Southside Boy

More Than A Memory

"You're drinking more than you ever drank. And sinking down lower than you ever sank. Than you find yourself falling down on your knees, begging god, begging please.
That's when she's more than a memory."
FP's POV (flashback)
"Where are you going?" I ask Gladys as she comes out with her suitcases.
"I'm leaving, so is Jellybean."
"You're leaving?"
"Yeah, you heard me." She says nonchalantly as she pulls stuff out of the coat closet.
"Like hell you are, and you're not taking my daughter with you."
"Actually I am, she had a choice, she chose to come with me."
"Why are you leaving?" I say angrily.
"Well it's not like we can stay here. You can hardly keep a job, you're drinking all the time and I've had enough, FP... I'm done."
"I'll change, I'll stop drinking-"
"Bullshit." She says before I can finish. "You've said that so much FP and I'm sick of hearing it."
"I'll go to rehab, I'll get a stable job."
"No, you've had all of these chances to do that and you didn't."
"Well I can try again. Where are you going to go anyway?"
"Got a job in Toledo, that's where I'm going."
"Toledo? Why don't we all go? Start fresh." I say as I place a hand on her back, getting increasingly worried as she talks more about leaving.
"No! No, I told you I'm done. That's it, I'm going. Jellybean and I are going."
"And what about Jughead, you're just going to abandon your son?"
"No, he wanted to stay with you. For god knows why."
"Let's think about this, come on just give it another chance instead of moving up to Toledo. We can get through this."
"We've been trying to get through this for 15 years FP, I'm done trying. And you have up a long time ago."
"Gladys-"
"No... I have to finish packing."
She walks away and I stand there alone. I punch the wall, taking my frustration out.
She's just gonna leave? And she has the nerve to take our daughter with her.
After what feels like forever I decide to go talk to her, hopefully try and talk her out of this. The minute I walk in the bedroom I see her sitting on the floor, reading something and crying.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask. She looks up through tear filled eyes and glares at me.
"This! This is what's wrong." She says as she points to a box in front of her and waves the letter around.
"What is it?"
"Like you don't know." She scoffs and rolls her eyes.
I cautiously walk over to the box and kneel down. The minute I see inside I know exactly what it is. A box of things from my teen years.
"Gladys-"
"You're not over her are you?"
"I don't know."
"Jesus I'm stupid. We've been married for fifteen years and I just now find this. How come you kept this? Didn't you say you're the one who ended it?"
"I was, yeah."
"Then why did you keep this? Are you still in love with her?"
"She was my first love. I'll always love her in some small way. But you, you're the one I love now."
"Did you have an affair with her?"
"What? No, God no."
"Well how am I supposed to know? You two kept something going even while she was dating someone new."
"That may be true but we ended it because we knew it was wrong." That's a lie, I don't think we ever really ended it, it sure as hell wasn't voluntary. "But I never, ever, cheated on you." Another lie, but it happened once. Only once, and it was years ago, before Gladys and I were even married yet.
She rolls her eyes. "Then why did you keep all of these letters to and from her, and this picture of you two." She hands me the photo and I examine it, looking at our smiling faces. It pains me to see it, I haven't seen her in years. "I don't understand. Why did you marry me if you love her? Was it just because she was unavailable and you settled for me?"
"You think I would've married you and raised a family with you if I was just settling? Gladys I love you, I've always loved you. And while I'll admit that I've always had feelings for her it doesn't compare to the feelings I have for you."
"I can't- I can't be here anymore. When Jellybean gets home you can say your goodbyes and then I want her dropped off to me." She says as she stands up. She doesn't say a word as she passes by me. "Why don't you try and get her back?" She says surprising me.
"What?"
"You heard me. You've always carried a torch for her, might as well see if she feels the same way... Goodbye FP."
"Bye Gladys."
I hear the front door shut and I know she's gone. And that's when it all sinks in. I really never have stopped loving Alice, and I don't think I ever loved Gladys as much as I loved her.
I don't think I'll ever love anyone as much as I loved her.
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A/N Just wanted to say thank you all so much for 3k reads! ❤️