When Adele slammed the door, shutting Ricky out, she went straight to Trixie's room.
_
She finds her sitting on the bed, hugging a stuffed bear tightly to her chest. The moment she sees Adele, her small face lights up with hope.
"Mommy, Is Ricky still here?" she asks, her voice eager.
Adele's stomach twists. "No, and we need to talk about that."
Trixie frowns, gripping her stuffed toy even tighter. "What?"
Adele takes a deep breath, kneeling beside the bed. "Because you can't keep telling people Ricky is your dad, honey, that's wrong because Ricky is not your dad."
"But he told me to call him dad, and I want him to be my dad," Trixie says stubbornly, her eyes already glistening with unshed tears.
Adele exhales sharply, trying to stay calm. "Trixie, you have a dad, your real dad, Ricky is just messing around, he is not even old enough to be a dad."
Trixie's lips tremble, her little fingers curling into the fabric of her toy. "I don't want that," she says, her voice cracking. "I don't like him! He doesn't care about us! He yells at us!"
Adele flinches. The words hit her harder than she expects.
"Don't talk like that about your dad."
"I don't care!" Trixie's voice rises, her face scrunching up in frustration. "Ricky loves me! He plays with me! He helps me with my homework! He listens to me! He's..."
"Trixie, enough!" Adele's voice is sharp, raw, filled with something she doesn't fully understand.
Trixie startles, her small body tensing.
Adele presses a hand to her forehead, trying to steady herself. "I'll not repeat again! Next time you leave school with Ricky... I'll not take it lightly! Am your mother! You listen to me, not to him!" She adds.
Trixie sniffles, her shoulders shaking.
Adele's chest tightens painfully. "Baby, Ricky is just a boy, he was just making a joke about being your dad, he did not mean it, so don't take everything he says seriously.
And about your dad, he doesn't yell at us for wanting. Didn't he tell you? He is just practicing about the job he was offered lately_ soldier..." she lies. "Soldiers have to be tough to keep the criminals away, so he wants to practice even when he is at home. He is just busy trying to get us a life, he didn't abandon us."
Adele hates herself for what is leaving her mouth right now, but she has no choice,
She has spent years convincing herself that she still loves Henry. That the man she married is just lost.
That one day, he will wake up and be the person he used to be. The person she fell in love with.
The man she has always dreamt to grow old with.
But deep down, she knows.
That man is gone. Ever since their daughter was born, he is not the same man.
And no matter how much she wishes for things to go back to the way they were, they never will.
Trixie's soft sobs pull her back to the present.
"Honey" Adele calls, her mind is still spinning when she suddenly hears a commotion outside.
Shouting. Loud voices.
Her blood runs cold.
Without another word, she pulls away from Trixie and rushes toward the door.
When she swings it open, her heart nearly stops.
Ricky and Henry are standing outside, inches apart, their bodies tense, their expressions filled with fury.
The quiet hum of the neighborhood shattered by the sharp exchange of voices. Porch lights flicker on, curious eyes peeking from behind curtains and half-open doors.
Henry stands a few feet away from Ricky, his expression twisted with irritation.
His shirt is slightly wrinkled, and the way he sways subtly on his feet tells Adele that he is drunk again.
"You," Henry says, voice slurred but still sharp, "who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that!"
Ricky doesn't blink. "Me? I'm someone who actually cares about Adele. Someone who'd never treat her the way you coward do." He answers without hesitation, earning gasps from the neighbourhood.
She rushes to them.
"You've got five seconds to get the hell out of here before I..."
Ricky smirks. "Before you what?"
Henry swings.
Ricky barely has time to react before Adele steps between them.
"Stop, please!" she yells, arms outstretched between the two men.
Her voice wavers, but she doesn't back down.
Henry's chest rises and falls heavily, his fists still clenched. Ricky, on the other hand, remains calm, though his jaw ticks in irritation.
"Stop!? You disgrace! You dare cheat on me with kid! Who do you take me for?! Get inside, I'll deal with you later!" Adele doesn't listen.
"Adele! I said, go inside," Henry yells.
She glares at him. "No."
"Now."
And just like that, Henry's hand is on her arm.
"Let Her Go." Ricky's voice is dangerously low.
But Henry isn't listening. He pulls Adele toward the house.
Adele struggles. "Henry, don't..."
But before she can finish, he yanks the door open and pushes her inside.
SLAM.
The door locks.
Henry turns back around, cracking his knuckles. "You wanna act like a man? Let's see if you can fight like one."
Ricky exhales through his nose, rolling his shoulders. "I don't fight drunks. Let her out! Let her go!"
Some neighbours shout for them to stop. Someone calls for help.
But Ricky isn't thinking about any of that.
He's thinking about Adele. Locked inside that house.
And he's done playing nice.
Henry lunges, and this time, Ricky doesn't dodge.
Instead, he hits first.
A solid punch to Henry's stomach. The impact forces him back a few steps, a wheeze escaping his lips.
He recovers quickly, but Ricky is already advancing, forcing him backward.
"You're not so tough when you're up against someone who fights back, huh?" Ricky taunts.
The street is filled with the sounds of their scuffle_shuffling feet, heavy breathing, the occasional grunt of pain.
Then—BANG. BANG. BANG.
Adele is pounding on the door.
"Ricky! Stop this! Please!" Her voice is heard from inside.
-
After rough fights, Ricky releases him and stands. "Stay the hell away from her. You're a coward who doesn't deserve her."
The words hit their mark. Henry's face flushes red, whether from anger or the alcohol burning in his system, Ricky doesn't care.
He takes the advantage if Henry's state and rushes to open the door.
"Where is Trixie? We are leaving right now!" Ricky says looking for Trixie's room.
When he comes back with her, Adele is still standing there dazed, like she is tired of life.
"Come on Adele, let's go!" Ricky says but Adele doesn't react. Tears streaming down her face. "What are you waiting for?!" Ricky yells.
He has no choice but hold her hand pulling her to the car.
Henry yells but has no energy or balance to go after them.