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“Mama!!” Izzie cheered as Toni sat her keys down.
Toni looked down at her with a smile before picking her up. “Hey baby, how was school?”
“It was okay, I got an A on my spelling test.”
“You did?”
Her daughter nodded.
“You’re so smart just like your mom. Speaking of your mom where is she?”
“Kitchen.” Her daughter replied.
“Let’s go find her.” Toni said while picking her up.
“What happened to your eye Mama?” Her daughter asked noticing the bruise.
“What about your eye?” Cheryl said while chopping up some vegetables.
“It’s nothing.”
Cheryl gave her a look, while sitting the knife she was using down, making her way over to where Toni was standing.
“Oh my god, babe that doesn’t look good. Is that a gash on your forehead?” She asked while moving some of Tonis hair out of the way to get a better look.
“I missed you.” Toni said leaning in to kiss her wife.
“I missed you too but, are you gonna tell me why you’re all banged up?”
Toni sighed. “Cher it’s nothing really I just had a little altercation with a couple of Ghoulies.”
“Is Mama hurt?” Izzie said looking at Cheryl.
Before Cheryl could answer Toni winced as she went to squat down, so that she was at eye level with her daughter.
“I’m okay baby, you should see the other guy.” She said giving her daughter a reassuring smile.
“Izzie can you give Mama and I a moment.” Cheryl spoke up.
Izzie nodded before running off. “Toni?”
“Babe I told you I’m fine.” She said attempting to stand up.
Cheryl shook her head.
“It’s just a couple of bruises I’ve had a lot worse.”
“Toni, you can’t keep doing this. We’re not teenagers anymore, you have daughter to worry.” She paused before saying her next words.
“You have me to worry about.”
“You do realize that I got jumped right? I didn’t go out of my way to pick a fight with them.”
“Yeah, and do you know why they jumped you? Because of that.” She said pointing to the leather jacket Toni was wearing.
Toni rolled her eyes. “Cheryl, we’re not fighting about this.”
“Why not, because you know it’s true?”
“What do you want me to do leave the only family I’ve ever had?”
“Izzie and I are your family and do you not realize how much pain we would both be in if something happened to you?”
“Babe, I know.” Was all she could say.
“No, Toni you don’t.”
“Do you want me to choose?”
“I just don’t want your daughter to have to see you this way.”
Toni chuckled. “Well kinda too late for that.”
“Classic Toni.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“All you care about is that gang, that’s all you’ve ever cared about.”
“Now you know that’s not true.”
“But, it is TT, I can’t tell you how many times Izzie has asked you to go push her on the swing and your response is always that you’re busy and when you say you’re busy you are doing some bullshit job for Jughead.”
Toni let out a slight chuckle while shaking her head.
“Whatever Cher, think what you want. I’m not arguing with you about this anymore.” She said fixing to walk off.
“Yeah walk away like you always do.”
As Toni started to make her way out of the kitchen she could hear Cheryl start to sob. But, she just couldn’t bare to see how upset she had made her wife feel.
She decided it was best she just hung out in the garage for the remainder of the evening. She had music blaring while tinkering with her motorbike. When she felt someone tug on her jacket, she looked down to see none other than her daughter.
Toni turned down the music while picking her daughter up. “What’s wrong baby?”
“I miss you.”
“You do?”
The little girl nodded.
“Well how about we go out back and I’ll push you on the swing.”
“But, it’s dark out.”
“So it’ll be alright.”
“Won’t mommy be mad?”
Toni smiled. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Her daughter giggled.
Toni was pushing Izzie on the swing, while she was pushing her the little girl looked up at her.
“Mama?
“Yes?”
“Why is Mommy crying?”
Toni didn’t even know what to say, Izzie is far too young to understand what is going on.
“I don’t know baby.”
Toni felt bad for lying and for leaving her wife alone like she did knowing how upset the she was.
“Can we go see mommy? I don’t like it when she’s sad.”
Toni didn’t want to tell her daughter no, but she also didn’t really think now was the best time.
“Uhh I’ll tell you what how about you go get ready for bed and let me see what’s wrong with Mommy and when you’re all done Mommy and I will come tuck you in.”
“Okay.”
Toni carried Izzie inside. “Alright go brush your teeth munchkin.” Toni said while sitting her down.
Toni made her way upstairs to her and Cheryl’s bedroom. Only to see Cheryl packing a suitcase.
“What are you doing?”
“Izzie and I are staying at Veronicas tonight.”
“You can’t be serious?”
“Cher, don’t be ridiculous.”
“Toni- I can’t right now. I need a night away.”
“How long are you staying at Veronicas?
Cheryl shrugged.
Toni let out a loud sigh. “I’m sorry.”
“That doesn’t mean anything to me right now. You don’t care about us.”
“That is bullshit you know that isn’t true.”
“Really? Because if you cared you wouldn’t of left me standing in the kitchen crying. If you cared you would take what I’m saying into consideration and you would stop with the Serpents. You would be there for me and Izzie, so no I don’t think you care.”
“I-“ Toni didn’t even know what to say, she just began unpacking Cheryl’s suitcase.
“Toni, what are you doing?”
“You’re not leaving.”
“Don’t do this, do not make this hard for me right now.”
“Then don’t go.”
Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Would stop unpacking my things?”
“Will you not leave?”
“No.”
“What if i quit?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What if leave the serpents?”
Cheryl stood there a moment. “You won’t.”
“I would and I will for you.” She said while grabbing her wife’s hand.
“Just please don’t take Izzie and go I’m an idiot. I don’t want to drive you both away. If I have you to choose between you guys and the Serpents. Then I choose you guys, you both are my entire world. I would be a fool to let a gang drive you both away.”
Cheryl looked away while wiping her tears.
“Will you please stay?”
“If you really mean everything you just said.”
“I meant every word, I love you Cher more than anything.”
Cheryl threw her arms around her wife’s neck.
“I love you too, just please stay true to what you just said,” Toni leaned in to kiss her wife, the kiss was soft and passionate, “I promise,” Toni said as they both pulled away.
Cheryl pressed her forehead against Toni’s, “Is mommy okay?” Izzie whispered.
They turned to look at their daughter who was standing in the doorway of their bedroom, Toni chuckled, “Didn’t I tell you to go brush your teeth nosey?” Toni said running over to the girl swooping her into her arms.
“I did!” She said smiling to show Toni her teeth.
“And you did such a good job.” Cheryl said making her way over to her wife and daughter.
Izzie looked at her mom with a look of concern, “So mommy’s okay?”
Cheryl smiled leaning in to kiss the little girls forehead, “Mommy is fine my little love, although it is way past your bedtime.”
The little girl huffed shaking her head, “Mommy’s right, so off to bed we go Munchkin,” Toni said carrying Izzie to her bedroom.
“I don’t want to go to bed I’m not tired!” Izzie whined.
“Tell you what if you lay down and go to sleep, I’ll push you on the swing? Maybe we can even convince mom to go to pops for a strawberry shake, what’d you say?”
The girl smiled, “You promise?”
Toni smiled leaning in to kiss her daughters forehead, “Anything for you.”