“You stink.”
“I had a rough day, but I saved lives.” I shucked my pants off and jumped into the shower. With guests in the apartment, I could push off the screaming match for later.
“You better not fuck this up for me. I’ve got the husband’s attention, and there’s a check for our foster kids’ charity. Keep your lips shut, be the man candy, smile like the good dog you are, and I’ll leave you alone tonight.” She stared at me through the glass with an arched brow. Of course this was about money; my wife was not kind and neighborly. I didn’t answer, but she knew my expressions well enough. I’d stay quiet because the outcome of speaking wasn’t worth it. Chasity easily made me miserable without trying, so I didn’t want her to actually put forth effort.
“Good bitch.” She smirked and I wanted to punch the glass between us. Her heels clicked as she left to entertain our guests, and all I could see was the image of an evil queen walking about her castle. Maybe I’d gift her an evil queen cape for her birthday. She’d love that.
I sighed and finished washing, then dressed. The sooner I played the part, the sooner I’d be able to take my nightly walk in the park. The one place I could let myself relax. I tugged on a button-up shirt and slacks to look the part Chasity wanted: a doting husband who made millions and worshipped his wife. Once upon a time, that had been me. Then it was clear, no matter how much love I gave or money I spent, it wasn’t enough.
“Vincent, your lovely wife has been telling us all about the children you help with your organization. You are such a lucky man to have a wife with a heart of pure gold.” Mrs. Hahns sipped her wine, and my expression froze in place. I hated lying. Chasity was right when she said I was shit at it. So I zipped my lips and nodded with my gaze on that supposed wife with a heart of gold.
The dinner carried on without me, and I wished I’d chosen the screaming over it. Nothing like being a damn superhero and married to a literal villain. The couple left with five thousand dollars less in their bank accounts, and Chasity didn’t even wait till the door closed before depositing it. That money would be gone in an hour.
“I’m going for a walk,” I announced with one shoe already on.
“You made me so proud, husband. Maybe you aren’t a waste of space after all,” she cooed, and I almost rushed out with only one shoe. Delicate fingers ran up my back, and my lips thinned.
“I played the role.” Her hands moved across my waist and tickled up and down my abdomen. Chasity liked my tall, muscled body. My light brown hair and brown eyes were all part of the package that made her chase me in the first place. But it never went deeper than aesthetic.
“Perhaps you will play another tonight. A husband that I give a fuck about. What do you think, Vincent? Are we up for role playing?” She nipped at my shoulder blade, and my body trembled. Starved for intimacy, I almost gave in. But it was a lie, and I always felt worse after.
“I’ll be back.” I removed her hand and left. No doubt she’d spend her money or fuck someone else during my walk, but I needed real connection after that disaster.
Seahill Memorial Park had been created after the disaster of 2023 where a patch of the city had been scorched. Only about a mile long, the park had five benches, an art sculpture to remember the Hero Society members who had fallen on these grounds, and a koi pond. While I didn’t live in Seahill during the accident nine years ago, I’d always felt connected to the park. I walked in silence, listening to the crickets and low hum of city life through the trees until I reached my favorite spot.
Two feet behind one of the memorial benches was an old mailbox. Birds usually laid nests in it, and observers left it alone. It blended with the bushes, and most people were interested in the pond over a worn mailbox. Still, I didn’t know what possessed me to look inside it one year ago, but that gut feeling had changed my life. I stepped up to the box and felt inside. My fingers caressed two bird eggs, and I was careful not to break them as I pulled the folded-up paper out of the box with a smile.
I stepped back to the path and sat on the bench with the metal plate in memory of Fallen Hero Aemilia on its back, and unfolded the page. The familiar handwriting warmed my hurting heart from tonight’s events, and the more I read, the stress of the day melted away.
Chapter Two
Emily
“Just clean your room, ok?” I sighed, closing the door to my sister’s clothes-covered room. I didn’t hear her mumbled response as I walked down the hall of our two-bedroom apartment, and I didn’t care to.
“Being a parent is hard.” Bonnie, my older neighbor from down the hall, stepped through the front door, and I nodded. She’d raised five kids in her lifetime and, thankfully, offered to hang out while I ran errands every weekend. I couldn’t leave that asshole in the space alone, or she’d end up pregnant or sell off all my stuff.
“Thanks again. I doubt she’ll leave her room, but check in to make sure she hasn’t busted out the window or something.” I wished I was kidding.
“I know the tricks. I may be older, but she won’t pull a fast one on me. Enjoy your errands, Emily.” Bonnie’s soft hands nudged me out the door, and I grabbed my purse and reusable bags on the way out. My anxiety lessened the instant the door closed behind me. Everything was ok. My sister was a nightmare, but I was doing my best. There were moments that we laughed and acted sisterly to each other. But ever since I had to take on the parent role after our parents’ car accident, those moments were few and far between.
“She graduates next year.” I breathed and walked down the three flights of stairs to the ground floor. Our elevator had been broken for two years, but thanks to the workout, I had a booty that you could bounce a quarter off of. Life’s all about balance.
The humid air of summertime in the city smacked my face as soon as I exited the building. I wished we had more trees in this section of the city. The air felt cleaner, less stagnant, in the natural, upscale section a few blocks over. Still, it was nice to be alive despite the humidity frizzing my pink hair.
“Alright, let’s see.” I glanced to my left, then right, judging which way I wanted to take to the park. Both of my jobs kept me busy, and Saturdays were my only day to get food and items for the apartment and take a breath. Could I have spent my time for self-care? Sure. I hadn’t gotten a mani-pedi in years, and my pink hair dye had faded to more of a pale pink than vibrant. But I preferred spending my time in the fresh air, with an iced coffee at the park. I smiled and chose the direction to my right. Baker’s Dozen Coffee and Donuts was two blocks over, and that sounded better than Bagels Direct to my left.
“What are we grateful for, Emily?” I asked myself, like I did every morning, and gazed around the city for things to choose.
“Indoor plumbing,” I announced to myself, and the couple who passed by me shot me a weird look. Thankfully, it didn’t bother me. I’d spent enough time holding myself back for the comfort of others. My gaze darted down to the light blue long sleeves that covered my marred skin. No, I would continue focusing on the good in my life, because the opposite was too hard to control. Screw it if people thought I was weird.
“I’m grateful for trees!” I announced loudly with pride as I walked under a maple next to the sidewalk. The more I looked around, the happier I felt. By the time I reached Baker’s Dozen, the line had dwindled and I was able to slide in for my coffee and donut in no time.
“Enjoy your park time, Emily.” A barista named Jeff grinned as he handed me the order. I knew he liked me. What’s not to like, right? I’m a five-foot-seven, pink-haired beauty with green eyes and freckles across my nose. From the outside, I knew I had it going on. It’s once you got past the outside, things changed.
“Thanks, Jeff.” I beamed and left without another word. It was better this way. I had too much going on working two jobs, taking care of my sister, and trying not to slip down the road into Insanityville. Poor Jeff wouldn’t know what to do with someone who had darkness inside them like me.
“I’m grateful for coffee and glazed donuts.” I changed the subject before that darkness grabbed me tight and my day took a turn. My heart fluttered as the entrance to the park came into view, and it wasn’t from the caffeine.
