𝑱𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑬𝒀 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑳𝑺 // gerard way x fem!oc

𝑭𝑰𝑽𝑬.

"And that's why, to this day, I stay away from Subway food. Trust me, I used to work there. That shit's barely edible."

"I dunno, Gee, there aren't many places around here where you can get a footlong sandwich for $5."

"Once again, Tom's has amazing sandwiches , and they're made of actual food."

"Actual food?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact." he responded. "And for like, eight bucks. That's a good price to pay for a legit sandwich."

"Well, maybe you'll have to get me one, so I can taste the difference."

I could hear him laugh from across the phone line. "Sounds like a plan to me."

I laid back on my bed, kicking my feet in the air. "When are you coming back to school? Frank's driving me insane and Mikey is extra quiet. Ray hasn't changed, thank goodness, but we all miss you."

There was a slight pause from the other side of the phone. "I should be back next Monday, if all goes well. Still have to scrape that paint off the principal's door but, hey, the sooner I can get back, the sooner I have art class. I'm not complaining."

"Hey Lia, you've got some mail!" called mom from the kitchen.

"One sec mom!" I shouted. "Sorry, Gee, I have to go. My mom's yelling for me. Talk later?"

"Yeah! I'm here all week, sadly," he said, laughing. "I'd invite you over for dinner or a movie or something but my parents grounded me until I get all of that paint off of Whatshisface's stupid fucking door."

I chuckled. "Bye, Gee."

"Seeya later, Lia."

I hung up on him and shoved my phone into my pocket. I sped down the stairs and into the kitchen to find Mom standing by a large stack of papers on the counter. There were six envelopes: of which two were bills, one was a letter from a random university, two were coupons, and one was a letter from my father addressed to me.

I opened the envelope to see a card. Happy Birthday Lia, it said, and enclosed was $250 in cash. Every year he sends me a card with money in it for my birthday——a week or so late, that is. Not like I'm complaining of anything. But he never sends anything for mom.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…miss Dad?"

She shrugged. "No."

I frowned. "Why not?"

"I'd rather have no husband than have a husband who doesn't love me."

"He didn't love you?" I asked, partly curious as this was the most she's said about dad, and partly bewildered at the idea that a man would marry my mother, only to divorce her after I was born. In my eyes, my mother was equal parts charismatic and kind---for what she lacks in wealth she makes up for in ambition and hard work.

She chuckled. "Yeah. We had dated for about a month before he popped the question. I was so sure that what we had was love, and I fully intended to be wed to him until 'death do us part.'" She sighed. "But, six months after we got married, I became pregnant. When I told him, he was a little—disappointed, almost. I can't be for sure, but he was growing distant. He slept around with a few women, and I caught him. We divorced after your first birthday. The rest doesn't matter. At least he pays your child support. The birthday cards are something extra, probably because he's guilty."

I frowned. "Why would he be disappointed that you were pregnant?"

"I think he's afraid of commitment."