Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.
Things have gone upside down with Vinnie and Ethan. Are they really going to have a conversation with Joey? How can that turn out? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
Nothing was said at first, we simply sipped our
sweet tea and stared out into the backyard, where the laundry floated gently on
the breeze. Benny raced about the yard like a madman. He’d spotted a rabbit
and, despite the fact the little fella offered him no harm, insisted on chasing
it. But the bunny managed to keep well out of Benny’s grasp, to our amusement.
I wasn’t worried that our boy might actually catch and harm the rabbit. I think
the fun lay in the sheer physicality of the chase.
“I always wanted to have a dog,” Joey broke the
silence. That surprised me. I just couldn’t imagine him being interested in
another living creature that wasn’t him. Of course, he’d obviously been
married, but I’d never seen him show any sign of interest in his wife. Joseph Thorn
had paid her more attention than his son had.
And let’s not open that can of worms again.
“I know,” Ethan said softly. I glanced at him in
surprise, but said nothing to interrupt the moment. “Sarah and I did too.”
Joey was worrying at his lower lip, his gaze fixed
on the porch. He raised his head and released a long exhale. “Dad always said
no. He told me I wasn’t responsible enough. What did he tell you guys?”
“The same,” Ethan said.
I couldn’t help but feel bad for both of them. Not
that I’d had a pet either, but that was due to circumstances, and I’d never
blamed my mother for that. I knew she would have if she could have. I scooted
closer to Ethan, close enough for our thighs to touch, and twined my fingers
with his.
Another moment of silence passed. Benny grew tired
of the futile chase and came trotting back to us, tongue hanging out from
exertion. He yipped at us before bouncing onto Ethan’s brother’s lap—to our
great surprise—where he comfortably settled himself and closed his eyes.
“Must be tiring to be him,” I commented with a
chuckle.
Joey seemed as startled as we were. I watched him
tentatively stroke Benny’s back, and then began to repeat the process with a
growing confidence. “His fur feels so nice,” he said, a note of wonder in his
voice.
“We give him regular baths,” Ethan said. “Whether he
likes it or not.”
We all had to laugh at that. Benny didn’t seem to
mind being the object of our joke, too happy at being spoiled by someone new to
care.
I felt as though whatever tension may have been in
the air around us seemed to lessen. That had to be a good thing, right?
“I’m sorry about what happened, Joey,” Ethan said.
“I mean, with you and Heather….”
Joey nodded, but didn’t immediately reply. He
continued to stroke Benny’s soft fur. I began to think maybe he just needed
something to hold onto. I could relate to that. Ethan was my something, and I
didn’t even want to think about what I’d do without him. I was too used to
being with him now.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do
now?” Ethan continued. “What kind of job you might want to get?”
That was assuming he wanted to get a job at all. On
the other hand, even I didn’t think the reverend’s patience was unlimited
enough to support a son old enough to support himself.
Ethan’s brother made no immediate reply. Was I
seeing things or did I see him wipe a tear from his eye? Not at all what I
expected.
“I don’t know,” he said at last. “I really don’t
know. I mean, I realize I messed up. Bad. It’s my fault the business failed.
But I was so mad…so very mad.” He continued to pet our pup, and I realized with
a start that his hands seemed to be shaking.
I exchanged a startled glance with Ethan. Was he
thinking what I was thinking? What everyone was probably thinking because
Joseph Thorne Senior led them to that conclusion, whether out of vanity or ego
or whatever.
I suddenly felt sorry for Joe Junior, and that’s not
something I thought I’d ever feel.
to be continued
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