Page 35 of Beautiful Beginning

That felt like something my dad would do. Sit with my mama till she felt better. Not drilling her with questions or forcing her to express her emotions. It’s what he did after grandpa passed away. At first, after the tears, she sat not saying anything. And for the entire time daddy sat with her.

Of course, the memory brought a tear to my eye. Well, a couple of them. Still, Chaz stuck to his word. He didn’t question them, he only pulled me closer to him and waited.

“My parents,” I whispered, “they are getting a divorce.”

“Journey,” he said without forcing me to look at him, “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, it’s tough.” Tough could be one way to describe it. But being tough meant they could fight through the challenge. What was letting go? I didn’t want to think either of them were weak. Choosing happiness wasn’t weak. And they’d also shown me they were anything but. If they got to the point to walk away, things had to be bad. “Never thought I’d see the day.” Then I snickered. “Kinda wanted to invite you home for Thanksgiving. To meet them.” I’d gone back and forth about it. If it was time for us to do that yet. If we had hit that milestone.

I remembered the story of my dad meeting my grandparents. The first Thanksgiving they shared together. Daddy admitted he was a nervous wreck, and grandpa preyed on that. Drilled him with questions he never considered. Made him contemplate what a future with Mama looked like. Daddy said it was then he decided she was the one. His future included her.

Were me and Chazthere.After our mishaps could we bring it altogether?

“But now, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” I stretched my neck to look at him. “If that would have been something you wanted to do in the first place.”

His face lacked his gorgeous smile. His hand rubbed against my arm, and I thought he was going to tell me there was no way he would have joined me. Parents divorcing or not, it was something not worth considering. “I would have liked that.” Then he offered, “Would you want to come home with me?”

I blinked. It wasn’t how my parents’ story went. It wasn’t ever how I imagined things going. Me meeting his family first. Before mine had a chance to drill him. “If all this wasn’t happening I wouldn’t mind. But I should go home.” My chest felt heavy. “I need some time with them to figure out what’s going on.”

Chaz said, “I understand.” Then his voice was a little more chipper when he added, “But the invite is out there if you change your mind.”

“I appreciate that.”

The courtyard was clearing, and I wanted more than anything to crawl into bed. Pull a pillow over my head to force myself back to sleep. To wake up again, a fresh start. The entire day a vivid dream I could escape.

“Is there anything I can do to help you feel better now?” Chaz stared at me.

Our closeness on the bench had a couple of suggestions popping up in my mind. And asgoodas it would have made me feel, I shook my head. “I need a little time alone to process this.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “But I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Whenever. I’ll answer. Okay?”

When shit hits the fan, it’s amazing how nothing else matters. I wasn’t tripping about the week Chaz ghosted me. The brunch situation was insignificant too. More than anything, with my parents falling apart, I wanted everything else to stay right where it was.

I stood from the bench, and he pulled me into a hug. His head rested on top of mine before his lips found a soft place to land on my neck. “Talk to you later.”

On my drive home, I decided I wasn’t ready to talk to my parents. And Monroe couldn’t do much to convince Dre to co-sign her crazy, so I called him. He’d confirm, or hopefully deny, what she told me.

“Hello?” There was apprehension in his voice when he said my name, “Journey…” then he sighed. “You talked to Monroe?”

“So, it’s true?”

I could hear footsteps around him. But it sounded like a hollow space. Between that and my car speakers where his voice projected, I tried to listen. To hear him when he spoke. Not to fade out like I did with Monroe.

“Fuck man,” he groaned. “It’s true.”

The confirmation didn’t make me break down into the tears. Although they stung my eyes. I held them back. “But this summer. When I was home, they seemed fine.”August, September, October, November.“What happened in four months?”

“Journey, it’s been longer than four months. They were trying to hold on until you graduated. Guess they couldn’t do it anymore.”

That made less sense than them getting a divorce. “How? I can count how many arguments they’ve had. Never seem upset. Were they faking all this time?”

“Maybe.” His blunt answer was a blow to the gut. “In relationships, everything isn’t always as it seems on the outside.”

I scoffed. “Apparently.”

“If you call anyone. Call mom first.”

That was an odd request, but I agreed. “Okay.”

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