The Friendly Affair

Two

Five Years Ago

"Papa papa papa!"I look down at the bouncing child at my feet.

I smile from my seat at my desk as he makes a "pick me up" gesture. Leaning down I sweep the little boy in my arms and swirl us around in the chair.

"Papa can we go to the park today with daddy?"Eithan asks.

I thought for a moment looking up at the clock above my desk. Hmm three p.m Flash should be home in thirty minutes. We usually go to the park on the weekends to spend quality family time together. But since Eithan has been cooped up in the house all day I figured it wouldn't be so back to go today especially with the weather being so nice and all.

"Sure thing Blaze, lets go once daddy gets home okay? "Blaze cheers while fist bumping the air.

He then jumps off my lap and runs down stairs to wait on Flash. To think its been five years since we've been married. Believe me it was kind of a shock when he asked me to marry him out of the blue after Eithan's birth. I denied him though. I wasn't going to marry just because we had a kid together.

"Then will you give me a chance?"

It took me a few days to finally answer which I agreed to start dating. It was a little bumpy I'll admit but over time our relationship blossomed into something more. After a year of dating I finally said yes to his proposal.

Flash had really stepped up to the plate once we married. He now manages a engineer shop not too far from house and he spends much time as possible with me and Blaze. Sure had our lovers spats once every full moon but it gets resolved just as fast as it started. Yup life of the Thompson family is pretty much normal which I didn't mind. I loved my family just the way it was.

By the time 3:30 hit Blaze was looking out the window to see if he could spot Flash coming up the street. Twenty more minutes passed and still no sign of him. Then minutes turned into hours leaving a very disappointed Eithan heading up the stairs after dinner for bed. I stayed down stairs with my phone in hand. I had called Eugene over and over again for the past five hours and all I received was a voice mail.

My fingers were just about to press the emergency button when the door slammed opened. In comes a staggering Eugene with his clothes dishevelled and his hair a mess. He reeked of liquor and an ash tray.

"Flash! What- where!"I couldn't find the correct words. I didn't know if I should worried, angry or relieved.

Instead I helped him over to the living room and placed him on the couch. I stare down at him pondering as to what happened forhim to stoop this low. With a sigh I head up to the bathroom to grab some asprine knowing he'd have a killer hangover. While searching through the cabinet I felt a presence behind me. Looking over my shoulder I see with his head hung down and his shoulders slump.

"Flash you alright?"I ask about to turn and comfort him when he suddenly lashed out by back handing me causing me to fall over and nearly bump my head against the tubs edge."F-flash!"

I froze as he glared down at me with dilated pupils almost empty yet filled with unannounced rage. Trapped between him and the tube I knew there was no use in escaping but I had to try to get through to him somehow. The alcohol blocked his mind and took control of actions unaware what was happening, or so I hoped. "Flash, Flash honey what's wrong? Please talk to m-"WHAM! Another hit to the face."Flash please!" Everytime I uttered a word I was hit and stomped on until he decided to take drastic measures.

Once done, Flash in his zombie like state left me yo wither on the tile floor and weep. I questioned myself wondering if I had done anything wrong to deserve such treatment. What had suddenly flipped the switch? It was high school all over again only this time we are married, parents and living under the same roof. I have nowhere or no one to run to now. I was trapped.