I love you to death.

Chapter 6: A new day

The tension in the house was horrible. After everything that had come out of last night, there was no going back. Dad barely looked at my mother before packing his things in silence. There was no yelling, no final accusations- Just the sound of zippers closing and footsteps across the floor. I wanted to say something, anything. Nothing came to mind. The words stayed stuck in my throat.

The fight had torn something open in all of us.

As I watched my father pack, his shoulders slumped under the weight of my mothers betrayal. Everything was falling apart, not just with me but with my family. I had never imagined I would be the one to set fire to the last shred of stability we had. My poor father.

Josie's voice broke through the silence, trembling as she stood in the hallway.

"Dad, you don't have to go, please."

He paused, his back to us as he zipped up his suitcase full of his office plaques and notes. I could see the conflict in his body language, the way his body tensed up at the sound of Josie's voice.

"Dad."

Josie repeated, stepping closer. Her eyes were wide and pleading.

"I want to come with you. I can't stay here. Not after everything."

Her words sliced through the air, desperate. Practically begging. I had not realized how much Josie had been hiding. How much this situation had torn her apart, too.

"Dad, Please. I will drop out of college and get a job or switch colleges. I don't care."

He walked over to her and cupped her face with his hands.

"I love you, Josie. You know that right? But this is not easy for any of us. I need to go, but that doesn't mean I am leaving you. We will figure out a plan."

She shook her head, trying to move in front of the doorway.

"You are leaving, You are Walking out and you are leaving us with that she devil."

Oliver looked at my sister and then at me.

"I will come back, I promise."

We all knew promises were fragile and after everything had happened, I was not sure if we believed in them anymore.

Josie looked devastated as dad kissed her cheek and pulled away. He kissed me on the head and grabbed his bags. Without another word, the door closed with a heart shattering silence following.

Josie stood frozen in place, staring at the door. Hoping and praying dad would turn around and take us away from this house of tragedy.

He was gone, we looked at each other as we heard the engine of the car drive off. I wanted to comfort her, myself even. I did not know how. I needed a break too.

A few days had passed since my father left.
The road to Hudson's house was familiar but so different now. the last time I was there, it was with him. Laughing, tickling, holding hands like nothing was ever going to get in between us.

Now, the place seemed like a cementary, A yard filled with gloomy memories. Memories clung to ever street corner I passed. I almost did not want to pull into the driveway, but I had to see Steph, Cohen and Jason. Especially, after that episode I had before I snapped on my mother. I still don't know if that was real or was my imagination playing tricks on me. I seen him though. I truly did. They deserved to know I had not forgotten Hudson, even if the rest of the world had gone back to normal and had carried on to the next thing.

When I knocked on the door, Cohen answered. His eyes were red, it looks like he had not slept for days.

"Jaclyn, Hi."