Patience

Twenty-five

Megan sat on the rug, stacking blocks as I made sandwiches in the kitchen. I stopped when I heard the the door open. I turned to see Axl standing in the door way. He stumbled inside a little, almost losing his balance.

"Axl! Babe, I missed you so much!" I exclaimed and I ran over to him and hugged him.

He just simply patted me on the back, barely hugging me back. I knew that I already didn't like that. He rolled his suitcase inside and shut the door. He turned around and eyed Megan, then walked down to our room.

"I made us sandwiches!" I called to him.

Axl walked back into the kitchen, took a sandwich, and sat down. I frowned and sat down with him. I needed to say something.

"Look, you haven't said a word to me. You need to tell me what's wrong," I demanded.

"What's wrong," Axl began as he finished chewing up a bite of his sandwich, "Is you."

"I don't understand. What do you mean by that?" I asked, slightly irritated.

"Why the hell did you leave?" He asked. Axl was slurring his words a little, and I could tell he was slightly intoxicated.

"I already told you. I'm not explaining it again," I said.

He looked over at Megan and back at me. "Yeah, you left so you could babysit it looks like. It really scared me when I got off stage and couldn't find your that night, you know," Axl said.

I sighed. "You know I'm doing more than babysitting, Axl. Plus, I have everything under control. You didn't have to cancel the tour."

"Oh, but I did," Axl said, standing up, "I need to know and see the situation first hand."

I stood up, too. "Is that why you've been having these meltdowns on stage? Stopping and leaving in the middle of a show? Because of me? Because that's messed up," I snapped. 

"Lucy, I've been going through a rough patch, obviously. And yes, it is your fault. If you just said no to your sister, I mean, she doesn't even like you," I interrupted him.

"Yeah, Molly and I don't get along but she's still my sister, and you're not allowed to say shit like that about her!" I yelled.

"Yeah, but this isn't just your problem. We've got some guy looking for this baby and that puts you in danger, too, which worries me and now makes it my problem!" Axl yelled, pointing at himself.

I scoffed at him. "It's not your fucking problem, Axl. You're just overreacting. And by the way, I can tell you've been drinking!" I yelled, stepping closer to him.

Axl then hit me. He slapped me right underneath my eye. My hand went up to my face and I stumbled back a little bit. Tears began to form in my eyes as I just stared at him, speechless. I watched as Axl drew his hand back and looked down at it, eyes widening. He realized what he had done.

After I processed what had just happened, I stormed around Axl, and back to mine and Axl's room. I grabbed a bag from our closet and threw some of my things in it. Then, I made my way to Megan's room, and began quickly packing her things. I threw everything I could into a bag, leaving the crib, and I walked back to the living room and grabbed Megan.

Axl reached his hand out to me but I dodged it. "Lucy, no, don't go. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Axl said quickly.

He quickly moved in front of the door and tried to block me from going out the door. I tried to get around him a couple of times before I finally was able to duck under his arm and leave. I began to walk away, feeling his eyes burn into the back of my head, when I turned back around to have my final word with him.

"Fuck you and your big ego, Axl Rose." I turned and left.

I knew Axl was standing in the doorway, watching me leave. I knew he was full of regret. He had been drinking, and we were both yelling. He had just made a mistake, but I was angry.

I made it to Molly's house and knocked on the door. Molly answered and her jaw dropped.

"Take your child," I said, handing both Megan, and Megan's things to her.

"What? You can't take her? Lucy, what happened to your face?" Molly asked, noticing the red mark.

"I tripped and fell," I said flatly, avoiding eye contact. Then, I turned and walked away.

I started down the sidewalk, not really knowing where I was going. I wasn't going back to the apartment, that was for sure.

I stormed down the sidewalk until my feet hurt. I sat down on a bench and winced when I touched my throbbing face.

I didn't know where else to go, or what to do, so I just laid down. I stayed there until I fell asleep.