into the unknown

 "What happened?" Alfie was very surprised to see Steve after the ten o'clock news, holding a bed pillow.

"I just want to stay over," he said.

"Why?" Alfie let him in but he knew Steve didn't want to tell him he had a fight with Simon.

"It's for his own good," Steve looked beyond peeved. 

"Well, of course, you can stay," Alfie told him as long as he liked.

Steve fell back on the couch and finally said Simon was drinking too much. "I just don't understand it. Why? Why now."

"Sometimes, it takes a while to see someone's true colors," Alfie sat down in his favorite chair. Usually, Poppy took the couch but she was already sleeping in their room. "It's probably always been there. He just hides it well."

Steve nodded. He mentioned how his Aunt used to drink. They thought she had tons of bottled water. They just didn't know until she was in a coma in the hospital that it was bottles of vodka. She eventually died.

"After, Simon went to sleep tonight I got rid of all the alcohol. I just want him to stop doing this to himself," Steve was bitter and worried. "First it's like, oh we have to celebrate. Then it's I need this bottle of wine to relax." He shook his head, and fought back tears. "I used to drink with my aunt when I was little. She let me when no one else was around. She'd even pay me in quarters to drink with her. I didn't think much about it, really."

Steve didn't know what to say to that, but maybe they could have an intervention with Simon.

"It won't work," Steve said. "I've already called his brother. He said he'd talk to him tomorrow."

Alfie said he could stay with them as long as needed. He didn't think Poppy would have a problem with it.