in love with a villain | choni

-30-

"Oh, finally after a decade, you've decided to show up," Tabitha began as soon as she opened the door and saw Toni, wearing a shirt and jeans as her usual, standing outside while holding bags of lunch meals from a Chinese restaurant.

Toni rolled her eyes. "Warm welcome. Thanks," she replied and sighed.

"Come in."

"Can you please get the other snacks in the car?" Toni asked and Tabitha nodded.

"Lester! Megan!" Toni called, lively. "I'm home!"

"Toni!!" Megan yelled, running down the stairs while Lester came out from the kitchen.

"Yes! Whoo!"

"Hello, nuggets," Toni said, giggling through the hug. "Take these," she instructed, so the two took the bags from her hands and then proceeded to the dining room.

"You look troubled. Stressed. What's going on?" Tabitha asked when she came back in, holding the paper strap for 2 cups of coffee and the plastic bag where a half-gallon ice cream was placed in.

"We can talk about it later." Toni soughed.

"Toni... can you come on the recognition day?" Lester, on the left seat of the aisle, asked while scooping from the vanilla flavored ice cream.

Toni smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it. I promise."

"Yay! Toni, I'm so happy 'cause I'm 4th in my class. Next time, I'll be on top, I swear," Megan, from the right, said, hopeful.

"Hey, guys. Don't pressure yourselves, okay? It'll just cause you stress and it's not healthy," Toni reminded them.

"You both heard her," Tabitha supported. "Tell them. Because sometimes, Lester doesn't even sleep on time anymore. Most of the days, 12 am onwards. That's according to Lydia."

Toni exhaled. "Kids. You haven't even started college yet. Don't put too much on your shoulders. Just enjoy, but not too much. At least pass the subjects, no pressure."

Lester and Megan smiled.

.

.

.

"So, now that the kids are finally in their rooms..." Tabitha reopened, placing the used cups in the sink, "wanna share something? You know, things that are worth hearing, so we won't waste my time of transportation just to go here, to check on you in person."

Toni exhaled and looked down.

"Any problems with your Mafia lover?" The girl walking to the counter to sit across from her cousin, asked.

"Uhm... we've been fighting a lot, Tabs. It's getting worse," Toni replied quietly.

"Is she hurting you? I swear, I'm gonna kill her myself."

"No," she mumbled. "It'll be fine. And by the end of the day, we make up and everything's alright. That's what matters, right?"

"Ugh. Definitely not. That's toxic."

Toni furrowed her eyebrows.

"If you don't address what the real problem is, it will reoccur. Never ending." Tabitha crossed her arms. "What are you fighting about?"

"Drugs."

"Excuse me, what?"

"She's taking drugs, Tabs. Not the medical ones. I don't know how to stop her."

Tabitha scrunched her face, eyes closed. "This is stressing me out, Toni. You can't stop an addict unless you put them in rehab."

"I know she won't. I'm trying to change her or at least be the reason for her to change, you know? She's making progress, but I would catch her taking a pill. Oftentimes."