A black calm enveloped the bedroom. Silence; broken only by light breathing from Timmy, and the occasional snore from his older brother Joe in the top bunk. Susan, the boys’ mother, pulled the door close to the jamb, leaving a thin sliver of amber light to streak upon the bedroom floor. She then turned up the hallway to the living room.

Joe’s eyes creaked open as the roar of his father’s motorcycle approached the house. His eyes burned from the explosion of white filling the room as the headlight’s beam burst through the window. The engine cut out, turning the room a muted gray as his eyes adjusted to the abrupt shift in darkness.

“Daddy?â€? Timmy spoke in a sleepy whisper. “Is dad home?â€?

“Shh, go back to sleep.â€? Joe knew it would be best for both of them to stay in their room. Quiet.

“Ok.â€?

Joe closed his eyes, and tried to do the same to his ears by wrapping a pillow around his head. No good. There was not enough foam or feathers in the world to block the thunderous “whamâ€? of the front door slamming shut.