Introduction.

Well, it seems that you've found your way to my blog.  Congratulations!  My small corner of the world isn't so small anymore.  :)
If you want to read about me, just look somewhere along the sidebar and you should find something to the extent of an overview of me, as a person.
But this introduction is to my blog, not me.

So.
This blog is where I post my writings.  They're mostly fantasy writings, because that's what I like to write; however, my one shots span several genres such as action, scifi, romance, and drama.
Here's a list of what I've got so far:

   - The Well of Souhaiters: this is my first completed book (note: this was originally called Marcy's Story cause I'm llame and didn't know what to call it). Summary: Marcy is forced to stay with her aunt over the summer while her parents go to the Bahamas. Soon after she arrives, she realizes that Aunt Jenny, strangely like her house, isn't all she seems. She is promptly thrown headfirst into an adventure she never asked for, but enjoys anyway. Who knew that practically all her family was magical?
   - one shots: these are just a bunch of short stories (mostly like really short). In these I'm trying to develop my skills and so they're all over the board as far as genres/etc. Some of my best work here.
   - sudden connection: what was meant to be a short romance novella has turned into a novel. Summary: Taylor is a Starbucks barista acing her way through college. Brandon is a talented graphic designer. Taylor's parents are on the brink of divorce. Brandon lives alone. The two of them have nothing in common. When both are randomly struck by lightning, they involuntarily establish a physical and emotional link. They barely know each other. So why are they connected in a way no one, even themselves, could understand?
   - The Journey into the Unknown: this is my way too long to be a short story. It's like 17 pages, so it still qualifies as a short story, but yeah anyway. Summary: Firespark the dragon has lived with his best friend Lilly the fairy all his life. Suddenly, both of their lives are turned upside down as they embark on the journey of a lifetime. look i wrote this in 8th grade give me a break

Also I should probably tell you that I sign everything with my pen name, Zoë Wingfeather.
With that said, keep calm and read on!
~~Zoë Wingfeather

Chapter 28: "Pranked lol"

- Brandon's POV -

---------

After the afternoon spent with Taylor’s family, I promised to get together with them soon, if not regularly. They didn’t live too far from my apartment, and I could tell that the absence of Taylor’s dad was already taking its toll on her mom. As for myself, I had to admit that it was nice to have someone to hang out with.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” I mumbled to the shower head as I washed my hair, “Aiden and Jamie are nice. But it’s fun to hang out with kids and adults and someone my age all at the same time. Like a family.”

Do I want a family? I found myself wondering. I guess. But I can’t really see myself actually getting there. Like, eventually having a family: sure. Getting to the point of having a family? Not so much. I mean, who’d want to date me? Who do I want to date? Who do I see myself ending up with?

“She’d have to like socializing,” I reasoned as I dried off. “I’m such an outgoing person, and I don’t think I’ll ever give that up. And she’d have to want kids. Because I want kids. I suppose she wouldn’t have to know how to cook, since that’s my thing. Wouldn’t hurt, though.”

Taylor and I had been texting everyday, and I was learning more and more about her. She was fun, but I didn’t want to date her, or anything like that. I snapped my fingers. “I forgot to ask her if she knows Aiden’s Jamie!” I quickly texted her about it. She replied in the affirmative--her best friend was actually Aiden’s girlfriend! 

“It’s a small world!” she texted.

“I know right!” I replied. “We should all get together sometime! It would be fun to have all of us there together.”

“Totally! Hey, speaking of getting together, we haven’t gone to Starbucks for our now-regular meeting in a while. You free?”

I glanced at the date. It was Sunday, I’d already gone to chess club, and I had nothing to do. “Sure.”

“5 pm?”

“I’ll be there.” I quickly ran my fingers through my hair and straightened my glasses. A t-shirt and jeans worked fine for me, so I decided not to change. When I arrived at Starbucks, Taylor was already waiting for me at our regular table. I ordered myself a mocha frappe and sat down in the chair across from her.

“Do you think we should see a psychiatrist?” she asked.

I blinked. “Uh. Good question.”

