Page 130 - The Life of A Teenage Girl (Stories About Finding Your Way)

CHAPTER 8

T
he next morning, I walked into the dining room and saw my

family already seated, their faces unusually quiet and serious.
Something felt off, and I couldn’t figure out why. Yesterday,

they had this gentle happiness between them.
Mom looked up and gently told me to sit down. A few seconds

later, Dad spoke, and what he said completely caught me off guard.

“I’m sorry, you two, but… your mom and I are getting a divorce.”
He let out a heavy breath, his eyes barely meeting ours.

“What?” Eliott’s voice cracked as he blinked rapidly, trying to
make sense of it.

“I know this sounds sudden,” Dad said, his voice low. “But we’ve

thought about it for a while. It feels like the right thing now.”
“Why?” I asked, barely above a whisper. My throat felt tight, and

the room suddenly felt colder.
Mom finally spoke, her voice shaking. “We’ve been dealing with

things we just… can’t fix. There’s been a lack of understanding, and
honestly, we’re not committed the way we used to be.”

I stood up, my heart pounding. “And you’re just telling us now?

Like this?”
“Charls, we didn’t plan it this way,” Mom said quickly, her hands

trembling. “We only made the decision last night.”