Chapter Text
The doorbell rang.
Debbie raised her head from the cereal bowl, chewing, turning toward the door.
Danny wasn’t eating. He wasn’t even sitting at the table, he stood in front of his sister, hands in his pockets, empty gaze.
Their dad pushed Debbie’s back as he walked behind her, scaring her a little.
“Sit up straight” he whispered harshly.
A slithering shame started to crawl on her skin, as she pushed her shoulders as back as she could.
Danny glanced at their dad walking toward the door, and then launched himself on the table, snatching the spoon from Debbie’s hand and trying to steal her meal. She squealed and laughed as she slapped his hands, spills of milk flying in the air.
The door opened to Saul Bloom, the morning light accentuating the silhouette of his elegant clothes and the first wrinkles around his smile. He greeted Frank with a courtesy hug and shook Annie’s hand politely. Then he came in.
He wasn’t alone.
There was a kid behind him, scrawny, tired, tense like a violin cord.
He glanced at Debbie and Danny, who were now staring at him, then lowered his gaze, fingers tight around his bag’s straps.
“You must be Robert.”
Frank Ocean gave him a hand to shake, and he obeyed.
“Yes sir.”
The man smiled.
“Welcome.”
Frank grabbed his shoulders, making him wince, and then turned him toward his children.
“Why don’t you go with them?” he asked. Then, his tone changed when he spoke to his son: “Danny. Offer him something to eat.”
Danny straightened his back and nodded, as the kid got pushed toward them.
Robert got closer with his eyes glued to the ground, bag still clutched in his hands. The smile Danny offered him wasn’t enough to make his shoulders relax.
“Do you want some milk? Or juice?”
“No thanks.”
Saul and their parents walked toward the study, and the boy stared at them until they disappeared. Then he turned around and hesitantly sat on the stool next to Debbie.
His hands were shaking.
“I’m Danny” the boy introduced himself, sitting in front of him and pushing a pack of cookies toward him.
“Rusty.”
Debbie frowned: “Not Robert?”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rusty”, Danny smiled, courteous and formal.
The girl closed her mouth, another little wave of shame crawling on her. She shouldn’t have asked that.
But the boy turned to look at her, shrugging:
“I like Rusty better.”
His eyes were blue, glittering, and he smiled lightly before looking back at Danny, fingers still playing with his bag’s straps.
“Do you have any water?”
“Sure.”
Danny quickly got up, and Debbie failed to hold back another question:
“How long will you stay with us?”
He smiled at her again.
“I don’t know” he answered. This time, the bitterness in his tone became more obvious.
Danny gave him the glass of water, and he thanked him.
“Why are you coming to live with us?”
“Debbie…” her brother whispered.
This time, Rusty didn’t answer. He avoided her gaze, placing the glass down and turning toward the tiny chessboard table in the centre of the living room.
The silence lasted a couple of seconds. Muffled words were coming out of the study.
Danny stood up.
“Do you want to play?”
“Play what?” Rusty asked.
“Chess,” he smiled, walking toward the board.
“I- I don’t know how to” he admitted.
“I’ll teach you.”
“I want to play too!” Debbie exclaimed, climbing off her chair and then running toward the chessboard.
“We’ll teach him together” suggested Danny, sitting down.
He turned to Rusty.
“You down?”
His smile was more convincing, this time.
“Alright…” Rusty answered sitting awkwardly next to them.
