Just to Live

The dreaded confrontation happened when Tabitha returned home from her date with Matthew. She exactly what she was going to do for her mother and sister, but she didn’t know how she was going to tell them. She didn’t know how to begin that conversation. Tabitha didn’t have time to think any further for her mother was in her room when she walked in.

Maria put down the picture frame of the Nemo fish drawing Erika drew and gave to Tabitha. “Been enjoying time with your boyfriend?”

“He’s NOT my boyfriend,” Tabitha muttered, shutting her eyes.

“I saw him kiss you the night you came back.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” she repeated. She hated to lie, but she knew if told the truth, she’d be in more trouble. She and Maria never had the “boyfriend talk” so she truly believed Maria would scream at her more for saying yes to a boy before getting consent.

“Do you know how much it hurts your sister every time something happens to you?” Maria asked vindictively. Erika was the most important person to Tabitha and Maria knew this.

Tabitha frowned and looked down at the floor. “Yeah…”

“Obviously you don’t or you wouldn’t keep doing it! Erika already lost her father, is she going to lose her big sister too?”

“No!”

Maria scoffed. “Yeah right. You’re just like your father. Run when things get tough. Just like him.”

“I am not!” she shouted. Maria’s words cut deep. It took her 30 seconds to make Tabitha cry.

“If lying to yourself helps, go ahead,” Maria sneered. More tears brimmed Tabitha’s eyes. “I’ve had enough patience for you. You’re 19, act your age.”

Why was everyone telling her to act her age? She was slowly starting to take responsibility of her actions. All her mother did was accuse, accuse, accuse. If Maria gave her daughter some time, she’d see the improvements.

“The next time you leave, you can forget calling me mom or Erika your sister. Now get out of my sight,” Maria spat, pointing to the door.

How ironic it was that Maria threw Tabitha out of her own room. Still, Tabitha headed towards Brian’s office and told him everything that happened to her since she ran out that Halloween night.

“Whoa she said that?” Brian gasped, absolutely perplexed that Maria used Erika to make Tabitha feel guiltier than before.

“Yeah,” Tabitha nodded, “but I deserve it. I promised I would always take care of them.”

Brian moved from his chair behind his desk down to the couch next to Tabitha. “This is all so confusing and twisted, I swear.”

She shrugged, concealing her hurt. “It happens. I’m gonna listen to my dad and stop acting like a child.”

“You’re taking this really well,” he cited. “I expected you to be all distant again.”

“When she told me if I left again, I’d be nothing to her, I don’t know, it hurt.” Her voice cracked, her emotions peeping through.

Brian released his arm from his side and wrapped it around Tabitha’s shoulders, letting her lean against him for a hug. “I know it does,” he said softly. “It’s supposed to. That’s love.”

He remained quiet afterwards, allowing Tabitha to have her moment of exposure. Eventually, her crisp and short gasps calmed down to slow breaths. “Can you tell me one of your road stories?” she inquired.

“Sure. Before the band got really famous, we had one Halloween show when we all dressed up. Johnny was a scarecrow. Zacky was a zombie. Matt was an undertaker. Me and Jimmy were chickens.”

Tabitha looked up at Brian. “Wait, chickens?”

“Shush, lemme tell my story,” he chuckled. “We were chickens,” he reiterated. “Real feathers and everything. After the show, we got drunk off our asses and ended up at a petting zoo thing. Jimmy did a chicken dance. Guess what started following him?”

“Oh my god!” Tabitha gasped animatedly, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Yeah!” he laughed. “Then Jimmy turned around, pointed at me, and called me his cock.”

“You guys are too funny!” Tabitha exclaimed, laughing healthily.

Brian grinned. “We know! When are you taking your mom and sister to see your dad?”

“Next week I believe.” And by the next week, Tabitha took her mother and sister to the restaurant as soon as it opened. The ride there was tense and full of heated words Tabitha wanted to scream at her mother. She couldn’t, not in front of Erika if anything.

Tabitha opened the door for her family as they entered the restaurant. Inside, Roland helped the other servers place eating utensils beside each plate. When he heard the door open, he looked up, standing upright. Erika ran directly over to him and hugged him. “Daddy!” she cried, hugging him even tighter.

While Erika hugged Roland, Tabitha stood there baffled. She didn’t think Erika would have remembered what Roland looked like. Maria glared at Roland the entire time.

Tabitha and Erika sat at a table while Maria and Roland went into the kitchen. They were in there for a long time. When they did walk back out, Tabitha noticed her mom looked…slightly happier and younger. That hadn’t happened in awhile. She realized that they probably made up, so to speak. Her father had a lot of sucking up to do, but it was obvious her parents still loved each other very much.