The Last Of The Forsaken

There are two hollow knocks against the hard, wooden door.

All of us outside the door wait anxiously but only for a few seconds.

I can hear hurried footsteps the second Johnny's knuckles hit the door.

There's a lock being undone from the other side before my disgruntled mother opens the door.

She quickly pans from me and my brother's face.

I'm not sure what I was expecting but it's like my stomach just jumped into my throat and I can feel my face getting hot.

"I-i-" Before I can finish she quickly slaps my face.

Before Johnny can process what happened he is also met with five fingers to the face.

"Ah! What the-" He stops when he sees her face.

Her eyes glossy and moist.

Her face is overwhelmed with over lapping emotions.

"Never. Never make me worry like that again."

She quickly wraps her arms around us both.

My face is burning with blood.

I feel ashamed and guilty.

I slowly return her half hug with one arm of my own.

Johnny does the same.

I don't know how to respond.

My eyes start to water and I don't even understand why they are.

"I'm sorry."

I feel my throat choke a bit as I get out the words.

I've always been expressive, wether its been vocally or through my hobbies.

I cry sometimes I'm not ashamed of it.

However I know when to open the flood gates as to not burden people, because there is a point when you do.

People like to believe that isn't true but it is, as unpleasant a truth it is.

Right now though I am not in control.

I'm not sobbing like someone died but it feels like it's everything I built up to this point decided that now was a good time to come out.

I quickly try to get it under control but it's never easy doing that.

Besides I'm an ugly crier anyways and no one needs to see that.

That thought made a laugh a bit.

I find that thinking about stupid jokes or silly shit I've seen or done in the past helps me get back in the driver's seat.

I'm still crying but I have some level of composure so I don't do that thing where you gasp while you cry and scrunge up your face like a child.

We stand there together for a moment.

Johnny hasn't been crying but I can't say that he doesn't want to.

My mom however has been crying, but not as much as I have, I'm the biggest baby of the bunch.

She looks up at us and puts her hands behind our heads and pulls them down together like we're praying.

I stop the crying but I still have the sniffles.

She quickly kisses our foreheads before letting our heads back up.

My mom looks up past us and sees the merry band that brought us home.