Sebastian sat in the driveway of his country-style home, his head resting against the steering wheel. He felt drained. Exsanguinated of all emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Acid churned in his belly as the stress of the last few months caught up with him. With a lingering, heartfelt sigh and consternation in his heart, he shut the engine of his truck off, looked one more time at the house before stepping out and preparing himself to face what awaited him. When he entered the house he found Nizhoni in a frenzy. She was in the living room cleaning. The couch pillows were askew and thrown onto the recliner, loveseat, and floor. She paused as he entered the room. “Don’t fucking start, Sebastian, okay? Just don’t...” she told him, her face taunt, her lips pulled tightly against her teeth. Suddenly all the emotion that was drained only moments ago came flooding back like a broken l

“Dad?” Sebastian looked to his right where the small voice carried from. Jaxsen stood in the doorway of his study, hands twisting nervously in front of him, his eyes cast downward.“What’s up, sweet boy?” Sebastian gave him his full attention.“Um…a-am I grounded still?” Sebastian studied him for a moment. His shoulders were hunched, drawn up around his ears, his head lowered; red faced and tear streaked, his long eyelashes clumped in a wet mass.“No, Jack.”“Th-then can it be okay if Basil spends the n-night? I wouldn’t ask, but I really n-n-need to to to-” He pressed his lips together, his eyes pleading for him to understand.“Sure. Come he

“Dad?”  Sebastian looked up from his preparation of dinner. “What’s up, Jack?” “Well, I was, um, wondering if maybe over spring break you could take Basil and me to the monster truck show?” Sebastian chuckled and turned back to stirring the pasta. “Yeah, I don’t see why not. Do you know what day it’s on?” Jaxsen smiled brightly. “Saturday. It’s an important day.” “Yeah? What’s so important about it?” Jaxsen’s smile brightened. “It’s his birthday. I want to make the day special for him.” Sebastian smiled and turned the fire down on his home-made sauce he was going to pour over the pasta. “He’s been sad the last few days. I wanna cheer him up.”

Jaxsen and Nizhoni waited in the living room when Sebastian and Basil arrived back at the house. Jaxsen met him in the middle of the living room.“Are you okay?” Basil shook his head. “Do you want a hug?” When Basil nodded Jaxsen wrapped his arms around his friend.“Jack, Nizhoni and I need to talk to Basil for a bit. Can you go wait in your room?” Jaxsen nodded and with one last look at Basil, turned and went upstairs.“Basil, sit, sweetheart. Are you hungry? Did you eat dinner?” Nizhoni asked him softly.“I ate a snack when I got home from school. I had a bowl of cereal later.” His voice was low. He didn’t sit down as suggested but stood where Jaxsen had left him standing. With a word, Nizhoni went to he

By the end of the week Basil had crawled from his shell just a bit. His general posture had loosened, he was talking more, and Jaxsen had even managed to get a smile or two from him. Jaxsen, to his credit, did what he could in keeping the other boy distracted; something Basil was quite grateful for. He didn’t want to be stuck in his thoughts all day. He had enough trouble at night when he was trying to sleep. It was on such a night that Basil lie awake, hands behind his head, sorting through his thoughts, when a sudden, very small, scared whimper emanated through the dark to his right. His eyes had adjusted enough to see Jaxsen’s face in the sliver of moonlight pouring gently in through the window.He lay still, waiting, watching, wondering if he would need to wake his friend or not. Jaxsen’s breathing accelerated as his face scrunched up in pain unknown to the room’s other occupant