Old Habits

It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, of course. Jack liked Black and Mild cigarettes, malt liquor, fast food, referring to himself in the third person, and she found he preferred being called 'Black Jack' over plain 'Jack'.

It was nothing insurmountable until she saw him on the street corner, purchasing meth. She carefully followed him home, seeing him at the table, staring at the rock, fighting himself over it.

"Black Jack," she said. He looked up at her, alarmed.

"I-it's nothing," he said, trying to hide it.

"Black Jack, you've got to be honest with me, first of all," she said, taking his hands into her own. "Second, we've got a child in this house. Not yours, but a child. No **** in this house. If you want to be with me, no ****, period. Will you do an in-patient treatment for me, get cleaned up?"

Eyes wet with tears, he agreed.