Back To The Roots (REWRITTING)

2:The Decision

She woke up to the delectable smell of bacon, her tummy rumbled it’s approval very loudly. She pushed her hand through her hair and rolled carefully out of bed. Her stomach had a moment of queasiness, she looked around the small bedroom while waiting patiently for it to go away. She noticed they’d done a pretty good job fixing it up for Jacob with their modest budget. There was a green toddler bed and dresser with different colored hand prints all over them which appeared to be Jacob’s judging from the size and occasional smears, there was a cute rug on the floor that looked like a city with streets for him to drive his cars on, and there was a big dinosaur decal on the wall that looked like he’d just busted through it and was ready to eat you. When the nausea finally subsided she stood and walked across the hall to the bathroom.

Evelyn heard the bathroom door close signaling to her that Kyla was awake’ “Come on Jacob lets go get dressed sweetheart.”

She watched her son as he put his clothes on. Today he’d decided on a red shirt, blue shorts, and green socks. He didn’t really match but they didn’t care.The point was he’d done it himself and he was very proud of having done it. She smiled down at him when he looked up at her beaming, then she took his hand and they walked down the small hallway to the kitchen. 

He sat down in his chair and looked shyly up at his mom, “Mommy, what happened to Auntie Kyla’s face? And why is she so fat now?”

 Cam sat a plate full of bacon down on the table and looked at Evelyn with a raised eyebrow, “You know Jacob I wouldn’t mind knowing that myself.”

“Ummm, well she’s fat because she has a baby in her belly. An-”

“What? How did it get in there? How do we get it out?” he asked, in a bit of a panic.

“It grew in there and when it’s big enough she’ll go to the doctor and they’ll get it out,” she answered, with a smile.

“Is that how I came here too? I grew in your tummy?” he exclaimed.

“It sure is,” she said, pinching the tip of his nose and wiggling it making him giggle.

“Mommy, how does the baby know to start growing in your tummy?”

“You know I-,” she stopped short when she looked up and saw Kyla coming into the kitchen.

“Hey little man,” she said, reaching down to ruffle his hair.

He turned around in his chair and gave her a big hug. Cam came back to the table with eggs and toast. He glanced at her battered face and had to stop himself from doing a double take. She had a black eye, a busted lip, and a bruise on her left cheek. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something. But when Kyla looked up at him he felt bad for her and lost his nerve. Instead he pulled a seat out for her and his wife and they sat down to eat.

“So, have you thought any more about our discussion last night? Find any answers or ideas maybe?” Evelyn asked Kyla.

“Well, I have been thinking about it. I don’t know, I might have found some answers we’ll see.”

“Okay, no rush on any decisions I was just asking,” Evelyn said, with a nonchalant shrug.

“I’ll let you know if I hit gold,” Kyla said laughing.

After breakfast Cam went off to work and Evelyn decided to sit down with a bucket of popcorn and watch a movie with Jacob. She invited Kyla to watch it with them but she declined for a nap. She didn’t really believe her but figured she needed some alone time so she didn’t push. 

A little while later Evelyn was doing laundry when Kyla came to find her.

“I have to go back.”

“You’re kidding right?” she said looking her in the eye.  

“No, I’m not. I’m sorry, I told you I didn’t see a way for this to work. I took some time I thought about and now I’m ready to go back,” Kyla said, with a nonchalant shrug. 

“Fine, then let’s go. Cause god forbid I stand in the way of insanity,” Evelyn yelled in exasperation, as she headed off to find her car keys.

Thirty minutes later she was dropping Kyla back off. “Excuse me if I don’t walk in with you, I have no interest in seeing that hell whole again. If you change your mind you know where to find me,” she said before pulling off. 

Kyla was ecstatic to see his car wasn’t in the driveway. He was supposed to be at work right now but she was afraid he might’ve stayed home to wait for her. However she entered the house timidly just in case he was still here somehow lying in wait. She checked downstairs then upstairs, satisfied that he really wasn’t here she started packing a hiking bag with things she thought she’d need. When she finished with that there was one thing left she wanted to do.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned it on, she’d left it off last night so she wouldn’t have to deal with him blowing it up. So when it came on it started dinging like crazy. She had ten voicemails and about fifty unread text messages. 

She knew she should just ignore them but she couldn’t help herself, she opened her inbox. She only read the last two messages. But that was all she needed to read. 

I’m going to find you, and this time I’m going to kill you. You really thought you could leave me? I don’t think so. 7:13A.M.

I’m sorry I didn’t mean any of it, I was just mad. I just lose my temper sometimes, but I’m working on it. Baby please come home. 7:30A.M.

She shook her head at how ridiculous he was and continued with her plan. She called up her friend Elisabeth. She didn’t answer so she left a voicemail which she really preferred anyway, because then there could be no questions asked of her that she didn’t want to answer.

“If you hear or see anything strange about me don’t pay it any attention. I’m fine. I just had to go, I’m sorry.” 

She called up another friend who also didn’t answer and left her roughly the same voicemail, then she was out the door. She didn’t wanna take any chances that he might pop up with her still here. If he did she’d never get away, if she was even lucky enough to live through another beating. Hell for all she knew he might make good on that threat to kill her, what she did know was that he would never change.