#thread: divorce

Ava bit her lip gently as she made a plate of food for her husband, despite the fact that he wanted nothing to do with her. Even though her feelings were hurt she was still a wife, she couldn’t turn it off. Adding more rice and beans to his plate, she looked around the kitchen as their children made their plates as well and she shifted around Blue to add a chicken breast to Samuel’s plate, along with a dinner roll and some peas and carrots. Moving for the dining room, she sat the plate before her husband, avoiding looking at him as she did so. With that she turned on her heels, moving away as she announced to their children. “You all enjoy, I’m not really hungry. I’m going to go lay down,” she told them softly.

Samuel sat at the dinner table anticipating his dinner, as the kids fixed their own plates he looked to his wife. She sat the plate down without saying a word to him and he guessed it was because he had asked her not to. He also asked her not to look at him which he assumed she took literal since she did not. Licking his lips slowly as she announced that she wasn’t eating with them as a family because she wasn’t hungry, he sighed. He would never ever voluntarily cause his wife to cry or hurt her on purpose. He said those things but, in his mind, he was just asking for space. And though she did give it to him, having slept in the guest bedroom he didn’t like the lonely feeling that brought him. Picking up his fork, he began to eat quietly, little by little.

Blue looked at her mother curiously as she left them to eat alone and she arched an eyebrow. They always ate as a family, no matter what. Looking to her father, she arched another eyebrow at him. “Is mom okay?” she asked curiously before she sat at the table.

Ava moved up the steps and into the guest bedroom, closing the door behind her softly because she didn’t want their children to know that they were sleeping in different rooms. Laying down on the bed, she curled up on her side, her back facing the door as she stared at the wall with tears in her eyes. She absolutely hated that her husband was mad at her, of course he had the right to be, she had hit him. However, she had done all that she could to apologize and truly show that she was sorry. She didn’t know what else could be done. Never mind the fact that she in her own right had the right to be upset, he had been lying to her for weeks and she was flustered. Sighing out, she closed her eyes, blinking away fresh tears.

Samuel forked rice into his mouth slowly at his daughter’s question he ignored her at first. “Eat your food Blue” he said to her as he continued to eat his own. It was none of their children’s business what was going on right now, they never let them in on anything of this caliber before and he didn’t plan on doing so today.

Siena looked between Blue and her dad as she moved to sit down at the table with him. She looked at his demeanor, he wasn’t ‘happy’ he hadn’t been for weeks and she didn’t know why. And now her mother was walking around with a questionable disposition. What was going on?  

Luca swung his feet back and forth, as he stuffed food into his mouth. Luca hadn’t taken an actual pill in three consecutive days; he was off his rockers at this point. And luckily for him his parents were too busy consuming themselves with other things until he had no clue what he had done. Licking his lips, he jumped up and ran into the kitchen with his plate looking to Phoenix as he said, “can you put more food on my plate?”  

Phoenix waited until everyone was finished with their plates, simply because she didn’t feel like moving around all the bodies in the kitchen. So, once everyone was out of the way, she made her plate of food starting with the chicken. She was just about done making her plate when Luca came rushing towards her and she sat her plate on the counter quickly, so that she didn’t drop it as he bounced. “Slow down kid,” she said to him as she took the plate asking, “what more do you want?” she asked him, wondering if he was really going to eat it all.

Blue scrunched her nose up at her father and she ate her food, eyeing him still. “But you’re not going to go check on mom?” she asked him shocked. Usually her parents were annoyingly stuck at the hip when they were both in the house and now it seemed as if they wanted nothing to do with each other.

Luca nodded his head to his sister as he bounced on his tippy toes a bit, “chicken!” he said loudly to her even though she was very near. “More chicken I am hungry” he exclaimed.

Samuel continued to eat, and he finally looked up at Blue before he looked down. “Your mother doesn’t want to eat…” he told her “she isn’t dying Blue” he countered as he continued to eat. He dropped his gaze and ripped a piece of chicken on the bone popping it into his mouth.

Phoenix eyed Luca carefully. “Are you okay?” she asked him as he bounced, and she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Calm down,” she said to him quietly before she began to add more chicken onto his plate. “Here you go,” she said as she handed it back to him before she resumed her own plate, finishing it off.

