Page 70 of Shattering

Tomos considered this, then nodded solemnly. "Okay."

"Ya might want to run up an' get ready for rugby club while I do that," Gray suggested.

Tomos' face lit up, an' he wriggled off Gray's lap. As he dashed toward the stairs, Cadi called after him, "Drink the rest of your milk first."

Tomos skidded to a stop, grabbed his glass, an' chugged the last of it before setting' it down with a satisfied clunk.

Then he took the stairs running', his little feet thudding' against the steps. They could hear him moving' around upstairs, pulling his wardrobe open.

Silence settled between them.

Gray got to his feet and walked toward the kitchen island.

Cadi turned toward the stove, reaching for the pan, her back to him.

He hovered behind her, close but hesitant.

It was strange—Gray was always confident, always so sure of himself. But now, he hesitated.

They stood on opposite sides of the kitchen island, Cadi with her back to him.

Wordlessly, she passed him a mug of coffee before going back to the stove.

Gray wrapped his hands around it, his fingers tightening' around the warmth. He looked into the dark liquid for a long moment before finally speaking'.

"So now ya know," he said quietly. It was easier to speak without having her cool eyes on him.

Cadi remained silent.

"I never wanted ya to know," Gray admitted. "But this is so much worse. In some ways... ignorance is bliss."

He exhaled, looking out the window. "Just ta know that the blood running through me veins istainted..."

He trailed off, shaking' his head.

Cadi stirred the eggs in silence.

Finally, he continued, his voice raw. "I don't remember a lot 'cept bein' scared. David—well, he wouldn't let me call him Da. He was always drinkin', I guess. Sometimes I'd wake up ta hear him hurtin' Mam. She always had a black eye or a bloody nose. I think she took it to protect me."

Cadi inhaled sharply but kept her back to him.

Gray's hands clenched around the coffee mug. "An' then... he started on me."

A muscle twitched in his jaw. "At first, the bruises were only under our clothes. Then there'd be an occasional black eye. An' then, one day, he went too far an' broke me arm."

Cadi swallowed hard.

Gray's voice was quieter now. "Mam took me to the hospital. There was this nice lady doctor. She spoke to Mam, an' we stayed there for a while. The police came. Mam let me tell the truth."

He exhaled shakily. "I never saw any of that family again."

"They tried ta bury it," he murmured, running a hand through his hair. "But it wasn't that easy. A child was involved. An'... I think 'cause we were Catholic, divorce wasn't an option. But they allowed a separation. Mam signed an NDA—she told me she had to—an' they gave her money. A lot of money. Ta keep their name outta the newspapers."

He looked down. "An' then we came here. I was just a little over four at that point."

Then, as if a memory struck him, his throat tightened.He had been angry a few days ago...so angry. He hadn't meant to, but his arm had knocked against her side.

His stomach twisted.

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