Those Who Remain

Introduction

The midnight rain beat down on the old concrete like huge tears. The unusual peace that fell upon the neighborhood was filled with tension. On one of the busiest streets in the neighborhood, nothing but the rain moved that night. At the end of the quiet street rested a household that would never be the same.

A rugged man in his late twenties slid the blunt from his thick caramel lips and exhaled. Running his large hand over his face, he sighed at the decision he had just made.  It wasn't hard for him, but he expected his woman to put up a fight. He put the blunt into the glass ashtray that was sitting on the wooden nightstand before waking up his live-in girlfriend of several years.

"Mina, it's time to go," he said without looking at her. The woman in her mid-twenties ran her hand over her thick braids as she sat up. Knowing that this was coming, she wasn't even shocked. "Get Gia and let's go." He turned to slip his black sneakers on. The woman froze where she sat, clearing her throat before speaking.

"Jonathan," Mina said with fear and hesitation in her voice. "Just Gia?" She asked in her thick accent that often came out when she was nervous or scared. Jonathan quickly looked towards Mina wondering why she chose to question him.

"You heard what I said..."

Tears slid down Mina's eyes as she covered her eleven-month old daughter in warm clothing. Careful not to make too much noise, she slid all of the diapers, bottles and clothes as she could into Gia's diaper bag. Jonathan walked into the kitchen, slid two crumbled up one-hundred dollar bills on the counter and took the sleeping baby from Mina.

"Let's go." He said not even looking back.

Mina cried as they drove out of town, feeling disconnected and ashamed. Jonathan kept his emotions in but he felt it, too. Somehow they both knew that them leaving was the best for everyone. Mina said a silent prayer as the tears kept falling. But what good were those tears to the two little girls they left behind?