“I mean, I’ve been thinking.” Taylor took a bite of what looked like lemon pound cake and gestured with her hand. “You went to the doctor after you got struck, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And they said there was nothing wrong with you?”

“Yes again.”

“But what if it’s psychological?” she pressed. “What if we need to get MRIs, or something?”

I nodded slowly. “Good point. But didn’t you say that you haven’t told your mom about it?”

“Oh, that’s true.” Her face fell. “I guess I should tell her at some point, but that does bring up the part about money. Brain scans are super expensive. I don’t know if we can afford it right now.”

“True. I wish I could help you,” I said sincerely, “but if we tried it then my parents would definitely have to help me pay for it and I don’t know if I could pay for your half too.”

“I wouldn’t expect or ask you to,” Taylor assured me. “Well, so much for that. I wish we could figure this thing out.”

“How long has it been since we’ve been linked?” I asked.

She counted on her fingers. “Two months? Three? Maybe two and a half.”

“Wow.” I shook my head. “You know, I’m almost getting used to it. It is kind of annoying, like when you’re super angry or stub your toe or can’t sleep. But it’s not too weird to me anymore. Does that make sense?”

“It does. I guess I’ve reached that point too.” Shrugging, she sipped her drink. “It’s better now that I know what it is, and we can talk about whatever the other is feeling. Like when you’re having a bad day. All I have to do is text you, and talk to you about it. Then I can understand what you’re feeling, and therefore what I’m feeling.”

“Complete openness is going to have to be part of our friendship,” I snorted. “You can’t hide anything from me. I. Will. Know.” I leaned in for emphasis. She laughed.

We spent the next hour and a half just talking--about the funny instances that come with a psychic link, about our families, and about life in general. I enjoyed our time together. 

When it was time for us to part, I gave her a short hug and a smile. “Be safe!”

“You too!” She returned the smile before driving off. 

I took advantage of being out of the house by doing some grocery shopping. A new summer squash soup was on my menu for tonight, and I needed a couple of ingredients. I was home in short order, and listened to my soundtrack radio while I made the soup. Just as I was sitting down, I heard a knock at my door. I glanced at the clock. “Who could that be?” I mused. Stranger still, when I opened the door, there was no one there--just a box. I checked the hallway. It was empty. 

My curiosity was piqued, so I opened the package before sitting down to eat. Inside was an airhorn, a handful of glitter, and a sticky note in Aiden’s handwriting: “pranked lol.”

I snorted in laughter. “That idiot.” I dialed up his number and he quickly picked up. “Hello, is this management?” I pressed on without waiting for an answer. “I’d like to report harassment at my apartment. Some idiot kid keeps pranking me and I want them arrested.” 

Aiden laughed long and hard. “Did you like it?” he asked. 

“It’s beautiful,” I said sarcastically. “I can’t wait to annoy my neighbors with the airhorn. Or maybe I’ll rig your car so that it goes off when you press the gas pedal.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Oh? Is that a dare?”

“You heard me, sonny,” he said, mockingly threatening. 

“Better watch your back when you drive to school, bro,” I chuckled. “I might actually do it.”

“Yeah, whatever.” He paused. “How’ve you been?”

“I’m alright.” The sudden subject change was awkward, but I was used to it. Aiden genuinely cared about me; it was just hard for him to show it. “Been doing better, I suppose.”

“Well, good.” He sounded satisfied. “That’s good. You down for a football game sometime soon? I owe you for making dinner when me and Jamie came over.”

I cringed inwardly. Football was so boring. “Sure,” I said. “Next time you get tickets, or there’s one on TV, just call me. I’ll do my best to be there.”

“Awesome. Hey, I gotta go. Jamie my getaway driver wants to go out to eat, and you know I always have to do what she says.” There was a soft “oomph” from the other side of the phone, presumably caused by a punch from Jamie. I grinned. 

“See ya, bro.”

“Bye--ow!”

---------

Chapter 27: Soufflé

- Taylor's POV -

---------

The next few days were a blur of finals. Studying took up most of my time, and the rest was spent on helping Mom and her lawyer file a divorce petition. Mac--I stopped calling him “Dad”--had moved out, though begrudgingly. The night he hit Mom, he came back and begged her not to go through with a divorce. Had they been alone, she might have conceded. But I was there. I did my best to provide her with support, and she held her own against him. The next day, he started to pack his things. 

