Both of us were sad to leave the campground and head back to reality but we had to sometime. This place would just be that much more special to us now. I drove home feeling on top of the world after our amazing weekend and the new level of intimacy we shared. I was also looking forward to dad retuning, he’d been gone longer than I had expected. James brought my bag to the door and then kissed me deeply before we parted ways. Dad was already home which surprised me.
“That’s new.” Dad gestured towards the window, where James was leaving.
“Dad!” I exclaimed, running up to him and hugging him. I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell him about James, and felt slightly guilty. “I’ve missed you!” I told him.
“I’ve missed you too.” He smiled and then looked back out the window. “So, things with you and James have evolved, I see,” he said, his expression blank.
“Yes, dad. James and I are dating now,” I told him, unsure how he felt from his vacant expression.
“I was wondering how long it was going to take, but all the same I’m still shocked it’s happened so soon,” he stated and then smiled. “You’re happy, honey?” he asked. I nodded my head enthusiastically; he had no clue. “Good, that’s all I want for you, sugar.” He smiled looking happy for me as well.
“How was your trip? You were gone so long!” He’d said he was going for two weeks but it had turned into over a month.
“It was busy,” he sighed, looking stressed again, just as he did when he left.
“How long are you back for?” I asked, not wanting him to leave again. “You’ll be here for Christmas?” I asked, needing him. His forehead creased into a frown.
“Honey, I need to talk to you about some things,” he said making me nervous.
“Okay,” I answered as he led me to sit on the couch in his office. He sat down beside me looking grim, his hands clenching and unclenching fists. Whatever was coming, I knew it wasn’t good, the only thing I didn’t know was how bad it would be.
“Honey,” he started and then paused, having trouble getting the words out. “Alyssa and I have been having some problems lately,” he stated, shocking me. Alyssa? That was why he was so unnerved? I never thought they had an amazing relationship, not like mom and Miguel but they always seemed to make it work and they never seemed truly unhappy with each other. “We’ve decided to get a divorce,” he said at last.
“What?” I asked in utter shock. “Is this because of me?” I questioned him suddenly. Alyssa had never been a huge fan of me and there had been more drama then ever at the house concerning me. I felt guilt and sadness hit me in a massive wave, I didn’t want to be the cause of dad’s unhappiness.
“No, sweetheart!” he exclaimed, putting his arm around me and squeezing me tight. “We’re just not a good match,” he decided, choosing his words carefully.
“Oh daddy, I’m so sorry,” I told him, returning his embrace just as strongly.
“It’s okay, sugar. Some things just aren’t meant to be,” he tried to smile but wasn’t quite able to. “But things are going to be changing now,” he stated, the same words he’d said before he left, only now I understood them. My eyes widened in anxiety, what was going to happen now? I was never a fan of Alyssa and the evils but I’d never imagined them not being part of my life before, they’d been a part of it for the last eight years. “We’re going to be selling the house.”
“What!” I exclaimed in horror. Our house? Dad and I had lived here forever, before they had even been a thought. I loved our house and being so close to James and now we were going to lose it.
“I know this won’t be easy.” He nodded, “But we’ve decided to wait until you and Gertrude graduate before we move. That way it will be easier for you two and you can still graduate from your school with all your friends,” he explained. I was shell-shocked by it all.
“Where will we live after? Why can’t we stay here?” I asked feeling numb.
“I’m going to be working almost exclusively out of Europe starting next month. Once you graduate, I’ll get you an apartment in Paris while you’re in school and then you can see where you want to be when you’re finished.” I felt like my world was unravelling. Not even an hour ago, I’d been the happiest girl in the world after the most amazing weekend of my life and now that was just a distant memory and everything had turned upside down.
“But I still haven’t decided if I’m going to Paris,” I whispered, speaking almost to myself.
“Why wouldn’t you go?” he asked confused. “It’s always been your dream.” He was right it had been, but things were so great with James and if I went to Paris what would happen then? We’d end no doubt, how could we last almost three years, separated by so much distance?
“My friends are here,” I said lamely.
“It’s because James is here. Isn’t it?” dad asked, seeing right through me. I nodded slowly, tears in my eyes.
“Honey,” dad said softly. “Don’t base life changing decisions on a boy. I know how important James is to you, and I understand. But I promise you, if it’s meant to be, it will be,” he told me, rubbing my shoulders. “If you don’t want to go to Paris anymore for you, that’s okay and we will plan around something else but if it’s because of James, you’re making the wrong decision. You don’t want to end up resenting him because you feel you
