Empathy

Chapter 4: Sledgehammer

I hit a wall, I never felt so low. Like a waterfall, my tears dropped to the floor...

Toni slammed the door shut causing Kenny's head to shoot up from his MacBook.

"What's wrong?" He raised his eyebrows worriedly.

"I got my damn period." She spat in frustration before she walked out their bedroom.

Kenny let out a tired sigh before he got up and closed his MacBook. He set it aside and walked out in search for her.

"Tone!" He called out finding her seated at the kitchen island drinking a glass of orange juice.

"What are we doing wrong?" She asked with a shrug. "I've been praying, I've been keeping my body healthy. I just wanna know what I'm doing wrong?" She raised her voice looking up at the ceiling.

"Yelling at him won't get us anywhere." Kenny said as he took a seat next to her.

"I crave the day I take a test and it gives me a positive result, like how will we feel once it happens." She spoke trying to imagine the event as tears began to run from her eyes.

"It will definitely be the best day of our lives." Kenny smiled wiping away her tears.

"How do you do it?" She raised her eyebrows at him, "do what?" He squinted his eyes at her.

"Remain so positive and calm during it all?" She asked.

"Well one of us has to have empathy." Kenny shrugged as he took her glass from her.

He took a sip as she watched him just than the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." He got up and handing her back her glass.

She got up and ran her hands down her jeans before she fixed her shirt and walked out the kitchen being met by loud voices erupting throughout the house.

"Mom. Dad." She smiled weakly.

"Good morning!" Tasha smiled, "thank god you're wearing some clothes this time." Tasha let out a relieving breathe.

"Mom." Toni spat.

"She's just teasing you baby girl." Marvin chuckled handing.

Tasha and Marvin along with Kenny and Toni walked into the dining room where Tasha put the cake she had been holding down on the table.

"Such a big house and still no grand-babies?" Tasha questioned causing Kenny and Toni to both frown.

"Did I say something wrong?" Tasha raised her eyebrows worriedly. "No." Kenny quickly replied with a smile.

"So when can we expect some grand-babies from you two?" Marvin asked rubbing his hands together.

"I mean 2 years of marriage and still no babies." Tasha shook her head, "I'm gonna start thinking there's something wrong down there son..." Marvin laughed pointing down at Kenny's area with his eyes.

Kenny immediately placed his hands over his area with a frown causing Toni's eyes to widen.

"Can you two stop!" Toni scolded. "We're working on it." She mumbled through gritted teeth in annoyance.

"I'm hungry. Let's eat." Kenny said breaking the silence that filled the atmosphere. "Toni made a delicious breakfast for us." Kenny smiled.

"I thought you would cook." Tasha looked on confused. "Toni wan-"

"I wanted to treat you guys but now I just want to murd-"

"Let's eat." Kenny quickly cut Toni off.
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"Well at least you tried to cook a good meal." Tasha said.

"At least I tried?" Toni repeated before she chuckled lightly, "you can never say anything nice to me." Toni spat shaking her head in disbelief.

"Why is that so hard for you to do?" Toni asked.

"Tone." Kenny sternly said, "you know what... get out my house!" Toni loudly said grabbing their glasses from them.

"Toni-"

"I don't wanna hear it, get out my house!" Toni shouted setting the glasses down on the table as her parents stared at her in disbelief.

"We are your parents-"

"Oh please you've been everything but that." Toni hissed. "Toni." Kenny said looking between her parents and Toni.

"Fine Toni. If that's how you want it to be than we'll leave..." Tasha spat as she and Marvin got up.

"And don't come looking for us-"

"I don't! I never do! You keep coming to me!" Toni sighed in frustration shaking her head in disbelief, "please leave..." Toni lowly said.

"You know it really hurt us the day you got married and we find out everyone was invited except me and your daddy... it still hurts us to this day knowing you got married without inviting us-"

"But you guys were still there..." Kenny trailed off before he smacked his lips together.

"And yet you two still decided to show up to my goddamn wedding... and drunk!" Toni aired before she sucked her teeth.

"I was hoping to walk you down the aisle Toni-"

"Oh but I'm so happy you didn't." Toni groaned.

"You better learn to respect us-"

"Get out!" Toni yelled cutting her mother off mid sentence.

Her parents shook their heads before they began to gather their belongings. They looked at her one more time before they walked out, Kenny got up and walked out the dining room behind Tasha and Marvin. He held the door open for them allowing them to walk out.

"Please talk to her for us." Tasha softly said. "I'll see what I can do..." Kenny said before he shut the door and spun around to be met by Toni.

"Don't even try to talk to me." She spat just as tears began to run down her cheeks. "Babe-"

"Why am I not good enough? I'm not a good daughter. I'm not a good sister. I'm not a good wife either, and that's probably why I can't seem to get pregnant because I might not even be a good mother." Toni cried before she stormed up the stairs.

"Toni!" He sighed chasing after her.