Recovery

Chapter 1

[ WARNING: This story will contain strong themes of addiction, alcoholism, and recovery. If these things are uncomfortable for you, please don't read this book, and please feel free to message me if you need to chat. ]

It starts off slowly, to where she barely notices the changes. At first it's subtle, being an hour late from work because he was "getting a drink with his coworkers" which turned into going out every other night.

So many nights, he wouldn't come home until 2 in the morning, completely wasted, and when he isn't drunk he's hungover and cranky. Veronica never knows how to approach it with him, so she lets it continue, waking up every night to the sounds of him slamming the door,  climbing into bed, and the smell of whiskey on his breath as he holds her closer. She always pretends to be asleep because it's easier that way.

One morning he seems more approachable than normal, grabbing a glass of water in the kitchen.

"You were out late," Veronica comments, standing a few feet away from him.

"Not that late," Archie counters. He looks so different than he used to, with dark circles under his eyes, and a different demeanor about him.

"You don't think 3 in the morning is late?" Veronica argues. "And it's not like this is an occasional thing, you're always home late."

"Do you really have to pick a fight with me?" Archie turns around, looking defeated.

"No, sorry," she mumbles. "Come here, I wanna show you something."

Archie follows, not saying much, to where she stands in the living room, lifting up her shirt.

"Can you see it?" she smiles proudly, as Archie stares at her blankly.

"What am I looking for?" Archie questions, narrowing his gaze.

"My bump, silly," Veronica places a hand under her stomach. "Don't you see it?"

"Oh," Archie's face softens. When he comes closer, Veronica grabs his hands to place them on her belly. His touch feels so foreign to her lately.

"It's our baby," Veronica smiles at him, which does make him smile back. "Well, the baby isn't moving because I'm only 4 months, but you get the idea."

She was expecting some big enthusiastic response but that part of her fiancé has slipped away, and the person that's left is such a hollow version. Veronica wants to complain, but she knows he'll blame it on the hangover and apologize and promise not to go out, and then go out anyways. Instead of speaking, he crouches to kiss her belly button, making her smile.

This is why she loves this man, why she can excuse so many little things.

"Why don't you stay in tonight?" Veronica suggests. "We can get takeout and watch a show."

"I was supposed to meet Reggie," Archie frowns. When he looks down at Veronica, she also has a frown on her face.

"I feel like you never spend any time with me," Veronica whines, pulling on his hands.

"Then come out with us, it'll be fun," Archie offers.

"It won't be fun for me, because you'll be drunk," Veronica informs him, a bit of disgust on her face. "I can't drink because of the baby, and I feel like the least you can do is stay home one night with me."

"Ronnie, I'm home all the time," Archie squeezes her hands. "And I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to drink because you can't."

"I don't think you shouldn't drink because I can't," Veronica backs up her previous statement. "I just think you can spend one night at home with me, massaging your pregnant girlfriends feet."