When Skies Are Gray

My Only Sunshine

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤! 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞.

The next morning, the Alvarados got early for church. No one actually mentioned what had happened last night, but everyone was unusually quiet. Except for Chara. Chara hated tension, so she kept trying to break it by making a stupid joke or pun. 

"Hey mamí." Chara said.

"What is it, Charita?" Rose said with fake cheer.

"Knock-knock." Berlyne sighed heavily.

"Who's there?" Rose said, with almost imperceptible annoyance.

"Omelette!" Chara giggled.

"Omelette who?"

"Omelette you finish." Chara started laughing hysterically. 

"Very nice, sweetie." Rose said. "Did you make that up?"

"Yup!" 

Berlyne rolled her eyes so hard that it was almost audible. 

The screen door in the back slammed closed as Joe came in with a basket of eggs.

"Good morning, ma'girls!" He said as he walked into the kitchen. Rose put down the dish she was washing and wiped her hands on her checkered apron.

"Joseph, how many times have I told you not to slam the screen door?"

"397, Rosie." Joe kissed her on the forehead, but she brushed his face away.

"Exactly, Joe. 397. Why don't you listen to me?" 

"Ah, but I wouldn't know how many times you told me if I didn't listen."

"Then you disregard my feelings, then?" Rose put her hands on her hips.

"No, it is my incurable tendency, and you will just have to live with it." Joe swooped Rose up in his arms and she smiled in spite of herself.

"There's my Cozy Rosie!"

"Joe, stop!" Rose chuckled. "You're embarrassing me in front of the girls."

"I don't care."

Chara grabbed Berlyne's hand, and pulled her into their room. 

"Why'd you do that?" Berlyne asked.

"Duh, they obviously wanted to be alone. Honestly, B, for someone with such good grades to have so few people skills..."

"Shut up." 

Once the Alvarados  got to church, they spread out. Berlyne and Chara went to the Sunday School, and Joe and Rose went to their Bible study group. As Chara walked to the cabin next to the main chapel which served as the Sunday School classroom, she heard sobs from the woods. She ran into the forest, curious as to the source of the noise and found her friend Greta crying inside a tree fort they had made together a few weeks ago.

"Greta! What's wrong?" Chara quickly sat down next to her best friend.

"M-My parents." Greta sniffled. "They-they got d-d-divorced."

"Oh my goodness, that's horrible! I'm so sorry." Chara squeezed Greta's shoulder. "Um, Greta, what does divorce mean?"

"My daddy says that he doesn't love my mom anymore, and he doesn't want to be married anymore. My mom is angry and she says that" Greta's voice dropped to a anguished whisper. "That he should go away and never come back." 

"I didn't know people could do that." Chara said sadly. Greta swallowed and wiped her nose. 

"It's not very common here in Gallitan, but my parents are from Raritan, and divorce is more common there. Also, my daddy is Anglican." Chara was confused about how that had to do with anything, but she only said,

"Do you need anything?" Greta sniffed.

"A handkerchief." Chara smiled, and grabbed a monogramed handkerchief Berlyne had given her for Christmas.

"Easy. Anything else?" Greta sighed. "Unless you can bring my parents back together, then no, Chara. You've already done everything you possibly could. Thank you for being such a good friend." Chara blushed at this.

"I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done if my parents were... you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"Chara? Chara, where are you?" The girls heard Berlyne yell.  Chara stood up, brushed herself off, and helped Greta up.

"We'd better go. Do you think you'll be okay?" Chara said while frowning. 

"I will." Greta said more to reassure herself than Chara.

"CHAAAARAAAA!" Berlyne screamed.

"How did you like the service?" Joe said as the family went though the front door of their house.

"I didn't like it much." Berlyne said. "He's preached on the 10 Commandments for the last month."

"Old Mr. McLeaman didn't like it much." Chara giggled. "I could hear him snoring from three rows away!"

"Go change out of your Sunday dresses before lunch." Rose said, as she tied on an large apron.

As soon as the girls got into their room, Chara announced, 

"Greta's parents are getting divorced." Berlyne grabbed her play-dress. 

"Yeah, I know. Mae told me." Chara was confused. 

"How did Mae know?"

"You know how Mae has been bragging all the time about how her mom is remarrying?" Chara groaned. 

"Ugh, yes. Mae is really annoying." 

"Well, her mom is marrying Greta's dad."

Chara's jaw dropped. "Really?"

"Yup." Berlyne nodded.

"That would be so horrible, to have Mami or Daddy go away and get married to someone else." Chara plopped down on her bed. 

"Well, they might separate. Last night, did you understand what they were arguing about?"

Chara sat up and shook her head.

"The lady who runs the produce stand in downtown Greenway told Daddy that Mami had been at Kevinric's house on that night last week when she said she was at Nana and Pop-Pop's house. They were... well... never mind." Berlyne looked embarrassed.

"What?" Chara demanded.

"Uhh... kissing." Berlyne whispered. "and other things."

"WHAT???" Chara screamed.

"Are you all right up there, girls?" Rose yelled from the foot of the stairs.

"Yeah, we're fine. Chara stubbed her toe." Berlyne lied.

"Lunch will be ready in a minute." Rose yelled back.

"Okay, we're coming." Berlyne yelled, and to Chara, "Don't tell anyone. Promise?"

"Promise." Agreed Chara. "I promise."