Blue 7, Yellow 5: Wonder

[bookblather]

Author: Kat
Title: Wonder
Story: In The Heart
Colors: Blue 7 (blue blood), yellow 5 (yellow bellied).
Supplies and Materials: Miniature collection, acrylic (danger zone), oils (everything changed, yet nothing did), frame (the last one).
Word Count: 300
Rating: PG.
Summary: Three views of a divorce.
Warnings: Adultery.
Notes: I just found out about Kayleigh today. YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME SOONER, ZACK.


Paige is the oldest, and she sees the divorce most clearly. The rage in her parents' voices, her mother striking and clawing at her father, the fallout of an imploding marriage, she sees and hears it all.

She keeps her head down these days. She stays in her room, mostly, or walks for hours, circling her neighborhood just so she doesn't have to be in the house. She still hears too clearly: vicious words, accusations, bitter recriminations.

Her parents think she's oblivious, but she knows about the woman. She knows about the baby.

She just doesn't know what to think.

--

It's his fault, the divorce.

Paige says it isn't. Hell, his parents say it isn't, but Zack knows the truth. Wasn't he the one who told his mother about the woman in the café? Wasn't he the one who kept track of all the times Dad smelled like perfume or came home late? Now his family is falling apart, and it's all his fault.

He avoids Mom and Dad, and Paige, because she's least guilty in this whole mess. He doesn't want to see the condemnation he knows is in their eyes.

He doesn't want to see any of this.

--

It was over by the time she was three months old, but Kayleigh still knows everything. Her father throws it in her mother's face every time he comes, after all.

You ruined my life with your brat, he shouts at her. He never says this to Kayleigh-- to her, he's sweet and loving, like a father should be. But she has ears. She knows what he really thinks.

She wonders about her siblings sometimes, the mysterious half-brother and sister she's never been allowed to meet. What do they think of this, of her?

She doesn't know if she wants to know.

Comments

[isana]

Oh, poor Zack. Poor everyone, but mainly poor Zack for blaming himself. I don't know how old he is, but nobody should feel guilty for their parent's infidelity.

But again, poor everyone for getting dragged into this. I feel so terrible for Kayleigh and having to hear that from her own father. She really needs a hug.

[bookblather]

Zack is somewhere between ten and twelve. I haven't pinned down an age for him yet; he's being remarkably cagey. But yes, it sucks for all of them, but especially Zack and Kayleigh-- Paige at least was old enough that she managed to detach herself from the situation.

Thank you very much. <3

[kay_brooke]

No, you ruined your own life by cheating. Ugh, some people.

The perspectives from the children are really sad, and drives home how many people are really affected by all this.

[bookblather]

Seriously. And yeah, it's always the innocent who suffer most.

Thank you.

[sarcasticsra]

God, these poor kids. I want to hug them all. And I have to second kay_brooke re: the asshole that is their father. What a dick, especially in Kayleigh's section.

Great job.

[bookblather]

He's not the only one at fault in the breakup-- their mom just didn't get caught. :/ But their father is really a jerk to... most adults, actually. He tries with kids, but with adults he gets stuck trying to assert his dominance and it ends poorly.

Thank you.

[shipwreck_light]

I love it when you post stories like this that are so close to poems. The rhythm of this one is especially good. It's got this sad, booming quality to it like a thunderstorm that just passed over.

[bookblather]

Thank you very much. <3

[clare_dragonfly]

Oh, so sad. Poor kids. They all know more than they're supposed to, don't they?

[bookblather]

Yeah. An acrimonious divorce tends to do that to kids.

Thank you.