Baby Fever

The Fakeness

I woke up with knocking on my door. 

"Come in," I said as I untangled myself from my covers. 

"It's us, Princessa." My mom came in first. 

They looked stiff standing next to each other. My dad put his hand on the small of her back, but she recoiled. She looked so tiny standing next to him. I know he would never, but it wasn't hard to imagine him hurting her. It's scary to even have the thoughts run through my brain. They both had guilty expressions on their faces. My mom sat on my bed and took my hand in hers. "I'm sorry you had to see that yesterday." 

I nodded and looked over to my father.

He looked at me earnestly. "I shouldn't have stumbled in the house in such a state, it was wrong." 

"Yeah," Is all I managed to say. I honestly was not surprised, for the past couple of years, my parents made living together seem like a burden. It felt like I was the only string holding their marriage together.

"Tell her, Austin." Mom said. 

"Well..." He sat on the bed. "I think Malinio has our address." 

 I sprung out of bed. "But you said we were safe." 

"I know." My parents said at the same time.

"But a couple of weeks ago, I got a message telling me to meet him at a specific location with a specific amount of cash." 

"And he's been out gambling for the money," Mom muttered as she looked at the ceiling in frustration. 

"Why do you make it seem like everything I do is for myself?" He said, running his hands through his blonde hair.

"It was your involvement with that gang that got us in this situation in the first place, and now you're gambling. I have half a mind to put you in jail myself." 

At that, dad stood up from the bed. "I'll handle the situation, okay? I'll die before those guys get their hands on either of you."

"No, you'll die from liver failure with all your drinking," Mom retorted. 

He took in a deep breath before he continued. "I have to head out of town for a while to get this situation handled." 

"What? You're leaving? What if they come here?" Mom stood.

"They won't be coming here, I'll make sure of it. I just need a couple of days to air this problem out."  As if he remembered I was his daughter, he came and kissed my cheek. "Love you, mama." 

"Love you too. Please be safe," I said. 

He leaned in to kiss my mom, but she showed him her cheek instead. "I don't support this. I want to know where you're going." She went for the door.

"Can you trust me for once?!" He followed her out, slamming the door on his way out. 

I fell back down on my bed. Four years ago, we moved to Vermont when Malinio popped up in my dad's life again. I guess there's only so much running a person can do before their sins catch up to them. 

 This really was too much for me to process right now so. I decided to just not think about it. I took my Benzodiazepine pills. I had told my mom to take my therapist off her monthly budget weeks ago when she told me she was strapped for cash. I'd handle my emotions alone.

So onto more interesting matters, like what I'll be wearing to breakfast with Alanna. 

...

"Okay, we've been staring at each other for ten minutes, SPEAK," Alanna demanded. She looked radiant, as usual, with her hair slicked back into a ponytail with cute silver pins and a black turtle neck.