6463 l.h

t e n

- major trigger warning -

"Is Luke coming today?" Zoe asks jumping on my lap

"Do you want him to come?" I ask tickling her sides

"Yes! He promised he could give me a piggy back ride!" She smiles, giggling.

"Alright, let's call him then" I fish my phone out of my pocket and she takes it from my hand

"I want to call him!" she unlocks my phone and taps the green app with a phone then tapping the last call I made "Lanky Jerk?" she twitches her face

"Its a sweet way to call him" I laugh

"Let's change to Luke <3 <3" she types changing the contact name. she press to call him and puts on the speaker

After a couple of rings he answers

"Hi babe" he says with a hoarse voice, I think he was asleep

"Ewww, it's Zoe" she yells, Luke laughs from the other end of the line

"Then Hi princess, how are you doing Zozo?"

her face turns red, she has a major crush on him

"Liza wants you to come over because she misses you" Zoe says with a big smile

"Liar!" I shout and tickle Zoe's belly

"Is that so?" Luke says in a playful tone "I'll shower and be there in 15 then" his voice is sweet

"Okay, she's very happy" Zoe says and I roll my eyes

"Little snake" I pinch her cheeks

"See you two in a bit, bye love bye Zozo" we say goodbye and he hangs up

"You little monster" I tickle her ribcage until she slides her body onto the floor begging for mercy

We hear the door beings slammed and Mom and Dad walk in arguing. I take Zoe in my arms and press my hands over her ears

"You always do this, Charlotte!" Dad yells, without noticing that Zoe and I are in the living room, there's just a wall separating them from seeing us

"It's not my fault David!" Mom shouts back

"Of fucking course it is! You moved all of us here and now you'll have to spend three months in Seattle?!" Dad's voice is so angry, normally he's so calm.

"I told you, my boss wants me to train the team back there!" she drops her things onto the floor, I take Zoe without making a sound and tell her to go play at dad's studio at the back. She just runs there and I walk back in the living room, sitting on the couch hiding my body from being seen "Three months will fly by then I'll be back here"

"Charlie we moved here because of you, you can't just go back to Seattle and leave us here. No one likes living here!" I can't see his face but I bet he's red

"David there's nothing I can do, I have to get my things ready my flight leaves in two hours"

"You know what, I'm done Charlotte" his voice is serious, oh Lord please don't say you're leaving too "I'm done being the only one that tries making this family work"

"David..." Mom begs, probably feeling what will follow

"No, Charlie" Dad shushes mom "I've never been more alone in my life, you're never here. It feels like I'm the only one in this marriage. And I'm very done with that. I just can't, I deserve to be happy too"

I hold my knees and close my eyes, praying to whatever source of divine power to help us.

"I have the divorce papers in my drawer for quite a while, I'm signing them tonight" he sounds so sure, how can he bail on us?