Blue looked at her dad and tilted her head to the side as she eyed him. “Right…” she said before she looked down at her plate. Something was definitely going on.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Luca asked his older sister even as he zoomed around her grabbed a napkin and zoomed back towards her and his plate. “I am calm,” he said to her as he folded his arms over his chest and looked to her crazily. “Thanks” he said running back to the table clutching his plate and he climbed in his chair and began to eat again.

Samuel continued to eat his food silently to himself, ignoring his oldest daughters last statement. He didn’t know what his next plan of action was right now, but clearly if it were trickling down to their children, he needed to do something.

Phoenix watched Luca as he ran out of the kitchen and she shook her head. “How have mom and dad not done anything about him?” she muttered to herself as she made her way into the dining room, sitting down before she asked. “Where’s mom?”

Blue looked at Phoenix as she sat down. “Laying down apparently, she said that she wasn’t hungry,” she told Phoenix before she looked at Samuel pointedly.

Samuel watched Luca as he sat down and ate his food, something was off about the kid today, but he didn’t know what it was. He looked to Phoenix and then to Blue as she responded to the girl. Changing the subject, he asked “how was everybody’s day?”

Phoenix looked at Blue oddly before she looked at her father. “It was okay…” she said softly before she asked. “Is mom okay? She always eats with us,” she said thinking it over.

“I don’t know…” Blue said shrugging slightly. “Is she okay dad?” she asked looking at him even harder now.

“Yeah dad” Siena drugged out behind her sisters, “is she okay, is she sick maybe?” she said licking her lips.

Samuel eyes moved to Phoenix, moved to Blue, and then they moved to Sienna slowly. He just wanted to have dinner, but he guessed that would not be happening tonight, so instead he pushed his plate away. He sat back in the chair and looked to Luca before he said, “would you also like to know what’s wrong with your mother son?”

Luca looked to his sisters as he gnawed on his chicken bone, as his father spoke, he looked to him and he shook his head. “Isn’t it obvious that you two are not seeing eye to eye right now. It’s probably because father lost his job” the little boy said as he moved back to his chicken.

Phoenix looked between Samuel and Blue and she watched as Samuel pushed his plate away and she bit her lip, just wanting to know what was going on. At Luca’s response, Phoenix’s eyes grew wide and she said, “what?”

Blue continued to eat as she waited for their father to admit that something was indeed wrong with their mother.  When Luca finally spoke up, Blue began choking on a piece of chicken and she patted her chest, trying to help.

Siena looked between her father and siblings and when Luca spoke, she turned to his slowly. “We are broke?” she exclaimed as she whipped her head in her father’s direction. “Dad, how could you?” she asked.

Samuel squinted Luca, as his face grew red “who told you that? I didn’t lose my damn job I quit it” he told him. “And no, we aren’t broke. And no that has nothing to do with that woman upstairs as a matter of fact. Why don’t you all ask HER why she isn’t eating” he said angrily as he stood up from the table and walked off headed for his office.

Phoenix was taken back completely. When had their father lost his job? That meant all of the financial responsibility fell on their mother, who made decent money on her own, but it was really the combined income of both their parents that kept up the lifestyle. She was broken out of her train of thought when Samuel left the table angrily and she looked around at her siblings shocked.

Blue’s neck jerked back at Samuel’s words and as he stormed off, she looked to Sienna muttering to her, “that woman?” Clearly their parents were upset with each other or something, rather it had something to do with their fathering being jobless or not, but for their father to not even refer to their mother by her name, shook Blue to her core and she said, “... they’re going to get divorced…”

Siena looked to her father as he snapped on them all, looking to him as he continued to speak on her mother making statements that shocked her. She looked to Blue and frowned as she repeated her father’s words and at her last statement, she said “they wouldn’t do that to us would they?” shocked as she looked to her confused. “What will we do if they do?”

Luca looked to his angry dad and he placed his chicken on his plate, as the man stormed off and Blue told them they were getting a divorce his eyes grew the size of his face. “What?” he said to him as he instantly began to cry out in frustration and anger. He loved his parents and he loved them together. Luca screamed loudly before he stormed off for his bedroom slamming his door behind himself.

