The Art of Balancing » work in progress

CH. 1 : "I don't kill an entire family and tell."

There are about a million and one things rushing through my head as I stare out the window of the train.

I hadn't seen trees so lush and skies so blue in what not only feels like 10 years, but actually is 10 years.

April in the city meant, finally, no more parkas and boots to battle the snow and slush. April in Pearwyn meant breaking out shorts and sundresses, riding your bike around different neighborhoods, taking your dog for long walks to the lake, and full out frolicking in the sunshine. 

And I hate to say it... But God, I missed this. 

I was roughly 6 years old when my parents divorced. It was your classic case of irreconcilable differences, translating into "we're tired of picking stupid fights and beyond too lazy to work it out". At the time, I guess it did seem like the end of the world, but it could have been worse.

My dad could have been cheating on my mom with a Swedish swimsuit model, or my mom could have stolen all of my dad's money and left town. In fact, my parents are pretty civil, and I'm thankful. The only thing I wish that was different was the place that each one of them chose to reside.

My mom decided to move back to the east coast while my dad chose keeping our home on the west coast. However, my father also decided he needed to "find himself", so the moment their divorce was finalized, he headed to Europe where he spent about 3 and a half years traveling and sorting out his midlife crisis. Meanwhile, my mom settled into a cozy penthouse in New York City and I've stayed with her since. It was just easier.

I still maintained a relationship with my father, or Reid as I called him (it was just a joke for a while, but it eventually caught on, calling him by his first name, I mean).

He'd call on holidays and my birthday for the first few years, then he'd fly out so we could spend weekends together. Sometimes I'd accompany him and his new wife, Sasha, on their little vacations to remote cities and countries. It was fine.

Then it happened. I don't know how it happened, but it did, and I refuse to even mention it. All you need to know at this point is that it was enough for my mom to decide that I needed to throw "city life" away and clear my head. I think it's all a mistake.

Basically, she was tossing me back to my dad and expecting me to turn into a totally different person. Whatever helps her sleep at night.