 Emilie was too young to understand, and she barely seemed to notice when Mac was gone. The twins were a different matter. 

I took them out to ice cream like I’d promised--and forgotten--so long ago. Isaac got mint chocolate chip, while Elijah preferred plain vanilla. They aren’t identical twins in everything, I thought in amusement. Personally, I liked sorbet best. 

“So boys,” I said after a while, licking my sorbet, “remember a couple nights ago when Mom said she was going to get a divorce with M--with Dad?”

“Yup,” Isaac said. He slurped a drip off the side of his cone. 

“Well, it’s happening.” I watched the boys carefully. “I know that one of you said you understood what it meant, but I want to make sure you actually do.”

“I can explain it!” Elijah said eagerly. “Divorce is when a mom and dad don’t love each other any more, so they move out, and then the kids switch houses sometimes, because the kids still love both of them.”

“Kind of like when we’re fighting, and Mom tells us to go to different rooms,” Isaac added helpfully. “Because it’s easier to just stay away from each other when you can’t get along.”

I blinked. “Right. Well, that’s going to happen in our house. Only, unless big things change with Dad’s attitude, you won’t have to stay with him at all.”

“Okay,” they chorused.

And that was that. 

It made me sad, how easily they understood. Parents should love each other. They should love their kids. No one should have to go through something like this. Emilie shouldn’t have to grow up without a dad. And yet these things still happen. I sighed. Sometimes I wish the world wasn’t so unfair. 

Abruptly, a wave of happiness that wasn’t mine overcame me. I raised my eyebrows. Brandon again?

“What’s good in your world?” I texted him.

“You’ll laugh,” he replied. 

“Promise I won’t.”

“I just made a souffle and it didn’t collapse.”

I snickered. “Okay, maybe I laughed a little bit.”

“What’s so funny, Taylor?” Isaac asked. He wiggled his eyebrows. “Do you have a new boyfriend?”

“Who says I had an old one?” I questioned, returning the gesture. 

“You said ‘Henry and I broke up’ on That Night,” Elijah said matter-of-factly. He didn’t need to clarify what night he meant. 

“Okay, you got me.” I raised my hands in mock surrender. “You guys really are too smart to be only almost eight years old.” The pair sat up straight proudly. “No, I’m not texting my boyfriend. He’s just a friend.”

Isaac nodded wisely at Elijah. “That’s the first step,” he said solemnly. 

“Yup,” Elijah responded. “That’s what they all say.”

“Oh, shut up!” I scolded with a smile. 

When we got home, I took a shower and collapsed on my bed. It felt good to have nothing to do. Well, mostly, I thought. I could be doing something productive. But not having school really is a relief.

My phone rang. It was Brandon. “Hey,” I said, grinning. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” he answered. “Just thought I’d check in on you.”

“Aw, that’s nice of you. I’m doing fine. Life is busy. I finished school, my dad moved out, and the divorce process has started. So big things. How about you?”

“I’m alright. I haven’t had a bad day in a couple of days, which you already know.” I had noticed an absence of severe sadness from him, although the occasional small instance wasn’t uncommon. 

“That’s good. I’m glad,” I said, and I meant it.

“Me too.” I heard his smile through the phone. “Hey, so I have all this souffle and there’s only one of me. Mind if I bring it over and you and your family can share it?”

“We’d love that. And I’d enjoy seeing you again too.” It was true; Jamie and I had promised to get together over the summer, but I hadn’t seen Brandon since That Night. I found myself missing him. A little. I told him our address and he promised to be over in half an hour.

When I alerted Mom of his visit, she raised her eyebrows. “I’ve never heard you mention him. Have you gotten over Henry so soon?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I assured her. “I met him at work. He comes in the morning during my shift, and we…discovered we have some things in common. We’ve been texting some. But I don’t think I’d date him, especially not so soon after my disaster with Henry. I doubt I’ll ever trust a male human being again.”

Mom nodded knowingly. “I understand, hon. It’s good to have guy friends who are just friends.”

