Lauren Wheatley walked out of the new home she shared with her husband and soon their son will be occupying the room next to theirs. Hearing banging sounds she stepped outside to see her husband Darren attempting to fix the porch light.
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"Baby, what are you doing? You know we can just call a real electrician." She said.
"Girl I am a real electrician. I'm a renaissance man." He proclaimed flexing his muscles making her roll her eyes.
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"Boy bye. Get your ass down from there." She said before walking to the front yard to move the SOLD sign. He smacked his lips, "Fine- AAH!" He yelled falling off the ladder. "OH MY GOD!" She screamed. Suddenly she felt a kick from their baby boy. It was almost as if the little could feel his mother's stress. Lauren sighed, "I'm sorry baby. Your dad was being stupid." She said to her baby bump.
"Maybe you could use some help." Some creepy looking woman said. Lauren backed away but the woman kept inching to her.
"Do I know you?"
"Get out of here before I call the cops!" Someone said. The woman walked away. Lauren frowned at the person who startled the woman stepped up. "Sorry about that." She said.
Lauren examined the petite woman before remembering her question, "Who is that?"
"Wilda. The neighborhood kids call her Wilda the Witch. Stay away from her she's a total creep." The woman said.
"Thanks for the heads up. I'm Lauren, by the way." She said holding her hand out.
The woman shook it, "Toni, and who's this?" She asked rubbing Lauren's baby bump.
Lauren chuckled, "This is Mason. I'm due any day now. I'm suppose to be on bedrest, but between his kicking and my husband constantly being an idiot, it's not gonna happen."
Toni laughed, "Well, Congrats."
"Thanks. You have any?"
"Umm...-" before she could answer, they heard a voice.
"Tone!"
Toni rolled her eyes, "I gotta go. I'll see you around." She said with a small wave.
Lauren waved back, "Bye."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toni walked over to her house where her husband Kenny was waiting. She stopped in front of him seeing as he was blocking the door.
"What were you doing?" He asked.
"Just introducing myself to the new neighbors."
"I told you about going outside without me."
"I'm not a chihuahua you're suppose to keep on a leash Kenny." She snapped pushing past him and going into the house. He shook his head stepping back and closing the door.
"You've missed a few of your meds and I'm just worried." He said following her into the living room.
She huffed turning to face him, "I'm fine. I'm also really horny." She said with a smirk pulling at his suit jacket.
He grabbed her hands and she sighed already knowing what was coming.
"Not tonight, I'm-"
"Tired. Yeah, I know." She finished for him. Shaking her head, she went up the stairs.
"Tone..." he called out before hearing a door slam.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenny opened the bedroom door surprised that it wasn't locked. He saw his wife sitting on the bed with her head down.
He sighed kneeling down in front of her, "I'm sorry."
"Ever since that trip to the doctor, you've pushed me away. You've become controlling and it's like I can't do anything right and I'm trying, I really am, I just-"
"Hey, look at me." He interrupted lifting her chin. She looked at him as a stray tear fell. He wiped it away, "You know I love you, right?" He asked receiving a nod. He smiled, "I just want to protect you and I'm sorry if it's coming off as controlling."
"I don't need protection Ken, I just need you. I need to know that you still see me as the same woman I was before everything happened." She exclaimed.
He nodded thinking back to that day at the doctors office. After the death of their son, Toni started having these strange episodes. Eventually he decided to take her to a psychiatrist. Schizophrenia. One word put so much distance between them. They went from husband and wife to babysitter and child.
It was a gene that hadn't been seen since her great-great-grandmother. It hid itself until the accident. Her head hit the dashboard on impact. The loss of her son and the blow to her head allowed the phantom to show its face again 100 years later.
Settling on a shower, a movie, and some cuddling. The two fell asleep.
A few hours later...
Kenny woke up alone in bed at 3am. He got up and walked down the hall. "Tone." He said coming into their son's nursery. She was just staring into space before she heard his voice.
"Oh, hey. I thought you were sleeping." She said adjusting herself in the rocking chair.
"What are you doing?" He asked. She said nothing as he sighed, "Let's go back to bed."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toni sat in Dr. Carter's office waiting to began her session. Dr. Carter was the therapist who had been helping both her and Kenny since the accident.
"Toni, how are you feeling today?" Dr. Carter asked.
"I feel good. It's a been a great day thus far." Toni replied tapping her fingers against her knees as she sat with her legs crossed.
"Good. How is Kenny doing?"
"He's been weird as usual. He won't touch me, he acts like I can't do anything on my own and he's always asking me about my meds."
"Maybe that's his way of trying to make you feel comfortable." Dr. Carter suggested before writing notes down.
Toni scoffed, "Comfortable? He's treating me like a pariah. I miss the way things use to be."
"Maybe you should do something you normally do. Something that would remind him of a time before your diagnosis. Let him know that you're okay."
