Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49114 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 196(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49114 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 196(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
The amount of things I’m going to make that wench pay for keeps growing. Elaina was hesitant to even enter mom’s house when we got there. “Hey, look at me. You’re with me now; no one is ever going to hurt you again. If that’s not something you can believe right now, just watch me.”
I took her hand and opened the door, calling out to mom and dad as we walked in. They were still sitting at the breakfast nook, drinking their morning coffee. Something I’d seen them do a thousand times before, and never thought to ever see again.
I’d been so blinded by anger and hate these past few months, along with worrying about mom that I never really stopped to think about the impact the divorce had on me.
No one ever talks about the adult children of divorce. Like our feelings matter any less because we’re older. Like we don’t have the same fond memories of two parents who loved each other who were now being torn apart.
It was only as I stood in that kitchen watching the two of them together, looking so happy, that I realized how much I’d wanted this. Not just for mom, but for me. It’s because of them that I was able to believe in love in the first place.
I walked over to kiss mom and slapped dad on the shoulder as they offered us breakfast. Since I hadn’t fed her, I accepted on her behalf and pulled her down next to me while mom got up to do the honors.
I was so excited to see her back to her old self that I stopped Elaina from offering to help. Mom was in her element. As I watched her bustling around the room, and saw the way dad’s eyes followed her around, I felt at peace for the first time in a long time.
I didn’t bring up the results right away, because I knew once I did that the whole atmosphere would change. Instead I gave the three people in the room one last time to enjoy before we all had to deal with the whole sordid mess again.
“So Elaina, we never got to finish our shopping yesterday and I imagine these boys of mine have things they need to today, so why don’t we do that?”
“But….” I cut her off knowing she was going to say that I’d already taken her shopping, like that was enough. But apparently that wasn’t all that was bothering her.
“Do you still want to take me with you?” She said the words so low that I barely made them out. But it was the look on her face that broke my heart. “Hey, come here.”
I pulled her from her chair onto my lap, not even thinking about that fact that I was doing it in front of mom and dad. Mom answered her since she’d heard her as well.
“I don’t understand, did something happen? Why wouldn’t I want to take you shopping?” I squeezed Elaina who was close to tears. “Nothing happened mom. She’s still afraid that we’re all going to blame her for what Lisa did.”
Dad was the one who answered. “I’d say we owe you a service. Aren’t you the one who tried to warn my boy and who saved that thing she was feeding me? I can’t imagine that was an easy decision to make, going against your mother like that.”
He stopped and gazed off as if deep in thought. “My wife also told me some of what you’ve faced at her hands as a child. I want you to know that the man you met, is not the man I am. I would never so much as acknowledge any human being who would mistreat a child.”
“As to this family holding a grudge against you, that’s not the way we do things. If you’re guilty, then we’ll treat you as such, but we’re not in the habit of lumping the innocent in with the guilty. And besides, isn’t my boy in love with you? Speaking of which, you owe me son.”
“How do you figure?”
“Well, in a roundabout way, I’m the reason you two met. The circumstances could’ve been better, but what’s done can’t be undone. Speaking of which, I’ve spoken to our lawyers about having the divorce reversed as if it never was.”
“He seems to think that if we can prove that I was indeed being drugged at the time, that there might be a way…” His voice trailed off and there were tears in his eyes. Mom walked away from the stove where she was making eggs to kiss him on the head.
The move was so natural that I felt the pain of what they could’ve lost in the gut. And I wondered if Elaina and I would be like that, if we’d share the same effortless closeness? I’ll make sure we do. My thoughts had me kissing her hair before putting her back in her chair.