Vindictive (Complete)

II

    The butterfly spreads her wings, showing all around her how big and strong, she really has become. This butterfly is named Emily Hunter, one of the most beautiful children Isaac has ever seen. Her smooth, light black skin glows in the sunlight, with her brown curly hair moving in the wind. Her most beautiful attribute she got from her father, was his big hazel eyes.
    This is her eighth birthday, causing her to dance on the picnic table in excitement. She is alive and with such a big smile on her face. She looks perfect in this very moment, almost. She only has one flaw in the entire world, but this flaw has impacted her life forever.
    Emily grabs her chest and begins to panic, slipping on the table and falling onto the ground. Congenital Heart Disease. Her heart is broken, and there is no hope of ever fixing it. Emily begins to cry and groan, unable to breathe.
    “Alex! Inhaler!” Sarah, the mother, rushes over to help.
    Sarah is a tall, white mother to a black daughter. She has long blond hair and long legs. She has bland brown eyes, but Alex still finds her very beautiful. Sarah is known for her huge heart.
    All the children go quiet as they watch Emily drool onto the grass, crying and snot dripping from her nose. They have a hard time understanding that she isn’t just sick, she is permanently damaged. Alex, the father runs over. This is Isaac’s life long friend, the one who has been through everything with him. Now forced to live a life where his baby girl will most likely die before he does.
    Twenty-eight year old Alex Hunter is a handsome black man, with dark brown hair. His most beloved feature is his hazel eyes, that he passed down to Emily. He has the biggest heart of all time, willing to do anything for his family. He struggles to buy his daughter the medication she needs, that she will die without. Alex Hunter is fighting the clock.
    Emily takes a big breath into her inhaler, and continues to cry in Sarah’s arms. The children continue to stare at her, as children do. Isaac stares too, not because he is curious, however. His heart hurts deeply for them all, and knows he can never, ever help them.
    Twenty-six year old Isaac Axton has white skin and honey colored eyes. He is tall with broad shoulders and ashy brown hair. His father used to be an alcoholic and beat his mother. Ever since his father died in the car accident his mother moved away to Missouri, to escape it all. Isaac swears he will be different from his father, and make a change in their lives. That’s why Isaac doesn't drink and focuses on being kind to everyone, to be better.
     Isaac finds his best friend, Alex to be the one thing in life that has always been there for him. He met Alex in high school when he used to sell weed to the other classmates. Isaac became good friends and Alex stopped selling shortly after high school, looking to settle down with someone. They have both found someone, and are happy. Isaac doesn’t plan to marry for a while longer but enjoys his girlfriend.
    Sarah sits Emily down on the bench and helps her control her breathing, breath by breath. Alex runs his fingers through his hair slowly and joins Isaac. The children walk up and try to cheer Emily up, who is still crying. No matter how hard she tries, her body holds her back.
    “It kills me.” Alex mutters, looking gloom.
    “Is there anything you can do?” Isaac looks to the blue sky, worried.
    Birds sing above.
    “I’m doing all I can. I’m buying her everything I can afford, blood thinners, statin. Everything.”
    “Is there anything else?”
    “Well. There are some surgeries that can help but could only make it worse. They cost so much. Isaac… I’m trying but this office job… well you understand.”
    “I’m so sorry Alex,” Isaac sighs, “If there was anything I could do-”
    “Just be here for me, through the hard times. You know how it is, friends make all the difference.”
    Isaac sighs and nods, his eyes tearing up.
    “Always.”
    The party continued but with a little less joy. Emily stopped crying but everyone stared at her frown, even when the cake showed up. Even the people who didn't know the hunter family in the park gave them space, knowing it wasn’t going well. The birds continue to sing until everyone had finished the food and became full. Emily cheered up a little from all the presents.
    Being a parent for Emily was hard, and Isaac could see that. The party's finished and most of the children went home, only a few remain to play with Emily as the adults clean up. They toss the rest of the garbage in a trash bag, taking it to the park’s dumpster. Alex turns to Isaac, bumping his shoulder.
    “Did you get that raise you wanted?” Alex tosses the trash into the dumpster.
    “No. They told me that most workers don’t get a raise until two years in the company.”
    “Well you work hard enough to get paid better I’d think. Moving furniture all day is hard.” Alex walks with Isaac back to Sarah, who is getting the green car ready.
    “The people can be hard enough,” Isaac laughs, “They always tell me to be careful. I’m more careful than they were packing it.”
