My Grandbabies

The life of Brian Johns had been utterly normal. He lived life like any other man: starting as a hyperactive child, to a pubescent teen, all the way to where he sits now as an old man. His hair had long since greyed and his hips were nothing to be proud of.

Brian enjoyed spending his evenings sitting on his porch. Enjoying the gentle sway of a rocking chair and birds chirping just within the tree line. He loved his utterly normal life.

His wife, Irene, had long since passed. Brian missed her; but he has healed with time. They had a young girl together, Jessica, she was priceless to Brian— she was his greatest achievement. Jessica was beautiful, smart, and all-around the best daughter a father could ask for.

Brian only wished she hadn’t married that lowlife.

Her husband, a piece of human excrement not even worth naming, was an unemployed freeloader who just wanted to live his life mooching from Jessica, Brian, and anyone else he could leech on to.

He had accidentally —although Brian guessed, secretly, it was far from an accident— gotten Jessica pregnant with twins shortly after she came to college. Brian was willing to kill him there and then, but Jessica protested. Nowadays the fat blob of waste spends his days laying on a couch, neglecting his children— Brian’s grandchildren.

He only got to see the little kids whenever Jessica brought them over (which was close to about once a month). They were just so adorable! He could hardly believe their father was in fact their father! Their cute little smiles, their little baby faces, could make even the worst villain crack a smile.

Brian spoiled his grandkids. Whatever they wanted they got. They wanted to go to the fair? Absolutely! They wanted the newest games? Sixty dollars well spent!

If anything, he wanted them to love him, love their mother, and hate their father. He knew they loved him, but he could never figure out why! He would be an absent father if he wasn’t too large to get off the couch.

…

One day, the grandkids arrived. Their big ol’ smiles didn’t come with. Today was all frowns.

Brian outstretched his arms to get a big hug. The children flinched back.

Brian looked them up and down, noticing the not-so-subtle circular burns covering their arms— cigarettes. He had to take a breath to steady himself. He gave Jessica a hug, noticing the bags under her eyes and how shaky her grasp was.

Brian had known what had transpired from the moment he saw the burns. The stain on their family finally got pissed enough to hurt the very things he worked so hard to worm himself into a position of power over.

He spent the day watching cartoons with the kids. He knew they’d be missing their grandpa for a while, but that’s okay, this was for them.

He put the little ones to bed early, placing a lollipop next to each of their pillows for when they wake. It took him all but a minute to find his keys. Brian stopped just short of the door. Cartoons were still playing— he wondered if the bum had ever once put aside time to watch them with the children. The thought didn’t linger long as Brian entered his vehicle and made a beeline to his daughter’s house.

…

The life of Brian Johns had been utterly normal— until he killed the leech mooching off of his beautiful daughter and hurting his sweet grandbabies. His hair had long since fallen out from stress and he could hardly walk from his messed up hip.

Brian enjoyed spending most of his evenings sitting in his cell. Enjoying the sounds of the hard-working pipes running steady streams of water. He didn’t love this life, but he was proud of what he done to get it.

Now his child —and grandchildren— were happy. They were safe. Brian had saved them, and he’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.