Always by your side

It Will Be You And Me

Astrid POV

"Eight, nine, ten!" yelled out my little six-year-old with excitement after counting the countless bills on the counter. 

"Good job, you are a smart little girl."

"My teacher says that math will be used for everything."

"It's true like right now I am counting how much money these bills are asking for." Yeah, bills, I live in a small apartment building with my daughter Zephyr. She is my whole world from day one. Despite who her father was, I love her so much. 

Her father was a good man at first. When we were engaged, we wanted to start a new life. I agreed to join him on his way back home here in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Marriage life was good but when I got pregnant, he began to not be around and would make many excuses as to why he wasn't coming home. I thought it was because he was nervous so I sat down and spoke to him that he is a good man and will be a good father. It calmed down but when the gender was revealed it began again but this time, it escalated.

I caught him going to the bar and it turns out he would try to stay as much time in his office with his coworkers. There would be days he would not come home at all and when he did, he avoided me and even forgot about our baby. I was tired of him that I left him, got an apartment nearby, and shortly after gave birth to my little girl. I was not entirely alone since my mother-in-law was with me. 

She helped me through labor and was by my side. She knew what was going on between me and her son and told me to give him time. After I left him, she was less nice but still around to help and she was okay with a granddaughter. 

When Zephyr was 8 months old, I received in the mail divorce papers. I was in shock and couldn't believe that this was what he wanted. After all, we've been through together and the fact that he didn't want to even see Zephyr was just too much. We got into a huge fight and the last thing I told him was "GET OUT!!!" After that, he left. A few hours later, I get a call from the hospital and they tell me he was in critical care. I had no choice but to bother the landlord's wife to ask her if she can watch Zephyr for me and left for the hospital.

I arrive and the first thing I see is his mother crying and the paramedics collecting his items. It turns out he was in a car accident and they found a half-empty bottle of scotch in the middle of the driver's and the passenger seat. After hearing that, his mother comes to me and yells, "IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!" 

Really, how is it my fault? He was drunk driving so clearly, this did not happen after he left my place. We became distant after that but when we remembered that the divorce was not done, I became more of a target for her. Until this day, she has been making mine and even Zephyr's life difficult. I try to not let her be alone with her and that is going well so far. I always tell her every night when I put her to bed, "I will never leave you. I will always be by your side. It will always be you and me together."