Cities Built On Sand
A Broken Heart
Kari waited patiently for her husband to return home from a road trip with the team late one Friday night when her only daughter, Juliet, began knocking on the door. The young mother called her daughter in, shocked at the sigh of tears. Juliet shuffled over to her mother's bed and crawled under the covers.
“Sweetie.. what's wrong? Is everything okay?”
Juliet shook her head, “Ben.. br-broke up with me.” She wailed.
Kari sighed and kissed her daughters forehead pulling her closer, “Do you know why..?” She asked, unsure of how to tackle her fifteen year old daughter's current situation.
The young girl stuck out her bottom lip allowing it to quiver. Alligator tears started pouring out of Juliet's large brown eyes, “He.. I.. Lindsay's party and he..”
Kari's eyes grew to the size of balloons, “Oh, honey. Did he touch you? I swear, I'll get daddy or one of your brothers to kick his ass.”
“No, Mommy don't. I saw him with.. with Jenny.”
Mrs. Crosby furrowed her brow before gasping, “How dare she! I thought she was your best friend. I swear.. girls these days just get worse and worse.”
Kari was eventually able to lull her daughter into a deep sleep. A set of keys jingling sounded from the front of the house. She managed to slip out of the large bed and run to the front door. Sidney picked up her wife and spun her around, kissing her deeply. He dropped his duffel and began carrying Kari off towards to their bedroom.
“Wait, wait, wait!” She whispered, pulling away from her husband's lips.
Sidney pulled away and his eyes widened, “What's wrong, are you okay?”
Kari nodded apologizing for scaring her husband, “Yeah, baby, I'm okay its just.. Juliet was you know, having boy troubles.”
The athlete pursed his lips, “Ben.” he said, venom dripping from each letter, “What happened?”
“Remember when we let Juliet stay over Lindsay's for her party..?” Sidney nodded, eager for his wife to go on, “Well.. Ben was there, naturally, only kissing that little blonde friend of hers, Jenny.”
Sidney clenched his jaw and fists, “I swear, I'll kill him.”
Kari kissed her husband deeply hoping to put his mind to ease. They stayed like that for a moment before pulling away like they had before, abruptly, “So, Juliet basically cried herself to sleep so no funny business, Mister.”
Sidney groaned and quietly followed his wife into their bedroom. He quickly stripped himself of his suit and grabbed a pillow before heading down the hall. Sidney knocked twice on a the door in front of him before he got a response. His son, Patrick, soon opened the door looking disheveled as ever. His curly brown hair seemed to stick up on all ends. “Dad, what's going on?”
“That Ben kid and that girl Jenny.” Putting two and two, both Crosby men sat with fists.
The next morning, Juliet Crosby and her mother woke up to the smell of delicious pancakes. They exchanged a smile and good morning before heading out to the kitchen. Per usual, Sidney and Kari sat on opposite ends of the rectangular table while Patrick sat opposite his sister. Snuggled into Kari's arms was little baby Thomas.
“So,” Sidney started, clearing his throat, “Jules, me and Pat thought we would make this lovely breakfast for you.. Mommy told us what happened.”
Juliet groaned, “You don't understand, Dad, so just stop.”
Sidney was taken aback, he had done something nice for his daughter and all he got was attitude? Kari sent her daughter a warning look before returning her attention to her wonderful meal. Juliet sighed and broke down once again, “You just don't understand because I really love him.”
The thirty-six year old captain winced at the sound of the word love leaving his daughter's mouth referring to a man other than himself. Brushing it aside for the time being, Sidney pulled Juliet onto his lap, “I know a lot about love and being hurt like this you know..”
Juliet looked up at her father through her tears, “But you and Mommy were always together.”
Sidney laughed, “Yeah, but we both made mistakes.. Listen, Jules- sweetheart, I know your heart is hurting, a lot, but that's normal. It's part of what growing up is all about. You know, Grandpa Troy once told me you can't truly love until you've had your heart broken.”
