Finding Her Joy

When He Left

*A/N- Yeah... so... uh, good luck with this one. It's pretty sad and kinda dark at the end. Happy reading! Enjoy!

(MIA POV)
The day my dad left is one that still haunts me. I'm sure it does for Autumn and Reece, too, when it comes to their mum leaving. I remember what I was wearing. I remember what I had eaten for breakfast, the color of my shoes, how my hair was fixed. I could even tell you exactly what the air smelled like when I'd gotten home and realized what had happened.

I was in my school uniform. Just a navy skirt, white button-up, and a necktie. The air was crisp in the morning from the change in weather, but by the time I'd gotten home, I could smell the autumn air and rain to come. I had two waffles and half a glass of orange juice. Not my favorite, but good enough to fill me up. My shoes were black Mary Jane's. My hair was cut the same way it is now, but my mum had braided it for me to keep it out of my face.

"You should never hide your beauty, Dearest." She would always say and then kiss the top of my head.

Things were simpler then. Quieter. Or maybe that's how I choose to remember it.

My parents never fought in front of me. They would always lock themselves in their bedroom if they had even the slightest disagreement. I never understood why they wouldn't just let me see it. Felt more unhealthy for them to step away, instead of talking it through so I could see how to solve problems.

Looking back on it, I can see now why I avoid and run when things get hard.

Reece and Autumn were always picked up by their driver after school, and I would always get a ride back to my house with them. We would have the driver turn up the music as loud as our ears could handle, and then we'd each take turns playing a song until we reached our destination.

That day, Reece and I decided to let Autumn pick the whole way what should play. It was almost her birthday, after all. She was going to be 10. Double digits, wow. Our girl was growing up. Reece and I were already 12 and ready to start our teenage years. Little did we know, they were going to be the worst of our lives.

I hugged them both goodbye before getting out of the car. Autumn was going to spend the night at a friend's house, and Reece was just going home because practice for whatever sport he was in got canceled. I always hated when he was in the house with his dad without his sister. She always knew how to distract him from his fsthers harsh words. His mum did her best to protect him from his father, but there was only so much she could do.

The next 45 seconds were the last bits of peace I would have. The time it took me to walk up the steps and open the front door. Looking over before heading inside, I could see my dad's car in the drive. Normally, he would still be at work until 6 or 7. It was only 4:30, but I was excited to see him that it didn't seem strange.

"I'm home!" I called out as I walked in. The lights were all off, so every room was lit up by the light coming in through the windows. "Mum? Dad? Where are you guys?" I checked the lounge, kitchen, downstairs office. They were nowhere to be found.

I was about to look outside for them when I heard a loud crash and then the sound of glass breaking. It was coming from my parents' room. A woman screaming at the top of her lungs made me sprint up the stairs and bust into the room.

"Mum?" She was in the middle of the room crying on her knees. "What's happened? What was the noise?"

She quickly wiped her face, but it was still red and puffy from how long she'd been crying. "Dearest, I didn't hear you come in." She sniffed and moved over to a broken picture frame, trying to clean up the glass and other broken pieces.

Inside was our family photo from a few years earlier. We were all on the beach in our swimwear. Mum was holding me on her lap, and dad was trying to tickle me. It was a blissful memory, now clouded by my hatred for my father. All good things must come to an end eventually.