The Art of Letting Go

TEN

THE ART OF LETTING GO
CHAPTER 10- VULNERABILITIES

April 01, 2000 — 48 days before May 15, 2000

AMBER WENT TO the shop again with Chris, and this time, Chris didn't stop her from doing what she wants to do. She is now currently looking at her father with her arms folded against her chest and a frown on her face.

"Why did you let her go?" she asked, even if she knows that her father couldn't hear what she's saying "you could have begged her to stay" then she paused for a while and sighed "the father I knew would beg mom to stay."

She has witnessed all their fights before, she remembered them screaming at each other, but when she asked her mom what they were mad at each other, she only smiled and stroke Amber's hair "your father and I had a little misunderstanding, we're just talking."

But even her age, she could differentiate things. It was more than just talking.

At the end of the day, her parents would make up. Their worse fights would last 3 weeks and Lane would take them with her in New Jersey where their grandmother, Rose, is.

Amber remembered watching her mother cry in their grandma's arms, she knew something is already wrong. After a few weeks, her mother asked her and Zoe if she should give their father a chance.

The vulnerable kids, who only wanted a complete family at such a young age, because divorce is a common thing to their friends' parents, and they don't want the same thing to happen to them, so they said "yes."

Two days later, her father showed up, they were in the room but Amber could overhear her father "please, just give me a chance, this is not the life I promised you and I am working on it, I need you by my side— please, I love you."

Despite her not knowing the reason behind their fight, she didn't mind what her father did, as long as they are complete once again, she wants nothing more.

But the sun will not always shine, won't it?

Lane caught Ronald cheating, and it's not exactly the first time that he has ever done that. She was 16 when she knew about his father's affairs, even before her parents got married, he has a lot of girls on the sidelines.

What difference will it make, now that they are married?

From Ronald's officemate, one of his exes, their church mate, and God knows who else.

Doesn't matter. He begged Lane to stay, and they were fine again.

Finally, his father quitted cheating on her mother when they both found their way to God, not just to repent for anytime they sin, but to follow his means of discipleship, and since then, everything is doing well for her parents.

"The past is tragic, but one should be willing to carry that burden, to carry the cross that hinders you from following Christ, whoever or whatever stands in your way, carry it and follow him" their pastor said on a Sunday morning, and that's what her parents did.

They have been inseparable, their fights were not as ugly as before, they would handle it like how a couple should handle misunderstandings. No yelling, no throwing of things, no manipulation and no pain, any form of pain.

Their family is happy.

Although it was her parents' principles that she hated, about choosing who she should end up with, the "marry a rich man, you can learn to love him later" is exactly bullshit, she loathed whoever thinks like that.

It shocked her that her parents separated, for good this time, she wondered if it was her mother who gave up, and she wondered again if it was because of her.