Picking Up The Pieces
By: Stacy Leonhardt Gravely & Nichole Harrison
© All Rights Reserved - 2010
7.
As I pulled into the driveway at my parents house my suspicions were correct. There sat my father's car pulled in beside the sheriffs cruiser. This wasn't going to end well one way or another. I glanced back to see Sommer's eyes grow wide at the sight of the police car waiting for our arrival.
"Momma?" Sommer asked quietly.
"It's okay, baby. The sheriff just has some paperwork for me. Nothing to be worried about." In fact I was quite worried about what those papers said. I knew Mike was going to want visitation, but I hope this wasn't going to turn into an all out battle.
I quickly got out of the car and moved to unbuckle each girl and gather our bag. Before we entered the house I told the girls to go play in their room and don't come out until I told them too. Sommer nodded understanding that she had to look over Riley until I said. Sommer protectively wrapped her tiny arm around her little sister's shoulders and led her right up the stairs to their room. Taking a moment to gather myself, I walked carefully into the dining room where I was certain they were all awaiting my arrival.
"Good morning everyone. Sheriff Daniels, so nice to see you again." I mentioned glanced at each face sitting around the table.
"Lyndsey, its been a while. How are you?"
"I could be better, but I must ask why exactly are you here looking for me this morning?"
"I just received these," he lifted up a packet of papers, then motioned for me to take a seat. "I assume these are your divorce papers. I'm here to deliver them to you."
"Well aren't you the barrier of bad news." I scoffed as I took the stack of papers from him. Glancing over the papers I noticed there was a section that was talking about the custody of the children. He was actually going to fight over them. He didn't want to fight when we were leaving, but now he wants to fight this out in the court system? That asshole!
Taking another deep breath I looked over at the sheriff, "Thank you for delivering them, now if you excuse me, I have to call my lawyer." The sheriff nodded and stood up to make his leave.
"Lawyer?" My father spoke, yet again unexpectedly.
"Yes, Dad, a lawyer."
"You can afford a lawyer, but you can't afford a car or a place of your own?"
I felt my temper boiling, I felt as if I was about to fly off the handle and say somethings I would soon regret but at that moment they needed to be said. "I'm sorry, if me and your grandchildren are burdening you, some how. And for your information, Chaz is my lawyer, so I don't have to pay him! But evidently I have to pay my own father to help me when I am in a time of need. If you don't want us here why didn't you just say so in the first place. Instead of coming over and helping us pack up and leave." I was furious, I turned around and tried to calm myself but the anger was still bubbling inside of me. I spun back around to meet his intense gaze. "You know what, you don't want us here. FINE! I'll have us out of here by the end of the fucking day. And don't expect to see those girls again. Because it won't happen. I don't know what has happened between you and me for you to hate me so much but I'll solve you issues, finally."
With that said I stomped off to my room and began to dig out the boxes from the previous move that were hidden in my closet. I began tossing things in the boxes not caring for wrapping up my delicate stuff, I just had to get out. As I was unloading my dresser into a couple boxes I called Chaz and put in my blue tooth ear piece I only ever used when I needed to be hands free.