Phoenix frowned up her face at Blue’s words and she shook her head. “Don’t say that Blue,” she said as the thought truly occurred to her. “We’d all have to either split up or split our time between them…” she said before she watched Luca, flinching as he screamed before storming off.

“I mean have you ever seen them like this before. I know I haven’t,” Blue said looking to Sienna, then to Phoenix nodding slowly. When Luca began screaming, Blue’s face scrunched up. “Luca, shh, no it’s okay,” she said as she stood up quickly, moving for him but as he stormed off, she stopped in her tracks, looking at her two younger sisters sadly, actually showing emotion for a change.

Ava had cried herself to sleep, but it wasn’t restful as she tossed and turned in the bed. When Luca began screaming, she sat up in the bed quickly before she heard the door slam. She jumped out of the bed quickly, wiping her eyes as she did and she rushed out of the room, looking for her son. “Luca?!” she said slightly frantic as she opened his door quickly. “What’s wrong?” she asked looking at him in shock to see his tears. “Oh sweetheart,” she said as she walked over, scooping him up into her arms and holding him close as she sat on the bed. “What happened baby, why are you so upset?” she asked him.

Luca stormed over to his bed and he let out another angry scream as his mother walked into his room, he gazed at her with bright red eyes, a flood of tears having soaked his face by now. He couldn’t place his emotions without his medicine all he did was raged. As she moved to pick him up and take him into her arms as he sat on his bed, he screamed again behind closed lips he was so mad at her. “H-how could you” he stammered barely capable of getting words out sitting against her with his fist balled. “You are going to divorce daddy!” he screamed as he banged his fist against his head. “I won’t see my sisters” he cried out, “I won’t see my daddy” he said cried loudly.

Ava gazed at her son, shocked beyond belief as he screamed once more and she looked him over in her arms, trying to figure out what had gotten into him. “How could I what baby?” she asked him, trying to understand. “What?!” Ava said shocked, looking at Luca with wide eyes. “Sweetheart, what are you talking about?” she asked as she rubbed his back soothingly. “Your father and I are not getting a divorce,” she said him softly, trying to calm him down. “Why would you ever think that?” she asked, wondering if it was that obvious that she and Samuel we’re at odds right now.

“Blue said it” Luca replied back to her brokenly, even though she said they weren’t he knew his parents weren’t themselves. “Then why didn’t you eat dinner!” he yelled at her “why didn’t daddy check on you like Blue asked him to!”

Ava stared at Luca as he rambled off various things and she nodded slowly, gently stroking his cheeks before she took his face into her hands and forced him to look into her eyes. “Luca, honey, take a deep breath with me okay,” she said as she inhaled deeply, holding it for three seconds before she released. “Again,” she told him as she did so once more. “Now, calm yourself,” she told him as she released his face and continued to rub his back. “Blue doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” she said finally responding to what information he had given her. “Baby, I just wanted to lay down,” she informed him. “Mommy was tired,” she said gently, still rubbing his back in soothing circles. “Daddy just wanted to let me rest,” she told him trying to get him to calm his nerves. It was clear to her that he hadn’t taken his medicine again today.

Luca looked to his mother only because of the mere fact that she had made him, he looked in her eyes as did as instruct. Breathing in and out in time with her before he nodded his head at the older woman. Resting against her plush body tiredly, he held her to himself as she spoke to explain that his sister was educated, or at least that’s what he determined. “Okay” he said to her quietly, it was simple as that he was calm though he still shed some tears he was calmer with his mother’s touch and tricks.

Ava nodded slowly and began to rock from left to right with Luca, holding him close as he laid against here. Rubbing his back, she let out a small sigh of relief as he began to calm himself down. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and continued to rock him, rubbing his back for a while longer. Finally, after about 5 minutes she asked, “are you okay?”

Luca hugged his mother, arms wrapping around her waist as she rocked him soothingly. He closed his eyes as she kissed his forehead and when she spoke again, he nodded his head at her. Though he were sad, he would be okay, and he knew that.

