The Struggle Of Our Lives

Chapter 3, continued.

I could barely contain my excitement.

Though I wouldn't have to for much longer. I was thankful their birthday was on a weekend this year. May 10th had a habit of being on the worst days of the week. 

Now that the kids were dressed and ready, I turned around and walked to the door before I heard a quick "Wait!" from Teddy.

I pivoted, "What's up?"

"I wanna wear what Lotte's wearing." he said, determined. She was wearing a blue princess ballgown and matching blue glass slippers. Tedd had been wearing his favorite red shirt, that had a heart on a tiny chest pocket.

"Sure!" I responded. "What color dress do you want?"

He toddled over to their closet and pointed at a red ballgown with glitter and sequins all over it.
And so Lotte and I helped him change out of his outfit and into his dress with matching red slippers.

"John and I have a surprise for you both."

The twins were dressed to the nines, and they giggled as we crept up John's stairs up to his room. I knocked on the wall next to his "door" which was a broken accordion of off-white plastic.

He said to come in, so I pushed the handle to the side and the kids ran into his room.

"WOAAHHHH, you both look great!" John exclaimed. "Thank you, Johnnyyyyyy!!" replied the twins. They both ecstatically looked around the room, gasping at the decorations.

"I have a special surprise for you!"

"WHAT IS IT????????" the twins whined.
"It's y-"

"WHAT IS GOING ON UP HERE?" boomed our mother. The four of us jumped, knowing we were in trouble for something.

I panicked as we heard her coming up the stairs. And that's when it hit me.

Oh no...Teddy.

She came up to John's door and whipped it open. She audibly gasped and screamed at John and I.

"WHAT IS THIS? WHY ARE YOU KEEPING MY CHILDREN FROM ME? WHY ARE-"

She paused.

Shit.

She was looking at Teddy.

"Who...did this... to MY SON?!" she yelled. "WHO LET HIM PUT ON GIRLS COTHES?!"

John was quick to step forward.
"It was me, I did it because he said he wanted to try Charlotte's dress. He wasn't going to keep it on, he just wanted to know what it fel-"

The back of Mom's fist collided with John's cheek, knocking him to the ground. I screamed and ran to stand in-between her and the twins.

"SHUT UP. IT WASN'T YOU, YOU WASTE OF SPACE!" She screamed. " IT WAS YOU."

She lunged at me, clutching my throat with both her hands, lifting the heels of my feet off the ground.

"YOU DID THIS TO MY SON."

I struggled to breathe. I could hear Teddy and Lotte crying behind me.

I choked out, "Aren't we... all... your kids?"

She released me from her grip unexpectedly, making me fall to my knees.

"I never wanted you. Either of you!" She spun to look at John. "And now look what you've done! You've corrupted my son!"

She turned on her heel to kick Teddy but I reached out quickly and grabbed her leg. John was now standing behind her and put her into a choke hold, pulling her backwards.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM."

She sputtered and choked as he dragged her by the head down to the top of the stairs, and dropped her down them. She fell down the first 5 stairs, then finally came to a halt.

"And don't you come up these stairs again." John announced.

He turned back around into his room as she started screaming obscenities at him. The twins ears had been covered during the interaction, and soon their arms dropped down to their sides.

"Are you three okay?" he asked us.

It was now I noticed his nose was bleeding. There was dry blood all over his face and neck. The twins were silent.

"Your throat-" he started.

My mouth and throat felt like I just drank battery acid. I tried to speak but my voice failed me. I turned my head around to see Tedd and Lotte. They had stopped crying, but were still very upset.

"You feeling alright guys?" John asked again.

Theodore looked at him and started crying again. "Does Mommy hate me?" he croaked. I pulled him into me, and held him tightly. "Not at all, kiddo." John assured him.

"But-"

"Don't worry about it bub, you're safe."

He joined me in my hug by grabbing hold of Charlotte and pulled her into the three of us.
We sat there for a while.

Eventually, my voice began to come back. "I'm sorry your birthday was ruined." I professed.

"No it's not Terry. It was great." Lotte assured me.

Now it was my turn to cry. I had tried everything I could to make today perfect for them and Mom went and ruined it. What was her issue?

...

We all stayed up in John's room for a few hours playing video games and eating a cake John had secretly bought. It had red and blue tie dye fondant wrapped around it.

Overall, the day was okay. We spent quality time together and promised to stand up for each other. John bandaged my neck and I helped calm his bleeding. The only times we left John's room was to go to the bathroom and later to take showers and go to bed.

John took his shower first, then me, then I gathered the twins and gave them a nice bubble bath as if the soap could wash away what they had seen.

Once they were out of the bath, I got the two ready for bed as usual, and tucked them in. The twins were awfully quiet however.

"Terry?"

"Yeah?" I responded.

"Can you stay with us tonight?"
...

"I'm scared."

For the second time that day, my heart broke.

"I'll stay."

I walked back over to their bed, and crawled up the ladder. Theo moved a little, so I placed myself in between the two.

Both of them held me and I held them back.

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Nothing's gonna hurt you."