Tobias

I rub my eyes as I take a seat around the small table, that lies in the middle of Tessa's kitchen. "Merry Christmas, mom." Anne enters the kitchen, saying. "Uncle Tobi!" She wraps her long arms around me. Her voice sounds more grown up. "Hey, Anne." I say, hugging her back. "Sit down for breakfast, baby." Tessa says. "I am not a baby anymore, mom." She whines, sitting down. I chuckle. I look at my grown nephew. "I am starting high school next year!" She says with excitement filling her voice. Peter was her age. He would have been starting high school, next year just like Anne. If it wasn't for my father. "Exciting!" I say, smiling at her. Her golden hair is long and braided. A pair of black glasses lay on her nose. "When did you start wearing glasses?" I ask. "Two years ago." Her mother says putting a plate full of pancakes in front of me. "I hate them. I keep asking mom to get me some lenses." She says. "Why?" I ask. "People would make fun of me in high school." She says. "Hey, if anyone tries that, just give me a call." I say, patting her shoulder. "You're not here anymore." Anne says with a shrug. I look at her. "Alright, let's eat now." Tessa says, sitting in front of her daughter.

"Going somewhere?" Tessa standing at the door as I tie my shoelaces. I look up at her. "I was thinking about a walk." I say. "She didn't mean that really. It's just her father. He doesn't see her a lot. You know him." She says. I stand up. "She's right. I am not here most of the time." I say with a shrug. "I think it's about time you came back." She says. "My whole life is back at New York, Tess." I say. "We're not a part of this life, then?" She asks, crossing her arms. "That's not what I meant." I say. "Then, what did you mean?" She asks. I sight. "Look, Tessa, I don't want to fight." I say. "I miss you, Tobi." She says. I look at her. I walk up to her and pull her into my arms. "You were there for us when Liam wasn't and when dad wasn't." She says. "I am sorry." I say rubbing her back.

I watch Anne as she jumps out of the car. "Let's go." I say as she walks beside me. "Mom is not gonna like that we snuck out." She says. "Well, then we're not gonna tell her." I wink at her. She smiles as we go into the movie theater. "Can we watch the horror movie?" She asks, pointing at the poster of the conjuring 3 movie. "Yeah, of course, we can." I say. "Two tickets, please." I say to the woman behind the tickets window. "Alright, middle seats?" She asks. I nod. She hands me two tickets. "Thirty dollars." She says. I hand her thirty dollars and walk with Anne to get popcorn.

"That was scary! Like so scary!" She says on the drive back home. "Yeah, you were so scared." I say. "I wasn't." She says. "I mean, I heard you scream." I say with a smirk. "That was the guy, beside me." She says. I chuckle. "Of course." I say as I pull into the parking lot. She jumps out of the car. "Nice and slow." I say as we enter the dark apartment. We sneak into her room. I tuck her in. "Sweet dreams, big girl." I say, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I love you so much, Uncle Tobi." She whispers. "I love you, too. Babygirl." I say, smiling at her. I leave the room slowly. I enter the kitchen and open the fridge. I garb the wine bottle. "Thought that you can sneak my daughter out and I wouldn't know, huh?" "Holy fuck, you scared the crap out of me!" Her voice scares the living shit out of me, as she switches the lights open.

I pour another cup of wine for each of us. "Remember that time when I almost gave birth to Anne in the hospital's parking lot." She laughs. I laugh along. "Yeah, I had a biology test that day. I skipped it when I got that call from Liam like "hey man, your sister is giving birth!"" I say between the laughs. She breathes out. "I almost want to go back." She says. "Yeah." I say, sipping the wine. "You still love her, then?" She asks, running her finger around the tip of her glass. "I can't imagine the day I would stop." I say. "You told her?" She asks. "A couple of times." I say. "Did she says it back?" She asks. "Yeah." I say. "Elite is the problem, then?" She asks. "She's not a problem. I just. I can't bring myself to hurt her. She was there you know. When it happened. She helped me clean our mother's blood." I say, taking the last sip from the glass. She stays silent.

"The place around me is dark. I am not sure where I am. Out of nowhere, I am watch my parents fight. I look at the stairs. My younger self and Elite is beside me. "Gary!" She shouts as bullets escape his gun. The bullet stops in midair. "Tobias." Elite's older self. I turn and she's standing beside my mother. It seems as time stopped. "Tobias." Ruby's voice calls me this time. She's standing right at the other side of my mother. The bullet some how divides and now there is three bullets. "Choose!" My father's voice echoes. "Choose!" My younger self yells. I cover my ear. "Stop!" I shout, as the voices multiple. Younger Elite joins in. "Fucking stop!!" I shout higher. "Choose choose choose!!!"

I wake up with a start. Cold sweat is covering my whole body. My breath is heavy and fast. I sit in bed. I check my phone. It's 6:10. I pull on jeans and a grey hoodie. I decide to go for a walk.