The Silent Fighter

A Day Off

"Mom?" Autumn walks shyly down the stairs. 

"Hi, Autumn! How are you?" Amber cheers.

"I'm fine," Autumn stutters, "can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, anything."

"Well, I miss my dad," she spits out, "and Jennika, Sammy, and Katrina." Amber, looking down at her phone, is trying to figure out what to say.

"Well," Amber starts, "maybe you can spend more time with them sometimes." Autumn thinks about this and so does Amber. 

"I just miss them a lot and I..." Autumn starts.

"And you what, Autumn?" Amber asks.

"I kind of want to live with him," Autumn says shyly. Both of them are silent not knowing what to say. 

Finally, Amber says, "Autumn, you do live with him. You live with both of us."

"I know that, but I would like to live with him most of the time."

Amber looks at Autumn and says, "Well, I like you being here and I know you miss them, but you're better off here." 

"I just wish that I lived with both of you," Autumn says.

"You do live with both of us," Amber smiles.

"Yeah, I guess," she smiles back. Autumn still does want to live with Michael and Katrina. She already has Ava as a friend there so she wouldn't be lonely at school. 

Today they all decide to go to the park. Of course, Autumn and Susana get into it and of course, Amber took Susana's side, as always. 

"You know what Autumn? Just go to your room and shut up!" Amber yells.

"Where do you think I was going, the moon?" Autumn yells back.

"Do not get an attitude with me! I am your mother and I get to tell you what to do now go!"

"Mom! That is where I'm going. I don't even see why you're mad at me I didn't do anything! Susana pushed me and nearly made me fall off the tree and I got scraped pretty bad so I yelled at her. What was I supposed to do?"

"Autumn Rose!" Amber screams, "Susana is five years old!"

"Oh, right. I forgot. Since she's five years old the rules don't apply to her. Since she's five she's allowed to push me off trees when she asked me to play with her and get on the tree. I forgot that since she's five, it is perfectly acceptable for her to do that. She is going to be starting school soon, she needs to learn not to do that or she will get in trouble at school."

"You are being so dramatic! I am the mother. I will decide what is right and what is wrong."

"I want to live with Dad!"

 "Go upstairs now."

"No," Autumn looks Amber dead in the eye.

"Excuse me?" 

"No," and just like that, Autumn walks out the front door. She plops down on the step in the front waiting for Amber to come out and scream for her to get inside, but she doesn't. She waits for almost an hour, but Amber doesn't come. Autumn decides to take a walk.

After about a half an hour, Autumn comes back and sits on the step. Amber is still inside. 

'Maybe she looked, but now she's waiting for me to come back in,' Autumn thinks. She peeks inside and to her surprise, Amber and Susana are curled up together watching Blue's Clues.

'We used to watch that together,' Autumn thinks. She sits back down on the step and just thinks for a little bit. After awhile, Autumn decides to call Bob. The phone rings for a long time, Autumn starts to think they won't answer, but then someone picks up the phone.