nasty.” My boyfriend put his arms inside my jacket and pulled me close to kiss my neck—gently sucking on my skin and pushing me against the counter. “I think you should stay with me until all this is over. Then I can sleep with you every night and make sure you’re safe and properly looked after.” He smiled and bit his lip as his hand slid under my waistband and closed around my dick. “Would you like that?”

“They’ll never allow it, and you’ve got cold hands.” I pulled his arm from my pants, making him frown. “You can play with that as much as you want when we get to your house.”

“What else can I do?”

“Anything you want. You know that.”

“Anything?” he had a wicked grin that I could easily read. “You might regret that when I’m poking you in the… hello Ginny, how are you?”

I turned around to see the hostess standing in the doorway.

“I don’t mean to interrupt your plans, but if you’re staying, you need to contribute towards the beer. All-you-can-drink for ten bucks.” She swatted Nathan away and held out her hand while I reached into the front of my pants to adjust myself and pulled out a ten-dollar bill.

“Sorry, it’s a bit damp.”

Ginny glared at me, pocketed the banknote, and wiped her hand on her jeans. “You’re disgusting.”

“Thanks.”

“Are you still seeing Jo?”

“No, I’m cured.”

“No, you’re not. You keep money in your underwear. That’s not normal. You need help.”

“That’s why I’m here.” I winked at Nathan, and he smiled.

“Don’t encourage him, Nathan. He’s only using you for sex.”

“I know.” He put his arm around my waist and gazed longingly into my eyes while Ginny shook her head in dismay.

“If you guys wanna fuck. It’s another ten bucks.”

I protested. “I don’t usually pay for that!”

“You do if it’s in my house,” She held out her hand again as I fished around for another ten dollars. “How much have you got down there?”

“More than you can handle, Ginny.”

“I doubt it. You should get yourself a real man, Nathan.”

“I think I found it,” I said, shaking my leg. “There’s a hole in my pocket, and it’s stuck halfway down my leg.”

“Keep dreaming. I don’t want your money or whatever you’re looking for. If you can’t control your urges, you can use my brother’s room, but don’t make a mess. He’s very tidy—keeps it like a fucking palace.”

“Really?”

Ginny stared at me as if I was stupid. “No, I’m kidding; it’s a shithole. You could run a stampede through there, and he wouldn’t notice.”

I was only playing with Ginny and had no intention of using her house for sex. Nathan’s bedroom was much nicer, more discreet, and only a five-minute ride away at the end of a relatively tame night that failed to live up to its billing.

It was Sunday, but there was still one day left of the Easter holiday, which allowed Nathan an extra hour on his curfew, and he was determined to use up every minute. At five to eleven, he sent a text to Karen, and by ten past, she was waiting outside.

“How much are you paying her?”

My boyfriend rolled his eyes. “I don’t have a choice. They have to collect me whenever I go out like a little kid. I can’t walk anywhere anymore.”

I had to admit since Nathan was attacked, his parents had been a little overprotective, but I didn’t blame them for worrying, and it saved us from having to walk. His sister was pleased to see me when I jumped in the back seat while Nathan was saying goodbye to Ginny.

“Hiya, sexy. Am I taking you home first?”

“No, I’m staying at your house.”

“Wow, how did you manage to pull that one off?”

“My parents are getting a divorce.”

“Are you serious?”

“Uh-huh. My mom didn’t want me around when Don got home in case he tried to pick a fight with me. She thinks he’s gonna blame me for destroying their marriage.”

“Oh my God, you poor thing.”

“I know. My counsellor told me he’s gonna implode. I hope you don’t mind me staying the night.”

“Mind? Of course, we don’t mind. You can’t go home if you’re not safe. You can stay for as long as you want. I’m sure Nathan will be happy.”

“Happy about what?” said Nathan as he climbed in beside me and waved to Ginny.

“Robbie’s not safe at his house.”

My boyfriend cocked his head towards me and licked his lips. “He's not safe in our house either.” He grabbed me around the neck, licked my face, and then turned on his sister. “Well, what are you waiting for? The car isn’t gonna drive itself, you know.”

I tried meekly to push him off, but it was only token resistance. “Get off me, you sex maniac.”

“Not until I get to poke you.”

“Behave,” said Karen. “Robbie doesn’t wanna be poked.”

“Yes, I do,” I said, giggling and pulling my surprised-looking boyfriend over me.

