In Which Kevin Jonas Grows Up
When his mother dies, Kevin grieves. He misses her smile, her careful hands as she cleaned a scraped knee, her passion for her calling in life. "You've been born to privilege, Kevin," she'd tell him sometimes.
"You have a home and and education and enough to eat and a family that loves you. You've been given so many gifts. That is why we travel, to share our fortune with others who have not been given as much."
Kevin always nodded. Agreed. He knew he was lucky; he was confident and assured of his place in the world. When his mother died, he thought less of the gifts he'd been given and more of what had been taken, but Kevin was a healthy child, and though he missed his mother, he helped his father herd his brothers across the water, back to the city. He continued his studies. Life went on.
When his father took ill, it was a quiet affair. One day he was teaching school and coming home to try to get the boys to wash their hands before dinner, and the next, he was taking to his bed.
Kevin stood in the doorway and asked if he should fetch a doctor.
"No money for that. Don't worry, Kevin. I'll be fine. Can you be my good, grown-up boy and look after the baby? Make sure your brothers get to sleep tonight. They'll need you to look after them until I'm well."
Kevin had always been always a good, grown-up boy.
Three days later, Kevin makes himself walk into the room. Their father hasn't been out in almost an entire day, but Kevin's been hesitant to disturb his rest. Their father doesn't wake, though Kevin shouts and shouts. Joe and Nick cluster in the doorway, looking on as Kevin smashes his hand against the wall, blinking against the stinging in his eyes.
He looks back at Joe, all skinny, eleven year old boy--elbows and knees everywhere. Nick, who's eight years old and so young, a mop of hair and big eyes and baby fat. He thinks of the baby--so tiny. So very small.
When his father dies, Kevin doesn't have time to grieve. He has time to sort out a burial, take stock of the coin they've got (not much), and get organized to sell off their possessions before they get appropriated by the landlord when he kicks them out. When Kevin's father dies, he grits his teeth and truly grows up.