It was the crying that woke him up. Luca rolled over in his twin-sized bed, his pillow being pulled over his head to try to drown out the noise of his mother crying, but it was still there. It swam in his head, a constant reminder of what the world had become. Out of everyone he knew, his mother was taking it the hardest, and it was up to Tommy and his grandma to take over supporting the family while his father was busy tending to his mom. Surely there was more he could do, too…
Throwing the pillow against the wall his bed rested against, Luca got up and got dressed. The crying had quieted by now, but he could hear very faint voices through the wall that separated his room and the master bedroom. Seemed like his dad was still in comfort mode.
Dressed and ready, the sound of an old car engine humming to life drew Luca to the window, and he watched for a moment as Tommy’s old 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix Sedan pulled out of their driveway, and rushed down the street, towards Huddeen. Trying to contain any bit of fear welling up inside of him, Luca turned and raced down the stairs, into the kitchen. He had to have left a note, right? He wasn’t just leaving them. Right?
Emily greeted him in the kitchen, the older sister still wondering what exactly she should have for breakfast. She didn’t seem worried. “Where did Tommy go?” Luca kept his voice as steady as he could, his sister’s calm demeanor already calming his own worried heart.
“Well good morning,” Emily finally pulled out a bowl, pouring some cereal in it. “Tommy and Grandma went into town. Grandma said that there should still be some stock in the diner, although I think this is the last of it,” she was pulling down a second bowl, waving the box of cereal at Luca, who only gave a tiny nod. With a sigh, Luca sunk into one of the kitchen chairs, his hand reaching to poke the nails on the baseball bat that was left behind.
Silence filled the kitchen as Emily poured half of the usual amount of milk in both bowls, eyeing how much they had left, before she placed the bowl gently in front of Luca. The silence was replaced with the clinking of spoons against ceramic bowl, the pair finishing their breakfast before Luca spoke up again. “Do you…Do you think we’re going to be okay?” He wouldn’t meet Emily’s gaze. She stared at him for a moment, before she looked away, her hands resting in her lap as she tried to find the words to comfort him. What could she say, though?
“Luca,” she started, before she sighed. “We’re going to be okay, but only if we stick together,” he looked up to her smiling face, and she moved to his side of the table, hugging him lightly. The siblings stayed like that for a while, before Emily pulled away, taking her younger brother’s bowl with her. Luca remained sat at the table, staring out of the large windows that looked out into the front yard. He slowly moved to perch himself on the couch that looked directly through those windows, watching the outside gray world. His sister’s words had done very little to ease the anxiety rising in his chest.