Careless
INVOLVED: Mercedes Evans, Samuel Evans, Sebastian Evans, and Sydney Evans TIME FRAME: Friday, October 20, 2017 LOCATION: Evans’ Home; Los Angeles, California. SUMMARY: Samuel tries to sit down and talk with Sydney to figure out what’s been going on with her only for things to spiral downward, causing problems between Mercedes and Samuel.
Sydney laid on her bed, bobbing her head to the music playing through her headphones as she did her homework for the day. Tapping her pencil against the paper, she gnawed on her lip as she counted in her head, thinking of the answer and when she had it, she wrote the numbers down on the paper before moving on to the next problem. Looking over at the phone, she hit the next button, skipping to the next song before she returned her focus to her homework.
Samuel moved down the hallway towards Sydney’s room, he needed to talk to his first born and get in her head. The child acted out from time to time and he really didn’t know why. She was spoiled and got everything she ever wanted, he had no idea why he and Mercedes always got so much backlash from the girl. Opening her door, he moved inside and stood by it, watching her do her homework on her bed.
Sydney hummed along to the music, sitting her pencil down briefly to count down on her fingers to figure out the answer. “16?” she mumbled to herself a little confused by the answer she got before she realized her mistake and recounted. “19,” she said to herself as she wrote it down, noticing Samuel standing at her door in the process. Looking up at him, she pulled her headphones off, just looking at him.
Samuel looked to Sydney as she finally noticed him, and he moved into the room further. Sitting down in the bed beside he said, “what’s up?” with pursed lips.
Sydney watched her father as he walked into the room and sat down beside her. She sat up slowly, closing her math book before she straightened out her skirt. “Just doing some homework…” she said as she looked at him, slightly confused by his sudden presence in her room.
“Hmm,” Samuel replied to her easily. He shifted on the bed and said, “You wanna talk?” it sounded like a question, but it was more so a statement.
Sydney’s eyebrows furrowed, and she shifted slightly, crossing her ankles. “Not really. I’d like to finish my homework,” she told him honestly.
“I insist,” Samuel countered as he looked to her. He sighed heavily before he said, “let’s talk,” simply to her. “What’s been going on in your world?” he asked her curiously.
Sydney cocked her head to the side. If she didn’t have an option, why did he ask? Sitting there she sighed herself, running her fingers through her hair. “Nothing,” she answered him simply before she slid off the bed and moved over to her vanity, picking up her brush and running it through her long hair.
Samuel watched Sydney and he licked his lips slowly looking down at the floor. “I am giving you an opportunity to tell me what you’ve been feeling Syd,” he said trying to reason with the child and not get pissed off by her simple actions all at the same time. He folded his arms over his chest as he watched her brush her hair.
Sydney looked back at her father over her shoulder as she brushed through her hair. “What I’m feeling?” she asked confused. “What do you mean?” Taking a scrunchie, Sydney began twisting her long hair into a bun.
Samuel nodded. “Yes,” he said, stretching his long legs out and crossing his ankles. He watched as she placed her hair in a bun. “Yeah you go through your little moments where I want to knock the hell out of you,” he told her. “So, I am letting you explain yourself”.
Sydney turned back to the mirror, using the scrunchie to secure her hair before she turned to look at her father, her face was scrunched with confusion, her lips turned down slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about dad…” Sydney said honestly. “I haven’t done anything…”
“Oh, really?” Samuel said as he tilted his head at her. “Okay,” he said as he licked his lips. “So, I’m crazy,” he said as he moved to stand up, dropping his arms in the process.
Sydney looked at her father and she walked over to him, taking one of his hands into hers. “Are you feeling alright dad? Should I find mom?”
Samuel looked down at her. “Stop playing with me Sydney,” he said shaking his head. “You know you have a problem with me and your mother,” he said matter-of-factly. “But if you do not want to tell me it’s fine,” he said shrugging. “Just keep that issue to yourself once the twins come,” he said moving to walk out of the room.
Looking at her father, Sydney tucked her lips inward. As he moved to walk out the room, she sighed out. “Are you and mom getting a divorce?”
Samuel tucked his lips in at the question she asked, turning to her he blinked slowly. “What would make you think that?” he asked her not knowing what to say to her really.
Sydney frowned softly. “You two are always fighting and not speaking and dad up until recently you’re never home…” She said sadly. “Sometimes I hear mom on the phone with grandma…”
Samuel looked to her furrowing his brows and he folded his arms over his chest. “W-what did y-your mom tell her?” he asked. He heard all the other questions but her last statement sparked something more important.
