What a healthy relationship looks like

Twenty-six years ago...

Caitlin Sweeney had a bad feeling. Leroy had gotten the draft notice only the day before and he had been completely beside himself. She had ended up staying up half the night holding Caroline on one side and her brother-in-law on the other as he cried. and where was her sister in all this? Out celebrating. She'd never liked Leroy, in fact Heidi resented the fact she had to marry him after she found out she was pregnant- and that resentment had only got worse after the miscarriage. Caitlin had her reasons to believe that even that was more planned than coincidence. Still, she'd never admit that out loud. Heidi was still her sister after all. After she put Caroline down for the night she went to Rich, who was reading in bed, and kissed him, "I'm gonna go check on Leroy. I'll be right back.", "Do you want me to come with you?", "No, I'll be quick. You stay here with Caroline.", "Alright... I wish there was something I could do to help him...", "You could give him your bad back, that might help.", "Yeah, but then I would have been drafted.", "Fair enough." She gave him another kiss, "Love you, Richie.", "Love you too, Kate." and she left, walking down the road to her sister's place. She went up to the front door and went to knock, but then she hesitated. She didn't know what, but something felt off. She tried the door and it was unlocked. That bad feeling got louder, but her concern for her brother-in-law overpowered it. She crept inside and was hit with two things, the sound of crying, and the smell of blood. Her fear grew stronger and she took a step to leave, but from the kitchen, her sister appeared, "K-Katie?" Caitlin moved to her, "Heidi! What happened? Why are you crying- Why- why are you covered in blood?" Heidi hiccuped and held herself as she sobbed, "Katie... I- I fucked up.", "W-What did you do?" Caitlin moved around her and into the kitchen where Leroy was dead on the floor. She moved to him, "L-Leroy! Heidi- did you-?", "I fucked up. I fucked up Katie- You have to help me!", "Help you?", "You have to help me hide him!" Caitlin shook her head, "Hide him? Heidi, this isn't like when you killed our cat, this is serious!", "Do you think I don't know that?! But what happens if the police find him? Hm?", "You'll probably go to prison-", "No! They'll put me in the electric chair, Katie! They'll kill me!", "Ironic.", "Don't you care?!", "Of course I do! But you also just killed my brother-in-law!", "Oh, so you care about him more than you care about me?! Your own flesh and blood?!", "I do when he's here, doing his damn best for you, while you're out trying to leave him behind!", "Oh, what does that matter now?!", "It matters WHEN YOU KILLED HIM!" Heidi glared at her, "Well if you won't help me, I bet you're weak mortician husband will-" Caitlin jumped up and stuck a finger in her face, "Don't you dare bring Rich into this!" Heidi slapped her finger out of her face, "Or what?!" Caitlin stared her down, then turned, "I'm calling the police-", "No!" Heidi screamed and Caitlin felt a sharp pain in her back. She fell and suddenly she couldn't feel anything anymore. She heard Heidi, though, "Caitlin! I'm sorry! I'm sorry- I didn't mean to- Get up! You're fine! You're fine- I'm sorry Katie, please get up! Please- please..." Caitlin felt herself fading and she felt many things. Betrayed, hurt, sad, scared- but what she felt most was for Richard and Caroline. I'm sorry... She thought and then everything faded away...