Three Little Words

Three Little Words

Prologue

The streets were busy as usual, the adults rushing to get home, and the kids playing in the park. It was a typical Toronto spring day.

But 22-year-old University of Toronto aerospace engineering student Daniella Carter ignored all of this. Growing up in Toronto, every day was busy, busy, and busy. She had learnt to ignore the classic downtown Toronto image when she wanted to and admire it when she had the time. On this particular day, she had no time. She had an exam to study for – an exam that was tomorrow.

She turned right on Pape, walking straight until she reached her house. It wasn't tiny, but it wasn't big either. It had been made almost a century ago, and it still looked quite cozy on the outside. She couldn't wait until she had a job and could move out though, because living with her stepmom Lily and her father was horrible.

She entered the house, and sure enough, they were fighting again. She sighed and put her bag down on the floor, creeping up behind her stepmom in the doorway.

Lily was standing in the doorway, her blond hair tied up in a messy ponytail, wearing a flowery apron. She was almost begging Daniella's father, who didn't seem to be paying much attention.

"John, I know you've been laid off, and life is really hard, but you need a job. It's almost been a year. We're running out of money. The bills need to paid and the mortgage too. We need food and clothing too. John, Daniella and I need you. You need yourself. Please, do something. Even helping around the house would lighten my load," Lily said. Daniella couldn't see her face, but she could imagine it in her head; she had seen it so many times through the past year. Lily's face would probably be blotchy, and her brown eyes ever so sad. She would be pursing her lips tightly, and the dark eye bags hanging low under her eyes would be even more prominently displayed on her face.

Daniella could see her father perfectly from where she was standing, and she was disgusted. He was sitting on the couch, which was stained with beer, wine, soda, and who-knows-what-else, eating popcorn while throwing some at the TV occasionally when one of the players in the baseball game he was watching did something he didn't approve of. His blond hair was dirty and oily, and he was growing a beard and moustache - to which hundreds of bits of food clung. His blue-grey eyes were dull, glued to the TV screen, and he was clearly not listening to a word his wife was saying.

Daniella bit back a sigh. She was ashamed of him for being such a lazy couch potato.

She glanced at her stepmother again, ignoring the words that were pouring out of Lily’s mouth. She knew that she didn’t even have to listen to them to know what the discussion was about. It was always the same – Lily telling John to go find a job, John continuing to laze around, Lily ending up in tears. It never changed.

Because of the fact that Daniella knew only too well what their financial situation was like, she had found a part-time job as a cashier at the local supermarket. It helped make ends meet around the house, and any leftover money would be quickly put in the bank. Both her and Lily didn't trust John with money. He had a habit of blowing it on every infomercial that came on TV.

Just when she was about to open her mouth and tell them she was home, her father stood up and roared at the TV, "You stupid idiot! Look what you've done! You just lost the game for your team! Shame on you!" To top it all off, he threw the entire bucket of popcorn (or rather, what was left of it) at the TV, causing popcorn to spill everywhere.

Lily huffed and straightened her back. Daniella had a feeling that Lily had had enough, and it was about time. There had been too many fights over the past year.