Sydney sat down on her bed, with her hands folded in her lap as she stared down at the floor. “I heard mom talking about just leaving and never looking back. Getting her groove back and something else…” she said before she looked at Sam. “What does groove back mean?”
Samuel looked to Sydney and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know,” he shrugged at her. Sighing he looked to her. “We aren’t getting a divorce, I don’t think. There is no reason to Syd, we love each other very much. I know things have been off in the house for a while but it’s getting better. And I am not going anywhere,” he told her honestly.
Sydney nodded slowly taking in what Samuel was saying and she stood up, moving to hug him tightly. “Don’t leave us again, no matter what mommy says.”
Samuel nodded his head at Sydney and he hugged the tall little girl back. “I’m not baby,” he said confidently. “And I know work keeps me away, but I try very hard to be here for you guys. You know that, right?” he asked her.
Sydney nodded her head slowly, sniffling a little. “I know,” she said softly.
“Good,” Samuel said letting the girl go. “Don’t worry about anything, it’ll be fine,” he offered her. “You can get back to your homework now,” he told her as he moved to leave her room. He moved back downstairs looking for his wife. “Mercedes!” he called out loudly.
Sydney nodded once more, climbing back into her bed to finish her work.
Mercedes laid in the pool, floating on her back in the cool water. That seemed to be the only thing that helped with her aches and pains lately. The weightlessness of the water was such a blessing. Sighing out, Mercedes closed her eyes, kicking her feet gently until she heard her husband screaming for her and she stood in the water. “What Sam?!” She called back, moving to get out. “What’s wrong?”
Samuel looked around downstairs passing Sebastian who was drawing on the walls. “Boy!” He yelled looking down at him, “what are you doing?” he asked, “have you lost your mind?” he said grabbing the crayons from the boy.
Mercedes climbed out the pool and wrapped her towel around her, patting herself dry a little. “Sam?” she called again, trying to figure out why he was calling her in the first place. Walking through the door she moved around to Sebastian and Samuel and eyed the crayon drawing on the wall. Slowly she looked at Samuel. “What the hell Sam?” she asked as she moved to pick Sebastian up. “Were you not watching him?”
Samuel looked to Mercedes. “Yes,” he said nodding his head, “well no,” he sighed picking up the rest of the crayons and broken pieces. “I was talking to Sydney,” he said angrily. “Who kindly let me know that you’ve been talking to your mother about divorces and getting your groove back and all of this other foolishness,” he rambled. “What the hell is right…” he told her. “And put him down, he just drew on the damn wall and you are going to baby him?” he asked her.
Mercedes looked at Samuel, her face going through a range of emotions as she carefully balanced Sebastian on her hip. “First of all, what are you talking about? Second of all, what do you mean? He’s two? He is a baby. If you had of been watching him, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to draw on the walls,” Mercedes said huffing softly as she adjusted Sebastian a little. Looking at the little boy she said, “now you know you know better,” as she gently patted his butt.
“A, you know what I'm talking about,” Samuel said as he tossed the crayons in the trash. “B, he's a little boy. You baby him and he’ll never man up. He's 2 not 2 months?” Samuel said. “You baby him way too much,” he repeated. “Either way,” Samuel said grabbing Sebastian. “We aren't talking about that right now. I'll clean the wall,” he rushed out. “We need to talk about Sydney,” he told her as he moved to sit Sebastian down in front of the TV where he left him the first time.
Mercedes arched an eyebrow at her husband as she shifted Sebastian on her hip once more, trying to figure out when the little boy got so heavy. “Man up? At two? Sam, you sound ridiculous,” she told him outright. Handing the toddler over, Mercedes placed her hands on her lower back, staring at Sam. “Okay, talk,” she said gesturing to him, still confused as to what he was going on about.
Samuel looked to his wife and folded his arms over his chest, he could get mad with her however he decided not to go that route with her today. Instead, he said, “Sydney seems to think we are getting a divorce and that stems from something she heard you tell your mother,” he told her. “Is that clear enough for you?” he asked her sarcastically.
Mercedes tilted her head to the side, eyeing Samuel curiously as her hands gently rubbed at her lower back. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she shifted on her feet a little. “And you’re going to listen to what an 8-year-old told you she heard?” she asked him slightly amused. “I have got to sit down,” she said after a moment, moving into the kitchen, gesturing for him to follow, glancing back at Sebastian sitting on the couch momentarily. Pulling out a chair, Mercedes sat at the table, looking at her husband. “Okay, now please run that by me again.”
