Cookies and Cream

~nineteen~

Morning.

When Skye came down for dinner that night, she saw boxes of Chinese takeout lying unopened on the table.

"Mom?" She called out cautiously.

"In here." Her mother's voice came from the living room.

She found her mother sitting next to the fire on her father's armchair, staring into oblivion with a glass of wine in her hand.

"Oh, mom." Skye walked over and wrapped her arms around her mother.

Her mother smiled at her. A small, sad smile.

"Sit," Her mother said, "I want to talk to you."

She nodded and did what her mother told her to do.

Her mother took a deep breath.

"I know that you want to know why your father is in jail. I know you can handle it. I'm sorry for keeping it from you. I just wanted to protect you, from doing something rash."

"What makes you think I won't do something rash now?" She asked her mother.

Her mother sighed, "Well, I'm giving you that choice now, okay?"

"Okay."

"Your father had a student called Stephanie. She wasn't the brightest, but she was easily the most beautiful. She got herself into a spot of trouble when she started dating a man ten years older than her. The man would abuse her, and she couldn't escape. Your father knew this, so he would look out for her. In a bar, one night, she met a young man and fell in love, and began going out with him, behind her first boyfriend's back. Then she got pregnant. The abusive husband found out it was not his child and he beat her until she lost the child. When he asked her who the father was, she knew he was going to hurt her lover, so she told him your father's name instead. That night your father was sleeping over at the college and the man entered, equipped with a knife. He attempted to kill your father, and while your father was trying to pull the knife out of the man's hand, he stabbed the man, killing him."

Her mother looked at her. Skye's eyes were fixed on the fire.

"And that's the story of how your father was put in prison."