Slipping Away

Chapter 1

I could barely make out the yellow dotted line as I sped down the road. Tears were blurring my vision and the rain was pouring down. How could this be happening? Such bliss has turned into a nightmare. Sometimes, people drift apart and you go days without thinking about the person who you once talked to every day. Sometimes you don't see or talk to the person who knew you best, the person who made your heart skip a beat and thump uncontrollably, the person who gave you butterflies, for weeks... But I'd never imagine that would become Luke and me. Last month I would have thought it ever possible. We were so in love, our heart blazed, fueled from the relationship we shared. I thought everything would be perfect from the day we said our vows until the day we took our last breath, but I fear that it will not.

The image of Luke's expression circled in my head, only increasing the searing pain that I wished I could numb. Over and over, his image played in my head, repeating those few moments left we had spent together that killed every fiber of my being. The silence he had created was louder than any argument he could have created. It all spun around in my head, creating this whirlpool of thoughts. I just knew I had to get out of here and soon. I kept driving south.

Bo, Tate, and Ava were in the backseat, sound asleep. I glanced in my rear view mirror, taking a look at their innocent faces. They didn't have a clue what was going on and it killed me to know that they might not have a father in their lives anymore. Turning my attention back to the road, I tried my hardest to withhold my sobs. One thing was sure, I had to be strong for myself, but most importantly my children.

I turned on the radio so there was a soft hum to drive to, something to keep my mind off of Luke and what he was doing now. Surely he wasn't breaking down as bad as I was, right?

:::::::

Luke slammed the vase from the dining room table down, sending it to the floor, leaving shards of glass everywhere. "Why? I said I wasn't ever going to let her go again, and look, what did I do? I let the fucking love of my life go!" Luke yelled, collapsing to the floor. He put his hands in his head, fully aware of the tears searing down his face.

Maybe it was the alcohol or just the fact that Caroline had walked out on him, he didn't know. He ran to the bathroom, throwing up into the toilet all of the alcohol he had consumed. Luke slowly stood and dragged himself back into the kitchen where Caroline had left him. Everything seemed normal. Dinner was being prepared, a candle was lit on the counter, the radio was softly playing, a newspaper laid atop the kitchen table. Except there was one thing wrong, Caroline was gone.

"Dammit," I yelled sinfully. "I'm such an ass."

Caroline had walked out on me and it was all my fault, something I would have never dreamed would happen. Yet, I couldn't tell her what was wrong. No, I could've do that. Just the thought of bringing it up made my insides tremble. But I love her...

:::::
I pulled up to a Hampton Inn hotel just outside of Abbeville, South Carolina. I parked the car and looked at the clock on the dash. 8:45 pm. Resting my head against the car seat, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. As I glanced over at Til in the passenger seat, I just wanted to cry again.

"This is definitely not MeMaw's, Aunt Caroline. What's going on with you and Uncle Luke." Til said, looking me in the eyes.

I sighed. "Your Uncle Luke just needs some time to figure things out, that's all."

Til just let things go at that. "Well let's get checked in I guess."

••••

Luke called Caroline's cellphone over and over again, trying to get through to her.

•••
Caroline ignored Luke's phone calls, not wanting to speak to him. She placed her phone on silent and put it in her purse. Caroline looked over her children. Bo and Tate slept on am air mattress while Til slept in the second queen bed that was in the room. Ava was sound asleep peacefully in her travel pac n play. Her heart broke knowing they were too innocent to know understand what was going on. She went into the bathroom and quietly shut the door.

You don't know pain until you're staring at yourself in the mirror with tears streaming down your face and you're begging yourself to stay strong and hold on. I was so desperately trying to hold on to the single piece of sanity I had left. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, it seems like I'd lose it at any moment.

One thought kept echoing in my head. The thought that Luke was slipping away.