For Better Or For Worse | Rihanna

XXI; July, 2004

"And how's the music thing going?" Eden asked, a smile dancing on her lips.

"It's good, it's fun," Robyn's sweet, tired voice travelled through the phone, from New York City to the parish of Saint Michel.

"Yeah? You meet anybody famous yet?" Eden's back was to the street as she sat barefoot on the beach's sand.

In the evening, she liked to come out to the beach and call Robyn. It had become an almost daily routine that she always looked forward to. Here at the beach, the memory of Robyn felt more alive. The setting sun brought on nostalgia for their last night together, sitting with each other right in this very spot. Three arduous weeks had passed since then, but she knew every day was a day closer to Robyn coming back in autumn.

"Not really," Robyn chuckled. "Every other day I'm holed up in this little studio, working on my demo. But I've met a lot of cool producers and writers, it's really fun."

"That's nice. Keep working." Eden's voice tangled with the crashing waves made Robyn homesick. She's spent much of today in the studio, working on a 3 song demo to pitch to a record label. She had spent both of her most recent breaks sitting in the hallway, calling her girlfriend to pass the time.

"Isn't it crazy that my first time outside of the country is all the way in New York? It's a beautiful city by the way; it makes me think of you all the time and how you've seen everything that I'm seeing now," Robyn admitted.

"It's crazy but you deserve it all. You've worked really hard for this, Rob, and don't let anybody, not even yourself, say otherwise," Eden reminded her.

"I know, don't worry. How's everything with you? Is anybody causing you any trouble? Are your parents okay?" Robyn asked her girlfriend.

"You've already asked me this," Eden poked fun at Robyn.

"I know, but still."

"Well, it's not the same without you. Matter of fact, the only silver lining to being in Barbados was you, and now you're gone. But still I rise. As you can see, I've been doing my summer reading. I'm all good, for real, I'll get through this," Eden responded.

"Wow, okay, I'm proud then. You keep working, too!" Robyn exclaimed.

Robyn's producer poked his head out of the studio to look at the young singer. With a motion of his hand, he beckoned for her to come back, and she sighed.

"Hm, I know that sound," Eden's heart sank. "You gotta go, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. One last sprint before I can go home and rest," Robyn explained.

"Alright, it's all good. You'll call me back when you get home?"

"Of course. I love you, baby," Robyn cooed.

"I love you too. Go crush it out there," Eden smiled to herself.

They hung up, and Eden stood back up immediately. She didn't enjoy being at the beach if not to spend time with Robyn in some way. She dusted herself off and began marching back home.

Inside the home, the soft hum of cable television could be heard playing in the background. Knowing what came next, Eden braced herself as she approached the one-seater sofa chair that had its back turned to her.

"Alright, what now?" she mumbled.

Eden rounded the corner and crouched by her father's side. He was out cold, gone in the fantasy land his drugs provided him. Eden examined the track marks on his left arm. It was hard to make out the old ones from the fresh ones, but there were a lot.

She sighed. What a fuck up. She looked up at Mr. Scott's face, and her stomach churned. Something felt wrong. The left side of her father's face sagged, and he was slumped over himself.