Flash Fiction: You’re Not Sorry – Part 32

Written in 61 minutes.


Sunday, September 14, 2024

Webber House: Living Room

Danny was on his feet, his face flushed, his fists clenched at his side. “You promised!”

“That’s before I found out you were dragging Aiden down with you!” Jake shot back, and Danny started to make a move around the sofa towards his brother.

Jason stepped in quickly, snagging Danny by the shoulder as Cameron held Jake back by his arm. “Knock it off,” he ordered his son, “and sit down—”

“What are you going to do about it, huh?” Danny demanded, shaking off his father. “Nothing! You never do anything!”

“What are you trying to do, dare Dad into slugging you? Because I’ll do it for free—” Jake tried to break free from Cameron’s grip but his brother wasn’t budging.

“Everyone, calm down—” Elizabeth stepped in between her sons and Jason and Danny. Aiden had also stood, but remained frozen by the sofa, his eyes wide. “It’s late, and I think we’re all—” She looked at Jake, then at Danny. “I think we’re all tired, upset, and, Danny, you’re still drunk—”

“And high,” Jake muttered. “You promised me you weren’t going to do this shit anymore! Or I wouldn’t have kept my mouth shut!”

“Yeah, well, it’s not my fault you’re a gullible moron. I mean, you’re still waiting for Charlotte to text you back, right?”

Jake made another move for his brother, momentarily breaking loose of Cameron and getting past Elizabeth, but Aiden dragged Danny back as Jason stopped his oldest son, wrapping one arm around his front and pulling him back, even as Jake struggled against his hold.

“No, just let me get one shot! One! He needs to get his ass kicked—”

“And when you lay him out flat because he’s drunk and high, you gonna feel better about that?” Jason demanded, and Jake pressed his lips together. “Let me and your mother handle this, okay?” He looked over at Cameron. “Both of you. Go back up to bed.”

“Please,” Elizabeth added when Cameron looked like he wanted to argue. “We’re not going to let this ruin your visit, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Cameron looked at Jake. “Come on. Jason’s right. It’d just be a cheap shot to kick his ass tonight. You’re better than that.”

“Charlotte didn’t think so—”

“Dude—” Aiden slapped Danny in the back of the head. “Are you trying to speed run death tonight? Shut the hell up!”

“I’m going upstairs,” Jake bit out. “You can let me go, but if you don’t get him together, I’m gonna kill him.”

“Understood.”

When both had disappeared upstairs, Elizabeth exhaled slowly, turned back to the idiots by the sofa. “You’ll be sharing Aiden’s room,” she said, folding her arms. “Go upstairs, go to bed. We’ll talk in the morning—”

“You’re not my mother. You can’t tell me what to do—”

“You don’t have any choices here, Danny.” Jason crossed a few steps to stand next to Elizabeth by the base of the stairs. “Go upstairs or you can go find someone else who wants to put up with you tonight. Your mother’s not an option. And I’m willing to bet you don’t want to tell either grandmother why you need a place to sleep.”

Danny’s eyes glittered with furious tears. “So I’m stuck with you, that’s what you’re saying?”

“Danny, nothing is going to get resolved by continuing this right now,” Elizabeth said softly, and he looked at her. “You’re upset, you’re angry, and we’re just going to keep going in circles. And I’m willing to admit that I’m furious right now with both of you, so furious that I’ll probably say some things I regret. You lose nothing by just going upstairs, taking a deep breath, and trying to get some sleep.”

Jason exhaled slowly, watching Danny weigh Elizabeth’s words, his eyes squinting as he considered whether to reject her suggestion with more anger or if he’d go along with it. When his shoulders slumped, and he looked away, Jason knew his son had given in.

“All right. Fine. I’m not going to feel different tomorrow. Everyone sucks, and I’m done pretending they don’t.”

“Then at least, you’ll be able to say that without looking like you’re going to vomit on your shoes. Go—” Elizabeth stepped aside, and Danny slunk past her, his feet heavy as he passed her.

