Lights Will Guide You Home

Raelynn

"Dessert before dinner. Just the way you like it." Rose said as she handed me a medium-sized bowl full of ice-cream and rich chocolate cake.

"You're pampering me too much Rose." I actually enjoyed the pampering. "So where's Freddie?" I asked as I stuffed my mouth with a monstrous spoon full of ice-cream. I noticed that she kind of spaced out for a few seconds.

"Umm... he's still a work, I guess. I'm not sure when he'll be back." She said in a not-so-convincing voice as I took another ginormous spoon full of cake and ice-cream. Then she looked at me like she was going to say something serious. But instead - "I'm sorry. I should have offered you a bigger bowl of ice-cream," she said very sarcastically, looking down at my half-eaten dessert, which I had managed to finish in just two bites. "And a bigger spoon." We both burst out laughing.

"Would you like some more?" she asked.

"Let's save some for later." I said with cheeky smile on my face.

"Haha, so how's life in Philadelphia? Still living with Claire?"

"Yup."

"What about a boyfriend? Got any?"

I stopped stuffing my face with ice-cream and looked up at her. No smile on my face. "Seriously Rose?"

"You still don't trust them, do you?" she said referring to my past.

"No." I said, and then continued stuffing my face.

"Okay... I think I'll get dinner ready then."

She laid out a whole banquet before me. "Umm... Rose, I know I eat a lot but this is... uh..."

"Oh it's fine! Just eat as much as you want." She replied, "Dig in."

"Shouldn't we wait for Freddie?" I asked politely.

"Umm..." she was groping for words.

Just then the front door opened. A tall, light brown haired man with golden eyes came into the dining room followed by a woman. It was Freddie. The woman with him was also tall. She had long auburn hair. She was wearing a really short party dress, heels and carried a leopard print purse. I didn't know her.

"Raelynn!" he said kind of surprised to see me, "What are you doing here?"

"Umm... Rose invited me over." I said looking at Rose wondering why she hadn't told her husband I was coming over.

He gave Rose a quizzical look, before turning to me. "Oh, well it's a pleasant surprise seeing you here,"he said warmly. Then he addressed the woman accompanying him, "okay, I guess we'll have to postpone our business to another date then, Tanya." She shrugged, "it's alright."

"You can take my car." Freddie said to her on their way to the front door.

Rose didn't say anything at all. She just went into the kitchen again. I quietly went to the window to take a peek. In the dim light of the streetlamp, I could make out Freddie and Tanya walking up to Freddie's car. The next scene horrified me. Before Tanya got into the car, Freddie took her in his arms and pressing her against the door, he kissed her passionately, running his hands all over her. I backed away from the window in disgust and came back and took my seat at the dining table. I had lost my appetite. Rose came back out of the kitchen and sat next to me. Before I could say anything, Freddie returned.

"So how you doing?" he asked as he sat down next to me. He sat across Rose. Rose didn't even look at him. She just started serving me.

"I've been better." I said. I couldn't look him straight in the eye. I was so disgusted. Freddie kept up the conversation even though I didn't want to talk to him after what he did. Rose did not even say a thing all throughout dinner. She just nodded at times.

After dinner we moved to the living room while Rose cleared the table and washed the dishes. I wanted to help her out but she and Freddie insisted I just relax. Freddie was still continuing conversation about work and then it shifted to our younger years. I met Freddie through when I was eighteen. He was a year older. I had never been particularly fond of him.

"Those were the good old days, huh?" he said.

"Yeah." I said nodding. "God! Ray, you've grown a lot since then." He leaned forward. "But you're still the same old Raelynn." He put his hand on my leg. "...except you've gotten prettier than I remember you to be." He looked into my eyes with a weird smile on his face.

After what I'd seen, I was in no mood to put up with any of this. "Freddie - " I began furiously, but I got cut off by the ringing of his phone.

"One minute." He said as he got up answering his phone and moved to another room.

I was in a bit of shock. I was so mad at him. I shook my head and strode to the kitchen. Rose was putting the meal's dishes away. "Rose, I need to talk to you."

Just then, Freddie poked his head into the kitchen. "Hey that was Larry. I gotta go meet him now. I'll be back tomorrow. See ya Ray." And he left in a hurry.

I turned to Rose and repeated "Rose I seriously need to talk to you."

She just ignored me and walked out of the kitchen.

"Rose!" I called out to her.

She didn't respond. She just walked up the stairs faster.

"ROSE!" I yelled, running up the stairs after her.

She walked into her bedroom without even turning back.

"ROSE I'M SERIOUS!" I yelled really loudly.

And then she stopped. She broke into tears and dropped down on the floor.

"Rose, what happened?" I said in a softer tone as I ran to comfort her.

"Freddie, Ray. Freddie!" She said crying; "I'm not good enough for him!" she choked. "He brings home random girls and does stuff with them and he beats me if I say anything about it. He threatens me. He said if I mention anything to anyone he'll... he'll..." she started crying even more. I was boiling with rage inside. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "And he and his friends, they hire prostitutes and he doesn't come home till the next day..." Then I understood what he and Larry were doing tonight. "You don't understand how bad it is to live with him Ray. I can't even get a divorce!" She cried so bitterly. "I... I thought it would get better when I told him I was pregnant and he was going to be a father. I thought he'd understand. I thought it would help fix our relationship.I thought he'd give up what he's been doing, at least for the sake of his own child. But instead... instead he yelled at me and... and forced me to get my baby aborted! I don't know Ray... I don't know what to do!" I was speechless. Shocked. My heart was pounding really hard with anger. The only thing I felt was hatred, rage and vengeful desires.