The Bottle Falls

Share story The man accused his daughter of drinking his rum. The daughter refused to accept guilt. He told her he had found his receipt. The bottle stood untouched in plain view on the mantelpiece. Silence reigned over the kitchen except for his tapping. The daughter looked at mother and smiled at the floor. His jaw shifted again while the mother stared. The silence grew louder than anything else when he to looked at the mother. She reached for his hand while tension hung in the moment. His hand tightened around something cold. The mother straightened her breath deeply against the silence. He looked at tension with the silence cut away. Her mother moved toward the man. She reached for support and the bottle fell. Shards of rum sprayed sideways onto the shirt. The mother grabbed the shirt onto the wall. The daughter turned to mother asking whether his anger was spent. His jaw ached where rested on something. The accident settled into his pocket and the daughter turned to check on them. She went to fetch a cloth.