𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 / 𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻

flashback two

It had been over the oven, the first time Ward Cameron hit his wife.

She was making dinner – chicken casserole. It wasn't Wards favorite, and she knew Rafe would probably stare at his plate for a few minutes before he demand chicken nuggets. It's what he did most days, even when she'd spent hours preparing a nice dinner.

But today she'd been a bit distracted and quite frazzled. Sarah wouldn't stop crying. She knew babies could be finicky, but she swore Rafe had never cried this much.

Every time she got a moment to prepare the chicken and veggies, Sarah would start crying again.

And of course, Ward was "too busy" with work to deal with Sarah. So she'd drop the knife and celery sticks, and go back and forth between Sarah's room and the kitchen, just trying to accomplish something, though, even between the two tasks, it felt like she was accomplishing nothing.

When she'd finally finished dinner it was almost seven P.M.

She could tell, Ward was angry. But she couldn't find it in her to feel bad, because if he would just have helped with Sarah, just a little, she would be able to put together a half decent meal. But it didn't matter. She already knew there was no convincing to him.

He'd already made up his mind. He was already moody and pissed off because dinner was an hour late, and it tasted like shit.

Sarah wouldn't stop crying as they sat around the table trying to casually talk.

Of course, that was her fault too.

But no, it wasn't any of that. She'd think maybe it was all contributing factors. And later when she tried to convince herself he didn't mean it, she found herself defending him. He was stressed too. Dinner was late and crappy and Sarah was crying and then they started fighting.

He just got carried away, he didn't mean it.

He'd never do it again.

She'd look back on that night and wish she had left him, right then and there.

Rafe had gone up to his room after dinner, and Sarah was finally quiet for a few minutes.

Lily Cameron loaded dishes into the dish washer as she listened to Ward mindlessly drone on and on about his newest project. She wasn't really listening, to be honest.

But she had noticed when he abruptly stopped talking.

"You left the oven on."

Huh, weird.

She cleared her throat, because his voice was dry and cold.

So, she smiled tightly, turning around, a plate still held loosely in one hand, just enough to capture her husband in hew view. "Thanks, I must have forgotten to turn it off." She's been so distracted. So tired.

But it wasn't simple like that. He wasn't simple like that. "You should be more careful." He drawled, talking a few steps closer to his wife. "You could've killed us if I didn't notice. You have two kids now, Lily."

You have two kids.

She flinched internally and couldn't help feeling angry. Because how was it possible she was the bad guy? That he got to treat her this way.