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eleven

chapter eleven: Oh, Mr. Rosewood

***

November 26, 1953

"Eloise." Her mother walked into her room, seeing her daughter laying on the bed in her nicest attire. "Do you need to talk about this?" She heard her hair rub against the bed as she shook her head.

"I know it's hard, your first year without dad. It's hard for me too."

"Then why'd you do it?"

"Why'd I do what?"

"Why'd you leave him?"

"You think I left him?" She questioned. Eloise lifted her head from the bed, sitting up. She stared at her mother, confused.

"What?"

"You kids always blame this on me."

"This is the first time I've accused you," Eloise admitted, shamefully.

"But, it's not the first time you've accused me for something your dad did," she replied. Eloise didn't know what to say. Her dad did this? What exactly did he do?

"Dad left. . ." Eloise muttered. Her mother nodded her head, slowly and sadly. She sat next to her daughter on the bed, wrapping her arms around her.

"I didn't want you or James to know anything about it so I kept quiet."

"But, you let us think you were the bad guy," I realized, staring at the floor. The door creaked open, as someone slowly pushed it open. We both turned around to see James walking in and shutting the door behind him. He sat on the bed with us without saying a word and that was how we stayed, together with our little broken family. But, it didn't start off like that.

This holiday wasn't all that bad before this.

***

"Why have you guys been spending so much more time together lately?" Eloise groaned, throwing her head back, over-dramatically.

"It's only one night, Eloise. You'll be fine," her mother said, getting the turkey out of the oven. There was an overload of food along the whole counter, turkey on one side, tamales on the other, and sides in-between. Did their mother forget Mr. Rosewood's side wasn't coming?

"You say that but then they'll probably be here for Christmas," James cut in from beside Eloise.

"And New Year's."

"And Easter."

"Then they'll be here for our birthdays."

"All of our birthdays," James emphasized.

"And then they'll be with us for Fourth of July."

"And Halloween."

"And next thing you know, it'll be Thanksgiving again!"

"And then Christmas again!"

"And th-"