Trading My Life for My Brother's Sleep

"There it is again! That sound again! It's driving me insane!"

My mom, Keira Sheeran, suddenly sat upright on the couch. She clutched her hair tightly with both her hands, and her eyes were bloodshot.

In the living room, the only sound was the steady hiss and puff of the ventilator. It was proof that I was still alive.

My dad, Wesley Lowe, quickly set down the ledger he had been working on and walked over to gently pat her back.

He comforted, "Keira, keep your voice down. You'll scare Addie. This is already the best imported model we could buy. It's really not that loud."

Mom argued, "Not loud? Wesley, listen to it! That sound is like a death knell, reminding me day and night that this family is supporting a bottomless pit that can never be filled!"

Her voice was sharp and piercing, and it stabbed straight into my heart.

I lay in bed in my room, watching everything in the living room through the crack in the door. Instinctively, I tightened my grip on the blanket.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

It was Emma Sheeran, Mom's younger sister.

The moment she entered, she dramatically covered her ears and complained, "My goodness, Keira. Why is your house still so noisy?"

She glanced toward my room, her face full of disdain. "This thing must use up a fortune with the electricity running all day. Honestly, you guys are unbelievable. For the sake of that sickly boy, you've even had to put Jas into the cramped little bedroom."

My younger brother, Jasper Lowe, had been born prematurely. The doctor had said he needed an absolutely quiet environment.

The moment Mom heard that, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She rushed into the nursery and picked up my sleeping brother.

Sure enough, he woke up and began crying softly. His crying was like a fuse that instantly ignited every ounce of Mom's pent-up emotion.

Holding Jasper in her arms, she stormed to my bedroom door.

Her eyes were red as she pointed at me and screamed, "Do you hear that, Adrian? Your brother is crying! You've dragged down your cousin brother so badly too. He's 28 and still can't afford to get married, and now your little brother can't even get a good night's sleep!

"Can't you turn that thing off for just one night and let this family have some peace and quiet? Can't you just die already?"

That last sentence was practically a roar.

The entire world fell silent. Only Jasper's crying and the ventilator's steady hiss and puff remained.

Aunt Emma came over and tugged at Mom's arm. "Keira, calm down. Why get angry at someone who's practically dying anyway?"

Mom shook off her hand, clutching Jasper as she stormed toward the door without looking back.

She bellowed, "I'm taking Jas back to Mom's house! I can't stay in this home for another day!"

The loud slam of the door made my heart jolt.

Dad chased after her but eventually returned alone. He looked at me with a complicated expression that was filled with exhaustion and guilt.

"Addie, your mom... She's just tired. Don't take it to heart," he said.

I shook my head and forced a pale smile.

He sighed and turned to go into the kitchen.

I looked at the cross-stitch embroidery hanging on the wall that read "Happy Family". Mom had made it stitch by stitch herself. She had said she hoped our family would always be happy.

Slowly… Very slowly, I reached out my hand and touched the ventilator's power plug.