The Unextraordinary Life of Alexandra Jane (Editing)

Chapter Eight: Forbidden

Images of the day Harry and I first met replay in my mind along with memories of sleepovers and birthday parties. Memories I believed to be based off a coincidence involving monkey bars and Ninja Turtle band aids were actually based off one big lie, no coincidence to it.

A lie that made perfect sense as to why my mother was so comfortable with Harry being around all the time, why she trusted him when it came to giving me a ride to school or staying with me on nights when she wasn't going to be home in time for dinner.

"You're lying" was all I could say through gritted teeth.

Why would she try to keep Harry and I from being romantically involved? Why would she lie to do it? The more I thought about my own question, the more I realized she doesn't have a reason to lie. So she's not.

"I'm not" she half whispers. Tears stream down her face smearing her makeup. She pulls at her fingers not making eye contact with me.

"Explain" I order trying not to sound harsh to my own mother but failing. I take a seat pushing my plate away from me. I have suddenly lost my appetite.

She sighs and takes her seat placing her hands in front of her.

"You have to understand I loved your father very much Alexandra"

When I don't answer and remain emotionless she continues

"But he was gone so much and I always missed him. He was never around much because of his work and when he was around he was never in the mood to actually spend time with me. He was always stressed and frustrated" her eyebrows come together as she says the last sentence, a hint of anger in her voice. She quickly composes herself back and continues in her soft voice.

"One year he told me he was going to leave for 18 months because he had some work to do overseas. I was genuinely happy for him but when he told me he was leaving on our five year anniversary date, I felt anger and sorrow because he didn't even remember. He said the date casually as if it meant nothing."

I can almost see the pain in her eyes. It hurt her that he was leaving when he wasn't around much to begin with.

"We were in our mid thirties and with him leaving I felt as if the chance to have child was slowly diminishing. But he was a hardworking man and I thought he worked so hard for me and I loved him for caring about me so much. So at the time it didn't matter id we didn't have child. Him being here for me was all I cared about. Only I wasn't the only women in his life"

"What do you mean" I ask my voice cracking at the end.

"He came home Christmas weekend. I was excited so I planned a....uh romantic night" Her cheeks instantly lighting up at the mention of her sex life.

"When the night came to and end he got up to go take a shower and that's when I noticed the scratches on his back" I watched as the walls, that always hid the strong woman before me, began to crumble.

I wanted to comfort her as she wept but the anger that coursed through my veins was much stronger and demanded she continue with her explanation. So I just sat in silence and waited for her to continue.

"I thought I was paranoid so I called the hotel he told me he was staying at just to see if he had any uh frequent visits. When I gave the clerk his name they told me he wasn't even staying there. So I knew he was lying but it wasn't until I noticed a text he received while in the shower. It read "I miss you hope you get back soon -V" That's when I knew he had a lover and I wasn't the only ones he worked so hard for"

As the truth about my father was revealed I felt pain but the pain wasn't necessarily mine, it was pain for my mother who tried so hard to make my father happy just to find out she wasn't the only one trying and she wasn't succeeding. He didn't deserve her.