Escaping the Inevitable

I am an amazing eavesdropper. I'm like a secret agent.

This would be a little funny, if it weren't for the fact I was eavesdropping on my mom talking to my dad. She was in her room trying to keep quiet, but my dad was shouting at her. I hated to listen, but it was like a train wreck; you couldn't just turn away.

I had no idea what my dad was saying, but I could hear his voice loudly over the receiver. My mom would go a while without saying anything, only to be cut off when she does say something. I hated this; this was terrible.

I wanted things to change. I wanted things to be different. I knew then that my mom surely needed to leave my dad.

After my mom hung up, I went downstairs to eat lunch. My grandma and Dani were making sandwiches; Wolfie was in the living room. I sat down at the counter, my grandma looked at me, "Hey, Joey, is your mama still on the phone?"

"I dunno." I answered.

"Will you go check for me?"

"Yeah, okay."

I made my way back upstairs, and to my mom's room. I knocked on the door, "Ma? Grandma wants you."

My mom sniffled and let out a small sigh, "I'm coming."

I frowned to myself, and opened the door, "Mom, are you okay?"

My mom was sitting on the bed with her palms to her face. The sight was pitiful to me, she looked so down, "Mom?"

She looked up at me, "I'm sorry. I'll be down in a second."

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "I need a change. I need to get to a pharmacy."

I smiled slightly, "What color?"

"I was thinking black like yours." my mom smiled over her tears, "You wanna come with me?"

"Yeah, sure."


My mom had her arm around my shoulder, keeping me close to her as we walked into the pharmacy. My brother and sister stayed and ate lunch, while I went with my mom. 

I think I'm a mama's boy.

Without heels on, me and my mom are the same height. As well as me and my dad, he's just a little taller. 

"I haven't been here forever," she grumbled to herself.

Her arm let go of my shoulders, but she took hold of my hand. I haven't held my mom's hand in years. It's kinda funny.

"Mom, why were you crying earlier?" I asked her softly.

"Frank pissed me off." she spat, "As usual."

"Is he with that Bianca girl?"

My mom looked at me, "I don't know. He was just yelling at me for not letting her see Dani. She has no right to see Dani, am I right?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

My mom was quiet though as we got to the hair product isle. She looked at all the choices, and then looked at me, "I'm sorry for all of this, Joe."

"What?" I asked.

"You and Wolfie didn't need to know the truth. You still shouldn't, and that woman should stay out of Dani's life." my mom exhaled and looked back at the hair dyes, "I wish your dad wasn't such a fucking jackass."

"Me too." 

She reached for two boxes of blue-black hair dye, "One day, this won't be an issue anymore."

"Yeah, I know."

My mom turned to me, took my by my forearms, "It only gets better from here."

"So, you and dad are really over?"

She nodded, "He got the divorce papers I filed."

"Mom, I'm sorry that this happened."

She shrugged, "Shit happens, Joe. You have to roll with the punches."

I hugged my mom then; she let out a happy laugh and kissed my temple; "I love you, mom."

"I love you, too, Joey."


My mom was taking pictures of us with the new camera she had bought. She had told us to do what we would normally do; me and Wolfie got the message, but not Dani. Dani posed and smiled for my mom, who didn't mind it at all.

She let me have her old camera, and I took a few pictures of my own before we left to our last Disneyland trip. I really liked using my mom's camera; it was pretty neat. 

On our drive to Anaheim, I took a few shots out the window on the freeway. I loved the scenery, and the way the mountains curved. The city fascinated me.

"I think I'd like living here." I said to my mom.

With her new dark hair and making sunglasses, she smiled, "Really?"

"Yeah. I like the way it looks."

My brother and sister were both taking short naps. We had everything already packed; we were going to stay at the hotel in Disneylad and then fly home the next morning. I was dreading leaving; I didn't not want to go back to physically seeing my parents fight.

"I'll try and make it as close to home as possible, Joe." 

"Well, since it's gonna be our new home, can we keep it new? I don't want anymore fights."

My mom smiled sadly, "Of course, honey."