Julian’s fists unclenched slowly as he looked down, his expression conflicted. He opened his mouth to speak but struggled to find the right words. "Brother Adi..." he began, his voice quieter now, though the tension in his tone lingered. "You stole from her. That’s not something I can just ignore. She’s our wife—"
"She’s your wife," Adrian cut in sharply, his tone bitter. His dark eyes shimmered with unspoken emotions as he stepped closer. "Not mine. Don’t act like we’re the same, Julian. we will divorce in future."
Julian’s head snapped up at that, his mossy-green eyes widening slightly. "brother Adi, that doesn’t mean you can—"
"I know what I did!" Adrian interrupted, his voice raising for a moment before softening again. "But you... you didn’t even think twice before hitting me." His voice cracked slightly, and he turned his face away, as if unwilling to let them see his emotions fully. "I thought you’d at least try to talk to me first..."
Milo fidgeted uncomfortably, his small voice breaking the heavy silence. "Brothers... please don’t fight. Let’s... let’s talk this out."
Adrian didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the floor, while Julian clenched his jaw, his anger fading into guilt. "I’m sorry," Julian muttered, though his voice was strained. "But stealing was wrong, brother Adi. You hurt her trust."
Adrian’s eyes turned stormy with anger, his eyes looked faintly red. He stepped forward, his voice rising as he pointed at Julian. "I hurt her trust? I hurt her trust?!" he repeated, his tone filled with bitterness. "Did you forget what she did to us in the past? It’s not like I’ve been against her from the beginning, but I’m no saint like you and little Milo!"
His anger intensified as his eyes swept toward Milo. "And you, little Milo! Did you forget that incident? With your attitudes, both of you won’t survive in this world! Forgiving someone who did very bad things to us—are you serious?!" Adrian’s voice echoed in the room, his frustration spilling out in every word.
Milo flinched, his honey-brown eyes welling up with tears. He clenched his fists, his lips trembling as he tried to find the courage to respond. "No... I didn’t forget," he said quietly, his voice breaking. "But we can’t stay in the past forever, Brother Adi. Wife... Wife is different now. She’s changed." Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he spoke, his heart aching from the tension in the room.
Julian, watching Milo break down, immediately stepped forward and pulled him into a comforting hug. Milo buried his face into Julian’s shoulder, his thin frame shaking as he cried softly.
Adrian’s eyes softened slightly as he watched Milo’s reaction, but his frustration was still evident. He ran a hand through his hair, his breathing heavy, unsure of what to say next.
Julian looked up from where he held Milo, his mossy-green eyes filled with a mix of confusion and hurt. "But why, Adi?" he asked, his voice quieter but firm. "Why did you steal wife’s money?"
Adrian looked away, his jaw tightening, unwilling to answer right away.
Julian continued, his tone filled with conviction. "Stealing is wrong, Brother Adi. If it was for an urgent reason, we’d understand. But... we have food now. We have water. We even have a bathroom in the house. Things are better than they were before. So why?"
Adrian’s fists clenched at his sides, his head hanging low as if he was struggling with his own emotions. "You don’t get it, do you?" he muttered finally, his voice hoarse. "I don’t trust her like you do. Not yet. I just..." He trailed off, unable to explain himself further.
The room fell into a tense silence, the only sound being Milo’s soft sniffles as he clung to Julian.
Adrian turned abruptly, his shoulders stiff as he began walking toward his room. "I don’t need to explain myself to you," he said, his voice sharp but quieter now. "Believe what you want."
Julian sighed deeply, his arms still wrapped around Milo. "Brother Adi," he called after him, but Adrian didn’t stop. He disappeared into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Milo pulled away slightly, his tear-streaked face looking up at Julian. "I just... I just want us to get along," he whispered, his voice trembling.
Julian patted Milo’s head gently, his own heart heavy. "I know," he said softly, his eyes glancing toward Adrian’s closed door. "I know."
Karl walked closer, his baby-blue eyes filled with emotion. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around Julian and Milo, pulling them both into a tight hug. His voice was soft but trembling with emotion as he muttered, "Please don’t be angry with Brother Adi... You know he only did it for us. He thought he could save some money in case of an emergency, like the ones we’ve faced before."
Julian’s grip on Milo loosened slightly as Karl continued, his words bringing back old memories.
"Do you remember how he used to do anything just to fill our hungry stomachs?" Karl’s voice broke slightly as he spoke. "Stealing food, dangerous things... He always put himself at risk for us, Julian. He might not always do things the right way, but he cares about us in his own way."
Julian nodded slowly, his mossy-green eyes filled with a mix of guilt and understanding. Karl’s words had struck a chord deep in his heart, bringing back memories of those hard times when they had no choice but to rely on Adrian’s resourcefulness to survive.
He glanced down at Milo’s tear-streaked face. Milo nodded at him, his clear brown eyes shining with an almost childlike brightness, as if to reassure Julian that things would be okay.
Julian let out a soft sigh, finally allowing himself to relax a little. "I know," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "I know he did it for us... but I just wish he’d told us how he was feeling... he didn’t have to steal."
Karl patted Julian’s shoulder gently. "He’ll come around," he said softly. "He just needs time to realize that things are different now."
Milo sniffled but managed a small smile. "We’re all trying, Julian," he said. "Even Brother Adi... in his own way."
Julian nodded again, his heart feeling a little lighter as he held onto his brothers. Whatever had happened, they were still a family, and they would figure it out together.
—To be continued...🪄