Getting out
831 Words
We pull up to the driveway and see mom packing her stuff into the car. I almost feel bad because of how happy she looks.
"Edith, go inside while I talk to her. If she gets violent, sneak out your window and call me. I will try to make this as civilized as I can."
"I can't believe this is happening. I will try to stay out of the way."
He gives my knee a squeeze, and I get out. Mom doesn't even bother to say hi to me, so I just walk into the house and close the door. I sit on the couch, trying to see if I can snoop undetected. I can hear them talking, but it's hard to make out the words. It would be a risk looking out the window. As soon as I decide to get up, I hear yelling and sit back down. The door whips open, and mom walks in red-faced.
"That no good a**hole of a step dad you have thinks he is leaving me! We will see about that."
"Mom, what is going on?"
"Ross thinks he is going to divorce me, but I am going to go to Hawii and come back tan and hot. He will beg me to come back. Then I will divorce him."
"Maybe you should just let him go. You still have Dan, don't you?"
"He doesn't know about Dan, does he? Wait, no of corse not. He definitely would have brought that up. Maybe you are the reason he is doing this!"
"What? I didn't do anything. "
"You were always in the way of us. It was just like when I was married to your father."
"What?"
"Yeah, you were such a little brat then, too. Always bothering us. Most of our fights were about you. I bet you are the reason he was sick in the first place."
I get up and slap her this time. She stumbles back a couple of steps.
"Don’t you ever talk about him. You never deserved him in the first place."
She puts on her sunglasses and grabs her purse.
"I will be gone for a week, maybe two. Don't trash the house."
She walks out, slams the door, and I hear screeching from the car as she pulls away.
I sit back down for a long minute. I am so mad I am crying. I get up and drink a glass of water. I thought it would soothe me, but I am still furious as her.
I pick up the phone and call Ross.
"Hello, Daddy."
"Do you need me to pick you up?"
"Yes, but I want to move in now, please."
"Are you sure."
"Yes, please."
"Is your mother there?"
"No, she left. please help me get out of here. I don't want to stay for another minute if I don’t have to."
"I am on my way back, princess. I love you."
"I love you to Daddy."
I hang up the phone and grab a couple of suite cases from under my bed. I grab my clothes and angrily shove them into the first one. I started filling the second one up when I realized that this isn't going to work. I have too much stuff.
I hear the door open and close. I ran out of my room to see Daddy. I run into his arms and break down completely. He holds me tight as I sob into his chest.
"What happened, sweetheart?"
"I have too much stuff and not enough to pack it in. I need to get it all out now."
"What happened that you need to get out now? Where is your mom?"
"She left for Hawii. She told me that I was the reason you wanted a divorce. That I am a brat and I am the reason my dad got sick." I barely choked out the last part.
"You are not the reason for any of those things. Especially not for your dad's illness. Your mom was mad, and it came out in ugly ways."
"It still hurts."
"Sweetheart, everything is going to be okay. I have a moving truck outside with boxes, and I am here for you. We will get through this together."
"You got a moving truck this fast?"
"I had one on standby for when you wanted to move."
"You can do that?"
"You can do a lot if you pay enough. Come on, let's grab some boxes and tape. We can knock this out in no time."
I feel a bit better now. We walk out together and grab boxes. Daddy gets most of them for me.
When we get inside, I show him what to grab, and he helps me pack.
"Princess, we will have to put your stuff in the bedroom I set up for you until the divorce, but you can still sleep in my bed."
"I understand. I am just glad I can put this behind me."
- Writer
