requested by -SOFTCORBYN ❤️
(this is a pretty long chapter so good luck! )
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"we're getting a divorce."
corbyn's eyes darted between ashley and jordan who sat on either side of him. they didn't look too surprised, almost as if they already knew. what have i missed on tour, corbyn thought as he shakily exhaled. "wh-why?" he questioned. the two parents seemed so happy when he'd come home to visit and then when they moved out to la to be closer to corbyn, they seemed even happier living in a place some people could only dream of.
"we fight a lot corbyn. you're always gone so you never get to see it, but it's best for us to separate," saskia explained. she gave her oldest son a sympathetic smile, knowing this must be shocking. ashley and jordan already had their suspicions so it wasn't new news to them which made the family feel even guiltier.
"i'm going to be moving to washington. i got promoted so i would've had to move out there anyways," ray added.
corbyn couldn't even begin to believe the words he was hearing. he always thought his family was picture perfect. never once did he believe it would be falling apart. "i-" he got cut off by an involuntary sob which he hadn't even noticed was coming.
"it's okay," ashley whispered, grabbing his hand.
he had never felt weaker. here he was, being comforted by his younger siblings. he was the oldest, he was supposed to be the one protecting them. he felt betrayed, he felt like a failure, he was confused, overwhelmed. all the emotions rained down on him as he sat in his brother and sister's arms shaking.
the rest of the night was a blur for corbyn. lots of crying, sweet words, hugs. ray would be moving by the end of the week, ashley and jordan would continue their lives like normal, and saskia would move on. everyone would be fine except for corbyn.
the next morning as he drove down the busy la highway, he couldn't help but think of how perfect his life used to be.
every christmas where the three children would spend all night decorating cookies and preparing for santa. they'd watch home alone and cuddle up by the fireplace until ashley grew tired. that was their signal to go to bed.
every mother's day, ray would help them make a delicious breakfast which consisted of pancakes, fruit, toast, eggs; anything that came to their minds, ray would help them cook up for his wife. they'd bring it to her in bed and watch movies until they found the motivation to get up.
every road trip they took, where both parents would blast love songs through the radio as they cruised down the empty roads. when it was late at night and ashley and jordan fell asleep, corbyn would point out all of the stars in the sky to his parents and explain what he'd learned in science class.
it'd all be gone now.
"what went wrong," corbyn mumbled to himself as he pulled into the driveway of the why don't we house. he didn't know whether or not he should tell the boys. it was a pretty awkward subject to bring up. he didn't even want to socialize with anybody, he just wanted to sleep.
he walked into the house, catching a glimpse of jack and daniel who were on the couch playing some video game. he didn't stick around long enough to see what though, he ran up the staircase and down the hall until he got to his room.
he kicked off his shoes and removed his hoodie as he was way too hot in it. he searched around the room for a clean shirt to wear, but all he could find was daniel's. the younger had left it in here after going to corbyn for help with picking out an outfit. he decided to slip it on. it provided him with some comfort considering he wasn't about to go cry to the boys over his parents divorce.
