Brad and Ruby.

The car came to an abrupt halt, followed by a deep sigh from Brad.

“I’m sick of this shit.” He didn’t try to mutter under his breath, instead he screamed it, sending a sense of dread through Ruby.

She glanced over to the backseat, making sure their little girl was okay. Sophia smiled back at her mother, oblivious to the rising tension in the car. Ruby cooed at her daughter, giving her a wave, blowing her a kiss.

“Brad..” Ruby began, desperately thinking of ways to diffuse the situation, calm her husband.

She was cut off instantly, dismissively, by a wave of Brad’s hand.

“I. Am. Sick. Of. This. Shit.” He repeated, slowly and meanly. His once kind eyes bore hatred into his wife.

He threw open his door and got out, ignoring Ruby’s increasing anxiety as she begged to know what he was doing.

Brad tore open the door to the backseat, grabbing Sophia’s blanket, her baby bag with nappies and a change of clothes. He flung those items out to the ground with a growl of anger, hastily attempting to unclip the carseat their daughter sat in.

Ruby was out of the car, a sickening game of tug and war ensued, Brad trying to rip out the car seat, Ruby desperately trying to keep it secured in the car.

“Please, you’re scaring her!” Ruby tried to reason, tears streaming down her face. “You’re going to hurt her!”

Brad growled inhumanly, his features contorting to something evil and ugly. He smiled! A sad, strange smile, but a smile nonetheless. Ruby felt physically ill. She was married to a monster.

Despite her efforts, Ruby couldn’t match Brad’s strength, and within a moment, the carseat was unclipped and flung through the air, crashing down with a thud onto the road.

Now it was Ruby’s turn to scream inhumanly. She ran to the crumpled carseat, screaming her daughters name, while Brad watched on, emotionless.

“I’m sick of this shit, Ruby. I can’t do this anymore. I thought I was stronger, that I could be there for you.. but I can’t do it. Not like this.”

Ruby didn’t, couldn’t respond. Her husband had lost his mind. She felt numb with shock at what had just happened.

Brad sighed at Ruby’s lack of response, and quietly went on, “I love you, Rubes. Always have. But our daughter died a year ago. I can’t keep pretending she’s still here, like nothing ever happened. I can’t hear you talk to an empty car seat anymore.”

Ruby held the baby born doll, gently and carefully, singing lullabies as she rocked it to 'sleep'. She was comfortable in her new home. The white padded walls made her feel safe.

An unread letter from her husband, courtesy of the county jail, sat on a table next to her.

Begging for forgiveness she couldn’t give.

She wished so badly she had listened when the doctor said Brad’s new medication could cause delusions.