Affliction

41

Annie

Have you ever thought 'this is how I die'? Have you ever looked death right in the face? Have you ever heard Heavens gates opening up for you? Me neither, but after that workout, I'm surprised I didn't.

"I'm here!" I heard my mom sing, walking closer to the kitchen. Lord, be with Wilmer for he didn't mean to almost kill me.

I sat there, chest rapidly rising and falling. I'm struggling to catch a steady, rhythmic heart beat and honestly, it's scaring me. For hours, I did nonstop cardio. That's insane for someone who doesn't workout.

I flinched when I felt Didi place yet another freezing washcloth on my neck. See, I call Dianna Didi and grandma. But she's too young to be grandma and Didi seems more fitting.

"What? I leave you two alone for a week and you're fine but I leave for two hours and you almost kill her?" Demi joked, then turned serious, "Wait- seriously, baby girl, what's wrong?"

"I.. I worked out, mom." My voice trembled as I find it hard to gather the strength to speak.

"What the hell did you do?!" She rushed to my side, cupping my cheeks, feeling my temperature. "Run a marathon?!"

"Something like that."

"I'm an awful person.." Wilmer said for the thousandth time from beside me.

I wanted to say he wasn't a bad person and I truly wasn't mad at him, but it was too much. I'm just trying to cool down and be able to breathe without it hurting.

"Why would you say that?" Demi asked, standing over me, hopeless.

"I.. I did.. this.." he sighed, his voice sounding like he could cry, "I overworked her."

"Tell me what happened." Demi demanded to Wilmer, her hand softly roaming on top of my head in attempt to comfort me.

"She.. I saw the fire escape. I asked why it was out. She said she snuck out with friends. I was calm. I found a condom. She said it was a boy. My mind.. just.. the past.. I freaked out and made her exercise as a punishment. A ton of fucking exercise and then I found out.." he slammed his first down, "I'm so fucking stupid! I'm so, sorry baby girl. I am."

I believe him. I feel bad for him, I really do. This was all my fault, though. He shouldn't take the blame for this.

"It was Madison," Didi finished his sentence, layering me up with some more ice, "She's the one that did it and Annie covered for her."

Her fingers came to a halt on top of my head. Uh oh. "I'm not going to be mad. I am calm." She lied.

"No, you should be mad. I can't believe I-" Wilmer started, but Demi interrupted him.

"You're right, I should be pissed! I should be pissed that you've been preaching about co-parenting but right when something happens and we need to come together and agree, you take matters into your own hands! By almost sending my daughter into heat exhaustion!" Mom fumed, making me cringe.

"If you were in my shoes, you would've felt the same way.." he said.

"Was taking her phone away not good enough until I got home?"

"You have no idea how bad I feel, okay? I'm sorry- I just reacted. Nothing you say to me right now will be worse than what I've already said to myself."