Shattered By Broken Dreams

Breakfast at the diner

Aubrey walked into the crowded diner and stood in the doorway looking around for her husband. He spotted her and waived to get her attention. When she saw him she walked over to the table and sat down.

“Thanks for meeting me here” he said. She just nodded and took her seat.

“What’s this about Zacky?”

“This is about you and me” he looked up at the waitress as she walked over with the coffee pot, turned Aubrey’s cup over and began filling it with the hot liquid.

“There is no you and me,” she said as she poured cream into her coffee.

“Aubrey, please just let me talk” he watched as she opened a packet of sugar and poured it into the cup. “I know you’re upset and I can’t say that I know how you feel because I honestly don’t, but I do know that I am the cause of whatever it is that you are feeling and I am sorry. I never wanted to hurt you”

“But you did” she noted.

“I know” he nodded. “Look, this isn’t easy for me and I don’t expect you to make it any easier, but if you could just give me some time. Time to try and fix things so that I can show you how much I love you and how much I want this marriage.”

“Why didn’t you want this back then?” She asked.

“I did, but I was selfish back then and only thinking of myself. Aubrey, I’m sorry. We have a son to think about here. Don’t throw this away, don’t throw us away.”

“No, YOU have a son.” She spat.

“How can you say that? No matter what happens, Aubrey you are his mother and have been since the day he was born. Don’t take that away from him, he of all people doesn’t deserve that.”

She nodded and finished her coffee. “Yeah, I guess for once, you are right.”

“So, I am asking you, no scratch that I am begging you. Don’t leave. Stay, and if not for me, then stay for him. Our son. Give me one month and if after one month you still want to leave, I wont stop you.”

She sat back against the booth and looked at him. The sincerity was there all over his face. “One month.” She agreed.

“Thank you” he smiled and let out the breath he was holding in as the waitress came over to take their order.

--

Brian’s Apartment

Brian woke up and found himself with a massive hangover. Last night after Stormy went to sleep he found himself awake and knocking back what ever was in the liquor closet that was worthy of drowning his sorrows in. He sat up on the couch and brought his hands up to his head wincing at the pain as the regret started to set in. He got up off the couch and headed to the bathroom hoping to find relief in the medicine cabinet. Thankfully, his wife always kept the extra strength Tylenol fully stocked for occasions such as this one. After swallowing two pills, he walked out of the bathroom and peeked in on his daughter.

She was awake and sitting up in her bed watching television. For the first time since she’d been home she actually looked at him.

“Daddy?” she called for him and he smiled upon hearing her voice.

He walked over to her bed and sat down. “Hi sweetheart”

“Daddy, I need to know something” she said turning off the television to turn her full attention to him.

“What is it?”

“Are you sorry I was born?”

He was taken back by her question and of all things she could be talking to him about right now, that was the last thing he expected to hear come out of her mouth.

“Of course not? Where would you ever get an idea like that from?”

“Mom” she looked him right in the eye as she said it knowing full well that a fight was going to come from this.

“What? Your mother said that to you?”

She shook her head no and a crocodile tear fell from her eyes. “Last night I heard her telling Aunt Sydney that she wished I was never born”

“Are you sure?” he said in disbelief that Stormy would be so cold.

“Yes, daddy. I’m not lying to you, I swear,” she cried.

“Jesus Christ” he mumbled and pulled his daughter into his arms. “I love you and I don’t know what would make your mother say that, but no, I am not sorry you were born. The day you were born was one of the happiest days of my life.” He said as he hugged her tightly.

“Can I go to the studio with you today?” she asked looking up at him.

“Yeah, just stay out of Zacky’s hair, he doesn’t like kids in the studio.”

“I will, I promise” she said.

Stormy passed by the door and stopped to look inside. “There you are” she smiled at her husband but was met with a look of sheer hatred from him in return.

--

New York City

Lyric stepped out of the bathroom of the hotel suite that he was sharing with his sister. Wearing only a pair of jeans he walked over to his suitcase and started to rifle through it for a clean t-shirt.

“Did you bother to do laundry before we left?” she asked.

“Mom does my laundry and I forgot to ask her”

“You are such a baby” she said and put on her sneakers.

“Where the hell are we going tonight?” he asked

“To see some singer that dad wants to sign at a club called Snitch”

He found a shirt and pulled it over his head. “Does this person have a name?” he asked

“Yeah, Jonnie Reckless or something like that” she said looking around for her purse.

He stood there looking at her knowing full well who Jonnie Reckless was, boy was his sister in for a big surprise.

“I’ve heard of her” he said in a low voice and walked back into the bathroom.

Tonight would be an eventful one to say the least. He looked in the mirror and started to fix his hair.

“Dad said not to tell this person that it’s his label. He wants to do it in person” his sister yelled from the other room.

“Oh don’t worry, I wont say a word.” He chuckled under his breath.

He wasn’t happy at first when his father told him that he was going with his sister to New York. Now, he was truly excited because tonight there would be fireworks.

Brian’s place again…

“How could you?” he said grabbing his wife’s arm yanking her away from the closet where she was getting out her clothes for the day and turning her to face him.

“Brian! Let go of me, what is your problem?”

He gripped her arm tighter. “What is my problem?” He moved closer and the anger was written all over his face. “Melody told me what you said to Sydney about wishing she was never born”

“Brian…it wasn’t what it sounds like” she pleaded.

“WHAT? What was it like Stormy?”

“Stop yelling at me and let go of my arm!” she pulled herself out of his grip and nearly fell backwards but the closet door prevented her from doing so.

“I can not believe that after all our daughter has been through you could be so cold and so mean. I don’t even know who the fuck you are right now!” he yelled.

“You are taking this the wrong way,” She cried.

“Oh is there a right way to take the fact that you said you hate our child?”

“I didn’t say that!” she yelled.

“No, but you may as well have.” He folded his arms across his chest as she started to speak again, but he held his hand up and stopped her. “I don’t want to hear it. I have to go, I’m taking my daughter to work with me and as for you, stay out of my way, out of my sight and don’t you dare so much as look at MY daughter.”

Brian walked out of the room and when he did Stormy slid down the closet door and brought her knees up to her chest. She sat there and cried unable to understand how he could believe that she would hate her child.