Danny rolled into the parking lot of the whitewashed house. The silver sedan came to a silent stop on the concrete pad before Danny exited the vehicle, his suit left messy and his tie hung loosely around the neck.
A tinder twist of the door knob in the way he had tried to when he had snuck out all those years ago when he had just been a kid.
The lock barely clicked as he opened the door and poked his head in.
The frantic scrabbling of dog claws on hardwood met him as Ruger let out the half bark from somewhere deep in his throat the way he always did when he was excited.
The 80 pound pit was wagging his tail with such ferocity that his entire butt wiggled as he stomped to the door to say hi.
Ruger had fur that was a light gray color similar to blue bullies, but he had not come with that price tag thank god.
"You suck at sneaking in", Aelia said from the kitchen.
"We raised a snitch", Danny chuckled as he scratched Ruger's ears.
Danny tried to put his keys on the hook by the door but by Ruger being the not so little attention seeker, he just leaned his weight against Danny's legs and looked up at him as his tail made little bass notes against the floor.
Danny just shook his head and stuck the keys in his pocket stepped over the 80 pound road block past the stairs and into the kitchen to see Aelia with her back turned cutting up vegetables. Her golden hair pulled back into a tail of silk that shimmered in the light shining from the kitchen window.
Even in sweat pants and a tank top she was way out of his league, her thin figure swaying to some tune only she heard even though she did not have headphones in.
Danny opened the stainless steel fridge and pulled out a bottle of OJ.
"Smells great", Danny said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and planted a kiss on the side of her head.
"You liar", she said softly without a hint of her voices normal warmth," I'm not even cooking yet"
"Good thing too since Abigail is not present...we could ya know", Danny said in her ear.
Aelia put down the kitchen knife against the cutting board and turned to face him. Putting her hands behind her on the counter.
"Oh no mister, I have a bone to pick with you"
Danny took a step back racking his brain for what she could possibly be about to say.
"I forgot something didn't I"
"Danny what is today?", She asked with her eyebrows practically touching the fucking ceiling the way she did when interrogated him.
Danny held back the smirk as he failed to catch the smart ass comment that exited his lips before he could even attempt to stop them from being said.
"Fucking Tuesday"
Aelia Rolled her eyes and scoffed before saying annoyed "try our fucking anniversary you asshole"
Danny stared at her blankly before just saying stupidly. "Already huh?"
Aelia stared at him with eyes that were practically daggers.
Danny held up a hand before he could catch the full extent of her wrath and chuckled.
Aelia's face contorted in anger as she laid into him. "Oh that's funny"
"pretty fucking hilarious considering we have a dinner reservation in an hour and your about to cook" Danny said with a sly smirk on his face.
Aelia's face made a thousand different expressions as she processed what Danny had just said. She looked at the makings of the meal scattered on the counter and than back to Danny gaping at him like a fish out of water.
"where"
"Luchal's"
Abby Gasped before letting out the excited squeal she always did when something genuinely excited her deeply she jumped up and down before wrapping her arms around Danny's neck and planting an kiss on him.
She stepped back holding him at shoulder length and just said "really?'
Danny chuckled as he got lost in the deep sea green of her eyes.
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"Yes really now go get ready", he said giving her a playful slap to the ass.
And than Danny woke up
He stared at the stained Ceiling of the ran down one bedroom apartment for what must have been a thousand years before he rolled onto his side, greeted by his companions from the night before.
An empty fifth of vodka sat overturned on the end table next to a thin coating of white residue that covered the end table.
Danny reached forward with a hand that jumped around like a fucking rabbit as he lifted the bottle, confirming past Danny had indeed given present Danny the bird and left absolutely nothing behind.
Danny sat up with a head that felt stuffed with cotton and took a deep breath. He thought about launching the bottle towards the wall. Screaming. Yelling. Cry?
It didn't fucking matter. Not anymore.
Danny let out a deep sigh before gently putting the empty bottle back on the night stand and rising up off the stained mattress.
He was still wearing jeans and even his fucking sneakers. He didn't remember going to bed. He didn't remember much. He never did. It was better that way.
Danny shuffle
Abigail sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and watching something on her phone.
He felt the anger rise in him as he saw her sitting there.
"Why aren't you at school?", Danny said stiffly
"Dad, it's like five in the afternoon", Abigail said without even looking up, fed up.
Shame flashed across Dannys chest. It was always after 5 in his world now. He wordlessly stumbled past Abigail to the freezer and steadied himself with a shaky hand against the counter and opened the freezer as a wave of icy air rushed over him. He pulled the bottle out of the freezer and with the rabbit hands tried to open the bottle.
