Through Thick & Thin

Chapter 9

Reyanna gave a silent sigh of relief as she heard her dad’s voice. Then it dawned on her that she was actually talking with her dad! She hadn’t spoken to him in nearly two weeks, going on three, and she had no idea what to say!

Reyanna: “Umm, hey dad, how’s it going?”

Mr. Carter: “Uh, everything is okay baby girl. It’s getting a little crazy here at the office, but you know how that goes. Something about the summer season that has the boss going crazy and making up crazy deadlines. What about you? How’s everything going with school and track?”

“Is he for real?” Reyanna thought to herself. After everything that has been going on the past month and a half or so, Reyanna couldn’t believe that was really what he wanted to lead with. “What about, 'Hey baby girl, I’m sorry I haven’t reached out,' or 'Reyanna I’m really sorry I’m being a cynical jerk and putting you and your mother through all of this bull for my own selfish prideful reasons', but no he wants to act like everything is fine.” Reyanna decided to keep her cool though, because she wanted, no, she deserved answers, and she intended on getting them, tonight. She had just pulled up in front of Michael’s apartment and put the car in park. Michael could wait a few more minutes, but this conversation needed to happen now.

Reyanna: “Everything’s okay, but dad we need to talk.”

Mr. Carter: “What about baby girl?”

Reyanna: “Daddy don’t, alright I’m not a little kid. I was there that night remember. I can see what’s going on between you and mom, and she’s called me. She told me about how she came home for lunch and you were moving out and Samantha was there.”

Mr. Carter: “She’s my assistant honey, she was assisting me in moving my stuff out. I haven’t told anyone else in the family so it’s not like I could ask them to help me move my stuff out.”

Reyanna: “But why are you moving out in the first place dad? What’s going on between you and mom? Why is Samantha calling me to try and talk to me instead of you? And why have you been avoiding me?”

The phone got quiet as Reyanna was struggling to fight back the tears. She hadn’t realized how much all of this was really affecting her. But she wasn’t about to let her emotions get in the way of getting answers. She was too strong for that.

Mr. Carter: “*sigh* baby girl, I’m so sorry that this has all been affecting you like this. I wish to God that I could be there to hug you and rock you back and forth like I did when you were little and tell you everything is going to be okay, and that your mom and I will be able to work everything out, but I can’t.”

At this point the tears were streaming down Reyanna’s face. She wished her dad would just be honest with her. She recalled back to the night her and Riley decided to come home for the weekend in January for Martin Luther King’s birthday. They were both feeling a little overwhelmed with school, so they decided to take a mini vacation. Riley was up in Reyanna’s room having girl talk like they usually do, when all of a sudden they heard yelling and doors slamming.

“What’s going on,” Riley asked with a puzzled look?

“I have no idea. Come on let’s go,” Reyanna said, as they got up to go down stairs.

“I can’t do this anymore Marissa,” Reyanna heard her father say to her mother as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She and Riley decided to hide behind the wall and listen in on what was going on. “You’ve obviously made your decision about what you want to do, and I’m not tolerating this anymore. I’ve tried to stick it out, and I’ve tried to make it work, but I’m not going to live this lie anymore.” “Mark please,” Marissa said, “You’re overreacting. Let’s talk about this honey,” “Talk? Oh now you want to talk?!” Mark said, his voice getting louder. Reyanna began to worry, she had never heard her father so much as raise his voice before, especially not towards her mom.
“What happened to talking when you decided to take that money out of the account without asking me?! WHAT HAPPENED TO TALKING WHEN YOU!!…” “Mom, Dad?” Reyanna said as she came from around the corner. Her father was shouting now, and she felt like she had to do something. “Reyanna? Oh sweetheart what are you doing down here,” Reyanna’s mom asked? She was trying her hardest to fight back the tears but it wasn’t working. “Riley and I were up in my room talking when we heard you guys arguing, so we came downstairs to see what was going on. So, what’s going on?” “Nothing sweetheart, your father and I are just having a disagreement. Go back upstairs honey, everything is going to be alright.” “Don’t you do that Rissa,” Mark said as he shot a mean look at his wife. “Don’t you even dare lie.” Mark walked over to his daughter and gave her the biggest, tightest hug he had ever given her. “Dad,” Reyanna said as her father pushed her back to look her in the face. “Why does this hug feel like a goodbye?”