Eventually, the timer ended. Admittedly, I was in a much better mood. Still, I knew this wouldn't be a fun conversation. I glanced at the dolls… it would be nice if I could bring them with.
"Go, we'll sneak over." Mai promised as I stood facing the door.
"Thanks," I whispered, then went to face the music.
Robby was robotically stirring the dog food. His phone pinging with messages, no doubt one of our several family chats.
"Robby, we need to talk." I said calmly as I sent a message in the chat, already over 70 messages. Starting group call in 2 minutes.
I sat at the coffee table with my almost empty cup of coffee.
"Oh… uh, sure, just a sec." Robby muttered lowering the heat.
I held back my sigh, Robby looked like a kicked puppy. The difference… puppies did well with treat training. Robby shuffled over, it was actually a bit irritating because it was like he was trying to act pitiful. This is why I hated trying to talk to them, I was almost always the bad guy.
On the rare occasion I wasn't the bad guy, it was just an accident. Or I was overreacting, being dramatic, blowing things out of proportion. I wanted to snap at Robby to stop throwing a pity party but I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
It's fine, it's nothing new. Don't get riled up. I kept telling myself…
"Max… I'm-" Robby started.
I cut him off as I held a hand up, "Stop. Just. Stop." I said through gritted teeth. Then I started the group call. Mom picked up on the first ring.
"Max, I know Robby made a mistake, but timers? Really? Can't we act like adults?" Mom asked her voice dripping with disappointment.
Mai was peeking from under the coffee table. Pride sitting at one end, Reed the other. Ace had found a nice sunny spot to lay out in. The rest were scattered around the siting mats.
"Mom, should I bother talking, or is Robby's side all you care about?" I asked looking Robby in the eye.
"Max! That's no way to talk to your mother!" My dad snapped. No doubt I got my temper from him. Still, it was a wonder he was sober enough to converse at all.
"Then you all talk, and let me know when I'm allowed to have an opinion. Because clearly having my boundaries ignored, having my stuff set on fire, my apartment walls getting water damage. Yeah, all that is so much less important than Robby's feelings." I retorted right back. Then I leaned against the wall crossing my arms.
Robby ducked his head, "I.. was just, I was trying to help."
"You asked him to stay out of your room." Mai whispered resting her paws on my leg.
"Max, boy, we taught you better!" Dad roared.
"Max! Robby was doing you a favor!" Mom admonished.
"Let them talk Max. If they're talking, they aren't listening." Ace called, his voice deep with sleep.
It was the first time he'd spoken so… normally? No dramatic, sleepy pauses… it was kind of intimidating.
I gave a subtle nod to Ace and Mai. I heard them, now I was waiting. Listening to the repetitive apologies, how disrespectful I was being, them telling me to say something. It went on for… wow, over five minutes. Maybe I should start keeping track so I could see if they broke records.
"Max, I mean it, I really thought I was helping." Robby stated for the umpteenth time. I just stared at him. Waiting.
Finally, they stopped talking over each other. Now there was silence.
"Don't speak yet. Wait. Timing is just as important as action." Ace reminded, at some point he'd sat up to lean against the wall under the window.
When the silence lasted about 30 seconds I raised a brow to Robby. I saw Ace nod out of my peripheral.
"Speak clearly Max, don't rush. Don't let them bait you." Pride added with his arms crossed. There was a tick to his jaw that hadn't been there when the call first started.
"Are you all ready to listen to what I have to say?" I asked calmly.
"Are you going to be a brat about this?" My dad asked sarcastically.
I shrugged then continued to wait. After another long silence my mom spoke.
"We're ready to listen Max." Her voice conveyed the displeasure of a mother facing her unruly children in public.
I raised a brow at Robby.
"Yeah…" He muttered. I wasn't surprised my dad didn't respond.
"Good." I stated, it was a bit provocative, but after ten minutes I thought they deserved it.
"Don't let your anger get in the way Max. If you attack, they won't listen." Ire reminded patting my leg beside Mai.
I took a deep breath. "Okay Robby, I'd like you to explain your side. Just facts, no feelings, no intentions, just what I asked, what you said, and what you did." I said.
"Uh, well, you asked for a ride… to uh, pick up supplies…" Robby started. I nodded in encouragement. "Then I showed up, we uh, did a few things, then… picked up the supplies, we made the first batch… uh… figured out we needed more containers… so uh… you went to grab them, and drop off the food we made…" Robby said slowly, watching my every reaction.
I was writing things down on a note pad, looking up and nodding with each pause.
"So, I uh. Stayed back to finish the last few bits. Then I uh, well I had time. I thought I'd help by… hanging his laundry. So, I hung the laundry in his room. I was going to start another load… but uh, smelled, uh, kinda of burning… I checked the food but it was, stuck to the bottom of the pot. I when I tried scraping it off the bottom the whole pot started moving. So I uh, grabbed the towel I'd hung. I used it to grab the pot, I was able to scrape everything off the bottom, and uh… was stirring when… I noticed the towel was smoking… before I could, uh, well, it was on fire. I threw it in the sink but the apartment was smoking… and the alarms went off." Robby explained sheepishly.
