In My Head

Hurting or Helping ~ Logan

"Logan, come set the table for dinner," Mom says, waking Kaden up. He shifts on the couch and opens his eyes, blinking lazily at the ceiling with the back of his arm against his forehead. He's been sleeping since we ate lunch, and he still looks exhausted.

I pat his shoulder and go to the dining room to set up four placemats with plates and glasses. "Hey Mom, we need knives?"

"Yes, and spoons."

I grab the napkins and silverware and drop them on the table. Then go back to the kitchen and sit at the bar. Mom takes a pitcher of juice to the dining room.

Kaden comes over, grabs the rolls, and follows after Mom. I grab the fruit and take it to the table.

Mom turns to go back to the kitchen, but she stops and makes a face at Kaden. She takes the basket of rolls from him. "Thank you, sweetie." She sets it on the table. ". . . We've got it."

Kaden glances at me. He drops into a chair and stares at the wall with his jaw clenched.

Hurting or helping, Mom? Seriously. Mom locks eyes with me. I don't try to hide my face, even though I don't get why it's such a big deal to Kaden. I'd love to get out of my chores, and here's Kaden, getting pissed because Mom doesn't let him help.

"Someone needs to go tell Dad dinner is ready," Mom says before returning to the kitchen.

I sit next to Kaden and straighten out my silverware. Kaden makes this face, like he's about to throw something, but he only gets up and goes through the living room to the entry way. He knocks on the office door harder than he needs to and says, "Dinner." Then he comes back and sits down.

Mom brings the chicken in and disappears again. The smell makes my mouth water and my stomach growl. I can't stand to wait any longer. I grab a leg and take a bite. The garlic is really strong and a little buttery. Kaden props his elbows on the table and holds his head with his eyes on his plate.

Mom sets the veggie tray on the table and sits on my left side. "Kaden, you okay?"

He blinks at his plate.

"Kaden?!" Mom stands and reaches across the table for him.

"Headache, Mom." Kaden pushes her away.

"Sorry." Mom sits down and reaches for the chicken. "Did you get your father?"

Kaden doesn't respond. Mom switches her gaze to me. I nod. Kaden still doesn't move, while Mom and I pass the food around and load up our plates. All the food ends up on the other corner of the table, near Kaden and Dad's empty chair.

The silence gets to me. Mom doesn't start eating, and she keeps looking at her watch, at Kaden, and at the door to the office. I concentrate on keeping my fork from touching the plate as I eat, because the scraping sounds loud in the quiet.

"If you need to, you can go back to sleep," Mom says.

At first I get the impression he's going to ignore her again, but then he drops his hands and searches the table, decides on the fruit and takes an apple slice from the bowl with his fingers. He chews carefully, wincing from his stitches.

The office door opens. Dad comes across the living room, takes his seat, and dishes up his food. Mom finally starts eating. I'm nearly finished since I stuffed my face.

Dad looks up and glances at Kaden's stitches. "So, what's the plan for tonight?" he asks. He barely said anything about the stitches at lunch, so I'm not surprised he's acting like it didn't happen.

"Gonna shoot some hoops," I say around the food in my mouth.

"You're really hitting it hard, huh?" Dad says. I shrug and make a show of chewing. "Well, it's good to know the hoop is getting some use out of us."