Loss

Loss
Serena gasped, her eyes shooting at her best friend desperately for an answer; feeling as Paul's world crumbled all over again, knowing in heart he would never allow himself to overcome this grief.

Iris looked at Paul sadly. "I was upstairs by the banister," she began. "I was listening to your conversation with mom and dad, I was going to let you speak your peace so you could get it out of your system," she sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

Serena felt herself glued to the spot, not being able to move without knowing what happened to Ellen but her friend needed care. With all the strength she had in her she rushed to bedroom for the box, carrying it back with her into the living room. She handed Iris a few tissues, who accepted them, wiping her nose first and then the endless stream of tears. Her hands were shaking, as were her lips.

"When you left, mom was inconsolable," she whispered staring at her brother through more tears. "I tried to comfort her, but she wouldn't stop crying. I looked at dad and he just sat there - broken because of you," Iris accused as her eyes began to fill with rage. "I hope you can be happy now," she said bitterly. "I hope destroying the two most important people in my life was worth it," she reproached.

Serena's cell phone began to ring. She ignored it looking at Paul waiting for him to stay something to his sister in his own defense.

He just stood there, staring at her without so much as opening his mouth.

"Iris, that isn't fair," Serena began but was promptly shut down.

"What a surprise!" Iris spat out bitterly at Serena. "Of course, you're on his side. Never mind that we were like a family to you," she scoffed as she looked at Paul up and down. "But then, you were always only interested in one member of the family, weren't you? You loved him then and you love him now, and you've made your choice." Iris's eyes fell on Paul. "Go back to wherever you came from Paul. Mom doesn't need you." She spun and began walking toward the door.

Serena's phone began to ring again, but once more she ignored the call. She walked around her friend, shutting the door before she was able to walk out. "No!" Serena snapped. "You came into my home, and you said your peace based on what I can only hope are false delusions of some warped childhood memories. Well now you're going to listen to your brother and you're going to get his side."

Iris looked at her friend's face. "Let me out, Serena! This instant!"

She shook her head angrily. "Tell her, Paul!" she stared at Iris like a crazed woman. "Tell her how her sweet father began to beat you when you were only a boy of thirteen!" She stood directly in front of Iris. "And I'm sure even you can remember all those times he sent Paul upstairs without dinner- into the makeshift bedroom after he took his bedroom away from him for no good reason! Forcing him to sleep on moldy old mattress on the floor in the dank, crowded attic!"

Iris's eyes shot to Serena. "I'm sure you're exaggerating," she said through gritted teeth. "Father would simply discipline him as any father would discipline a child!"

Serena laughed bitterly. "Discipline? is that what you call it?" She smiled facetiously completely forgetting Paul was in the room. She began glaring at Iris before grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her toward her bedroom.

"Let me go!" Iris protested as she began to drag her heels.

Full of adrenaline, Serena ignored her, "Discipline, you said," she threw her on the bed once they reached the intended destination. "Discipline?!" Serena opened the closet door, reaching for one of the old photo albums she had up on a shelf. She rifled through the pages until she found her target. She walked to Iris who was sitting down rubbing her wrist.

Serena pushed the album into Iris's abdomen. "Does that look like discipline to you?"

The album was open to pictures of Paul that Serena had taken when she'd gotten her first cell phone.

He had two black eyes and a busted upper lip that had swollen to double its size. Serena recalled George had beaten Paul two days before that picture was taken. It had been such a regular occurrence that Paul wasn't fazed at all when she asked him to take his picture in that state.

"Would you ever let any man discipline your children like that?"

She heard Iris gasp. Her hands slowly raised the photo album closer to eye level.

Serena heard her phone begin to ring again- the sound breaking the spell of rage she had been under. She shook herself out of the mindset. "That photo album is full of pictures of Paul like that," she said. "Even birthday pictures," she said angrily before walking out.

She passed Paul, who stood in the doorway staring at his sister's face as she looked at the injuries inflicted by George throughout Paul's teen years. Guilt began to set in as she Paul's face avoided her eyes. She knew she overstepped boundaries here, but something had taken over her- tired of Paul being mistreated by the Worthington family again and again.

Serena walked to her purse which she had left by the door immediately grabbing her cell phone, happy for the break in tension. "Hello," she answered as soon as she noticed Theresa was calling her.

She listed to her pastry chef speak through tears. Her stomach bottomed out at Theresa's words. After a moment the call was disconnected, and tears began to spill.

Serena wanted to breakdown and cry until she had no tears left but she couldn't do it- at least not yet.

Slowly she walked back to the bedroom door where Paul still hovered.

"Paul," she whispered with a broken voice. "Midge died"