Sabrina walked in the house with Delilah in her arms and holding 15 months old Ryan by the hand. Three months had passed since the death of her best friend Alishia and althought she terribly missed her, she knew she had to move on. She noticed Brian, asleep on the couch. It was only 6 pm.
"Brian, wake up! I need some help with the kids. It's not my fault you came back home at 4 o'clock this morning!"
Brian grunted and turned his back to Sabrina, totally ignoring her. She whispered something into Ryan's ear. He smiled at her, ran toward his father and jumped on him.
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"
"Ryan get off of me! I'm trying to get some sleep!"
"Daddy, Ryan to park! Daddy!"
"What did I just told you? Go play somewhere! I don't want to hear any noise is that understood?"
Ryan looked at Sabrina with big and sad blue eyes. His lower lip started to shake and knowing he was about to start crying, she took his hand and walked him to the kitchen. "Are you hungry darling?" He nodded his head, still impressed by his father's bad mood. Sabrina sat him on her lap and tried to explain what was going on to him. "Your dad has been throught tough times Ryan. He misses your mom very much. You have to be patient with him. He will probably never totally get over this terrible loss but I'm sure he'll soon become the loving father you always knew. I know it's hard to understand Ry because you're still so young but just give him a chance." She sat him on the chair and asked: "Would you like macaroni and cheese?"
"Yes!"
She smiled to him and prepared supper for him and Delilah. When it was ready, Brian showed up and sat at the table, waiting to be served. Sabrina threw him a plate with a killer look, which he ignored.
"Mac and cheese again?"
Sabrina was furious. The took his plate away and threw it in the garbage. "Next time, I'll let you cook! Why don't you get dress and shave, you look like shit!"
"Hey! Watch your language in front of my kids!"
"Your kids! I've been taking care of them for the past three months! They only thing you do is yell and ignore them! You're such a bad example. Get out of here and do something with yourself."
That was too much for Ryan and he started crying. She took him in her arms and she noticed Brian bumping into Nick while heading towards the stairs.
"What's wrong with them?" Nick asked Sab, talking about Brian and Ryan.
Still holding onto the little boy, she started to tell Nick what she should of told him a long time ago. "I can't live this way anymore. Some things will have to change around here. I love these kids but they aren't mine. I can't always take care of them. They're Brian's responsability and he should start to show us he can still take care of them. And I do everything around here. I cook, I clean the house, I wash everyone's clothes, I cut the grass and take care of the garden, I watched over Brian's kids and that's not even half the list. I understand you have to work but I don't have time to read scriipts anymore. I'm an actress, Nick, not a babysitter or a maid."
"Hey, babe, relax a bit. Breath."
"Stop acting like this! How can I relax with all these things to do? You are so following into Brian's footsteps! You are just has lazy!" She looked at poor Ryan who was resting his head against her chest and sucking his thumb. She gently pulled it out of his mouth. "Don't do that sweetie. Come, I'll put Robin Hood for you."
Nick followed her into the living room. "You're right. It's not your responsability to take care of them. Why don't we hire a nanny?"
"So that he can go out every night and drink like he has been for the past months? Not a chance. And anyways, I won't let Alishia's kid be raised by a complete stranger!"
"What do you suggest then?" He sounded annoyed.
"That you help me get your friend back to his old self. Make him realized he has two wonderfull kids who both miss their dad really much, especially Ryan. I bet you he wouldn't even recognize his own daughter!"
"Stop exaggerating! Don't be so hard on him. He's going to get better but it'll take some time. You know just how much he loved her."
"I did too! Do you think I don't miss her? Every single day I wished she was here with us. She would of wanted us to move on and especially make sure Ryan and Delilah are happy. She wouldn't of approved the way he is acting. Always drinking and coming home at crazy hours! I'm sure she is so mad wherever she is!"
"But she's dead! You are acting like if she's still here with us! You have to understand that she's not coming back. She belongs in our past, our memories. So leave him alone! If it makes him feel better to go out then I think he should go! You know what? I've had a rough day and I don't need this when I come home." He grabbed his coat and only said: "I might be late. Don't wait for me."
"Hey man, wait up!" Brian and Nick left together.
A desperate Sabrina watched the movie with Ryan. When it was over, he came back to Sab with a book. He was rubbing his eyes with his little hands. "Want me to read that to you sweet heart? Let's start! Once upon a time… " At the end of the story, he jumped on the floor and started to draw in a coloring book. 'He's such a nice kid', she thought. She looked out the window and started to wonder when Nick would come home. 'What is happening to us.' It was at time like this that she missed Alishia the most. Tears slowly scrolled down her cheek at the thought of her best friend. She soon drifted to sleep and Ryan crawled near her and fell asleep in her arms.
A few hours later, she woke up when someone slammed the front door. "Sab, what are you still doing up? I told you not to wait for me! Are you deaf or what? Go upstairs!" Nick said.
Brian was standing behind Nick when a sweet sleepy voice told Sabrina: "Mommy, Ryan to bed!"
Brian walked toward his son, took him in his arms and started to yell: "That woman is not your mom Ryan! Don't you ever call her that again! Your mom is dead. She left us and she's not coming back. Ever! Do you see what you've done to him? He doesn't even remember Alishia because of you! You're taking him away from her!"
Sabrina knew that they were both awfully drunk and she didn't wanted them to scare Ryan. She took him away from Brian and he almost fell on the ground. "You're drunk Brian. Get away from him!" She went to her room and Nick followed her but she didn't let him in. "You're just has drunk has Bri and I won't sleep with you when you're like that."
"I'm sorry Sab, I know we exaggerated."
"Right now I don't care if you're sorry or not, I don't want you or Brian near the kids in that condition. Sleep on the couch!" She closed the door in his face. She heard him plead but ignored him. She checked on Delilah who was asleep in her crib and Ryan went right to sleep in her bed. She missed Nick presence beside her but she knew that she couldn't take it anymore.
Chapter 2
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