Breaking point

Liars downfall

I climbed quietly back through my window, but apparently I'd lost track of time. My dad was waiting in my room, hands on hips and not looking to happy.

"Hey dad..." I started nervously, closing my window and stepping down to the floor from my bed.

"Trying on outfits huh?" My dad recalled with a raised eyebrow.

I pursed my lips, trying to think of a cover, "well I'm not wearing what I wore at breakfast so technically I did trying on outfits. Well outfit."

My dad looked unimpressed, "Molly what were you really doing?"

I gritted my teeth, my lips pursing again, "I saw a cat outside and climbed out the window to catch it?" The end came out as more of a question.

My dad raised an eyebrow giving me his very rare, dead serious stare, "I'm not kidding molly, I want to know what you were doing and where you went for nearly 2 hours."

Sitting down on my bed, my shoulders slumped, "I was at Cole's house shooting his gun with him at a target dummy." I admitted in a muttering tone.

"Why didn't you just tell me you were going over to Cole's house? You know I'd've been fine with it, I want you to make some new friends." My dad told me as he gave me a pat on the back.

I shrugged, "I don't know, I just thought you wouldn't want me hanging out with a guy."

My dad chuckled, putting an arm across my shoulders, "Molly, as long as your safe, I want you to do whatever makes you happy."

My face lit up with a smile, "really? Even if it's not the most studios or rule following things?"

He laughed, squeezing my shoulder, "just don't come home in a squad car ok?"

I laughed, nodding in agreement as we got up and went back to finish our one on one poker tournament.

We played 4 more rounds, my dad lost all of them. At the end of the last round, I jumped up victoriously, "hahaha I win! Sucker! You been beat son!"

Laughing, my dad rolled his eyes at me, "you're just like her."

I froze mid victory dance, looking at him, "like who?...."

Though I had a feeling I knew what he'd say.

He smiled with a forlorn look, "just like your mom. Beautiful, funny and very competitive."

Sitting down, I propped my chin on my hands, "why have you never told me about her?"

"To many memories." he said simply, looking into the distance.

"There have to be some good memories that are fun to think back on..."

My dad shrugged, "I guess when she left everything became to painful to remember."

I nodded, excepting that I'd probably never hear much more about my mom aside from a few adjectives.

"I'm gonna go pick up a pizza, you coming or staying?" My dad asked as he got up an grabbed the keys off the counter.

"I'll stay." I decided as I leaned back in my chair.

"Are you actually gonna stay here or run off to the Huntley's again?" My dad inquired with a knowing half smile.

"Actually staying here this time." I confirmed with a laugh.

He nodded and waved as he walked out the front door. The real reason I'd chosen to stay is now my curiosity was picking up. I wanted to know more about my mom even if she'd deserted us.

I went toward his office, shifting carefully through papers looking for information of any kind. Mostly there were bills and work projects but nothing on my mom.

Giving up on the papers, I switched to looking through the drawers. The first three were full of typical office supplies, tape, letter opener, staples... the usual.

The next couple drawers contained files, that could hold something on her. I sat down on the floor next to the drawer, flipping through tabs looking for a file on my mom. The first drawer had nothing useful, just boring business things.

I opened the other file drawer, feeling like a detective as I looked through the labels on the files. At the very back of the drawer, behind an eternity of deathly boring files, was one left unmarked.

Not labeled, but not empty. There was a blank page at the top of the papers in the unmarked file, scribbled in my dads handwriting was a small note: divorce papers, Mabel's letters, old photographs.

Jackpot, I thought as I took the file, closing the drawer and going back to my room, wait, divorce? He said she left!

I began to look through the papers, scanning the pages to learn about what happened. According to the divorce papers, there'd been a hearing and custody dispute.

Apparently my dad had caught her cheating, I continued reading, becoming very interested in the real story. I read the words typed out by the court, describing the events.

Mrs. Bates was found guilty of cheating on her husband, and was also imprisoned on charges of vandalism while drunk. Mr. bates filed for divorced, despite his wife's offers to change and do away with her old habits. The court divorced them and scheduled the custody hearing over their daughter, molly, for a week later. Mrs.Bates was late to the custody hearing, arriving partly drunk, her only arguable point was that it was her daughter and she loved her and should have the right to see her. The court pronounced her an unfit guardian and gave full custody of the child to Mr. bates.

I stared in shock at the paper, feeling betrayed as I realized that just about everything my father had ever said about my mom had been absolute lies. The only true thing he'd said was that she'd had some problems!

Biting my lip angrily, I flipped through the other contents of the file. I paused when I came upon their wedding photo.

I looked just like her, same ash brown hair, hazel eyes and lightly tanned skin. In her wedding dress my mom looked stunning. She'd been insanely beautiful.

Flipping past the pictures, I found letters written by my mom. Some were addressed to me, others were addressed to my dad.

Hearing the front door open, I stashed the file under my bed and jogged out of my room to meet my dad.