Okay, so two days of relaxation had quickly turned into five days, and five days had turned into a week. Thomas Awbrey had needed the break, though - the time needed to clear his head had been a necessity, but now he was back, and ready to get back at it.
As he had taken a break, Thomas didn't expect his employees to run the place full time. If they had wanted, they were also allotted breaks, and Thomas was pretty sure the pub had been closed entirely for a day. He had made the calls, though, and everything was ready.
Everything was good - Thomas hadn't quite come to terms with the horror he had seen, but he had managed to block it from his memory. Still, it was early, he was sober (for now), and he was ready to get started, which is why when the door opened and signalled a person's arrival, he grinned widely.
“Of course, sir.” The case worker smiled at an upset Thomas Awbrey, trying to reassure him that everything would indeed be alright.
“I just want to know they’re gonna be alright.” Thomas looked helplessly at the ground. He had the urge to scuffle his feet, feeling rather like a kid himself, but he knew it wouldn’t help his appearance any.
“Don’t worry,” the woman replied, nodding as she glanced to the two boys in the car. “They’re going to a great home.”
Thomas knew that was true – after all the abuse they’d all suffered at the hands of their father, any other home would probably be “great.” He followed her glance and, under his breath, sighed as he saw his brothers staring back. He had tried, had really tried, to make it work. As a working, full time, and broke college student, though, Thomas knew that it wasn’t going to pan out. Everyone had told him that this was the right thing to do, but the guilt still weighed down heavily on his shoulders, and even now, the looks on their faces made him wish more than anything that he could.
The woman must’ve noticed his concern, for she stepped a bit closer and tried to catch his eye. “Don’t worry, Mister Awbrey…It’s not your fault.”
“Maybe if I got a fulltime job, I could-“
“Excuse me for being blunt, but if you really want to do right by these boys, the best thing would be to finish going to college.”
Thomas felt his cheeks color – he knew it was true, but hearing her just put it out there made him feel even more helpless than before. He looked back up at the case worker, nodding in silent agreement.
“I just wish there was something different I could’ve done,” he mumbled.
“Don’t second guess yourself,” the woman rebuked him, looking him straight in the eye, “You did everything right.”
Thomas noticed her shifting uneasily herself, though, and he could feel that she wasn’t telling the complete truth. She was probably read to leave soon, though.
“Remember, though,” she continued, “You can visit anytime you like…”
Thomas listened to her trail off and then bit his lip. This was it. He had known what would happen today, but he had avoided facing the actual emotions until now. When he went home, he wasn’t going to return to his brothers, or anyone for that matter.
He would be completely, utterly alone. And it would be like this for a good long while.
“Can I at least say goodbye?”
The lines around her eyes softened. “Of course.” She looked now at the boys in the car, and nodded her permission.
They practically ran out the car, not even bothering to slam the doors shut.
The older one, Benjamin, stopped a couple feet from Thomas, merely looking at him with saddened eyes. Max, the youngest, dashed right up to Thomas, however.
“Tom!” the boy wailed, wrapping his arms around his brother’s middle and burying his face in his shirt, “Please don’t go! Please!”
“Buddy,” Thomas started, wrapping his arms loosely around Max in turn, “I have to. Besides, it’s only a little while, ‘kay?”
“No!” The boy cried, looking up tearfully. “I’m not stupid! I know it’s gonna be like this from now on!”
Thomas glanced at the older boy, trying for a reproachful expression but only succeeding in making the boy avert his eyes. Trying a different approach, Thomas opened one of his arms in invitation, and surprisingly, the other boy came forward and embraced his brothers. As they all stood there, Thomas had to fight the tears in his own eyes.
“It’s not forever,” he said soothingly as he stroked their backs, “Just ‘til I get out of college, alright? Then I’ll get a good job, and you know what?” He withdrew slightly as to be able to look both of them in the eye.
“Listen, when I get the money, we’re gonna live in a mansion, right? We’ll eat real food everyday, and I promise you won’t have to make your beds on weekends.”
Benji wore a small, sad smile but Max looked even more distraught, bunching up fistfuls of Thomas’ short as he did so.
“I don’t want a mansion! I just want us all to stay together.” The 12 year old was now openly crying – as sad as it was, Thomas wasn’t surprised. He and Benjamin had always worked together to shield their brother from the worst of their dad’s abuse, but as all plans in that house worked, it hadn’t went well, and Max was still extraordinarily sensitive.
“We can, just not right now.” Thomas’ response was quiet, although he could feel the muffled sobs as he pulled the boys to him again.
“You promise you’ll come back for us?” It was Benji this time. Benjamin, the middle brother, had had to grow up far too quickly. Being five years older than Benji, Thomas had tried to protect him, but it had unfortunately never worked well, and Benjamin’s eyes now wore the look of a weary traveler, perhaps someone who was already tired before having begun.
“Absolutely,” Thomas nodded, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
Tears glistened as they fell down Benji’s cheeks, too, and Thomas found himself finally at a loss for words. The case worker stepped up, having let them have their moment.
“Come on, boys, it’s time to go,” she said quietly. Her words weren’t out of any actual sense of expediency, Thomas knew, but in an effort to not prolong the sadness any longer than need be.
“She’s right,” he found himself agreeing, even though he wished for nothing more than to stay here with his brothers forever.
Benji untangled himself from the embrace, mourntful but obedient even as he gently pulled on Max. The youngest pulled harder for a brief moment, but let go and stepped back with his brother. His eyes were red and puffy.
“You’ll come visit us soon, right? And write us letters?”
“It’ll be the first thing I do when I step in the door.”
The case worker shuffled them away, and although they let her bring them to the car, the boys never stopped looking at Thomas.
Before they could leave, though, he made sure to say the only thing left.
“Benji, Max. I love you guys.”
Then they were in the car, and Thomas’ vision was immediately blurred with tears. He had promised himself that he’d be strong for his brothers, but now that they were gone, what was the point?
The car drove away, and Thomas planted his feet on the asphalt, standing and watching even long after the car had departed.
