Just to Live

Something that should’ve been frightening didn’t affect her too badly. Maybe something was wrong with her because she wasn’t crying, she wasn’t even sad. The scene unfolding before her was what reality greeted her with. She knew it was time to move on.

Tabitha looked outward to the Highlander waiting idly in front of the Avenged Sevenfold mansion gates. That car was her father’s. He was inside the mansion helping Erika pack all her clothes and belongings.

Many arguments commenced, but finally, Tabitha let her mother go and live with her father. There was no use arguing when both women were so adamant with their living conditions. Maria wanted to live the rest of her life with Roland. And Tabitha, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. All she truly knew was that she wanted her mom and especially her sister safe and loved. She knew her father could give those two things to them. She wouldn’t admit it to her mother, but she was being selfish before. She was almost 20, she couldn’t hold onto her family all the time, using them as an excuse for not going on with her own life.

When Maria walked out, Tabitha hugged her and smiled, but that was it. It was easy to tell their relationship was strained, but Tabitha knew they would be able to work it out once her mother was comfortable in her new home. Their resentment towards each other would eventually dissipate.

Erika was the next person to walk out after Maria proceeded to the car. Unlike their mother, Erika was sobbing and spluttering that she didn’t want to leave her big sister all alone.

“Sweetie, sweetie, I’ll call you everyday okay?” Tabitha tried reasoning, stooping down to her sister’s height.

“But you won’t be there,” Erika sniffled. “It’s not the same.”

“I’ll come visit you every Sunday, I promise. You can tell me all about your week then.”

“But I’m gonna miss you…”

“I’ll miss you too. If it makes you feel better, the drawing you gave me for my last birthday is hung up in my room.”

Erika rubbed her eyes. “Is it really?”

Tabitha nodded. “It sure is.”

“So whenever you look at it, you’ll remember me?”

“Of course. How could I ever forget my baby sister?”

“‘Cause I won’t see you everyday.”

“So what? I love you and I never forget the people I love.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Erika dropped the backpack and bag of color pencils and hugged Tabitha with all her love. “I promise to visit you every week too,” Tabitha whispered, allowing a few tears to escape from her tear ducts. That was all she let fall before she picked up Erika’s fallen items and brought her to the car.

As Tabitha made her way back up to the mansion, she met her father halfway. He gave her a long hug. “What are you going to do?” he asked her, keeping his eyes at his car.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know dad. I’m figuring things out right now.”

“Okay sweetie. If you want to stay with us, I have an empty room for you.”

Stability. That was something she wasn’t accustomed to, yet her father was offering it to her. He had changed by a landslide.

“It might take me awhile to decide what to do though,” she explaining, biting her bottom lip.

“And that’s fine.” He knew it was almost time to leave so he kissed her head. “Take all the time you want. You deserve it.”

“You’re the best. Have I ever told you that?” she grinned.

“No, but thank you!” They laughed together in a carefree moment before returning to seriousness. “So how are you and Matt doing?”

This time, her grin remained for a few minutes longer. “Great. I’m happy. But we haven’t fought about anything so far. Is that bad?”

His daughter was asking him for advice. She had never done that before. Then again, he hadn’t been there for a good chunk of her life. He found a sense of pride knowing that Tabitha would ask him for help rather than Maria. He felt that she liked him more even if that sounded horrible even to him.

“Yes and no,” he answered. “It’s good that you two don’t argue constantly, but I’m afraid when you finally do fight, it won’t be pretty and it’ll hurt you both, a lot. Do you love him?”

“I do.” It felt wonderful to be able to openly admit it. The feeling of loving her boyfriend made her so giddy.

“Then you should be fine in the end.”

“Okay Mr. Escobar. I think that was everything from their rooms,” Matthew sighed setting a bag next to Roland’s foot. Tabitha looked at him in confusion. He smiled and said, “They’re movies Erika liked. I don’t watch half of them anyways so might as well give them to her.”

“Ah, well thank you. I’ll see you soon,” Roland said, giving Matthew a handshake.

As the car sped away, Tabitha sighed and crossed her arms against her chest. Matthew rested his muscular arm over her shoulders. The sky was a striking clear blue with plenty of sunshine.