“Yeah.” I smiled at her. “Thanks for understanding.”

“Of course,” she said, giving me a hug. “Can you help me tidy up the kitchen real quick? I don’t want the house to look a wreck with Brandon over.”

Not too much time had passed before the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” one of the twins yelled from down the hall. 

“No, wait!” I called, but it was too late--he was already thumping toward the door. 

“Hey!” I heard Brandon say. “Is this the Manning house?”

“Yes,” said the twin. “What do you want?”

“I brought you a--”

Whoever had answered the door abruptly shut it. “Mom, it’s another person trying to sell us something!” he hollered. I grimaced. 

“Thank you, honey!” Mom called back. I heard Emilie’s voice from her room; she must have woken up from her nap.

“I’ve got this, you can go get Emilie up.” I jogged to the door and opened it, Isaac beside me. 

“Why are you doing that, he’s just trying to sell us--”

“Hey Brandon,” I interrupted with an apologetic grin. “This is Isaac. He thought you were a solicitor.”

Brandon, standing on our front porch with a covered souffle in his hands, laughed. “Hey, at least he knows what to do in every situation. Don’t talk to strangers,” he told Isaac, “especially if they show up and promise you dessert.”

“I know,” the twin said proudly.

“Isaac and Elijah,”--who had come down to see what all the commotion was about--“this is Brandon,” I introduced. “Brandon, these are my little brothers. And Emilie will be around shortly. Why don’t you come on in?”

I ushered him inside and all of us sat down at the kitchen table. Mom brought Emilie out, and she surprised us all by reaching out to Brandon as soon as she saw him. She spent the rest of our time curled up on his lap. He was a natural, engaging the twins and Mom while cuddling little Emilie. I found myself wanting to take socializing lessons from him--he knew all the right questions to ask. I felt awkward around him, but only a little. 

We laughed. We listened to his stories and told some of our own, although none were as interesting as his. All of us enjoyed the souffle and each other’s company.

It almost felt like I had a normal family.

---------

<3

Chapter 26: Drawing and talking

Brandon's POV

---------

I was sure glad it was Sunday.

Chess club went well. I sincerely enjoyed playing chess with a bunch of weird teenagers. I was already friends with most of them, but we recently added another member who was very talented. We all had a good time. Thankfully, I had made it home just in time to see Taylor’s text about being alone. I spent most of the night feeling waves of her emotions--anger, followed by more anger, followed by anger tinged with sadness.

I tried my best to shove the emotions away, but they were still there, a foreign body occupying my mind. Cooking took my mind off it, a little. I made an elaborate meal of seared pork chops with salad and rice and roasted vegetables. I even treated myself to some toffee, which took a long time to make. Desserts are finicky creatures.

In the back of my mind, I noticed that it was a shame to have this meal without someone to enjoy it with. I did what I do best--ignored it.

“I haven’t drawn for fun in a while,” I mused. “Maybe it’s about time to do that again.” I dug out my art supplies and munched on some toffee. Dwelling on Taylor’s anger made me want to draw something murderous, preferably with blood. I shook my head. “Nah. Let’s try something less…edgy.”

As I tapped a pencil against my chin, I allowed my thoughts to wander. They rested on what had gotten me in this situation in the first place--lightning. I smirked sarcastically. The whole reason I was struck by lightning is that I wanted to know if I could adequately draw a thunderstorm, I thought, the irony not lost. Just as if it was summoned, I heard a peal of thunder. Rain could always get me in the mood to art, so I put on some soundtracks and let my imagination go.

An indeterminate amount of time later, I sat back to admire my work. Taylor’s emotions had been muffled by my creative energy, and the feelings of pride I had were all mine. The thunderstorm on my page seemed to move with a wild, reckless energy. A bolt of lightning struck the ground in the center of the page. The rain outside poured, and the rain on my page mirrored it, striking the cement in an abandoned park. It was still missing something, though. I tilted my head and added something else--a branch off the main lightning bolt, hitting a tree faintly in the distance. Like Taylor when told me she was indirectly struck. Perfect.

My eyes followed the lightning, two separate bolts connected to the same thicker bolt. “Taylor and I,” I said, musing. “Fates intertwined, connected by a thread.”

