One Chicago: Linstead

Chapter 36: Just Dizzy

"He was super tired when I picked him up from Will's. Natalie said he slept throughout the night, but somehow he is still tired. I think we should let him rest." Jay whispered to Erin while walking down the hall.

"Yeah. We'll see what's up when he wakes up. We can make sure that he's okay after he gets some reset." She frowned, turned, and stopped Jay. "Thank you. For bringing him here, thanks. I still love you, you know that right? And I think we do need more time apart."

"Actually, I was thinking during the car ride. I think..." He started, but a whine from the room behind them had Erin sprinting into the room..

"Momma, I had a nightmare." He cried.

"It's okay. Wanna tell me what it was about?" She soothed him.

"A man, a man with big giant finger-knives was chasing me... he tried, he tried to hurt me." Shay stuttered.

"It's okay. Have you been having nightmares a lot lately?" She asked, rubbing her hand through his hair.

"Yea-they're really scary." He hugged his mom.

"Go back to sleep. It's okay." She laid with him in bed until he fell back to sleep. He slept for quite some time after that, and amazingly didn't wake up til the next morning.

"Jay, go home. You've been here all night. You need your sleep too. Get some sleep at home." She ordered.

"This is my home, Erin. Always will be. Wherever you and Shay are, my home is, but I wanted to tell you something last night, but Shay--" Jay started. "I wanted to tell you that I think we should get a divorce." He paused briefly. "I think that'd be best for us, because I think it'd be easier to let go of each other if we aren't linked like that anymore."

"You just said that this was your home, that I was your ho---" Erin stopped herself from yelling. "If that's what you want." Her voice, saddened.

"That's what you should want too." Jay frowned.

"I guess if you want it, then I want it too." She lied.

"I guess we'll file for divorce tomorrow then." Jay look relieved. Like some weight was lifted off his shoulders.

One month later, after they get their divorce papers and sign them.

Erin walked out of her house, Shay's hand in hers. She looked at the empty car that they were supposed to get into. Jay should be with them. Jay should be there. Instead he wasn't. Instead he was at his own apartment, where Shay would now be going. "C'mon bud. You ready?"

"Yeah!" He cheered, not knowing the pain his mother was in."

Erin knocked on the door of Jay's apartment. 

"Oh hot damn. This is my jam. Keep me partying to the a.m. Y'all don't understand what makes me throw my hands in the ayer ay----hey?" Jay sung.

"Shay, say hi to daddy." And with that, Erin left.

As Erin walked to her car, she got kind of dizzy but brushed it off like it was nothing. She drove to her house and walked inside. Again, getting dizzy, but also nauseous. It's the stomach flu, she told herself as she vomited into the toilet, not wanting to face the possibility of being pregnant.