Page 34 of One Last Rainy Day
Frères pour toujours
A ball lodges in my throat at the sight of the words.
“Maman!” I yell, running into the kitchen as light flashes and the giant’s footsteps rattle the windows.
“Dominic?” she whispers, wiping her face, her eyes red and puffy.
“Maman, the giant is going to eat me!” I look over my shoulder to see Tobias chasing me.
“Oof,” Maman says as I run into her, and she drops a picture on the table. “Slow down, Petit Prince,” she says, pulling me into her lap. “What giant?” she asks Tobias.
“I was just trying to stop him,” Tobias says.
“No.” I shake my head as more of Maman’s pictures fall on the floor. “He said to be very afraid that the giant foot was coming to eat me!”
“I said the giant would only eat you if you got out of bed.” He smiles as the giant’s foot sounds comes closer. “See,” he makes big eyes at me, “he’s coming.”
“Tobias!” Maman says. “It’s just a storm, Dominic,” she whispers. “Nothing to be afraid of.” She looks at Tobias. “Why are you trying to scare your brother?”
“I was trying to keep him in bed,” Tobias tells her, “because he doesn’t listen. Ever.”
“And you’ll keep him up all night,” Maman sighs as I point to one of the pictures.
“That’s Tatie!”
“Yes,” she whispers, pulling me closer to her as I point to another picture, “That’s Papa!”
“Uhhmm,” Maman says.
“He looks funny,” I giggle.
“He never cut his bright-red hair,” she says, tickling me. I point to another picture.
“Who is that?”
“That’s you.” She points to the baby. “And that is your brother holding you,” she says, holding out the picture for Tobias to see.
Tobias shakes his head.
“Take it,” she says. He snatches it out of her hands but doesn’t look at it.
“You were mad at him then, too,” she laughs.
“For what?” Tobias says, sitting in the chair next to us and looking at the picture.
“For being born,” Maman says.
“That’s stupid,” he snorts. “You can’t be mad at someone for being born.”
She laughs. “Well, you were. Because you had just thrown him in the trash.”
“You throwed me in the trash?!”
Tobias doesn’t answer.
“He was as big as you are now,” Maman tells me. “He was only mad because he did not want to share my hugs.”
“I should throwed you in the trash,” I tell Tobias.