“Mom, I’m so sorry—” Aiden stopped in front of her, his eyes damp. “You gotta believe me—”

“Tomorrow, Aiden. When I’ve had time to calm down. Because right now, I am so disappointed in you I can barely breathe. Go to bed.”

Penthouse: Living Room

Dante lightly shoved Rocco to the sofa where the teen bounced, and groaned, clutching his middle. “Keep your voice down,” he told his son. “Your sister and your aunt are asleep.”

“Not a problem,” Rocco grunted. “I’m never drinking again.”

“You’re damn right you’re not. You’re not seeing the light of day again—”

“Who started it?” Sam asked, flipping the lock and approaching the sofa. “You? Danny? I know it wasn’t Aiden—”

“Because he’s gay, he can’t drink? Where’s that rule?” Rocco sat up, grimacing. “Everyone thinks he’s perfect—”

“Hey, moron—” Dante leaned over, bracing his hands on his thighs. “Shut up and answer the questions. You don’t get commentary. Which one of you idiots started this shit?”

“I dunno. I don’t,” Rocco repeated when Dante just rolled his eyes. “We went to a party last year. Someone gave us beer. We all got trashed. It was fun. So we kept going it.”

“God, that’s just stupid enough to be true.” Dante shook his head. “Well, I hope you enjoyed the outside world. You and Danny are gonna be lucky if we don’t homeschool you.”

“Uh, is Danny gonna come home, or—” Rocco looked over at Sam. “I mean, I know he’s said some rotten shit, Sam—”

“Watch your mouth,” Dante snapped, and Rocco made a face.

“Danny wants to think life with his dad is so much better,” Sam said, folding her arms. “Well, he’s gonna learn, isn’t he?”

“Bold strategy, Cotton.” Rocco laid back, closed his eyes. “Can I go to bed? Like maybe we yell at me tomorrow when the world stops spinning?”

“If you wake up Kristina or Scout, I’m going to kick your ass—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Rocco lumbered to his feet, and slowly made his way towards the stairs. He stopped at the landing, touched the wall. “Hold on, I think—yep—” He covered his mouth, and Dante lunged forward, tugging Rocco from the carpeted steps just in time so that the vomit hit the hardwood instead.

“Fantastic,” Sam muttered, heading for the kitchen and the mop.

Webber House: Living Room

When both boys had gone upstairs, when they’d heard a door slam, Elizabeth closed her eyes, scrubbed her hands down her face, then looked at Jason. “A year. They’ve been drinking and smoking weed for a year.”

Jason pulled her into his arms, needing the comfort as much she did. “I didn’t know what to do with him,” he admitted. “I never saw this coming.”

“You and me both. Aiden—my sweet baby—” Her voice wobbled slightly, and he stroked her back. “I’m just hoping we’ll get some sleep and it’ll make sense in the morning.” She stepped back, sliding her hands down his chest, tipping her head up. “I’m sorry if I overstepped with Danny—”

“You didn’t. And I don’t know if I should have said what I did to Aiden back at the station, or here about Luke—”

Elizabeth smiled sadly. “He needed to hear it. They both did. Addiction—God, it’s destroyed so many of the people around us. I hadn’t—I hadn’t thought about Emily being so young. She  had just come from rehab when I moved here.”

“Alan was addicted to pills, too,” Jason said. “I don’t usually put a lot into genetics, but—”

“Hard not to. And the years we lost with Jake because of Luke. If that accident hadn’t happened—” Elizabeth sighed. “Anyway. You didn’t overstep. Not when you’ve been the one with Aiden while I was in jail. We both tried to tell him how important it was that I didn’t get in trouble right now, and—I know he’s young, and he’s impulsive. He doesn’t always think — but they both need to see consequences from tonight. And—” She paused. “Aiden and Danny are in this together — I don’t see how we’re going to be able separate this. You, me, Sam — and Dante with Rocco. We’re going to have to handle this together.”

