Langer home October 29, 2018

Tara jolted awake in bed, letting out a sigh as she sat up. She couldn't remember what she was dreaming about, but it was enough to stir her out of a dead sleep. She let out a frustrated groan at the sound of crying coming from the monitor

"I'm coming, Luce!" Tara called as she stood up and began making her way out of her bedroom and into the room directly across from hers, "I am going to be so happy once you finally start sleeping through the night." the young mother grumbled under her breath.

The closer she got the louder the cries became, but once she entered the nursery and peered into the crib the crying stopped. The sight that greeted her was of her tiny five-week-old daughter's big blue watery eyes staring up at her innocently.

"Hi, sweetheart." Tara murmured as she lifted her daughter up into her arms and held her close, bouncing her gently, "What's wrong, my love?"

Lucy cooed back gripping tightly to her mother's sleep shirt, which had actually been one of Luke's old t-shirt, though it no longer carried his scent on it, as she began rooting around for her mother's breast.

"Oh," Tara chuckled, "I see what's wrong. Are you hungry, sweetheart?"

Her daughter began whining as she couldn't find what she was searching for, kicking her legs in aggravation.

Tara moved over to the rocking chair in the corner of the room that Sheryl and Nick had gotten her and sat down, "Just a minute, Luce." Tara said as she lifted her shirt and repositioned her daughter. Upon finding what she was looking for, Lucy immediately latched on and began sucking hungrily.

While she fed her daughter, Tara's mind began to wander to the night that brought her to this moment in time.

Langer home December 15, 2017

Tara shut her car door and began heading up the driveway to her house. It was late and she had just gotten home from a meeting with the owner of an elite art gallery about showcasing some of her work exclusively.

She walked up the porch stairs and reached out to slip her key in the lock when the door shifted open a bit. Tara looked up nervously, someone was in her house. It didn't look like a break in, but just to be safe Tara pulled out her bottle of pepper spray and got her phone ready to call 911.

She pushed on the door until it opened enough for her to slip through and nervously made her way inside, only to sigh sadly at what she found. The figure sitting hunched over her dining room table, hungrily shoving a sandwich into his mouth, was the love of her life and longtime boyfriend, Luke Crain.

"Luke?" Tara called out as she shut the front door behind her. She hadn't seen him in a few months; ever since he called her asking for a ride and stole some money out of her purse.

The man in question froze at the sound of her voice and slowly turned his head to face her.

Tara sighed at the sight of his red eyes, he was high, "What are you doing here, Luke?"

Luke stood up and shuffled closer to her, "I- I missed you baby."

"So you broke into my house?" She questioned, aggravated.

Luke shook his head, "I didn't break in." He pulled something out of his pocket, "I used the key you gave me."

She had forgotten that she gave him a key when she first got the house and he wasn't as bad off. Tara knew she would need to change the locks after this.

"You can't keep doing this, Luke." Tara exclaimed as she moved to the table and began cleaning up the mess he had made, "You can't just show up whenever it's convenient for you or when you need something from me."

Luke shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded as he watched her put away the food he had pulled out, "I know."

"Do you?" she rounded on him angrily, "Do you really? God, I'm so tired of this Luke!" she cried, "I never see you and when I do, you're always high as hell and asking for money or stealing my stuff!" water began to fill up in her eyes as she stared at her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry." He whispered sadly.

She sighed rubbing her eyes, "I know you are, but god Luke, I can't... I can't do this anymore." She sniffled.

Luke looked up in horror, she couldn't leave him she was his Tara, "No please Tara, you don't mean that baby, you don't. I love you, okay? And I know I'm a fuck up but I'm going to get better, I will. Please believe me, baby. I need you to believe in me!"

He rushed over to her and hugged her tightly to him, "I want to get better, please just let me stay with you tonight and we can get me checked into a rehab in the morning. Please, baby I just miss you so much. Let me stay tonight."

Tara cried as she clung tightly to the back of his shirt pulling him closer to her. She loved this man so much; he had been her best friend her entire life and she really didn't know how to live without him, "This is the last time, Luke. I don't have it in me to keep doing this with you. This is your last chance."

He nodded, "It'll take this time, I promise. I love you so much, baby."

"I love you too." They held each other for a moment longer before she pulled away and wiped the tears off her face, "Go take a shower while I clean up in here. I'll be up in a minute." He nodded and walked out of the room.

Tara finished cleaning up the kitchen and walked upstairs to her bedroom.

Luke sitting on her bed with a towel wrapped around her waist looking at an old picture of the two of them in high school.

She walked over to her vanity and began removing her earrings. Tara never wore any jewelry except for fancy occasions. The only piece of jewelry she wore constantly was the promise ring Luke had given her right after graduation.

After a minute, he stood up and walked over to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist bending down to trail kiss along her neck. Tara sighed in contentment before turning around and wrapping her arms tightly around him, she loved the feeling of having him in her arms once again. It had been so long.

Luke reached behind her and grabbed the zipper of her dress and pulled it down as she slipped her arms out of it and the dress pooled at her feet leaving her in nothing but her lingerie and heels. He walked her over to the bed and laid her down in the sheets, his lips leaving a trail of kiss down her body until he reached the waistband of her panties and began pulling them off.

Tara awoken the next morning, she smiled happily as she reached out for Luke only to find an empty bed and cold sheets. She sat up and looked around the room, "Luke?" There was no answer.

She stood up and slipped her robe on as she exited her bedroom and made her way downstairs, "Luke, where are you?" again nothing but silence.

Once she reached the living room she found the contents of her purse on the couch and her wallet sitting on the coffee table, the cash that was in it gone. He had stolen her money, and who knows what else and left her again. No explanation, no apology, no note, nothing.

Tara slid down the wall until she reached the floor, pulled her knees to her chest and cried; she sat there and cried for hours.

Tara was jolted out of her thoughts at the sound of her phone ringing. She looked down at Lucy and saw that the little girl had fallen back asleep. Tara stood up and placed her daughter back in her crib.

She walked into her bedroom to grab her phone looking at the caller ID to see that it was Steve calling her, "Hey Steve, two calls in one day. What's up? Why are you calling so late?" she questioned as she answered the phone.

"Tara," He breathed out, "It's... it's Nellie."

Tara frowned at his tone of voice, "Steve what's wrong? What happened to Nellie?"

"She's dead, Tara." He whispered sadly.

"W-what?"