Chapter 10

The air in the house felt heavy and tense as the family gathered for a meeting, the day after John’s sudden departure. Mark could sense that something big was about to happen, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled in his stomach.

Taking his seat at the dining table, he noticed how his mother, Celia, seemed smaller and quieter than usual. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her hands trembled slightly as she cleared her throat to speak. “As you all know, John has left.” The words hung in the air, heavy with regret and sorrow. “I blame myself for it,” Celia continued, her voice cracking with emotion. “My lies caused this rift, and although we tried to fix things, in the end we failed.”

Mark looked over at Melody and Claire, both of whom had tears in their eyes but remained silent. He could feel their pain and confusion radiating from them. Lisa, his aunt, spoke next. “After his departure,” she said softly, “Celia and I decided that we must make some changes to our family dynamics.” Her face showed pain.

“We have decided that from this moment on,” Lisa announced, “all incestuous activities within this family will stop.”

Patrick and Mike nodded in agreement without any complaints. They already expected this. But Mark couldn’t hold back his anger. “What? That’s ridiculous!” he blurted out.

Lisa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at Mark’s outburst. “And why is that?” she demanded.

Mark struggled to find the right words, his frustration boiling over and threatening to spill out. His voice was strained and tight as he spoke through gritted teeth. “It’s just not fair! We shouldn’t all have to suffer because of John’s actions!”

Lisa and Mike exchanged uncomfortable glances, shifting uneasily as they watched Patrick’s expression turn from surprise to displeasure. He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm but his tone held a firm edge.

“Mark, stop. We’re in this situation because of our own recklessness, but you made it worse.” Celia looked at him sternly.

Mark’s face burned with embarrassment, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red. He started to defend himself, but before he could speak Melody cut in. “Yeah, you messed everything up with your stupid outburst. You ruined our relationship!”

“Melody, that’s enough!” Celia barked.

Melody’s words had hit Mark like a punch to the gut, but he knew better than to argue further. He could feel his anger simmering beneath the surface, but he bit his tongue and remained silent.

Lisa’s voice quivered with a mix of sorrow and regret, her words hanging heavily in the air. “This decision isn’t just about what happened with John,” she said, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears that threatened to spill over. “When we started this, we had no idea how it would ripple through your lives.” Her gaze swept over all of them, finally resting on Mark with a look that was both apologetic and accusatory. “You’ve all felt its impact.”

Celia’s heart ached as she turned to Claire. “Claire, you’re terrified that you’ll never be able to stay faithful to a future husband after everything that’s happened,” she said, her voice full of sympathy and doubt. Claire nodded slowly, her face a canvas of shame and uncertainty.

“Melody can’t even remember the encounters she had,” Celia continued, her tone laced with concern and helplessness. “I’m no psychologist, but it seems like her mind is trying to protect her from the truth.” She looked at Melody with a mixture of hope and despair, as if wishing that forgetting could really serve as a shield.

“I can remember John,” Melody said quietly, her voice trembling as she spoke. “But no one else. It’s frightening.” She looked so small and vulnerable as she uttered those words, like a child afraid of the dark, desperate for someone to hold her hand. Claire reached out, pulling her cousin into a comforting embrace, as if to reassure her that she was not alone in this, that they were all stumbling through the same shadows together.

“And you...” Celia finally addressed Mark, her voice wavering between frustration and pity, “I’m starting to understand. What happened between John and you wasn’t just sibling rivalry. Apparently knowing John was left out made you despise him. To despise your own brother is something I can hardly fathom!” Her voice was stern yet tinged with uncertainty. “But then, our efforts to include him seemed to fuel your anger and resentment so much that I barely recognize who you’ve become now.”

Mark simply lowered his head.

Patrick chose that moment to speak. “We cannot change the past. But we know change is needed. We can no longer continue down this destructive path.” He knew it would be tough, but it was necessary.

“From now on, we will limit ourselves to normal relationships—whatever that even means for each of us. Us parents will be monogamous again. You kids, you’ll find mates of your own age. I know it won’t be easy, and to be honest, I’m not entirely sure how to make this work, but we have to try to do it as a family. A normal family, whatever that looks like.”

“But, what about John?” Melody’s voice broke through the tense silence, filled with concern. She looked around the family, her question lingering in the air.

Celia hesitated, clearly wrestling with an inner turmoil before she answered, her gaze dropping to the floor as if the answer lay there. “John needs to be left alone,” she said slowly, almost reluctantly, raising her hand to silence any protests from the girls before they even began. The strain in her voice was evident, and it trembled with the weight of her emotions. “We did him wrong, and he’s right to not want to see any of us right now. Believe me, I’m torn because I want to reach out, but pushing him could make things so much worse.” Her eyes were pleading, almost begging for understanding. “He will heal in his own time, and trying to force him will only backfire.”

Lisa nodded in agreement, her eyes showing the pain of conceding to such a difficult truth. “He knew before any of us how damaging this could be.” Her voice was filled with regret. “We thought we could fix it, and look where it led us.”

“We’ll see him at school,” Claire interjected, her tone uncertain but hopeful. “It will be impossible not to talk with him.” Melody nodded in agreement, a flicker of hope crossing her face at the thought of some contact, no matter how distant.

“We understand,” Patrick replied, his voice steady and reassuring. “When you see him, greet him, ask how it is going, that kind of thing. Nothing deep. If he reaches out to you, engage with him in conversation. But remember, don’t try to pressure him or force anything. Whatever happens, it needs to originate from him, naturally and of his own accord.”

“We really messed up, didn’t we?” Melody admitted, her voice tinged with a mix of regret and disbelief. Her eyes were staring into the distance as if searching for a solution hidden in the air. Celia simply nodded in silence, her lips pressed into a thin line, acknowledging the truth of Melody’s words without uttering a sound. The room felt heavy, the atmosphere thick with unspoken emotions.

Although John had planned some things in advance, leaving home is nothing like the movies where the hero packs a suitcase, strides out the front door, and somehow has everything fall into place. For a high school senior like John, it’s messier and scarier. Reality sets in quickly when the door slams shut behind you, and instead of freedom, you feel an avalanche of uncertainty crashing down around you. Sure, he had some savings stashed away from his summer job, but he knew that money would burn fast. The immediate concerns gnawed at him: he needed a bed and a full-time job, and he needed them soon.