Samuel looked to his wife, blinking slowly as she moved to sit down so did he. His arms folded over his chest. “I don’t even want to talk about it anymore,” he said annoyed as he pouted in his seat.
“Perfect,” Mercedes said placing her hands on her belly. “Is that what you were calling me for?” She asked him.
“I guess,” Samuel said slowly as he rolled his eyes at her a bit. He shifted in his chair before saying, “just to let you know, whatever you said bothered her enough for her to tell me no matter what don’t leave you all again,” he said shifting.
Mercedes rubbed her belly gently, adjusting her towel around her body slightly. “If you must know, I was talking to my mother about divorcing my sorry ass father. Despite what he’s done, she’s been on the fence about it and I told her that it’s time. I’m grown. Trey is grown. She needs to get out of that toxic ass marriage and find herself again, get some and get her freak on. I have no idea what Sydney thought she heard but that is what I was talking to my mom about,” she said blinking slowly at Samuel. “I will go talk to Sydney but there’s your explanation…”
“There is no getting through to her,” Samuel said as he hugged his arms closer to himself. Licking his lips, he sighed as he got up from the table moving back to clean the mess his son had made on the wall.
“What do you mean?” Mercedes asked as Samuel stood up and she bit her lip softly. “Shit…” she mumbled to herself as she struggled to get out of the chair. Gripping the table, Mercedes slowly slid to the edge of the seat before she carefully pulled herself up with a loud huff.
Samuel grabbed what was near him, bleach, he assumed would remove the wax and a cloth at best. He got down on his knees and began to scrub at the wall gently, if he didn’t get it off he had no clue how to at all. And he’d have to find a secondary way to do so.
Groaning softly, Mercedes placed her hand on her lower back as she walked into the living room, moving up the steps carefully. Reaching the top of them, Mercedes huffed before she stopped to catch her breath. Once she was sure she was okay, she walked into Sydney’s room, gently knocking on the door frame. “Hey sweetheart,”
Sydney counted on her fingers before writing down the answer, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth as she heard Mercedes coming up the steps. Dropping her head into the book, she huffed, mumbling, “leave me alone.” As Mercedes knocked on her door frame, she looked up slowly. “Hey mom…” Sydney grumbled out.
Samuel slowly moved from one section to the next before, he heard Sebastian getting into something else. Of course, the child didn’t sit down ever, he was always on the go. He got up and moved towards the boy who was now climbing over the back of the couch. “Get down now,” he told him sternly.
Mercedes smiled softly at her daughter, entering the room fully. Walking over, Mercedes sat down on the edge of Sydney’s bed, patting the spot beside her, gesturing for Sydney to sit up beside her. “Are you alright?” Mercedes asked the child softly.
Sydney huffed softly, sitting up beside Mercedes as she flattened out her skirt once more. “Yes, mom. I’m fine,” Sydney said quickly, slightly annoyed.
Samuel watched the little boy climb back down and sit while looking at his father over the couch. “I should already be whooping your little ass. Now sit there and watch tv please,” he told him. Walking back over to the wall he ran his hands through his hair as he moved back to the task. Though nothing was leaving the walls even as he scrubbed hard.
Mercedes placed her hand on Sydney’s shoulder rubbing gently. “No, you’re not fine,” Mercedes said matter-of-factly. “I know you might think that I don’t pay attention to you, but I do, so does your daddy. We’re your parents and we know when something's not right. I don’t know what it is, but something’s been bothering you because your attitude has been ridiculous, and you’ve been really secluding yourself lately. So, talk to me, baby girl. What’s wrong?”
Sydney closed her eyes as Mercedes touched her shoulder and she shrugged, sighing deeply as she listened to her mother. She sat there quickly, staring at nothing in particular. “You and dad are always arguing. Dad is never home. You only ever pay attention to Sebastian. Only time anyone notices me is when I’m acting out. That’s the only way I get anyone’s attention in this house. Just like now. Just leave me alone mom,” Sydney huffed as she moved to lay back down on her stomach to finish her homework.
After a minute or so more, with no prevail Samuel gave up all together. They’d just have to find another way for the wall to be restored and at the moment he had no ideas for it. Standing up he moved through the kitchen and he opened the cabinet. In a long-forgotten cookie jar, he hid packs of cigarettes there from time to time. Pulling one out he opened the packaging to it and pulled one out, opening drawers until he found a lighter as well.