    Alex laughs and calls for Emily and the kids. The party's finished and they stacked all of Emily’s presents in the car. Emily comes over and gives Alex’s leg a big hug from behind.
    “Thanks daddy.”
    “You’re welcome, my little butterfly!” Alex kisses Emily on the cheek and sets her in the back seat.
    Isaac sees his girlfriend pull up. She just finished her half-day at college and wanted to pick him up for a movie after dinner.
    “Time with Rose?” Alex asks, closing the car door and opening the driver’s seat.
    “Yeah, she missed me,” Isaac gives Alex a hug and pats him on the back, “I'll call you later this week. I have work tomorrow.”
    “Sure.” Alex gets in and starts up his car.
    Isaac walks up to his girlfriend’s grey car. She is smiling at him through the window and waves him in. Isaac takes one last look into the park, all the kids are gone and the birds have flown away. The singing has stopped. Isaac opens the passenger seat and sits down, closing the door.
    Twenty-Four year old, Rose Adler has white skin and blue eyes. She has long black hair and a short, medium weight body. Isaac absolutely loves her and finds her one of the most beautiful women he's seen. He does think she can be clingy, but she doesn't have a friend who she has grown with like he does.
    Rose kisses Isaac and drives onto the road.
    “How was Emily’s Birthday? I’m sorry I missed it.”
    “Well,” Isaac puts on his seatbelt and sighs, “Emily lost her breath again and fell off the table. Everyone just stared at her until she got her inhaler.”
    “That poor thing. She never deserved this.” Rose sighs and Isaac smiles at her.
    “Let’s watch the movie as we eat. I’m tired already and I have to get up early for work.” Isaac mentions, placing his hand on her thigh.
    “I know how you feel. Today was exhausting and I studied all during my breaks. I gave myself a headache.”
    They enter the heart of the city, the massive buildings reaching toward the sky. Rose turns on the radio and they both enjoy some older music, that they grew up with. During the drive they can see light gleaming off the building windows. Each building looks like golden flags glowing in the sunlight as they speed down the road.
    Isaac loves to distract himself with what he can see around him. It helps him focus and keep his head held up high. Isaac turns to Rose and her skin is glowing in the sunlight, and with the window down her hair is flying.
    “You’re going to be a good nurse.” Isaac mutters, watching her drive.
    She smiles back at him, her sunglasses glowing.
    “You’re going to make a great test subject,” Rose laughs at her own joke, “But thank you.”
    The others cars speed past, all having somewhere to be as the sun sets over the city. The sound of the music blends with the wind, creating a lovely powerful sound. The sun falls between the buildings, creating columns of light between the shadows. The city continues to roar as people leave work, everyone was tired and preparing for tomorrow to begin already. Isaac enjoys watching the world without distractions, it reminds him that tomorrow can wait.
    “Are you going to help me cook this time?” Rose turns to Isaac, who is enjoying the city sunset.
    “I always do.”
    “I don’t think turning on the TV and eating as I cook, counts as helping.”
    “Fine. You got me.” Isaac smiles and enjoys the rest of the drive.
    The sun falls and the columns disappear, into one shadow. Isaac rolls up his window, the night is becoming cold. They arrive outside Isaac’s apartment complex. It’s height makes it look better on the outside, but it is average. They park the car in the parking lot and enter the building.
    “Anything for box thirty-six?” Isaac asks the front desk.
    The man opens his cluster box number and pulls out a bill. Isaac thanks him and enters the elevator with Rose. She holds his hand as he reads the bill, saying nothing. They enter the fourth floor and head to his door. Number three-twenty-two. His apartment has one bedroom, one bathroom and a small balcony. The kitchen is connected to the living room and has pictures hanging on the walls, mostly of forests and the ocean.
    Rose takes off her hoodie and uses the restroom as Isaac looks at what food he has. He opens the fridge, finding condiments and leftovers. The freezer has frozen chicken and pizza. Isaac takes out the chicken and checks his pantry, finding rice.
    “Chicken and rice?” Rose exits the bathroom and places her hands on the kitchen counter.
    “Best of what I have.”
    “Okay but you can’t eat it all before I’m finished.” She pulls out a pan and turns on the stove.
    “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Isaac fills a pot to boil the rice.
