Bound To The Past (Revamped)

Chapter 10

In every crisis there is a message. Crises are nature's way of forcing change - breaking down old structures, shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better can take their place."-Susan L. Taylor

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry but...he's gone." Her father said.

That couldn't be right. She shook her head, "No...no. W-Where is he? I need to see him."

"Toni-"

She cut him off walking away. She went over to the receptionist desk. "Excuse me can you tell me where Dylan Sinclair is please?" The nurse looked at Michael and he nodded his head.

"Room 395." She said and Toni sped walked down the hallway as her dad followed her. When they reached the room Toni saw a nurse putting a sheet over Dylan's body. Everything in her hand fell to the floor as her eyes watered. She could almost feel her heart shattering.

She opened the door and walked in. "Ma'am you can't be-"

"He's my husband." She said and the nurse nodded. "Can you um...?"
The nurse removed the sheet and Toni's tears fell. His face as all bruised up.

The nurse left the room giving her a moment. She sat in a chair next to his bed and just looked at his lifeless body. Her shaky hand grabbed onto his bruised hand.

"You won." She said softly before letting her emotions take over.

"This was supposed to be the best night of our lives. You were supposed to come home with a bunch of unhealthy snacks and we were gonna celebrate your win. I was gonna tell you that you're going to be a dad..." She cried.

"Please don't leave me Dylan. I love you so much and I can't do this without you!" She said as she sobbed. She sat crying for another 20 minutes before hearing a soft knock.

"Toni, sweetheart the police wanna talk to you." Her father said. She nodded before kissing Dylan's forehead and walking out.

"I'm sorry for your loss Mrs. Sinclair." A detective said.

"Did they find out who did this?" She asked wiping everything tears. She didn't want condolences, just answers.

"Yes and we've made an arrest. Four of them...attacked Mr. Sinclair in a parking lot. They beat him really bad and he died from a head injury. There was a lot of DNA evidence so we caught them and they admitted to the whole thing. This is definitely a hate crime so their looking at 25 to life."

"They vandalized our house too?"

"Yes ma'am."

She shook her head as one question burned in her head, "Why?"

"These men are hateful. They're sick and they're brains are still stuck in the 50s."

Toni looked away knowing what that meant. This happened because of their relationship.

"Thank you for finding them." She said before walking away.

"Toni..." Her father called out.

She ignored him as she grabbed her belongings and left. She drove to the house and walked inside. The whole living room area was trashed and there was caution tape everywhere.

She carefully moved to their bedroom, but not before walking past the closet that's been giving her so much trouble but also the same thing that protected her. She walked in picking up the raggedy old box.

"You let this happen!!" She said throwing the box against the wall making everything fall out of it. "I should have been here spending time with him and now he's gone. I HATE YOU!!" She cried throwing the pearl necklace across the hallway. She fell to the floor as she cried.

"Toni?" She heard a soft voice call.

"Go away!! Leave me alone!!" She cried.

"Toni it's me." Tamar said. She sat on the floor next to her.

"I'm pregnant. I can't raise this baby without him." She cried as Tamar held her in her arms.

"It's gonna be okay. I'm here for you and so is the rest of the family."

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1 week later...

Toni and the family had just left Dylan's funeral. She hadn't said a word since the night Tamar found her in the house. They have to force her to eat and she won't sleep. Everyone was at Mrs. Sinclair's house for the repass. Toni was sitting Dylan's old room staring out of the window as her family was downstairs helping Dylan's mom.

"How is she doing?" Mrs. Sinclair asked Evelyn.

"Not too well. She needs to see someone. We had to talk her out of jumping from the balcony the other day. That's the third time she tried to hurt herself in one week." Evelyn said sadly.

"It's okay. She's gonna get through this, we all are."

Meanwhile...

Toni was still staring out of the window when she heard a knock at the door. She said nothing hoping that whoever it was would go away. Instead, the door opened.

"Um...H-Hello." A deep voice said. She turned around and frowned at the unfamiliar old man standing behind her. "I know you probably don't want to talk; especially not to me, but I'm Thomas...Dylan's father."

She turned back around as he continued struggling for words. "I didn't want to start any trouble, I-I just thought I would introduce myself. I know you know my past but I just wanted to say thank you for loving my son and making him a better man than I was. He really loved you and I see why." He said.

"Now you're okay with us being married? You encouraged those men to hate so much that they killed him just because he loved me. You let that happen. His blood is on your hands and frankly Thomas, I have nothing to say to you. Our baby will never know you. Just disappear like you always do." She said not bothering to face him.

She heard the door close as a tear slipped down her cheek. She had been holding it in since the day Dylan died.

Another knock came and she knew who it was from the loud voices. "Toni! Come downstairs and eat before I eat it for you." Traci said.

"I'm not hungry." She said wiping her tears.

"Well look at God, she can talk again." Tamar said.

"Baby you gotta eat something. I'm not gonna let you starve me grandbaby." Ms. Evelyn said sitting down next to her.

"Exactly, my little niece or nephew is gonna come out built like a toothpick all because their no good mama didn't eat." Tamar said shaking her head.

"You're so annoying." Toni chuckled.

"Aww she's smiling again." Trina said as Towanda hugged her.

"I'm glad she is, because at the funeral I thought you was gonna jump in the casket." Traci said.

"Traci!!!" They all yelled.

"I mean...it's good see you smiling again. Group hug!" She said as the all wrapped their arms around Toni.

"Um I hate to interrupt this beautiful family moment, but I made margaritas." Dylan's Aunt Susan said peeping in the doorway.

"Well that's my cue." Tamar said following her.

"Me too. Love you Toni." Trina said leaving as Traci snuck out behind her.

"Really guys? I'm grieving here." Toni said.

"I think if Dylan were here he would go for a margarita." Towanda said before slowly walking out the door.

"She's right. He would." Toni chuckled as she laid her head on her mother's lap.

"How are you really feeling?" Ms. Evelyn asked.

"I miss him so much." She said as tears left her eyes again.

"It's alright, we're gonna take it one day at a time, we're all here for you."

"I love you mommy."

"I love you too sweetheart."