I found myself wanting to show it to Taylor.

Video calling would have to suffice. I didn’t even bother to text her first. She picked up almost immediately. “Hey,” I said.

“Hey,” she said. She looked exhausted, her face red and blotchy.

“Have you been crying?” I asked, concerned.

“Only a little.” Taylor wiped her eyes. “Mostly because of Mom, honestly. She called a divorce lawyer today…Dad yelled at her at dinner, and hit her. Twice. I’m so scared, and angry. I know the police will protect us, but I’m scared for my siblings. They’re so little. So young…” She sniffed.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” I comforted her. “Your mom is doing the right thing. Being stuck in a toxic relationship is not good for anyone. I’m proud of her for seeing that she needs to bring herself--and you guys--out of it.”

“Me too.” Taylor smiled at me. “I’m sorry you had to feel all that.”

“It wasn’t that bad, actually,” I admitted. “I was alone, and I cooked for most of the anger. Maybe sometime I’ll bring you guys some food and meet the rest of your family.”

“I’d like that.”

A thought popped into my mind. “I never felt the strong sadness. I just finished drawing a…thing, and now I had a thought. What if doing something helps take the edge of the emotions? Like, I enjoy cooking. I don’t get lost in it, though. What I do get lost in is my art. And when I was drawing, I never felt your sadness.”

“Odd.” She cocked her head to the side. “I should try it sometime when I’m feeling your emotions.”

“Such a weird statement.”

“Indeed.”

I smiled at her. “I’m proud of you, you know. For being there for your mom. For being there for her after a pretty harsh breakup today. For being strong for your siblings. I can tell you’re the kind of person who takes family very seriously, and I know your siblings appreciate it.”

She smiled, shakily, and quickly wiped away a tear. “Thanks. You’re really sweet to be there for me today. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Of course. Anything for a friend.” I glanced at the clock. “Listen, it’s late. You’ve got an exam tomorrow, right?”

“Oh great, I’d forgotten about that,” Taylor groaned. “Ugh, that’s the last thing I want on my mind right now.”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” I said. “But you need sleep. You’ve studied a lot, and now it’s time to take care of your body. You’re going to do just fine.”

“Geez, I don’t know what I ever did without you. Even Jamie isn’t this much of a cheerleader.” Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered if by Jamie she meant Aiden’s girlfriend Jamie. If she is, you could set up a best friends’ get together, a voice suggested. You certainly wouldn’t say no to hanging out with Taylor a little more…

Okay, so I might enjoy her as a friend, I argued with it. As a friend. Nothing more. The poor girl just went through a breakup and her parents are separating. Now is not the time. Even if I was interested.

Mhm. Right. The other voice crossed its invisible arms smugly.

I’m not interested!

“Earth to Brandon,” Taylor said, waving a hand in front of the camera. “You zoned out.”

“Oh yeah, sorry about that.” I shook my head. “It’s this thing I do. One of my many weird elements.”

“I mean, I don’t think you’re too weird. But like, not in a weird way,” she quickly corrected. “Oh, whatever. I should go to bed.”

“Yes, you should.”

“Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” I echoed.

---------

(why does the summer go by so quickly honestly)

Chapter 25: Relationships get tough

- Taylor's POV -

---------

Honestly, I was still in shock. The fact that both my dad and Henry had exploited me, for a business deal? My dad I could believe. But Henry…? It’s so hard to understand, I thought, trying not to cry. I thought he cared about me, I thought he was actually interested in dating me…and it turns out it was all to make money. It made me sick to my stomach. I wanted to throw up, or cry, or scream, or kick something, or all of them at once.

I walked toward the outside seating area, waving at Brandon as he drove away. I tried to smile. “Then again, he’ll know it’s fake because he can tell what I’m feeling,” I muttered. “Ugh.”

I decided to wait for Henry outside. After all, things could get dirty, and I didnt want to get in trouble at my own workplace. Composing all the nasty things I was going to say to him, I watched for his car.

Finally, it appeared. I smiled grimly. Time to wreck this joke.

