The Grean Household

14: The Sudden Split

As she guessed, Oliver didn't take the news well.

Who'll watch our children?! He shouted at her. Sarah knew not to react how she had reacting before. Trying to get him to calm down only made him more furious. She never considered that question.

I'll figure it out, Oliver.

She was packing her suitcase, listening to the faint sound of her children play downstairs. It was completely silent, the only sound being her shoving clothing and things into her bags. Oliver was nowhere to be seen. As long as he stayed out of her way, Sarah was okay with whatever he was doing.

Another thing added onto his argument was her recent pregnancy. They were due in October, and Sarah was already prepared to leave after the birth of her newborns, which were found out to be another set of fraternal twins.

No matter how much pain she was going through, Sarah's only attention seemed to be focused on Willow and Sammy, who loved her focus. It was 2031, the twins due in three months. It was warm, and Sarah was continuing to pack. It was a slow process, always being halted with Willow and Sammy's contacts. She'd start med school, and she'd get her life back, that was her plan.

Every night, she prayed to herself quietly. She practically started sleeping in her office. Each night that was spent sleeping next to the man she couldn't stand to look at anymore repulsed her. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself it was right to sleep by his side, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The second she found out the twins' sexes, Sarah was purchasing a futon and putting it in the corner of her office. Most nights were peaceful- majority of her rests were undisturbed.

 Now Oliver was a lonely man, but Sarah couldn't find it in herself to care anymore. The only thing she was focused on was her escape and Willow and Sammy.

-

The birth was familiar and excruciating, her mind elsewhere as she brought more life into the world. Like last time, she felt their hands in her body, gracefully extracting the life she made. Those moments were the moments Sarah's eyes were glued to the clock. She counted seconds, hoping this birthing of life would finally be over.

There was now no chance she'd ever consider having more children. The feeling of her body on that gurney, offering a premature life was familiar and aching. Sarah's body- she felt- was finally giving in. Each second was an eternity. There was no more joy; only pain as the feeling of evacuation sucked her heart into overdrive. 

Oliver, after the operation was finished, named his daughter and son, holding them, cooing their names. 

Gabriel and Lauren. 

Sarah held her breath when she had her newborns in her arms. She was staring down at their faces, this moment familiar. The fear wasn't there- but the misery was. Each thought started to stray and the only thing she was thinking of then was the escape. She would do it as soon as the month would come to an end.

Afterwards, when she was allowed to go home, she noticed how little Oliver looked at her. There was no more pretending when it came to his pity. They were like roommates who despised each other but were too cowardly to admit it openly. 

When she sat down, making sure she could keep herself together, Sarah pulled Willow and Sammy close. She hugged them, sniffling gently. 

"Why are you sad?" Sammy asked quietly, hugging his mother close. Sarah couldn't seem to let them go. Willow held her mother's arm, watching as she wiped away tears. 

"I'm not sad... not completely." Sarah said. The tone in her own voice made the ache in her chest triple in size.

Oliver was watching from the shadows, Emma and Alex at his sides. Their familiar eyes watching everything unfold. When Sarah hugged Emma she wasn't as passionate as this- no. Sarah treated those twins like they were treasure that their mother was leaving behind reluctantly.

 Emma remembered when everything was about her, and Alex remembered when he had the attention on him as well. The only thing that confused them was what made the twins so special. Sarah already had her bags packed in the car, hesitant to let her children go.

"I'm just going to miss you." Willow tilted her head, staring at her in confusion. 

"Where are you going?" Sarah rubbed their cheeks, wiping away any doubt from their mind. 

"I'm going to school. I just want you to know how much I love you, okay?" Sammy and Willow hugged her tightly.

Oliver held the twins, his jaw clenching, his older children almost hiding behind him. Willow could feel her mother's sorrow and hesitance through her touch. 

"Will you come back?" Sammy asked. The question seemed to strike a horrible nagging feeling within Sarah, but she kept the sobs well enough inside her. 

"Of course, buddy. I'm not going far. I promise." Sammy nodded and collapsed onto her, wrapping his arms around her. Willow did the same, suddenly hearing her own brother start to sniffle. She couldn't understand, this event seemed joyous, though bittersweet.

Sammy and Willow watched their mother as she opened her car door, hesitating. She looked back, meeting eyes with her oldest twins. Sammy managed a smile and Willow waved her on, as if she understood what this meant to her mother. Maybe she did, and she just didn't know it. Willow's soft eyes and firm wave seemed to encourage Sarah into slinking down into her drivers seat.

She sat there for a moment, staring at the end of the driveway as if it were a cliff. Slowly, she crept forwards. This moment was something she waited for for a long time, but she couldn't wrap her head around why she was feeling like she was leaving everything she could ever have behind. Pulling out of the driveway, Sarah turned the car and started the drive down the road.

The further she got, the more she grew anxious. Soon, she was out in the open thruway, traveling quickly. Sarah was zoning out, only thinking about her children and the way Sammy had started to cry when she pulled away from them.

  Be a strong boy for me, okay? He nodded, trying to suck in his sadness. What almost made it impossible was that Sarah had wiped the drop of his tears off his cheek with her thumb.

The memory almost made her want to cry, but she drove on, continuing. Then, as if reaching the gates of the heavens, Sarah got into the visibility of the large towers of the capital. Her eyes traveled up, mouth falling open as she saw the strong standing towers, and the tallest one, which made her eyes widen. 

The tower was made out of reflective glass, the shine coming from the sun that ruled from above. It was a large robust building that caught every newcomer's attention, telling them exactly where they were and what to expect. To top off its large stature a large spire sat on top of its slanted roof- which was also made of thick glass. The sun bounced off in reflective rays. Continuing to drive, Sarah mouth dropped the more she got closer. It was such a large figure in this city- a shadow that many relished to be in. This tower- known as The Queen- was well known; even Sarah, a foreigner, knew of the skyscraper. Its the tallest tower in the country and the symbol of Stratford's enthusiasm and reinvention techniques.

Sarah had made it.