Work Text:
I slowly open the door hoping to not wake up lark on my way in the house, but I don't see him. I hear arguing coming out of my bedroom, from lark and Rebecca. I slowly walk towards the bedroom door, stopping near it to listen in on their conversation. And then I hear it.
"He's my brother, you asshole, we can't keep this a secret" I hear lark say so loud practically the whole neighborhood could hear it. "I don't know how stupid you are but we both had sex with each other, he's going to leave you, the same he'll leave me" Rebecca says quieter but it still feels like shes shouting it next to my ear.
I don't know what was said next and I don't care. it repeats over and over again, and I just stand there. like a coward. I stand here frozen, only after 30 seconds I move. but not in my bedroom, out the house. I got in my car, I started it up and I drove.
I drove for two hours replaying them talk over and over again. thinking about how it started, how long its been going on, thinking about why they did it. I finally stop near a gas station. then I hear a ping on my phone. It's from Henry oak, my dad. The message says "I love you, sparrow."
It's been years since I last saw my dad. when I was 18 I had to make a choice, my dad or my brother. I chose my brother, once in a while I think about if I made the right choice, now I know the answer. a month after we left he started sent "i miss you". lark blocked him but I didn't have the heart to. every month after that he send the message "I love you" although I never responded. I clicked on the notification and stare at it. I type out the words "I love you too" but hesitate to send them. these four words are betrayal to my brother, then I remember what he did. I send it. it immediately says read and three circles bounce on the screen before it disappears, he wanted to say something. I'm alone. The two people I trust the most broke it. Im alone. I need someone to talk to, and I can think of only one person that will listen.
I text him the location to a playground, the one that me and lark use to play on. he only texts back "okay"
_________
I see my dad getting out of the car and quickly panic before finally seeing me and walking towards me although he looks like he's trying to restrain his self from running and hugging me. he looks like he's been crying a lot but still has a giant genuine smile on his face. "hi sparrow" he says says to me in a voice I hadn't heard in a long time.
I can't start crying. I hate crying. I'm not as brave or as strong or as combat smart as lark, I cant stand up for my self like lark, but I'm fine with that as I take the pain with a straight face, crying makes me feel weaker than I already am. so I stare at him for 5 seconds until I start doing the thing I hate the most, sobbing. crying so hard, I bury my head in his stomach like I'm a little kid again, he doesn't say anything he just holds me tight. after 3 minutes of crying, which felt like hours, I stop and leave his hold. he sits next to me and says "hey, what's up buddy, you can tell me anything" "I hate lark" I say the words faster than I could think them, saying it felt like 500 pounds was lifted from my shoulders. I look at him and he's in disbelief, "why". is all he can say
"Rebecca cheated on me with him" I mumble. "I'm sorry, what did you say" my dads says in confusion. "Lark fucked my wife" I say louder than I intended too. dad looks like he's feeling thousands of emotions.
He looks down on the ground and says "I'm sorry". I don't respond, I just stare at the trees. when I finally look at him tears start pouring from his eyes as he wipes them away. "hows life going" I say staring at the trees again. "uh we moved, the house is huge, with a huge backyard" he says but oddly he has a guilty look on his face, he's hiding something. "sparrow, we have-" he cuts himself off "sparrow, you have a sister, her name is birdie and shes 2 years old"
I have a sister... I have a two year old sister. I've never met, I didn't even know she existed until today.
"what" "I wanted to tell you but you hadn't talked to me in over 3 years and... and I'm sorry" he says crying even harder now. "can I see a picture of her" I say trying to hold my tears but failing. he takes out a phone and show a picture of a little girl, who ironically looks nothing like me and lark. maybe that's a good thing easier to not be associated with us that way. "I told her about you two if you don't mind... she really admires you sparrow" apart of me feels acceptance and joy, the other part keeps telling me that she only feels that way from the stories dad tells her.
"I miss you and lark, even if you don't miss me. and Ill love you both no matter what" he says. I hug my dad, tight like I'm afraid that he's gonna leave if I let go.
"I miss you too dad"