“Hey babe,” Henry said as he strolled up. I stood up from the shaded table, crossing my arms. “Something wrong?” he asked, walking a little slower.

“Yeah, actually.” I tapped my foot to let out some of my nervous and angry energy. “Must be easy for a faker like you to sound genuinely concerned about me.”

“Babe, what do you mean?” He spread his hands in a gesture of complete confusion, as if it could cover up his lies. “What did I do?”

“What did you do?” I struggled to keep my voice under control. “What did you do. What did you do?” It rose to hysteria despite my efforts. “Only lied to me, that’s all.”

“I didn’t lie to you,” Henry protested.

I marched up to him and stuck a finger under his chin. “Yes, you did. You lied to me. You said you loved me. You told me I was beautiful. All because of some stupid fricking business deal with my own father! You lied to me to get to my family’s money!”

“Babe, listen, I can--”

“Let me guess--you can explain?” I finished. “Yeah right. You used me. For the past month, you’ve been using me. Working behind my back for a business partnership. Oh, don’t you try and lie to me again,” I snapped as he opened his mouth. “I know all about it. You can’t back out of this one.”

Henry sighed. “Okay, you got me.”

I wasn’t expecting that. “Good,” I said, trying to sound like I expected nothing less.

“Can we at least part as friends? Look, I--”

“No. No, never,” I continued. “My dad is involved in this. My own dad used me, and you worked with him. I can never forgive him, and I’ll never forgive you. I thought you loved me.”

“Tay, I’m sorry--”

My palm made a satisfying smack across his face. “Never speak to me again,” I spat.

And I walked away, not looking back, leaving him there.

***************

“Hey honey, you’re back early. How was your--”

I stormed to my room, flopped down on my bed, and sobbed my eyes out. The stress of the afternoon had been too much. My life was falling apart. I wanted to die.

NO! a voice in my head yelled at me. Nothing is so bad that you want to die. Plus, you can’t die. Brandon might die too, or he’d feel dead person emotions, and that’s just creepy. Your family and friends love you and don’t want you to die.

Okay, so I wanted to sleep. For, like, a really long time. And wake up when Dad was gone and my life was put together.

I felt my mattress move slightly as someone sat down beside me. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Mom asked, rubbing my back. I sat up, looking at her with the tears coming down my face.

I explained everything to her. As she listened, her face darkened. When I finished, she looked as angry and disappointed as I was.

“I can’t believe that Mac would use you like that,” she exclaimed.

“I can,” I said grimly.

“Okay, but…” Mom trailed off. “I could understand him using me, or…whatever. But you? Never.”

“Mom, this is the last straw.” I crossed my legs. “He’s abused you both emotionally and physically, and now he’s been using me to make more money.” I took a deep breath. “If you don’t call the cops soon, I will.” She tried to protest, but I shushed her. “You can’t make excuses any longer. This should have been stopped a long time ago. We need help.”

Mom sighed. “You’re right, of course. On the bright side, you said that the deal would last as long as your relationship?” I nodded. “Well, congratulations--you just ruined Mac’s brilliant plan.”

I felt some sort of satisfaction. After he ruined my mom’s life, and now mine, it was only fair that I should ruin some of his.

“You should confront him about it at dinner tonight,” Mom suggested. “I’ll set up a video or something, in case he gets violent. We could use it as evidence.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Let’s hope he doesn’t get violent. He could probably really hurt me…”

“I promise I’ll step in if need be.”

“Thanks.” I reached out and took hold of her hand. “Do you think we can do this? Do you think you can get a divorce? Will we be okay?”

She looked into my eyes and smiled gently. “Of course. If it works, we might not be able to afford the same things, but with your income and mine I think we’ll be okay.”

“Good.” I smiled back at her.

***************

“Might want to be alone tonight,” I texted Brandon. “About to have a nice long talk with my dad.”

“Can I expect anger?”

“Definitely.”

“Noted. I’ll have a punching bag at the ready.”

I’d blocked Henry’s number.

Mom fixed tacos for dinner. Dad came in the dining room after we’d all sat down. He seemed in a good mood--which I was about to ruin. He even smiled at us when he sat down.