The bottle fell from Danny's hands and collided with the floor but didn't break.
"It's ok I got it", Abigail said, getting up from the table and picking up the bottle before twisting the seal to reveal a satisfying crunch as the seal broke. She sat the lid on the counter and handed the bottle to Danny.
Danny stared at the floor as he lifted the shaky bottle to his lips and took a deep pull of the bottle. Nearly vomiting as he fought it. Forcing it to stay. His hands shook less now. He lifted a steadier bottle to his lips and took another pull that threatened to kill him as it fought not to go down.
Danny won, He always won his fight against the first two or three drinks.
Danny walked to the kitchen table and sat down. Soon the liquor would make him alright. He just had to hold out until then.
Abigail sat watching her video and eating her cereal, casting glances at Danny.
"What" Danny said finally, rubbing his temple as the headache punched him over and over again.
"Can I have a drink too?", Abigail asked bluntly
Danny rubbed his temples as the light of the room assaulted his brain.
"what you fucking serious?"
Abigail shot him a sarcastic look before saying "No I was just making conversation"
Danny shook his head and said with a tone barley above a whisper "hardy fucking har kiddo"
Abigail didn't bother to say anything she just snatched the bottle out of his hand and poured a stream of clear liquid into her mug and slammed the bottle back in front of him.
"Oh yeah just help yourself", Danny shot sarcastically before grabbing the bottle and taking a pull.
"what else is fucking new", Abigail said her attention back on her video "Help yourself" Abigail shot back in a mocking tone.
Danny waved her off and rubbed his throbbing head. He swore that if the day ever came where he could catch the asshole with the jackhammer on the inside of his skull on mornings like this he would kill him, Then again the asshole giving him headaches was him.
"What am I going to do with you", Danny sighed exasperated as he reached over the stained table and slid the bottle back towards him.
"Hopefully wake up before noon", Abby said with another roll of the eyes.
Danny sighed defeated and stood up skulking to the fridge, the cool air rushed over him as he stared at the empty fridge.
"We don't have any food in there if that's what you're looking for" Abby stated plainly through a mouth half full of cereal.
"Well what the fuck are you eating than", Danny said pointing at the box of cereal on the table.
Abby snatched the box and overturned it over the floor to reveal it too was empty. She than opened her hand and let the box tumble to the floor.
"Don't worry, just help yourself Dad"
Guilt and shame assaulted Danny nearly as violently as his headache he sighed before bending down and picking up the cereal box and setting it back on the table as he lowered himself back into his seat.
"I'll get something today", Danny sighed as he brought the vodka to his lips and grimaced as the fire slid down his throat.
"Yeah another fucking hangover", Abby said with yet another god dam eye roll.
"Just put the good card on the counter, I'll stop by the market on my way back from school tomorrow.", Abby said taking a gulp from the mug.
Danny checked his pockets to see if he had passed out with his wallet in tow, he felt the familiar lump on his left back pocket and pulled the cracked black leather puck out and drew out a card and tossed it at Abby.
"Not that one, the blue one.", Abby said after glancing up and seeing the red square on the table. "That one declined last time"
Danny felt the heat of his anger bubbling to the surface as he reached back into the wallet and threw the blue card at her and said "You're really on one today"
Abigail gulped the last of the vodka and winced before slamming the mug down on the table.
"Excuse the fuck out of me for making sure you don't starve"
Abigail stood up shaking her head before snatching the card off the table and continuing
"Better yet maybe if you hadn't put a week's worth of groceries up your nose you would be eating right about now", Abigail spat the words like venom
Danny's Rage boiled over as he stood up kicking the chair across the room. He vaguely heard it land in the living room before the anger took the wheel.
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUISNESS WHAT GOES UP MY NOSE LITTLE GIRL"
Abby shook her head as she stalked off towards the front door.
"Oooooh I'm fucking scared now", Abby said mockingly. "Got something on your nose dad"
"Yeah go right on a fucking head and sit there and judge me little girl. Excuse the fuck out of me miss perfect for making the money around here" Danny hissed, he could feel the heat of his anger behind his eyes.
Abigail stalked to the front door before shooting back "The worlds drunkest gangster ladies and gentleman, a real fucking bread winner" She spat a a wad of spit on the floor before giving the Danny the finger and slamming the door so hard the walls shook.
Danny's phone vibrated in the pocket of his stained and faded jeans.
"FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU PEOPLE WANT" Danny screamed as he slammed a fist against the table.
He snatched the phone from his pocket.
7 missed calls from Frank.