    Isaac chops up some broccoli, onion and chives. Rose continues to grill the chicken, making it golden brown and adding a little seasoning. Isaac continues cutting, and thinking about Alex. He can remember the phone call, the first time Alex found out about Emily’s CHD. Alex cried all night, unsure what to do. That never really left him, and he's never been the same.
    “Shit!”
    Isaac looks down and has cut his finger, and chopped almost all the chives.
    “Isaac what the hell?” Rose cleans his finger under cold water with soap and looks at it, “Just a small cut. I’m almost done go ahead and get our plates. Just wrap a paper towel on it.” Rose kisses his cheek and tosses in all the ingredients onto the chicken, along with a little butter.
    Isaac stares at his finger, slowly bleeding until a drip forms on the bottom. He wraps the finger in a paper towel and gets the plates and forks, ready to eat. Rose places the chicken on a bed of rice and gives the plate to Isaac. He sits down on the couch and turns the TV on. 
    Rose brings water and her plate, ready to eat and watch something. Isaac opens his streaming platform and starts looking for something. They settle on an adventure movie as that’s something they both like.
    “Thank you for waiting to eat until I finished. Is your finger okay?” Rose looks at the bloody paper towel.
    Isaac peels it off and looks at the cut, just surface and nothing major. Rose watches Isaac stare at it and not move, looking at his blood clot.
    “Isaac?”
    “Yeah it feels fine. Don’t worry.”
    “What’s on your mind?”
    Isaac stops and looks between his legs, knowing the answer.
    “Alex. Emily. I hate to see him struggle after all we have been through.”
    Rose finishes her last bite and hugs Isaac.
    “I know Isaac, I know.”
    Isaac finishes eating and lies down with Rose. He enjoys running his fingers through her hair as they watch movies, it reminds him when his mother did it for him. Her hair smells like lavender. The movie goes faster than Isaac expected, the main character saves the day and saves everyone with no casualties. Unrealistic: Isaac thinks.
    “I liked it.” Rose sits up and takes the dirty plates to the kitchen.
    “Yeah it was fun.” Isaac joins her in the kitchen and helps clean up.
    “You work tomorrow?”
    “Yeah they have a house early tomorrow. Nothing huge but still plenty of boxes and furniture. At least it’s not another apartment, some stuff won’t fit in the elevator.” Isaac closes the dishwasher and starts it.
    Rose smiles at Isaac and hugs him.
    “I love you.”
    “I love you, too.”
    Rose grabs her things and kisses Isaac goodbye.
    “I’m just going to study tomorrow, only one class.”
    “Have a good night.”
    Rose waves goodbye to him on her way to the elevator, and Isaac closes the door. Isaac looks around his apartment, now silent. The headlights glow on the glass slide window from below. Isaac opens to the balcony and looks out at the city. The city has gone quiet now, getting ready to rest.
    He can see Rose pull onto the road and head back to her college dorm. A drip of water falls on his bare foot, alerting him rain could be coming. Isaac finishes looking at the little cars below, and his girlfriend’s grey car exit his view. He taps the rail with his hands and enters the apartment, locking the glass door.
    Isaac can see his TV still on, left on the menu. He turns it off and enters the bathroom, taking off his clothes. He looks in the mirror, at the man he has tried so hard to become. He still looks just like his father, but he makes sure to never become him. The idea of beating someone you love drives Isaac mad, and he promised himself he never would. The water comes out of the showerhead warm, warm enough.
    Isaac climbs in and begins to scrub all the dirt off from the park, there’s not as much has he thinks. He hates looking in the mirror as it always reminds him. Henry. He knows his father is dead now, and doesn’t know how to feel about the fact. While washing his right foot he ponders what he thought about during his last moments. Isaac wonders if he hated who he had become, or if he liked it. He will never find out that his father hated who he had become.
    Isaac turns off the water and dries off. As he brushes his teeth he ponders what Alex is doing, and if Emily still enjoyed her birthday. He will call him tomorrow at lunch. Isaac enters his bedroom and plugs his phone in, before tossing his clothes in the hamper. He puts on boxers and checks his email.
    Other than social media emails he has one from work just reminding them of their updated policies. Isaac sets the phone down and looks out the window to the city below. Calm. He climbs into bed and turns off his lamp, setting his alarm for seven. The ceiling fan circles around above him, spinning perfectly. Isaac closes his eyes and can hear a slight humming from the fan above. The hum carries him into a deep sleep, ready for the night to take him. The clock hits eleven.