“Thank you. For letting Danny come here tonight.” Jason exhaled, stroking her upper arm, then taking her hand to draw her over to the sofa where they sat down. “I can’t believe Sam left like that—”

“We’re not the ones dealing with Danny day in and day out,” Elizabeth reminded him. “Maybe you or I couldn’t see doing it, but I gotta tell you, if my kid talked to me the way Danny did tonight every day for months, I’m not sure I wouldn’t leave him in jail overnight either.” She smiled thinly. “Not that I want to defend Sam or anything. I don’t. But none of this was easy tonight. We all lost our temper. With each other, with the boys—”

“You didn’t,” Jason said, and Elizabeth sighed, leaned her head against his shoulder.

“I almost did. I’m trying to remember that they don’t think before they act, but this is—this is so beyond what I ever expected to be dealing with. Cameron was caught stealing once, and even that didn’t scare me—Danny and Rocco were wandering the streets drunk, Jason! They could have been hurt! How many times did I believe Aiden about being with Dante, and that could have been him! It probably has been him, and we just don’t know—” She pressed two fingers to her lips. “I’ve never felt more like a failure as a mother than I did standing in that police station tonight.”

“We should take your advice,” Jason said, and she looked at him. “Sleep. Maybe we’ll have a better handle on it tomorrow.”

“I know. I know.” She got to her feet, then held out her hand. “Come on.”

He lifted his brows. “What?”

“You’re not staying on the sofa. If Aiden’s old enough to drink and get high, he’s old enough for you to come upstairs. Not that anything—” she flushed, and he smiled, getting to his feet. “You know. Just to sleep—”

He covered her mouth with a brief kiss, and she sighed against his lips, relaxing into his arms. “I know, Thursday,” he murmured, stroking both her arms. “Come on. Let’s get some sleep.”

Webber House: Cameron’s Bedroom

Cameron and Jake shared the third floor of the brownstone, and they’d retreated to Cameron’s room facing the back yard.

Jake was pacing from the window to the door, and back again. “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to break him into little pieces—”

“Uh huh.” Cameron sat cross-legged on the bed, scrolling through his phone. “Let me know when you’re done.”

“We just told him—we literally had this conversation today—and when Mom came home—” Jake turned, stabbed a finger at Cameron. “We told him — perfect son. I figured you’d be the unpredictable one—”

“Hey, I bought my weed for medicinal purposes,” Cameron reminded him. “You’re the one that let Danny get away with having a vape. You gotta snitch in times like this—’

“Oh, shut up. You act like you have any experience in this. You’re the only one in this family that’s been in trouble for drugs.” Jake dropped into Cameron’s desk chair.

“First—how dare you. Second, uh, I think I’ve got a decent amount of experience in keeping morons out of trouble. First, you’ve met Joss. You think it was easy to get her through high school?”

“Couldn’t get her out of college—ow—” Jake rubbed his arm when Cameron slugged him.

“I’m not the one that ended up getting my girlfriend shot, so maybe—”

“Okay. We’re getting off track—” Jake held up his hands, and Cameron smirked. “The point is our little brother is gonna get Mom tossed back in jail—”

“Brothers,” Cameron clarified. “Danny’s just as much my problem now as he is yours. He’s staying here right, obviously. I gotta wonder what’s going on with that,” he added when Jake frowned. “Sam let that happen? After all the crap she pulled the last few weeks? I have questions.”

“Oh, Danny probably ran his mouth again. You heard the way he talked to Mom. He’s been  talking to Sam like that for a while.” Jake paused. “Probably should have said something, but you know—”

“You agree with him,” Cameron finished, and Jake shrugged. “Yeah, fair. Look. We’re not allowed to kill either of them, and you know Mom’s disappointed face is gonna have Aiden begging for mercy in five minutes. The question is — will her magical powers extend to Danny?”

