pte

r

them. I was usually perfectly stoic – at least on the outside dur

lding onto the steering wheel for support. My back ached from

grip,

ed keen akin to a dying cat radiated fr

ce in an instant. I looked away from her, not wanting to talk about it just yet. Thankfull

y. I was inexpressibly grateful of the silence my best friend maintained. I fe

water. I don't know how, but eventually the song from Dirty Dancing was blaring from the radio, and she and I were singing alo

vingly as I raised my head up, ignoring the fact tha

ridiculously off tune. I chuckled as she

me what happen

ake came by my

widened

yes on the road. "He was yelling about how

hon

errible ruckus, Mr Lee

, ho

e for talking to him wi

ask him to c

"He just shows up, destroys things,

d under her breath. "Why don't you t

My eyes scoured the crowd for a familiar flash of white blonde. "You

" Her exasperation made

a shitty mood in the

the first day at s

day of school. I ha

hed, shakin

it was plain to see she had Ken's eyes: the same shade of light green. I felt a smile rise to my face as she smirked at me, a familiar dimple cropping up

halo. "Baby!" I squealed, rushing over to her and grabbing her in a tight hug. He

neck and reaching up to kiss my cheek. I gently lifted her off th

at school, girl?" Trench

ed, and we ate lunch," sh

Trench Asked her conspiratorially.

ea exclaim shrilly

er, tossing a glance in

g his nose and then puttin

h Deadpanned. "But yo

etorted, shrugging

your boogers then?

she said confiden

re an array of child boo

my back. The vibe the two really had going on was heartening to see. Trench Was really lik

going, Mom?"

honey. We need to buy some groce

ing her eyes large – a trick that had helped her s

rench Said as our car rolled into the

ed about it on th

on my conversations," I told he

specific reaction from Thea. Her eyes would widen

traight toward the bouncy castle on the side where about fifty

more than Ingrid. She actually enjoyed herself there, rather than just staring into empty space standing nearby. I fished out the list she had texted me before we m

ind of enjoying myself – there were just so many things to buy here! Every kind of chocolate bar, a

odge one can of tuna, over which seven tiers of a tuna tower rested. I watched with horror as the cans tumbled to

cans out of the center of the aisle. Sticky tuna globbed onto my

fuck up. My eyes did a circle before finally landing on a curiously familiar green pair. I blinked, feeling a lump of lead lodg

making an appearance. The expression reminded me so much

ice. At this point, an enormous wave of guilt crash

ver told Ken

wed them all. Now that I looked him in the face, all the reasons for not telling him that see

ight?" he as

he would return. His mother and his sister lived here, and he was from here. Of cou

ok good," he said

ring manner. Ken looked as delicious as I remembered, but on closer inspection, I saw deep lines under his e

back for Amalia..

he looked so drawn and tired! "I'm so sorry, Ken." I walked over to him, wrapping him in a hug. He seemed to freeze for a second as if he hadn

r. And, I'm sorry I didn't tell

e wrapped one arm around my waist, squeezing me slightly. I gingerly put my right palm on his back and

my imagination, but he didn't seem that eager to let me

hea shout from t

t of here before Ken saw Thea. Maybe there was a time

e began, scrutini

old him. "It was so n

ave something to squeeze. Was he watching me leave? Had he already w

call as I turned the corner

ainst the refrigerator. I opened the door and leaned my h

he mumbled. "

town," I sa

S

at the aisle I had just come from. Her ey

id, nodding. "Let's get T

d over to Thea. She was leaning over a giant crate

junk," I told her, yanking her

omplained, draggi

y," I pleaded,

. More than half of our list was left unattended. But ther

order in tonig

as she quickened

ea

get p

one for her, and that knowledge was the only thing that kept my guilt from pinning my heart dow

a suspiciously calm demeanor throughout the entire chase. But that was all it was: a chase. And only during a "chase" could Drak

ger in a cycle of self destruction because Thea broke the cycle: I

served

he world no longer i

ed the movers for him and began getting his stuff packed. It also comforted me to have the moving guys around when I

eeking out from behind his mask. Losing his temper, he had charged at me, uncaring about the p

g for me, his mind not having processed my statement fully. The moving guys were fast on their feet, and a second l

new

he and I hadn't had sex in months, he knew there was no way the baby could be his. That ha

I received a petition for custody and su

" Thea asked me, jerkin

le tired," I replied. "D

d form. The guilt returned as I imagined

et Ken's across the lot. He smiled at me and gave me a short wave. I gave him a tight smile and got into the car,