“Really,” he whispered.

“Yes. Do you think you’re up to the task?”

“See, he does want me to poke him!” he laughed, then rolled off me and onto the floor when Karen braked.

My boyfriend had a bump on his head, which he rubbed as we walked into his darkened house. I liked Nathan’s parents, but I was glad they were in bed and didn’t have to talk to them. They thought I was wonderful and always made me feel welcome, but I knew they weren’t entirely comfortable with us sleeping together in their house. They put up with it because they wanted him to be safe and were scared of pushing him away, but whenever I stayed over, it felt awkward.

They must have known that our teenage libidos wouldn’t allow us to share the same bed without engaging in some kind of sexual activity, and there were times when I’m sure they must have heard us, but nothing was ever said. Unlike Conner’s parents, that topic was strictly taboo.

His sister, of course, was the total opposite and never too shy to offer embarrassing advice. We were pretending to watch TV in the living room while waiting for her to go to bed when she stood in the doorway and coughed.

I jumped and pulled my hand away from my boyfriend’s lap, leaving a large lump for him to conceal with a cushion, but Karen wasn’t concerned with our frivolities.

“I don’t care what you boys get up to tonight, but please try to do it silently.”

I glanced at my boyfriend and smirked before raising my right hand to give her my word. “We promise.”

Karen rolled her eyes. “And don’t stay up too late.”

We looked at each other and giggled again. At that point, everything had sexual connotations. Our minds were now controlled by our dicks, and when that happened, logic, common sense, and decency would all fall by the wayside—replaced by extreme risk-taking and a euphoric desire for sexual gratification.

We spent the next ten minutes swapping spit before turning off the lights and creeping upstairs to the bathroom to squeeze into his tiny shower. Washing each other was an exciting and necessary preparation for sex and part of a routine that began when I looked after him. His ring piece belonged to me, and I made sure it was kept in tip-top condition.

When our butts were clean, we stepped on each other’s toes, kissed, and washed each other’s hair as our erections battled proudly in the suds between us. Precious moments like these convinced me I was blessed, and I was tingling with excitement and expectation as we quickly dried and tip-toed along the dark hallway to his room.

This was our sanctuary where we wouldn’t be disturbed. We dropped our towels, switched off the lights and met between his cold sheets. The touch of his still-damp skin was electric, and within seconds we were tied in knots, sucking in mouthfuls of scented flesh and using every inch of his double bed. There was no shyness between us nor any need for embarrassment. I told him what I wanted, and Nathan duly obliged.

In a rare departure from the norm, our usual roles were reversed, bringing back memories of Conner, only this time, the pain was more pleasurable, and the ending much less one-sided. Our lovemaking that night was slow and sensuous, and I finished long before I heard Nathan’s breath shorten and felt his dick pulsing inside me.

It wasn’t his preferred position, but my boyfriend had every right to be proud of his performance. It was the first time I had ever cum while being fucked, and it required only minimal contact from my hand. If my Swedish boyfriend could have made love to me the way Nathan did that night, then things may have been different, but Conner was only ever interested in pleasing himself.

*     *     *

There were no cars on the driveway when I arrived home the following afternoon, and only Daniel was indoors. He was at his computer working on a homework assignment when I walked into the bedroom sporting a silly grin.

“You look happy. You must have had a good time.”

“I did. Where is everyone?”

“Mom’s shopping with Nicola and Amy.”

“And Don?”

“Dad didn’t stay here last night. He turned up for ten minutes to grab a change of clothes and take the car, and he hasn’t been back since. You didn’t need to go out last night, after all.”

I chuckled. “So, is he moving out?”

“Mom doesn’t think so. She said he’s coming back tonight.”

“Great!”

“It gets worse,” said Daniel. “Nicola is letting mom use her room until they sort things out.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“She’s gonna be moving down here and sleeping in the family room.”

“So what?” I laughed as I stripped to my underwear and grabbed a towel, but Daniel looked worried.

“You don’t get it. She’s going to take over the basement. Wait and see.”

I thought it was nice of Nicola to give up her room, but I began to see his point when we were commandeered later that evening to help move some of her stuff downstairs.

“It’s only a few essentials,” said Nicola as she handed Daniel a cardboard box filled with clothes from her drawer. She turned him around so that he was facing the door and gave him a gentle push. “Come straight back.”

My brother looked out of his comfort zone as he tried to see over a pile of Nicola’s underwear and almost collided with Sue as she left her room with an armful of clothes.

