A Touch Of Sebastian (Complete)

FOUR: Downsizing

Sebastian left the next morning and Cooper was at school. Ivy called her landlord and told them she had to move and they understood. She hunted for a place all day and finally found something that was perfect. At least, it was perfect for two people.

It was a two bedroom apartment but it was nice. She would have to sell some stuff too. They were downsizing from a four-bedroom house to a two bedroom apartment. She sighed. Her life was changing more that she even knew. She had never thought about what she had to get rid of, only what she lost. The home she worked so hard for was gone in an instant. Twelve years of a life was gone. She wiped tears.

Cooper walked in from school. "I'm going to Jake's." He grabbed an apple and was at the back door.

"Stop!" Ivy yelled.

Cooper stopped moving and sighed. He didn't want to talk to anyone. "I don't want to talk." He didn't want to think about life without his dad. He missed him and didn't know what to do.

Jake was his friend and he didn't want to talk about anything. Jake was cool and would just play games and joke around. Being there made it seem like nothing changed. It was normal at Jake's

Cooper could go to school and stay busy and joke around with Jake. Things would seem normal until he was in the house. He hated being in the house.

He wanted his dad back and hated the reminders. He was going to miss his sister too. He lost his whole family. He didn't know how to deal with that.

"Cooper. Sit. I don't want to talk either. I called the landlord today and we ...I found this apartment ..." She pulled up the pictured on the laptop. "What do you think?"

He studied the pictures. There was a nice kitchen off by itself with a small dining area. A wall separated the living room from the kitchen/dining room. The bedrooms were down a small hallway by a bathroom. The master had its own bathroom. There was a sliding glass door and a patio. The bottom apartments had a little garden area. "Where is it?" He didn't want to move.

"Closer to Jake's." Ivy smiled. "Cooper. I love you and I will try to keep things similar but I can't afford this house." She didn't want to move either.

"I know, Mom. It's fine. So, what apartment building?" There were three close to Jake's house.

"The Green Gates." Ivy flinched.

"Mom. That is the nice one! I can't wait to tell Jake! Can I go?" Cooper was already standing.

Ivy laughed. "Yes, go. Are you spending the night?" It was Friday and it was just a half day of school today. It was barely noon.

"Can I?" He didn't want to be home and never once thought that his mom didn't either but she didn't have anywhere to go.

"Yes. Go." Ivy smiled until the door closed. She stared at all the food that for some reason was pissing her off. It made her sad...more sad. It was pity food and she hated it. She was sick of sympathy. There was food for an army and it was just her.

She cleared everything out that was given to them, threw it all in trash bags and tossed it to the curb. She stormed back to the house and stopped in the dining room. It was empty. The house was empty! What the hell had happened?

Ivy slid to the floor and cried. Finally. She cried how she wanted to when everyone was there. She curled up and cried until she fell asleep on the dining room floor. She hadn't slept well all week and she was exhausted.

Thanks for reading and smack that cute star right in the face.