Booth Three

14

So sorry for being late again!!! I've been having some relationship troubles so I've been pretty stuck in a slump.

Thinking of all of you and all the incredible support you've shown me ❤️

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Diego drives the car into the parking lot, coming to a stop outside my apartment. It feels like a repeat of yesterday — when he brought Penny and me back from the hospital. Except this time, I haven't invited him inside and I'm not planning on it.

"Thanks for the ride," I push the door open.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," he responds, but I've already shut the door by the time he finishes speaking. I head towards the apartment without looking back and dump my bag on the floor as soon as I walk inside.

I'm tired and annoyed. I don't want to deal with anything right now. I don't want to clean up behind myself and I don't want to chase after two little ones, either.

"Hi, Mimi!" Hayley waves at me, her usual grin plastered on her face. Even her happiness can't cheer me up right now.

"What are you doing here?" Karla asks. "Where's Diego?"

"It didn't work out," I state.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I shake my head. "I'm kind of in a bad mood. Do you mind hanging out with the kids for a little longer?"

I need a break — just ten minutes to myself. Ten minutes to sit and think and process. Ten minutes to de-stress. Ten minutes to cry if I have to. I'm just exhausted. I don't want to deal with anything.

"Yeah, that's fine," she nods. She's clearly concerned, but I'm not in any state to ease those worries.

She's currently sitting on the couch, with Penny half asleep on her lap. There's a banana peel on the seat beside her. The TV is playing, but there's no sound. Hayley is laying on the floor, colouring in her notebook. She's spread all her pencils and crayons over the carpet, leaving barely any room for me to walk past.

I turn to take the long way to the bathroom, but my eye falls on something on the coffee table. For the first time in weeks, it's empty. There are no drawings on it, or used plates and cups. All that's on it is an upside-down tub — a round cake carrier. There's something in it. My view of it interrupted by the sticker on the container, but it's brown or grey, and by the looks of it... moving.

"What the hell is that?" I point towards it.

"It's our new pet!" Hayley grins. "He's a rat so we named him Ratatouille."

"Ratatouille?" I turn towards Karla, but there's not a hint of humour on her face.

"Penny found it."

"She found it?"

"She chased it out of the bathroom, grabbed it by its tail, and gave it to me as a gift."

"Are you pranking me?"

"Nope," she shakes her head. "You have rats now."

Nope. Not today. Without a second thought, I turn around and head back into the parking lot. Diego's car hasn't moved. I march towards him, fully prepared to knock on his window, but I don't have to. He rolls it down before I make it.

"What's wrong?"

"You were right," I say. "We can't keep living here. It's dangerous and stupid and I'm sorry I yelled at you but if I have the opportunity to live somewhere else then I need to take it. I can't- We can't-."