I laughed as I watched from Nicola’s bed while waiting for her to pack another box. I still felt a little tender and tired from Nathan’s exertions the night before, but my rest was cut short when I heard the garage door opening.

Sue had hoped to get everything done before Don came home, but it wasn’t to be. I jumped up to look out the window and confirm my suspicions.

“The eagle has landed!”

Sue came out of her room with another armful of clothes. “That man always turns up at the wrong time. Maybe it’s best if you went downstairs, dear.”

“Don’t go empty-handed,” said Nicola. She handed me the box, which was now filled to the brim and told me to hurry.

“I thought you said it was just a few essentials.”

“These are the essentials. Now stop complaining and tell Daniel to get his ass back up here. There’s more.”

“More?” We had already carried more clothes downstairs than Daniel, and I owned between us.

“Wait!” She called me back to place a teddy bear on the top and issue a stern warning. “Don’t drop teddy!”

Her voice made me shudder. It was straight out of a horror movie but nowhere near as terrifying as the sound of Don marching up the stairs. I stopped in the doorway with Nicola behind me as he walked past us to confront Sue in the hall.

“Are you moving out?”

“No, just changing rooms. You can have our room until ….”

“Until you find a place to live, you mean. I thought you would have had all that sorted out. Or are you expecting me to leave? I don’t mind either way, but it’s going to be expensive for you.” Amy was asleep in her room across the hall, and Sue signalled for Don to be quiet, but he ignored her and turned to glare at me.

“If you do decide to leave, make sure you take him with you.”

“What have I done?”

Sue glared at her husband. “Leave him alone, Don. It’s got nothing to do with him.”

“It’s got everything to do with him. Well done, Robbie. You must feel proud of yourself. You’ve finally managed to break up the family. Happy now, are you?”

“Don’t answer him, Robbie.”

For the first time in ages, Don looked truly threatening and nothing like the jovial man who proudly paraded me around his church on Sunday. He wasn’t a violent man, but he was big enough to intimidate most people, and that day he looked particularly aggressive to the point where I was too frightened to argue.

Nicola wasn’t taking any chances. She pulled me away from the door and stood in front of me to glare at her dad.

“Of course, he’s not happy. Why would he be happy?”

Don laughed. “You won’t be defending him when you realise how much it’s going to cost you. No more iPhones or designer labels, and your mother won’t be able to give you forty dollars a week allowance either.”

‘Forty dollars?’

Daniel was only getting twenty, and I hadn’t received a penny since he discovered I was gay. Not that I needed his money.

Nicola avoided my stare as she contemplated the financial repercussions and the effect it would have on her lifestyle. Don won that round by a country mile, and he must have been pleased with his progress.

“I don’t want your money,” said Sue. “But you can’t suddenly stop paying for your children. They need food, clothes, and somewhere to live.”

“You should have thought about that, but I’m sure you’ll manage somehow. Maybe Robbie can help out.”

“Or a lawyer!” I couldn’t help it. Those words just came out on their own.

“Is that a threat, Robbie? Are you going to hire a lawyer?”

“I don’t need to; everyone knows you have to pay for your kids.”

Sue shook her head. “Robbie, please! You’re not helping.”

“Do you think I’m gonna pay for you?”

“You don’t have a choice. You adopted me, remember?”

Don was fuming. He glared at me while ignoring Sue’s attempts to get him into their bedroom. Now he no longer needed to please her; she looked incapable of controlling him, and it was Nicola who diffused the situation by pushing me into her room and closing the door.

I sat on her bed and listened to their muffled arguments until Don’s voice quietened, and I heard their bedroom door close.

“You can come out now,” said Nicola. “The coast is clear.” She picked up the box and pressed it against my chest. “Stay downstairs; you’re gonna have to help me rearrange the basement.”

I was about to object when I heard Amy crying in her room. She was a tough kid and never cried without a good reason, but this was too much for her.

Nicola shook her head and marched across the hall, but Daniel was already there. He must have come upstairs at the right time, and Nicola stepped aside as he walked from Amy’s room with his sobbing sister clinging to his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist.

“I’ll take her to the basement,” he said, and Nicola nodded. My brother rarely interacted with Amy except to moan at her. So, watching him carry her downstairs like she was the most precious thing in the world to him was a touching sight and a poignant reminder of why we needed to stick together.