CHAPTER 2

I woke up the following morning feeling very exhausted, the memory of yesterday immediately begins to flood my brain "Am leaving I can't take this anym..."

I stop my thoughts immediately, shaking my head vehemently so that I don't end up crying again and getting lost in my thoughts. I suddenly realize that my mom was no longer in the room, she must have left in the night or early this morning and I must have slept so deeply because I did not realize when she had left the room. I wondered how she was doing, did she even sleep at all or she probably cried all night long. After brushing my teeth and having my shower, I decided to go downstairs so that I don't abandon myself to my thoughts. As soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs the smell of hot pancakes hit my nostrils. On a normal Sunday morning, i would be very hungry and my mouth would begin to water from the aroma of the hot pancakes, and I would immediately run and sit at the dinning table. I would steal from my dad's food before mine got to the table and he would playfully beat my hand off "Get your little paws off B" He used to say that i was his little Belle and that no harm would come to me as long as he was alive and even after death, "Promise daddy"

"Promise B" He used to say. I was around six then. We would all end up telling jokes and laughing our souls out through out the Sunday, we would all share the experiences we have had throughout the previous week with each other , but today it was different, it felt different, it looked different. No one was at the table today, it felt so empty that i felt so empty. How did we end up like this, how did our family's happiness get crushed like this? There was no usual news paper on the dinning table, there was no laughter that usually filled the house on a Sunday morning, there was no dad on the porch preparing for his stretching and jogging exercises. My eyes were starting to well up again from the pain I was experiencing but I quickly shook it off. I hated myself for feeling like this, but I couldn't. I couldn't help myself, I couldn't stop myself , I just couldn't. The pain was just way too much for me to bear and it was all because of one man. The one and only man I have truly ever loved ever since I was little girl.

"Chris would be back by 1 today" My mum said returning me back to reality I hadn't even realized that I have been standing there for a long time and that she saw me standing on the stairs lost in my own thoughts "Come have your breakfast, your favorite: pancakes and warm syrup come on have some." She says.

I move sluggishly to the table observing my mom's face that was battered black blue the night before by my dad, the injuries on her face were turning blue by now I could see that the injuries still hurts because any time she blinks she whines from the pain.

"Does it hurt???'' I ask coldly

"Ugh, you were saying something" she replied looking absent minded.

I ask louder this time"I asked if it does hurt??" I say pointing at her face

"Ohh this? She says referring to  her face No, not at all am fine" she smiles a fake smile that does not even reaches her eyes.

"Are you sure?" I ask raising an eye brow.

"Yes I'm sure, now have some breakfast will you" she says

"I can't wait to see Chris" I say deciding to change the topic

"Yea me too" I've missed my little boy so much.

"You know he was just gone for the weekend" I replied trying to sound lively.

"Says who said she can't wait to see him" my mom says and we both chuckled a little.

"When are you planning on telling Chris?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know, I guess when the time is right" she tells me munching on her breakfast slowly.

"Do you miss dad?" I ask looking  serious, I thought I wanted to change the topic to a less depressing one, so why was I bringing this up all over again?

"Of course I do terribly, why wouldn't I?" she says looking away from me "do you?" She says returning her gaze to me looking at me eye to eye like she could she through me and all the pains I was going through.

I did not know what to say, did I ? I definitely did not. Not after what we've been through because of him.

"No not after what we've been through" I said, boldly withstanding the overwhelming feeling that I was currently feeling.

"We use to be very happy before, he was not like this before and you loved him so very much. Hope, you can still love him now like you used to" she said raising her voice a little trying to make me get her point.

I did not want our conversation to end up with us yelling at each other again but my anger was over the edge already."That was was before he became a drunk, before he started beating his own wife, before he became a monster to his own family." I said harshly "You know mom, it would be so much better if we would just stop yelling at each other over someone who does not even care about us anymore and let us accept he is not coming back so that we can move on with our lives"

As my mom proceeded to speak she got frozen up by something or someone, whatever it was thing were going to be very ugly really. Looking behind me I turned to see what gave her that reaction only to be met by Chris standing at the door.

I hoped that you guys enjoyed this chapter because I really thought it out before writing. Please don't forget to vote and comment because I would really love to see your reaction.

Tese xoxo.💖💖💝