daycare // hemmings

twenty two- keep your promises

"Tobie?"

Liz and Tobie looked at the door, and Tobie's feeling of resentment flourished. Here sat the woman who had pretty much left her for the dust. She hadn't seen that face since she was seven years old, and only then it was from behind a door as her mother walked out on her and her brother and father.

"Get out." Tobie said. Liz touched her arm gently, and although it made Tobie stop, her anger still clouded most of her judgement. "Get the hell out."

"Tobie, sweetheart, don't be like this." Her mother said, walking closer. Tobie got up, glaring.

"Don't step any closer if you'd like to walk yourself out."

Her mother frowned, and Tobie was shockingly shown how much she looked like her mom, as it was the same face she saw in the mirror when she frowned. Shaking it away, she balled her fists at her sides. "Get. Out."

"Tobie, honey, it's about your father. I was told to find you here."

"What about Dad?"

"There's been an accident, Tobie. Just sit down and listen to me-"

"No!" Tobie yelled. Liz jumped behind her.

"You tell me what the hell happened to Dad or so help me I will make you." Tobie said. "Now what happened?"

"Tobie, your father...he's dead, sweetheart. He died this morning."

Tobie stumbled backwards a few steps, her head spinning. When would the day end? "You're lying."

"Tobie-" Liz said, but it was at the same time that Tobie's mother had said, "Honey", so they both stopped, and Tobie squeezed her eyes closed for a second, waiting for someone to speak.

"Tobie," Her mother finally said. "Why would I lie about this?"

"Where's Tommy?" She asked. She looked at her mom, filled with silent rage. "Where is he?"

"He's at home, but Tobie-"

"No," she said, getting up. "You don't get to talk to me about Dad anymore. Where were you all those years? All the times that Tommy and I needed you, where were you?"

"Tobie, I can explain-"

"Don't." She said. Tobie grabbed her jacket off the chair, kissed Jamie's head quickly, then walked to the door. "You don't get a second chance."

;

Tobie shivered outside as she knocked on her brother's door. After rocking on her feet for five minutes, he opened it, surprised. "To? What're you-"

"We need to talk. Now." She said, brushing past her brother. He stared outside for a minute before closing the door, turning to her.

She looked around. His house was different than she remembered. For one, the kitchen was clean. The space to the left of the doorway was no longer a rec room but an office space, and down the hallway was a living room. Tommy never needed a living room before. The stairway had Christmas decorations wrapped around the rail, and the floors were mopped and shiny.

She turned to her brother. "When did you move things around?"

Before Tommy could answer, someone called from the stairs, "He didn't! That'd be me!"

Tobie tilted her head and looked towards the voice, and she was shocked with what she saw. It was a girl, wearing one of Tommy's hoodies and shorts, with blue fuzzy socks. She was tan, with dirty blonde hair to her waist, and dark eyes.

"Who's this, Tommy?" Tobie asked, a small smile on her face. Was this the girl he was with when he texted her, all those weeks ago?

"Tobie, this is Riley. Riley, this is my sister, Tobie."