May 25th #5
“I know it’s a shock to you, honey,” Mom says, using a surprisingly calm tone, which is crazy because I am freaking out here, “but I’ve been dealing with this for quite some time, and I am now done.
I’m going to try to relax and enjoy the resort.
” She glances over at Lori and Jennifer and smiles. “And spend time with our family.”
“Okay,” I say, suddenly realizing that I’ve been sort of taking Dad’s side with my questioning. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful to any of you. I’m sorry if it seemed that way. I’m just struggling to understand all the logistics, I guess.”
“The logistics are that your father and I are getting a divorce. The house will be foreclosed on while we’re gone,” Mom says bluntly.
I guess she’s done sugarcoating this situation.
“Um, stupid question maybe, but where are you going to live? Where are we going to live?” I ask.
“We have offered your mother a place to live,” Damon’s mom says.
“They have,” Mom says happily. “Since their new home will be complete next week, they’ll be moving into it when we get back.
And they have graciously offered to let me stay in their current house until I can get back on my feet financially.
And the fact that it’s so close to work is a huge bonus. No more fighting traffic.”
“That’s really generous of you,” I say to Damon’s mom.
“Divorce in and of itself is a huge life change,” Jennifer says.
“Not to mention the financial burden that goes along with this particular situation,” Lori adds. “We just want you two to have support and a comfortable place to come home to during that process.”
And I feel bad. I’ve been so focused on me and what this means for my dad that I didn’t really consider what Mom would do. How she would deal with it. How she must feel.
Where she would go.
“All right, enough chat about this for the day. Go try to have some fun,” Mom tells me. Which means she’s done with the conversation.
I give her a hug and stand up. “You gonna take a lap in the river?”
She turns, looks at the other ladies and the new tray of drinks being delivered, and says, “No, I think I’m good.”
Always dreamed of.
Damon
Ainsley and I make our way into the pool, grab a couple of inner tubes, and start floating down the lazy river.
Her countenance is serious, and I can tell she’s thinking about her dad and all she just learned. It would be a lot to process.
“Hey,” I say, grabbing her tube with my foot so that we can float together .
We can hear kids’ voices, but I’m not sure where they are because, right now, it’s like we have the river to ourselves.
“Hey,” she says with a little smile.
“I was going to tell you about last night while we floated, but maybe I should tell you something else instead—about when my parents divorced. I know what you’re thinking.
I did wonder how it would all affect me.
Affect my life. And the questions you were asking were valid.
Because how it will affect your life is something you do need to be concerned about.
It sounds selfish because, obviously, you know your parents are people and they need to be happy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hard to wrap your head around. ”
“It’s going to be really hard,” she says, tears filling her eyes. “I love my dad, and I can’t believe he did this.”
“No,” I tell her, brushing my foot across her side. “Don’t cry. It will be okay. You don’t live with your mom, so you won’t see all the day-to-day bullshit that can occur.”
“I also won’t be there to support her,” she counters. “Or him.”
“True. My sister had a really hard time with the divorce. I think it kind of shattered her vision of the perfect fairy-tale relationship that she had always dreamed about,” I say just as we go through a little set of rapids that causes my foot to fall off her raft and for her to go rushing ahead of me.
I paddle my hands in the water to catch up to her, and this time, I grab on to her foot. And think that there is something adorable about her little toes.
She smiles but then continues our conversation.
“I think I’m just shocked. I lived under the illusion that my parents had a perfect marriage, and to find out that it’s not …
it’s just, like, a mindfuck. And then I start thinking about how it’s all going to work.
Where are we going to live? And if the house is going to the bank, what happens to all the stuff inside? ”
“I’m assuming if the family is helping with a place to stay, they’ve probably set up movers as well. So, I’m sure that part is taken care of. Have you been to Mom and Van’s new home?”
“The one they have been building? I didn’t think it was done yet.”
“It’s not yet. But they put their house on the market and got an offer they couldn’t refuse at the end of the year, so they bought another place to live until the new house is done.”
