head in the clouds

twenty six; josh

"What's this about?" I ask Ashley as I sit next to her on the couch. 

She shrugs, not looking up from her phone. "I dunno. Jordan just said he wanted to talk to us all."

I make a "mph" noise and lean against the back of the couch. I look over to see what she's doing, and she's just playing a stupid little game. We get lost in the gameplay for a few minutes and before we know it, everyone is sat around the living room. 

"So," Jordan starts off. "I uh, don't really know how to put this any other way but I'm moving out." 

Ashley, Abby and I collectively say 'what the fuck' at the same time. 

"After staying with dad for a while, I've realized I needed a change. I need him to be apart of my life again, and we all know mom wont let him back in. I talked to mom about it, she gave me the okay. Dad is obviously okay with it too." 

"Well when do you plan on moving out?" Abby asks.

"As soon as possible." He answers. 

"Are we still going to see you at all?" Ashley asks. 

"Yeah, I'll still come over and shit. I have my license, I'll be able to swing by whenever, really." 

I shrug. "Go for man. If the parents are on board, you got both to say yes, fuckin' go for it." 

He smiles and nods. "You guys are also allowed to come by, too. Whenever you want, the house will always be open for you three." 

***

"So, he's just moving out?" Ty asks. 

"Yeah. Going to live with my dad." 

"That's... good for him, I think?" 

I chuckle. "Yeah, it is." 

"And you're mom is just, okay with it?" 

"Yeah, I guess. I haven't really talked to her about it, but he said she gave him the okay." 

"And, I'm guessing, your dad is okay with it?" 

"Yes, he is okay with it." 

"Okay..." He trails off. "Wait, I'm confused." 

"About what?" I ask, looking over at him. 

"Where has your dad been this whole time? Why did he even leave?"

"Uh, okay basically, when I was 13 my dad's brother Pat, well Patrick but everyone calls him Pat, and my mom kinda sorta had an affair. It was supposed to be a one time thing, that's what my mom told me, but it just snowballed into a full blown relationship behind my dad's back. Soon enough, my dad did find out and obviously it didn't go great. For my dad, at least. He tried fighting, tried telling my mom he could move past what she's done but she was just... in love with Pat; so my mom and dad got a divorce. Me and my siblings were really young so they went to court for custody but my mom and Pat had a better plan than my dad so my mom got custody. 

"My dad still tried fighting, but for us kids. That annoyed and pissed off Pat, so after a year he threatened my dad with getting a restraining order if he wouldn't stop. I tried keeping in touch with my dad throughout the years, he told me the most of the time he was with my aunt Becky over in Cincinnati. I saw him a couple times in public but I was always with my mom or Pat so it's not like I could've said anything."

He nods, taking in the information. "And why is he all of a sudden back in your life?" 

"Well, like I told you before, I beat the shit out of Pat and it made him move out. Him and my mom never got married so he felt it would be easy to just up and leave. So now, without Pat in the way, my dad is going to try and be more present with us. Abby... doesn't really like that idea but she's going to have to live with it."