Mercedes looked at Sydney, slightly shocked by the young girl’s words and as she moved to lay back down, Mercedes sat there. She didn’t know what to say. “Sydney, look at me,” she said sternly. “Your father and I are fine okay. We argue but that’s what adults do. Sometimes we just can’t agree but we’re fine,” she said shaking her head. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither is he okay. Trust me,” she said gently. “We love you Syd and I promise, I will try harder to be there for you too,” she said softly, leaning in slightly to kiss the back of Sydney’s head before she stood up with a grunt and walked out of the room.
“Stay put Sebastian,” Samuel called out as he moved outside on the patio lighting the end of the stick. He stood before the glass door, thinking to himself how nothing ever seemed to change in their household. There was always something. He, Mercedes, the kids. It didn’t matter. Whenever someone tried to do better in the place nothing ever changed.
Mercedes moved back down the stairs slowly, holding onto the railing as she looked around for her husband. “Sam,” she called his name gently. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked around not seeing him and she looked at Sebastian who was two seconds away from knocking the lamp off the table. “SEBASTIAN!” Mercedes said loudly, clapping as she said his name to get his attention. “What are you doing?!” she asked as she moved over to the couch, quickly snatching him up by his hips and sitting him in the center of the couch. Leaning down she looked at him eye-to-eye. “I will whoop your little butt if you don’t stop it,” she told him sternly before she stood fully and looked around again. “Samuel!” she called for her husband once more.
Samuel inhaled and exhaled slowly, licking his drying lips as he rested against the glass. Hearing Mercedes screaming their son’s name and then his he dropped the cigarette to the ground putting it out with his foot. He opened the door, “yeah, yeah?” he said quickly moving back into the house and closing the door behind himself.
Mercedes looked over at Samuel as he re-entered the house and she eyed him knowingly. “So instead of watching your son you’d rather go outside and smoke a cigarette?” she asked him. “Sebastian almost knocked over the lamp,” she said pointing to it, “because all of this is just so stressful that you needed a smoke break,” she said shaking her head. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Mercedes inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying not to have an attitude.
Samuel looked to Mercedes and then Sebastian at her announcement, biting his tongue was a hard task but he managed. At her assumption he just stood there without a true response for her.
Mercedes stared at her husband expectantly and when he said nothing, she rolled her eyes slowly. Her foot tapped against the hardwood and she tucked her lips inward as she caught herself from speaking out of turn, saying something she would regret later. “Sydney needs to be placed in therapy again,” she said out-right, just moving forward before an argument broke out.
To keep the peace, Samuel didn’t say or do anything anymore, besides in his mind she was far too pregnant for him to even state his case these days. Licking his lips, he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Okay,” he said to her. Samuel didn’t have an opinion when it came to Sydney and he wouldn’t just assume therapy would work. But considering he didn’t care either way, he would go along with it for his wife.
Mercedes couldn’t stand it when Samuel did this. “Would you speak your damn mind?” she asked him, shifting her weight, a soft groan passing her lips as she placed her hands on her back, pushing her belly out even more. “You have an opinion here, I know you do, so just say it. Don’t agree just to get me to walk away.”
Samuel rubbed his forehead closing his eyes as she spoke, he dropped his hand walking up to her. Stomach against stomach, he gazed down at her. “Look at me,” he told her. “I don’t want to argue with you,” he said frustrated. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her,” he pointed, “I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” he pointed to Sebastian who was now climbing back over the couch. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he said pointing to himself. “Whatever you want to do I don’t care,” he dragged out. “I don’t,” he told her, “shit probably won’t work anyway,” shrugged walking off.
Mercedes’ eyebrows furrowed as Samuel stood right upon her and she lifted her head, looking up at him as he spoke. She stared into his eyes, nodding slowly as he spoke. Licking her lips, she moved her hand around to her belly, hands rubbing to soothe their kicking babies. “Alright…” Mercedes said slowly as she continued to nod her head. “Sebastian,” Mercedes said, holding her hand out for him, watching as he got off the couch and took her hand. Sighing deeply, Mercedes guided the toddler up the steps slowly but surely until they were in his playroom. She let his hand go and sat down in one of the chairs with a small groan as she pinched the bridge of her nose again, closing her eyes.