Ava continued to hold Luca close even as he nodded his head and she nodded along with him, brushing her fingers over his hair lovingly. “I love you baby,” she said to him sweetly.

“I love you too mommy,” Luca sniffled as he looked to her with big brown dough eyes.

Samuel moved up the stairs slowly, he knew that it had to been Luca screaming at the top of his lungs acting like some wild animal that was not actually birthed from his wife’s womb. He turned the corner as he moved towards the boy’s bedroom when he reached the landing he peered in “have you lost your mind boy? What is wrong with you?” he asked never mind his wife who was sitting on the bed holding him as if he were an infant.

Ava looked up at Samuel as he came into the room and she tucked her lips inward as she stood from the bed, adjusting Luca in her arms, her hands now under his bum as he walked past Samuel, mumbling. “It’s okay, he’s fine.” Walking to the guest bedroom once more, she entered it, closing the door with her foot before she laid Luca on the bed. “It’s okay sweetheart,” she said before she told him. “I’ll be right back.” Walking back out, she looked to Samuel with wide eyes. “You told Blue we were getting divorced?” She asked him in a hushed tone, the hurt on her face apparent.

As his wife walked past him, he eyes her before he looked away moving to turn on his heels. Of course, it was her m.o. to baby him and not discipline him as she should. Samuel left his hands in his pockets as his wife left and returned, he looked back at her. “What?” he asked her confused. “No, I didn’t. So, I hope she didn’t lie and tell you that” he said angrily.

Ava dropped her eyes, still not really looking at him. “No, she told Luca that hence his screaming and crying,” she informed her husband. “He hasn’t been taking his medication, so his emotions are all over the place,” she told her husband, already knowing what was wrong with their son. Looking at the carpet, covering the space of hardwood they were standing on, Ava shifted her weight slightly, gently crossing her arms over her body, her hands holding her elbows. “Why would she think that?” she asked her husband, still looking down.

At her words Samuel furrowed his brows, why did his family hate him so? Why didn’t they ever let him have a break? Licking his lips, he shook his head “because you didn’t eat dinner” he informed his wife as he grabbed her by her elbow and pulled her close to him. “Which isn’t your fault” he told her “it was because of me and the hurtful things I said to you,” he told her resting his chin on her head. “When the kids asked me to check on you, I should have” he said as well. “I’m sorry, you have to know that I didn't mean those things. And that I love you very much. And that I would never ever divorce you, unless it is you that would want to get rid of me” he told her as he ran his hand up and down her back lovingly.

Ava bit her lip gently, nodding along. Of course, her not eating with the family is what did it. They always ate as a family, or at least sat as a family, even if she wasn’t hungry. As Samuel gently touched her, she looked at him through her eyelashes, her head still hanging slightly. Leaning against him gently, Ava closed her eyes as he spoke, and she sighed out. “I love you too,” she whispered sadly, “and I accept your apology,” she said gently. “I’m sorry too baby…”

Samuel leaned up and he leaned his wife’s head up by her chin kissing her lips gently. “I know you didn’t mean to do it, I guess I just felt so… you made me feel like a weak little bitch” he finally told her. “I guess that’s why I was so upset…” he sighed. “But I should have never treated you that way and no matter how many lies I told in that instance. You don’t know how much I just want to run off and vacay with you baby…” he smirked.

As Samuel leaned her head up, Ava kissed his lips back tenderly. At his words, she bit her lip, nodding slowly. “I still shouldn’t have hit you regardless, I was just so…” she trailed off. “I wasn’t thinking clearly,” she admitted. “We can still go,” she said thoughtfully. “I’m still off until she 15th.”

Samuel nodded his head, “I have to be truthful with you, I should have been truthful with you about that. I am about anything else” he said. “I guess I would not have ever thought you’d find me a man to ever mess around Ava. I love with all my heart; do you know that?” he asked her.

Ava bit her lip gently, looking up at her husband. “I know you would never cheat on me,” she said, shaking her head. “I just… I got jealous and then to find out that you’d been lying…” she looked down ashamed of herself. “I have to be more rational,” she said knowingly. “I do, I do know that,” she said gently. “And I love you with all my heart too,” she whispered.