I glanced up at the fire alarm… I had been wondering about that.
"Well, I opened the windows, uh, then I saw the fan, so I brought that in. Uh, like five minutes later… you came back…" Robby finished lamely, head ducking back down.
I nodded.
"It was an honest mistake Max, Robby will get you a new towel. It'll be like it never happened." Mom said coaxingly.
"You're throwing a fit over a stupid towel? They cost ten dollars Max. Shouldn't you be grateful Robby came to help? He lent you his car?" My dad sneered. I could hear the alcohol starting to talk. Great.
I nodded pursing my lips as I looked at my notes. When they didn't keep talking, I stared at Robby.
"So, when we were talking, and I asked you to stay out of my bedroom. That just didn't matter?" I asked, Robby looked like I'd sucker punched him. I hadn't even gotten started.
"He was helping with your chores Max." My mom cut in.
I bit the inside of my cheek as I nodded, "Right, so my private space can be invaded, if someone wants to help with chores. That's what you're saying, right mom?" I asked staring Robby down. He refused to look at me.
"That's not what I said," My mom said, frustration bleeding into her voice.
"What about showing up almost two hours early Robby. Why didn't you mention that?" I asked, "Because I sent you a text, that I had plans with friends, that I might be out. So we agreed you'd leave your place at 8:30. Its almost a three hour drive. What time did you get here?" I asked pointedly.
Robby flinched.
"So instead of being grateful he drove three hours, your pissy that he showed up early? Maybe he shouldn't have shown up at all." Dad sneered as a audible thunk echoed. No doubt a large glass bottle of his booze of choice.
"What time did you get here Robby?" I repeated as I debated muting our parents.
"A little after 9." Robby whispered so low I doubt anyone else heard him.
"Please speak so our parents can hear you." I said as he hunched in on himself.
"A little after 9." He said louder, anger starting to work its way into his voice.
I nodded, "Right, little after 9. While I was doing my chores, in fact, I was doing the dishes when you arrived. I timed my morning, to have my chores done before you were supposed to arrive. Instead, my plans changed, once again, because you showed up early."
"Max, this isn't a hill worth dying on… its one towel." My mom said exasperated.
"It's not about the towel, its about boundaries." Mai whispered patting my leg comfortingly.
"No Mom. It's not about the towel. It's about how when we were talking, I told Robby to stay out of my room when he'd been snooping. It's about how he didn't stick to the plan. It's about how that towel was a gift. It's the fact that even after twenty years, Robby still doesn't listen to a damn word I say." I said looking at Robby. His head jerked up.
"I do to listen!" Robby denied.
"Did you listen when I said any time after ten?" I asked tilting my head. He didn't answer.
"Did you listen when I told you to stay out of my room? Did you listen when I said all the tips and tricks about the apartment were in a binder, so even if you had to do laundry, you would have know putting big wet items against my wall could cause water damage?" I asked as my voice started to rise.
Mai patted my leg catching my attention.
I took a deep breath, "Did you listen when I asked for you to check on the food while I dried my wet walls? When I asked for 30 minutes to calm down alone?"
"You know your brother likes to help out, he was just trying to make your life a little easier." Mom cut in.
I closed my eyes, "Your right. Robby always means well. It's my fault." I said, then gave Robby a defeated smile. "It's my fault for trusting you to stay out of my room. My fault I though you would show up at our agreed on time. My fault I left you alone, unsupervised." I said nodding to myself.
I wanted to laugh at Robby's hurt expression, but I just felt… defeated. "So I won't make that mistake again. Robby, thanks for coming out to help. I don't need it anymore. I was going to fill up your tank after our last run, then give you some cash… but I'll just wire it to you." I said standing up.
"Max… I, I didn't mean to…" Robby started as I hung up the call.
"I know. But I also know, you won't listen to me. So I'll just stop. I won't ask you for help. I won't ask for rides. I'm not making the mistake of giving you a key to my apartment for emergencies again, because you showed up uninvited all the time. That's partly why I looked for an apartment further away. You also made copies for mom and dad. Dad who broken in, drunk, and smashed my living room to pieces."
"I didn't know he'd do that!" Robby started but I held up my hand.
"The truth is Robby… I don't care anymore. Since I can't trust you to do as I ask… I won't ask, and I won't give you the opportunity to keep meaning well but making my life harder. Please leave." I said walking to the door.
"Max… I… I won't do it again." Robby promised as his eyes started to shine. I just gave him a tired smile.
"Yes you will. You can't help yourself. But that's okay, because… I am now committed to making sure that if you will be around, you'll have my undivided attention so I can stop you before you do something like this again. I'll figure out a way to get mom's stuff back to her." I said calmly. I saw Mai looking disappointed, but I just wanted him gone.
It took a few minutes, Robby took his time finding all his stuff, but finally I was alone. I sighed, then checked on the dog food. I sent a text in the group chat.
I'll return your stuff next week mom. Until then, going to take some time to think about our relationship with each other. Love you all, but please don't reach out until I do.