“Is it nice?” I ask, but then I realize that was a stupid question. “Of course it’s nice. Your mom is spectacular.”
“She does like to decorate,” I say with a chuckle.
Because that’s kind of an understatement.
Mom does everything big. “But here’s something you need to understand.
Right now, you see a wonderfully happy, blended family.
But it wasn’t always that way. And you need to prepare for the fact that it may take a while for your parents to get over it.
And there are going to be a lot of times when you’re going to feel like you have to choose between them.
But eventually, their relationship will hopefully heal. ”
“So, what happened to break your parents up?” she asks me.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but Mom was having an affair with her plastic surgeon.
Us kids had gone on a cruise with my grandparents because my parents were supposed to be on a trip, celebrating their anniversary.
We came home to learn Mom had moved out, was living with some guy named Richard, and that our parents were getting a divorce.
The hard part for me and Dani was that due to Dad’s high profile, they made us keep it all a secret until the divorce was final.
Which meant that we couldn’t tell our friends.
That we had to pretend like things were fine at home when it felt like everything was falling apart.
And we didn’t know how the custody would shake out.
Or where we would live. Thankfully, the Mackenzies knew, and Dani really leaned on Chase.
And during that time, my dad met Jennifer again. ”
“What do you mean, again?” she asks as she opens a water bottle and takes a sip. “I thought they met at a football game or something.”
“No. When Dani was a baby, my dad went to a fundraiser in California, where he met Jennifer. I guess they hit it off right away. But Dad was married, and Jennifer was in a relationship, so they went their separate ways.”
She nods. “And how old were you during the divorce?”
“I was in eighth grade, and Dani was a freshman.”
“I actually did follow some of their story,” she says.
“I will admit to being a big fan of Jennifer’s, growing up.
I was obsessed with the Sector movies, and I remember the scandal when she and her ex broke up.
And I remember when she and your father announced they were dating at a football game.
And when he proposed on the field with confetti raining down on them after his Super Bowl win. So incredibly romantic.”
“It was pretty cool,” I tell her. “We loved Jennifer right away, but even though Mom was marrying someone else, she was not nice to Jennifer. She says she had her own personal issues to work through, and she must have because since she married Van, she really has changed. And now they all get along, are friends, and actually enjoy each other’s company. ”
“Thanks for telling me all that, Damon. It really helps. It is cool to see how your large, blended family interacts with each other. I mean, your mom and dad divorce. Your dad marries Jennifer. Your mom marries Van. And somehow, they all genuinely seem to love each other.”
“We’re really lucky. Just know it might be rough at first, but hopefully, your family will get its happy ending.
Or at least get to the point where your mom and dad can respectfully tolerate each other.
I mean, they were in love at some point.
And that will be even more important once you start giving them grandkids.
” I stop speaking, realizing I just screwed up.
“I guess if you want kids,” I say, backtracking.
Tears fill her eyes.
Shit!
“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” I tell her. “I know better than to assume. It’s such a personal decision.”
“That’s not why I got teary, Damon. I guess since you heard some about Brad last night, it’s not a surprise that I took the breakup hard. And while I always dreamed of being married and having kids, after that, I swore off everything. Relationships. Marriage. Kids.”
“Thus the drought?” I say, squeezing her arm.
She smiles. “Yes. Are you serious that nothing happened last night?”
“I did enjoy seeing you naked. I did enjoy running around and having fun. And it was pretty flattering that you wanted me to, um, end the drought.”
“Oh gosh, I’m so embarrassed.”
“No need. And what about kids?” I press. Because this is important to me. I do believe it’s a personal choice, but my choice is, I definitely want a family.
“I do want children,” she says. “Damon, are you really this sweet?”
“I mean, I think I’m a nice person.”
“Why didn’t you want to do stuff with me last night? It sounds like I was giving you every indication that I wanted to.”
“I was taught to be respectful of women, and I wouldn’t want to mess up a chance for us to be together because of one stupid night.”
She just looks at me thoughtfully and nods.
We’ve managed to get in a lap around the lazy river without running into any of the family, but as we come around the next corner, we find out why.