Writing 101: Serially Lost

I woke up that morning flying high. After a hard-fought four years I had graduated. I had survived high school. My whole life was in front of me, I had so many choices to make, and I was happy to be making them. But my cap and gown hardly had time to collect dust before that all changed.

“Me and your Dad are breaking up.”

My jaw dropped and my mind swirled. This was the last thing that I ever expected to come out of her mouth. I searched for emotion in her face but there was none. It was like she’d told me that her and my Dad were going to the grocery store.

“So you don’t love him anymore?”

“No, I guess not.”

Still no emotion.

“What’s gonna happen to me?”

“Well you’re gonna stay here with your Dad and I’m moving out. We’ve just been pretty much pretending for a while. We were waiting until you graduated to tell you.”

It had only been a few days since I’d graduated, couldn’t this have waited? It was like she couldn’t wait to tell me. It was like she had been counting down the days. I rushed to my room before the tears could come flowing. For so long I had been the exception among my friends. My parents were married, we were all together under the same roof. We were a family. Now I’d be another child of divorce. It felt like I had been slapped in the face, nothing had seemed different that I could remember. They argued and bickered like they normally did. But maybe I was too wrapped in my own issues too notice anything, or maybe they had hidden it well. Then I thought of my Dad and what he must be feeling right now.

Me: I love u Dad

Daddy: I take it your Mom talked to you

Me: Yeah

Daddy: Its gonna be alright

Me: Ok

I didn’t believe it was going be alright, in fact I knew there was more pain to come……