(Scott's POV)
"What's up little brother!" My sister yelled with her arms out as she walked into the kitchen. I smiled widely and ran to her.
"What's up sister!" I said picking her up off the ground, she laughed loudly and I set her down.
"How are you doing?" I asked as her husband walked in with little Landon on his hip. I gasped happily and smiled at him.
"What's up little guy?" I asked and took the boy in my arms. I put him high into the air before bringing him back to my chest.
"Come with me to change his diaper and catch up." Lauren said taking Landon from me and walking towards the baby room upstairs.
I followed her and closed the door behind me, drowning out the sound of the family down stairs.
"Soooooo how's my little scottie?" She asked laying Landon down in the crib.
I smiled and nodded the best I could but she could see right through me. "Oooo that was not the usual happy Scott answer. What's going on?"
I bit my lip, "I feel bad. I haven't seen you and the family in so long and I'm so incredibly happy to see you guys-"
"Buuuutt?" She asked dragging out her words. I looked down.
"For the life of me and I cannot stop thinking about him. I saw him everyday on tour and we hang out all the time. I'm just angry at myself because first I make a living by being away from my family who I love so much but as soon as I finally get time to be with them my mind is somewhere else. And I can't help it." She nodded smiling.
"That what happens when you're in love little brother." She said and I groaned.
"I shouldn't even be sad like he's literally down the street." I said and she laughed.
"But you still wish that he was here with you." She said and I nodded, she understood what i was feeling.
"Well you can see him tomorrow or after dinner you can go pop your head over there and say hi to his family... then maybe you can bring him back over here. We all love Mitch." She said and I nodded smiling.
"Thank you Lauren, I'll text him after dinner." She smiled and picked Landon up.
"Scott!! Lauren!! Dinner's ready!!" I heard our mom call from downstairs. We ran downstairs like we used to when we were kids. She left Landon upstairs to go to sleep.
We dished up our food and all sat around the table saying things that we were thankful for. After we all said our things we did a toast and began eating.
"Umm, Scott honey. There's something your father and I would like to tell you. Lauren already knows but..." I looked up at them trying to read their expressions.
"What's up?" I asked and my mother looked at my father before turning to me.
"Your father and I are... we're getting a divorce." She said and paused. I looked between them confused as to what was happening.
"We've been separated for about a year now but we're finalizing the paperwork in January and we thought that you should know." I looked down at my food before dropping my fork and getting up from the table.
"I'm sorry I just need a second." I said walking out of the house.
They said they've been separated for a year. A whole fucking year! I wasn't here to even fucking notice! The very people who taught me what love is aren't in love anymore and haven't been. What's the point of being in love when it could all just disappear?
****
(Mitch's POV)
The phone started to run in the middle of the dinner. "I got it!" I called and got up. I picked up the old home phone to see Connie's caller id.
"What's up Con!? How's the din?" I asked and heard a long exhale on the other line.
"It was going great but I knew I shouldn't have brought it up at dinner. We told Scott about he divorce and he left. Do you have any idea where he would go? He left his cell phone here and I just wanna know if he's okay." She said and I sighed knowing exactly where he would go.
"Yeah yeah, I have an idea. I'll go find him and bring him back. I'm sorry Con." I said genuinely.
"It's fine. I knew this was gonna happen. Please just make sure he's okay."
"Will do Con, happy Thanksgiving." I said before I hung up.
"Is everything alright honey?" My mother asked from the table.
"Yeah umm... Scott found out about Connie and Rick. Apparently he left dinner. I'm gonna go find him." I said grabbing my big black Vetements hoodie.
"Oh okay, be safe." My father said as I closed the door behind me.
I walked to our old high school. Whenever Scott was upset when we were younger he would climb up this old battered ladder up to the roof of the choir room at our school.
As I turned the corner to the school I already saw him sitting there facing the fields. I made my way over to the building and climbed up the unsteady ladder.
He didn't glance at me until I sat on the edge next to him. "Are you okay?" I asked after he looked back out towards the sun setting on the old football fields.
He sighed and put his head in his hands. "Yeah I'm-" he stopped himself shaking his head, "no I'm not okay."
He looked at me with tears in his eyes. I looked at him sadly and pulled him to me. "I know but it's going to be okay. This way they can both be happy without dragging each other down."
He looked up at me with his "eyebrows" furrowed. "You knew?" He asked and I nodded looking away. "How long?" He asked and I bit my lip.
"How long!?" He asked louder.
"My dad accidentally let it slip last year during Christmas." I came clean and he got up and started pacing.
"Why didn't you tell me!? You've known for almost a year and you didn't fucking tell me? So far everyone has known except me!? Why wouldn't anyone tell me?!" He yelled and I turned to face him.
"I'm sorry Scott but it wasn't my place to tell you. I told them to tell you as soon as I found out but Connie wasn't ready to tell you yet." I explained and he shook his head.
"But she was ready to tell everyone else." He said angrily.
"Hey! This was hard on her! Your dad-" I stopped myself he didn't know all of it and again it wasn't my place to tell him.
"My dad what!?" He yelled and I looked down.
"He had an affair." I said quietly and he gritted his teeth in anger. He started to leave the roof but I ran over and grabbed his arm.
I spun him around and looked at him seriously, "Do not go in there and talk about it! Your mom is still hurting and bringing it up and scolding him will bring back too awful of memories. It's not worth it! Let all your anger out right here right now and then you're going to go back in there and comfort both of them and finish your thanksgiving."
Scott looked down before looking up at me with tears in his eyes. He tackled me into a hug and sobbed over my shoulder.
"It's like my whole view of love is shattered. They loved each other they were in love and all of that is gone! For 30 years they've been together and he..." he pulled away to look at me, "what's the point of falling in love with someone and being with someone when it's not forever!? What's the point when you could just fall out of love and you betray them. If it's inevitable then why do it?"
"Because it's the best feeling in the world. And sometimes it is forever! I think it's worth!"
"Not if it could all go away! Not if the person you fall in love with will betray you after years!"
"Scott! You're relationships aren't going to turn into your parents! You can't let the fear of something bad happening stop you from loving someone."
"It's not! I do love someone but what's the point of doing anything about it if it's just going to fail!?"
I shook my head with tears in my eyes, "You don't know that! You can't just live in fear, Scott! Love is worth fighting for. If anything you should go to the person you love and take that leap of faith because you might never get the chance to do something about it!"
Even if he didn't love me back he still deserved to not be controlled by his fear. Before I could even react he slammed his lips to mine. I stumbled back but he had his arms around me.
I immediately kissed back and wrapped my arms around his neck. We pulled away for air and pressed our foreheads together.
"See? Was that so bad?" I asked and he smiled against my lips kissing me lightly again.
"You're worth it." He whispered and I blushed kissing him again.
