Cutting Out Paper Hearts

“Denny, hun, calm down. Come sit and--and I’ll call your father-”

“Your husband.” Denny grumbled, sitting next to me at the table. His arms were crossed as he slouched in his seat while he glared at the table surface. I looked at him, trying to get his attention and calm him down without luck. Mom sighed, nodding as she stood up and got the phone.

“Remy, it’s Lucy. Call me back right away; I told the kids and Denny’s isn’t taking it too well.” We heard mom say with a worried tone as the message was left. Denny focused onto me with a weird look on his face.

“What?”

“How can you be taking this calmly, Bay? Our parents are getting a divorce.” Denny looked at me like I had eight heads when I shrugged. “A divorce, you do know what that means? They’re br-.”

“I know what it means, Den; but if they aren’t happy, then they should get split up. Why have them unhappy together?” Mom came and sat back down a cross from us, grabbing her water bottle and taking a drink. She was staring out the window above the kitchen sink, at the garage. “Mom? Where is dad, really?”

“With his---working; he’s working.”

“Stop lying, mother.” Denny spat. I think it’s clear who he’ll be living with. Mom’s gaze shot to Denny as she glared at her son.

“I can not believe you, Denny. Your father was the one who---” she bit her lip, catching herself from letting something slip, “he didn’t want to tell you guys. He just wanted you to believe that he was forever off on business, but I wanted you guys to know. How can you hate me, Den; I’ve done nothing to you that’s wrong.” Denny uncrossed his arms and shifted straighter in his chair.

“Yes you have, Mom, you’re not telling us the whole story.” I heard myself saying without planning to. Denny and Mom turned to me. “We deserve the whole story.”

“Fine, the truth is your father has a girlfriend. They’ve been together for about…two years now, I think? I found out by accident a month ago. She called his cell phone, I picked up, and pretended to be him.” That means his girlfriend is dumb, very dumb. My mother’s ‘manly’ voice is extremely fake and you can tell because it sounds far too feminine compared to my dad’s real voice. “Her name is…”

“Lucy?” Denny guessed with a laugh.

“Actually, it is.” Mom bit her lip, fighting a smile as one crept onto Denny’s face. We sat for a while in silence until the phone rang and Mom went to pick it up. “Hello…oh, hi Remy…yes, I told them everything.” As she went into the next room, Mom shouted, “Every single fucking detail, Remy.”

“Wanna watch a movie, Bay?” Denny asked with an innocent smile and puppy eyes.

“I don’t think so.”

“Jeez,” Denny grumbled, crossing his arms, “yell at the TV once and-”

“Once, Denny? Really, once? Only once, are you sure?” He nodded. “Ya do it every time we watch a movie? What the hell are you talking about, only once?”

“Shut up, we’re watching another movie.”