“He might be immune,” Jake said. “We might need a backup plan. Can I put him in your suitcase and you deal with him in California?”

“Let’s leave kidnapping as a last resort. Though—” Cameron raised his brow. “Has he been kidnapped before? That would make him a real member of the family. Might be a good way to haze him.”

“Oh, no, you’re the only one that had to wait until they could remember being kidnapped for his first one.” Jake flopped on the bed next to Cameron. “Danny’s got us all beat. Kidnapped at birth. Aiden at least made a day or two, I think.”

“See? Never had a chance.”

Penthouse: Dante & Sam’s Bedroom

Sam gripped the curtain tightly, staring moodily out over the blinking lights of the harbor. “You think I was wrong to leave Danny there.”

Behind her, Dante threw back the comforter, slipped into bed. “I wasn’t there, Sam. I don’t know what Danny said—”

“Nothing more than he usually does. Didn’t even call me a bitch—” Sam turned, folded her arms. “I just—I don’t know. We walk in there, and you go to pull strings—thank you by the way. Neither of them deserve it, but I’m glad it’s not going to mess things up for Elizabeth. I don’t need that on my conscience.”

“What happened after I left you?” Dante asked.

“Called me a raging lunatic,” Sam muttered. She pressed her toe into the carpet. “Aiden’s falling over himself to apologize, and I guess it’s because he wasn’t drinking, and Rocco didn’t even give you attitude. My kid? He’s still taking shots. It’s just—I know I’m not perfect, and I know I didn’t handle any of this right. Not since he first started getting in trouble, or when Jason came home—” She tiled her face up, trying to blink back tears. “But you know, you can only hear your kid talk to you that way so many times, right? I’ve got pretty thick skin—”

Dante got out of bed, crossed to her. “Hey.” His voice was soft and when she met his gaze, she couldn’t hold back the tears. “I’m sorry. We should have done something sooner. I was hoping we could ride through it. Get him to the other side, but it turns out there are deeper problems. With both of them.” He rubbed her shoulders. “But we’re in this together. You, me—and if you’re up to it, I think we’d benefit from letting Jason and Elizabeth in on this. Team work. Our trio are idiots are who on the verge of making some really awful mistakes, Sam. We gotta find a way to work together. No matter what’s happened before now. Our kids deserve the best version of us.”

“You’re right. You usually are.” She leaned her forehead against his. “What would I do without you?”

“Good thing you don’t have to find out. Come on, let’s get some sleep so we can plot how to make their lives miserable tomorrow.”

Comments

  • My blood thirst for Jake kicking Danny’s butt has been somewhat satisfied for now but maybe down the road again. Enjoyed Aiden slapping him on the back of the head though. I really do think it is going to take all four parents to get through this one and hopefully Kristina doesn’t rare her ugly head and get Elizabeth into trouble.

    According to nanci on August 27, 2025
  • I love how Liz spoke to Danny, and he obeyed. The conversation between Cam and Jake was to the point. Great update.

    According to Shelly Samuel on August 27, 2025
  • I want to see jason go off on Danny if he continues to dis Elizabeth. Sam I don’t care about.Danny takes after his mother.

    According to Anonymous on August 27, 2025
  • Danny is just like his mother. I so wanted Jake to at least push him but Aiden got a slap in. I loved how Elizabeth responded to Danny and her boys were ready to settle him down. I loved the conversations that everyone had. I agree that all four parents need to work together to discipline the boys. I’m worried about Kristina finding out and causing more trouble. This is so good!!

    According to arcoiris0502 on August 27, 2025
  • loved it
    glad neither of my children even spoke to me like that my roof would have blown off- 🙂
    At least the adults had someone to console them.
    Hope Danny grows a brain as well as Rocco. I think Aiden is sincerely regretful.
    I loved Cam and Jake talking

    TY

    According to Pamela Hedstrom on August 27, 2025