Page 55 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

She didn’t answer. Her body shook with sobs, unable to form words through the crying.

“Hurry the fuck up! The cops are coming!”

The leader turned, trying to think.

“Shut the fuck up,” the other man growled.

She didn’t.

He lifted his gun and pulled the trigger.

Her head snapped back. Her body dropped. Her eyes stayed open.

“What the fuck did you do?” one of the others shouted.

“She wouldn’t shut up!” the man shot back. “We’re wasting time!”

“That wasn’t the plan!”

“Plan was already fucked when he shot the manager!” he yelled.

“Mom…” The word came out thin, barely there. He didn’t move. His eyes stayed locked on her face, on the blood at her forehead, on the way her eyes didn’t move anymore.

“God damn it!” The leader dragged a hand through his hair as he looked at the mess. “Grab the money. We’re getting the fuck out.”

“Mom… Dad…” Mano pushed himself up. His legs wobbled under him, but he moved anyway, stumbling forward until he reached her.

His hand hovered, then touched her cheek. It was warm, but she didn’t move.

“Hey, kid.” The voice came from above him.

He lifted his head, slowly.

The man stood over him. “You wanna go see them?” The gun pointed down at him.

Mano stared at it. His chest locked. Air wouldn’t come. Nothing else existed. Only the gun.

Then sirens echoed, faint at first, then louder.

The man’s head snapped toward the entrance. “Fuck! Move!” They grabbed the bags and ran. The doors slammed behind them.

Mano stood there, shaking. His gaze moved between them, waiting for a breath, a twitch, anything. His father’s chest was soaked in blood. His mother’s eyes were still open, tear tracks drying on her cheeks. Mano couldn’t look away.

He didn’t move. He just waited for something to change. But nothing did.

Chapter 13

Mano’s chest rose and fell fast; his eyes fixed on his big brother. “I know it’s my fault. I know they died because of me,” he said. “And I know you hate me for it.”

“I never blamed you. And I never hated you, Mano,” Nick said.

“Then you’re just selfish.” Mano shook his head. “You didn’t care about me. You just… left. You never thought about what I went through. The nightmares…” He swallowed hard. “Even now I flinch at gunshots. I can’t even watch movies… like a normal person.” His voice broke as he covered his face, sobs slipping through his fingers.

Nick’s eyes widened.

Mano tried to pull himself together. “You turned eighteen three years later and left the country. You just abandoned me.” He turned to him, his eyes red. “But I know why you did it.” His expression hardened. “You wanted to punish me.”

Nick stared at him like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.