Free A Wealth of Unsaid Words by R. Cooper

in the
    clawing need in his voice? “I know. I"m not—” He stopped.
    “It"s a struggle.” Ally pressed. Rich cocoa scents filled
    the air, escaping the kitchen the way Everett couldn"t. “It"s
    always a struggle, but you"re strong enough—”
    Everett"s sudden bitter laugh made Alex flinch and his
    mother go quiet.
    “You think I don"t know that?” He was speaking loud
    enough that his siblings, if more than Robert were present,
    had to hear him. “I"ve been strong my entire life. My entire…
    I"m not sure what a help it is, but I know that. You think I"m
    afraid of work ?”
    Alex focused on the cold around him, the sting at his
    cheeks, the whispers of his breath vanishing with every hard
    push of his chest. He tossed his head. Ally was too smart for
    that. She had to know Everett was not the reason Everett
    was still alone.
    “I"m not afraid. Not of that.” Everett might have been
    born a crusader, but he was no match for his mother.
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    A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper

    “Then what is it? I know, I know, I"m being pushy, but I
    want you to be happy. You aren"t seeing anyone, and I can"t
    remember the last time you even mentioned anyone in your
    life that wasn"t about work.”
    “It was over a year ago, that I recall.” Robert spoke up
    again, though he was choosing to be as big of a dick now as
    his football buddies had once been. Maybe he wasn"t,
    perhaps he had some other point in speaking, or just
    thought it was time Everett got a lecture the way the others
    did, but Alex missed it by not being able to see anyone"s face.
    But if he"d been there, walked in right now, he was aware
    that this would never have been said in front of him.
    Because he wasn"t family, or because he could break again,
    or because of what it might do to Everett.
    “A year, Everett.” He could hear his own voice, though,
    in one of the adult moments between them without his
    family around, in a conversation for the two of them alone. A
    year, and Everett hadn"t….
    Everett"s loud sigh broke into his thoughts.
    “And I"m not getting any younger, I know. What am I
    waiting for? Yes, Mom, I"ve heard it before.” But he didn"t
    sound angry. Everett let out another breath, and it was tired
    more than anything else, as though his head was down, and
    his hands on the counter were the only things keeping him
    on his feet.
    “You make it sound so easy,” he added, “as though I
    haven"t tried. As though my arms couldn"t get more open
    or—”
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    A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper

    Alex was buffeted on all sides by the children as they
    returned. They pounded through the door and into the
    kitchen, shoving him to the side when he was in their way,
    wanting their damn cocoa and to kick off their boots. He
    wouldn"t have heard Everett"s last words if he had been
    standing next to him. Their screaming continued for a few
    moments, excited chatter and exclamations over their mugs
    and marshmallows and coats that wouldn"t come off, and
    then with a noise like a stampede they must have rushed
    back out of the kitchen.
    They only gave Everett a few moments of peace; then
    Ally was back at him, firing away with gentle concern and
    guilt.
    “I never said it was easy. I only want—”
    “Yeah, well I want a lot of things, too, Mom.” Despair
    from Everett was not right. Alex sucked in a breath and put
    his hand to the door. Another hand landed on top of his. He
    jumped and turned and saw George.
    George stared back at him, a measuring, hard stare, but
    didn"t open the door. Alex studied him, though his heart rate
    didn"t slow down at all, and waited, but George didn"t say a
    word. His face was speaking for him, saying things about
    bootstraps that had been harsh and wrong post-suicide
    attempt, but were suddenly valid now, with Everett once
    again in pain because of Alex.
    So Alex nodded before quickly turning away to open the
    door and step inside.
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    A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper

    He took some time to