“You think so?” She asked her father hopefully.
Thinking to their past, both Sidney and Kari nodded their heads and smiled at the sound of their voices in unison, “I know so.”
“Sweetie.. what's wrong? Is everything okay?”
Juliet shook her head, “Ben.. br-broke up with me.” She wailed.
Kari sighed and kissed her daughters forehead pulling her closer, “Do you know why..?” She asked, unsure of how to tackle her fifteen year old daughter's current situation.
The young girl stuck out her bottom lip allowing it to quiver. Alligator tears started pouring out of Juliet's large brown eyes, “He.. I.. Lindsay's party and he..”
Kari's eyes grew to the size of balloons, “Oh, honey. Did he touch you? I swear, I'll get daddy or one of your brothers to kick his ass.”
“No, Mommy don't. I saw him with.. with Jenny.”
Mrs. Crosby furrowed her brow before gasping, “How dare she! I thought she was your best friend. I swear.. girls these days just get worse and worse.”
Kari was eventually able to lull her daughter into a deep sleep. A set of keys jingling sounded from the front of the house. She managed to slip out of the large bed and run to the front door. Sidney picked up her wife and spun her around, kissing her deeply. He dropped his duffel and began carrying Kari off towards to their bedroom.
“Wait, wait, wait!” She whispered, pulling away from her husband's lips.
Sidney pulled away and his eyes widened, “What's wrong, are you okay?”
Kari nodded apologizing for scaring her husband, “Yeah, baby, I'm okay its just.. Juliet was you know, having boy troubles.”
The athlete pursed his lips, “Ben.” he said, venom dripping from each letter, “What happened?”
“Remember when we let Juliet stay over Lindsay's for her party..?” Sidney nodded, eager for his wife to go on, “Well.. Ben was there, naturally, only kissing that little blonde friend of hers, Jenny.”
Sidney clenched his jaw and fists, “I swear, I'll kill him.”
Kari kissed her husband deeply hoping to put his mind to ease. They stayed like that for a moment before pulling away like they had before, abruptly, “So, Juliet basically cried herself to sleep so no funny business, Mister.”
Sidney groaned and quietly followed his wife into their bedroom. He quickly stripped himself of his suit and grabbed a pillow before heading down the hall. Sidney knocked twice on a the door in front of him before he got a response. His son, Patrick, soon opened the door looking disheveled as ever. His curly brown hair seemed to stick up on all ends. “Dad, what's going on?”
“That Ben kid and that girl Jenny.” Putting two and two, both Crosby men sat with fists.
The next morning, Juliet Crosby and her mother woke up to the smell of delicious pancakes. They exchanged a smile and good morning before heading out to the kitchen. Per usual, Sidney and Kari sat on opposite ends of the rectangular table while Patrick sat opposite his sister. Snuggled into Kari's arms was little baby Thomas.
“So,” Sidney started, clearing his throat, “Jules, me and Pat thought we would make this lovely breakfast for you.. Mommy told us what happened.”
Juliet groaned, “You don't understand, Dad, so just stop.”
Sidney was taken aback, he had done something nice for his daughter and all he got was attitude? Kari sent her daughter a warning look before returning her attention to her wonderful meal. Juliet sighed and broke down once again, “You just don't understand because I really love him.”
The thirty-six year old captain winced at the sound of the word love leaving his daughter's mouth referring to a man other than himself. Brushing it aside for the time being, Sidney pulled Juliet onto his lap, “I know a lot about love and being hurt like this you know..”
Juliet looked up at her father through her tears, “But you and Mommy were always together.”
Sidney laughed, “Yeah, but we both made mistakes.. Listen, Jules- sweetheart, I know your heart is hurting, a lot, but that's normal. It's part of what growing up is all about. You know, Grandpa Troy once told me you can't truly love until you've had your heart broken.”
“You think so?” She asked her father hopefully.
Thinking to their past, both Sidney and Kari nodded their heads and smiled at the sound of their voices in unison, “I know so.”