Isaac shot me a confused look. “What’s wrong with Dad?” he whispered. “He’s being nice to us.”

“He thinks everything is going his way,” I whispered back. “But it’s not.”

Isaac nodded at me sagely. He relayed this information to Elijah, who said “Ohhh.”

“So, Dad,” I said through a mouthful of taco, “how’s business?”

“Business is going great, thanks for asking,” Dad said. He wiggled his eyebrows. “Made a really great deal today, actually.”

“Oh really?” I feigned innocence. “Did it happen to be with Henry’s dad? Maybe lasting as long as my relationship with Henry?”

“Did he tell you?” Dad asked suspiciously.

“Definitely not,” I assured him. “I found out about your meeting today. Oh, and by the way, I broke up with Henry.”

“Yeah, right.” My dad rolled his eyes. “Taylor, you’re so desperate and needy that you couldn’t even break up with a man who was beating you.”

“Kind of like you’ve been beating Mom?” I asked sarcastically. “Except, there’s one difference. Mom is breaking up with you.”

“No she isn’t.”

“Actually, I am.” I could tell Mom was struggling to be brave. “I called a divorce lawyer today. I can’t take any more of this, Mac. The way you yell at me, hit me, ignore the kids--I can’t take it. I’m done.”

“No, you’re not.” Dad was getting angry now. I braced myself, ready to step in for my mother if need be. “You’re not getting a divorce. You’re staying here! You’re not going to take my house, my children, my money in a divorce! Look at all I’ve done for this family!” He gestured to the dining room. “Diana, you have a large house and enough money to be comfortable and afford things you like. What more do you need?!”

“What I need, Charles, is a husband who loves me!” Mom yelled back. “That is what I need!”

Isaac and Elijah cowered. Mom never--ever--yelled, and hearing her now was nothing less than frightening. She stood up, fists on the table. Emilie started to cry. “You have ruined our household,” Mom said, her voice low and angry. “Our own kids have to listen to you yell at me for being an incompetent wife. You used my firstborn daughter as an asset in a business deal, without her knowledge. You are a disgrace.” Her voice became lower with each word. “And soon enough, you’ll be moving out of my house.”

“NO!” Dad’s voice shook the room as he slapped Mom full on the face. “NO I will not!” And he slapped her again.

“Dad, stop!” Elijah yelled. “Stop hurting her!”

“Shut your mouth! Or I’ll hurt you too!” he yelled. Emilie was screaming now. “I will never lose everything I’ve worked for to you!” he spat at Mom. Knocking his chair over, he stormed out of the dining room and slammed the front door.

Mom slumped back into her chair, the fight gone from her eyes. The twins were silent, their eyes wide. I unbuckled Emilie from her highchair and held her close, trying not to cry.

“Boys,” Mom said, “Dad and I aren’t going to be together for much longer.” Her voice shook. “You two are smart. I know you’ve noticed the way he…yells at me, and how we’re not sleeping in the same bedroom anymore. We’re going to get a divorce. Do you know what that means?”

“I do,” said Isaac. “James from my class has divorced parents. He stays with his mom one week and then his dad after that.”

Mom nodded, the red mark on her cheek starting to swell. “Right. Well, if I can help it, you won’t have to stay with Dad at all. He can probably afford a good lawyer, but there’s some evidence that can’t be ignored. Plus, I work at a law firm, so there’s that…anyway. I’m sorry you boys have to go through this.” She stood up, and both the boys hugged her. I shushed Emilie, whose crying had slowed. “I love you two.”

“I love you too,” chorused the twins, their voices muffled into her clothes. She smiled gently.

“Now, I’m going to have to call some people about what happened tonight, and since both of you were here, you might have to talk to somebody about it later on. Is that okay with you?” The boys nodded. “Good. But don’t tell anyone about what’s happening unless I tell you it’s okay. Now, go play some video games or something.”

Isaac and Elijah left, and us girls were left. I pulled Mom into a hug. She cried.

---------

(y'all ever like, graduate and stuff? cause that stuff makes you HECKA busy. anyways here's a chapter, very very late but i have plenty of reasons why i haven't posted since like march lol oof)
(sorry for the heavy content btw)