Twelfth Lovely

Weeks passed, and I hadn't gotten around to cracking into Gora. Honestly, I didn't really stress myself over it. As pressed as I was about it before, the whole ordeal kind of showed me that I didn't have to do anything big and extra to get through to my kids. Even when Couro and I stayed, we barely talked for five minutes and the real conversation didn't start until we were in the car and on the way home. All I really had to do was ask the kid. So, I decided to wait for the right moment. At this point, I was mostly avoiding it since Gora always seemed riled up over something. More than usual. I wanted to know, but the last thing I wanted was to stress him more. So for a good while, I dropped it.
About two months to Gora's birthday, I was in the kitchen sizing up pumpkins I'd just bought. I took the day off, so I had decided to go out and buy a few. Carving and decorating them was just a small thing our family did. Kutu and I first did it back when we first moved in together. The only year I've ever missed since was the one when she died. Halloween was too close to it and neither Gora nor I could bring ourselves to.
The two years after, I tried my hardest to get Gora back into it, but he never really wanted to. He was too standoffish, always backing out of doing anything with me. Especially if it reminded him of his mother, he would make sure I knew just how much he didn't want to do that thing with me. I got used to that sort of treatment and eventually let him go. Instead, Couro started to join me. Although, she only really helped after coming home from school. So, like every year, I set up in the kitchen so that the moment Couro walked in, she could come and carve.

As expected, the door soon creaked open.
"Hey, Couro!" Her face peeked around the corner and she gave me a small wave. "How was school?"
"Good," she said flatly then started to walk off.
I followed her and closed the front door. "Kiddo, what's up? You usually go off on a tangent when I ask about your day." Couro looked up at me, her eyes glossy and blinking fast. "Something wrong? Did you give Aidan the books we bought?"
"He liked them." Her eyes started to dart around. She looked ar anything but me. "He also said he forgave me for what I said. Gora too, he said it's alright."
"Anything else?" I put my hand out. For a minute, she just stared at it. Finally, she took it and followed me back into the kitchen where I put her in a seat. "Any new friends? Recess? How about your teacher, what was she like today?"
"We had a sub."
"Was she nice?"
"No."
Suddenly, the door slammed open. "This absolute bullshit!"
Frustrated, I put my fingers to my temples. "Gora! Watch your mouth!"
Gora didn't hear me. Rage deafened him as he threw his bag onto the floor. He turned into the kitchen and when he saw Couro, he looked about ready to break something. Pointing a finger at her, he huffed, "You."
"Excuse y--"
"Shut up!" he barked at me. I finally got a good look at Gora's face--his eyes were watery too. "This little...thing went around telling people I'm gay!"
I blinked. The whole kitchen was silent as we both stared at her for a minute. "...Couro?"
Finally, she burst into tears. "I didn't think it was bad," she cried. "But they were so...mean--"
"Oh, shut up!" he snapped. "Why would you ever think that's okay!?"
"Aidan asked why you said what you said..."
"What?" Gora asked, exasperated.
"You were mean to him."
"Why would I waste my time insulting an eight-year-old?"
Couro narrowed her eyes at him and pushed her point. "You didn't do it to his face. I told him about it and he was upset."
"Oh." A lightbulb flickered on. "I was having a rough day, I didn't--"
"You still said it!" she screamed. Gora froze, neither of us had heard her scream like that in years. "I said stuff too and I didn't know it would do anything, yet here you are yelling at me for it! Why won't you own up to it!?"
"Why're you yelling at me?"
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
Gora sucked his teeth. "Who even gave you that idea?"
"I saw the blanket and trinkets in your room." Her eyes flickered to me, a blatant lie. Gora's gaze followed hers, staring at me for a moment.
He turned back to her, letting her slide. "Not everything that's a rainbow is gay, idiot. Mom gave it to me. I just got around to hanging it up."
Guilt dried up my throat and I croaked out, "Couro--"
"I'm sorry," she cut me off. She glanced at me again and spoke quickly, "I thought Aidan was nicer than that. He started insulting you, and I should've said something then. I didn't know he'd tell his brothers." She paused and slid out of her seat. Hugging Gora she said again, "I'm really sorry."
Gora sighed, looking down on his younger sister. He didn't move at first and just let her wrap herself around his stomach. But after a moment, he stooped down and pulled her into his arms. I watched, uncomfortable in my seat.
"Tthe kiddo's first heartbreak," he mocked when Couro let go. "Stings, doesn't it?"
"...Yeah."
His sly expression dropped and he looked at her with pity. When Couro started to tear up again, he used his thumb to dry her eyes. "Now, shoo," he said softly. "I'm still pissed off, but I'll get on you tomorrow." Sniffling, she smiled at him before shuffling upstairs.

"Proud of yourself?" his voice rose and stiffened out. I hung my head, preparing for the worst. "You're the one who put the idea in her head. It's why you took us to the aquarium, isn't it? 'Oh, Imma get my son to come out by showing him that diversity's okay!' Why not just fucking ask?"
I bit the inside of my cheek. "I wanted to ease into it."
"Yes, because that was so easy." When I didn't respond, he walked over to where I was sitting. I looked up at him, into his narrowed eyes burning down at me. "Look, I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a liar. If you sat me down and asked, I wouldn't have lied. You know that."
"I am so sorry, Gora. I just wanted to know what was wrong." I lowered my head again and muttered, "You never talk to me anymore."
"Pity," he deadpanned. "Not gonna start now."
I nodded, listening to his footsteps going farther away.