"Ignore him," Francis whispered. It would not hurt him, he parents had done this to him many times. His mother still told the stories about the time he'd thrown a tantrum in the supermarket and by the time he'd finished they had already finished shopping and left the shop.
As they walked Matty drew his face from where he had been hiding it in Francis neck and threw a worried look back to his brother. He wiggled until Francis released him then ran to take his mother’s hand. She looked at him, the remains o tears staining his face, dropped her belongings and knelt down to hug him close.
"I'm sorry Matty," she said. "I do love you both, I'm sorry you tend to get ignored since Al's so loud but I do love you."
"I know," Matty mumbled, wrapping his arms around his mother's neck, and Francis couldn't help feeling proud. His son seemed to mature. He was only a baby really, so very small, but such a little adult. He wondered if that was part of the reason Al acted out so. Maybe his trouble was the only way he knew of to gain attention against Matty's quiet charm. It must not be easy for one with such a desire for attention to be a twin.
"Hey!"
Fancis turned to find Al on the path behind them, his arms folded.
"You left me on the beach, that's not fair."
"Apologise to your brother."
"Won't!"
"My boy, if you do not then when we get home you will sit alone in your room until you do!" England said, her arms tightening around Matty.
"Won't!"
"I think you will," Francis replied, smiling. "Your mother way well be overwhelmed with the two of you, but I am here now and I even out the numbers. You will do as you are told eventually. I think you will find that I can be a very patient man."
"I hate you."
It felt a little like being kicked in the gut to have Al say that to him. His own son, with such an angry face, telling him that he hated him.
"Al!" England exclaimed, but Francis threw his hand up to stop her.
"You may hate me if you want," he said, though it felt terrible to say. "But you will respect your brother and mother. Now, apologise and we can go home.
"No," Al screamed, throwing himself to the ground and screeching. Francis turned his back resolutely though every fibber of his being screamed at him to pick him son up. England was biting her lip and looking at Al, Matty still in her arms, but it seemed that for now she was happy to play things his way. He hoped this was a play for attention because if it was not then he did not wish to think he had distressed his son for nothing.
When Al made no immediate moved to apologise he went to the car and waited for England. She followed more hesitantly, glancing over her shoulder and holding Matty’s hand. Francis could only hope that this worked, he did not wish to appear cold towards his children in front of her.
They dried of with a new towel and got into the car. Matty seemed particularly glad to have the sand away from his body and England complained constantly about the places she found the substance. Then all pretended to ignore Al but his presence was there in Matty's worried glances and his clenched fists and Francis' and England's tense backs.
Eventually, when they had all moved to sit in the car, the back door was swung open.
"Sorry Matty."
"It's ok," Matty mumbled, looking at Francis from under his fringe. "Thank you."
"Welcome back Alfred," Francis said, turning to smile at his son.
"You'd better get in the car," England mumbled, picking up the towel she'd left in his lap and handing it back to him. Quietly, he did.
"Life can be difficult" 3.5/?
As they walked Matty drew his face from where he had been hiding it in Francis neck and threw a worried look back to his brother. He wiggled until Francis released him then ran to take his mother’s hand. She looked at him, the remains o tears staining his face, dropped her belongings and knelt down to hug him close.
"I'm sorry Matty," she said. "I do love you both, I'm sorry you tend to get ignored since Al's so loud but I do love you."
"I know," Matty mumbled, wrapping his arms around his mother's neck, and Francis couldn't help feeling proud. His son seemed to mature. He was only a baby really, so very small, but such a little adult. He wondered if that was part of the reason Al acted out so. Maybe his trouble was the only way he knew of to gain attention against Matty's quiet charm. It must not be easy for one with such a desire for attention to be a twin.
"Hey!"
Fancis turned to find Al on the path behind them, his arms folded.
"You left me on the beach, that's not fair."
"Apologise to your brother."
"Won't!"
"My boy, if you do not then when we get home you will sit alone in your room until you do!" England said, her arms tightening around Matty.
"Won't!"
"I think you will," Francis replied, smiling. "Your mother way well be overwhelmed with the two of you, but I am here now and I even out the numbers. You will do as you are told eventually. I think you will find that I can be a very patient man."
"I hate you."
It felt a little like being kicked in the gut to have Al say that to him. His own son, with such an angry face, telling him that he hated him.
"Al!" England exclaimed, but Francis threw his hand up to stop her.
"You may hate me if you want," he said, though it felt terrible to say. "But you will respect your brother and mother. Now, apologise and we can go home.
"No," Al screamed, throwing himself to the ground and screeching. Francis turned his back resolutely though every fibber of his being screamed at him to pick him son up. England was biting her lip and looking at Al, Matty still in her arms, but it seemed that for now she was happy to play things his way. He hoped this was a play for attention because if it was not then he did not wish to think he had distressed his son for nothing.
When Al made no immediate moved to apologise he went to the car and waited for England. She followed more hesitantly, glancing over her shoulder and holding Matty’s hand. Francis could only hope that this worked, he did not wish to appear cold towards his children in front of her.
They dried of with a new towel and got into the car. Matty seemed particularly glad to have the sand away from his body and England complained constantly about the places she found the substance. Then all pretended to ignore Al but his presence was there in Matty's worried glances and his clenched fists and Francis' and England's tense backs.
Eventually, when they had all moved to sit in the car, the back door was swung open.
"Sorry Matty."
"It's ok," Matty mumbled, looking at Francis from under his fringe. "Thank you."
"Welcome back Alfred," Francis said, turning to smile at his son.
"You'd better get in the car," England mumbled, picking up the towel she'd left in his lap and handing it back to him. Quietly, he did.
~*~*~*~