So Much for My Happy Ending

"We need to talk."

Those four little words normally put people on edge for obvious reasons. Considering they were spoken by my mother, it didn't really bug me. I was more on edge with the fact that she'd woken me up at 11:30 p.m. to tell me that. Just to talk.

"What's up?" My voice was heavy with sleep, my eyes just barely staying open.

My mother paused in the doorway, "I think, I think that maybe we should go stay with Grandmaw and Grandpaw for a little while." She bit her lip.

Now that had woken me up fully.

"Why?" I questioned hesitantly.

"Things are getting tense between your father and I. Plus, I think it would wake him up. Make him realize what he is doing."

She wanted to leave... and take me with her. Grandmaw and Grandpaw don't live in Huntington Beach, they live in Bakersfield. That's a 2 hour drive! Too far from my friends. Too far from school.

'Too far from Jimmy!' I mused. That set me into a panic. I don't want to be away from him.

"I don't want to go." I said, not a hint that I'd be easily persuaded. I wouldn't budge.

My mother studied my face. She blinked with realization dawning on her face.

"Well you aren't staying here." My mother said with finality in her voice.

"Could I stay with Jimmy?"

"No." She said that quickly. "No. Leanna and Jimmy aren't getting along well right now. I don't want you in the middle of that. I'm not letting you stay with Brian, Zacky, or Johnny. Just because I said so. Matt is over there a lot."

"How about Ivan's? Or maybe Jeremy or Zoltan?"

"No!" Why was she getting so defensive?

"Then I'm staying here." I said simply, shrugging my shoulders.

I laid back down and turned so my back was facing her.

"Why are you being so difficult?!" There was a hint of desperation in my mother's voice. I truly felt bad that I was upsetting her, but I just wasn't going to Bakersfield.

"Mom! I have school. I have friends. I have Uncles that love me and are more than willing to house me while you go and gallivant off to Grandmaw's. I get you don't want me to stay with them, but there is always Ivan's. I've stayed with him plenty. Mom, you know that man loves me like he loves Talia." I was sitting up now.

"I know, I know. It's just... I don't want to leave without you. You are my daughter and I love you. Matt should be thinking the same, but I just don't know what's gotten into him. I'm scared."

"Aren't you being a bit melodramatic Mom? Dad won't seriously harm me. Or you." I worried my bottom lip. A habit I'd picked up recently. It was a nervous tick.

He wouldn't hurt us seriously. Would he?

"No. I don't know!" She sat down on my bed and curled up beside me. "I'm just scared." She whispered. I wrapped my arms around my mother and cuddled up to her. I hadn't done this since I was little. It was nice. "What happened to the man I fell in love with." I felt my face curl in disgust. Typical reaction for me.

"What happened to my Dad?" I whispered. I felt tears gather in my eyes. My Dad had been my rock, the one I leaned on when I was down. I missed being able to just hang out with him. I missed him.

"Sweetheart, I won't make you come to Bakersfield with me. I'm not letting you stay here though. In the morning your Dad is going to play golf with Larry and Zacky. After he leaves I'm going to pack my stuff. I want you to call Ivan and see if you can stay with him for the next few weeks. When I leave, I'll take you over there and then I'll head to Bakersfield." I nodded my head in understanding.

"Are you going to tell him?" I asked curiously.

"I'm going to leave a note for him on the X-Box."

"Clever." I snickered. My eyes were beginning to droop. It wasn't long before my Mom began singing softly to me. It was such a familiar lullaby. She or dad would sing it to me when I was little.

Before long I was out like a light.

~

The next morning was chaotic. Mom was running around the house grabbing things she would be taking with her. I was going to miss her.

"Have you called him!" Mom yelled as she flitted past me.

"Fixing to now!" I shouted after her.

I pulled my phone out and dialed the number that I knew by heart. It rang three times before Ivan picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ivan."

"Meagan! What's up, Chuck?" I heard laughter in the background. It, no doubt, belonged to Jason.

"The sky, roof, and sun."

"Smartass." He grunted.

"Look, I'm just going to get down to it. Mom is leaving to stay with Grandmaw and Grandpaw in Bakersfield. I don't want to stay with them and Mom isn't going to let me stay with Dad. I was wondering if I could stay with you for the next few weeks?" I really hoped he would say yes. I heard shuffling on the other line.

"Meagan, is everything okay?" His tone was worried.

"Yes, it's just... Things are tense around here." I explained. He made a noise of understanding.

"Yeah, Jeremy mentioned that. You know you are always welcome to stay with me. When are you coming?" I let out a sigh of relief.

"As soon a Mom get's done packing. She kind of sprung this on me late last night." I was still a bit peeved about that.

"No shit. Alright, I'll see you when you get over here, kid."

"Yeah, see ya." I hung up.

I sighed and leaned against the wall and slid down it. Directly above me was a picture of Dad, Mom, Aunt Michelle, Uncle Brian, and me. I was a few years younger than what I am now. I remember that day clearly.

I had just gotten my braces off, I'd inherited my Dad's teeth from when he was little, and everyone decided that we had to celebrate. Jimmy had insisted that we go to the beach, I wasn't going to complain. His shirt would be off.

Lovely teenage hormones.

We'd been having such a great time. I'd smiled more that day then I had my entire life! Jimmy kept saying that I was even more beautiful now than I was before. Dad had punched him and said, "My daughter has always been beautiful Rev." I'd hugged my Dad to death for that. At that moment Mom had hugged me from behind and Aunt Michelle and Uncle Brian just joined in. Aleia snapped the picture being the little photography nerd that she was.

I missed those days.

"What did he say?" Mom questioned from the doorway. I just nodded my head at her. "Good, go get your stuff and let's go."

That was that.