They Don't Know (BOOK TWO)

Chapter 6

Sevyn waits patiently on the couch next to her brothers as her father shifts from side to side, clutching the folder in his hands. He looks into each of his children's eyes, feeling a sharp pang of sympathy for them. He doesn't want to ruin their Christmas but he can't keep this bottled up anymore. He just hopes they can see things through his eyes.

He turns to his wife who is sitting on the other couch stiffly, one leg crossed over the other. He can't bare to look at her for too long, so he looks slightly past her at the Christmas decorations on the wall. "I've been holding on to this for a while. Every time I would work up the nerve to give it to you I chickened out." He taps his fingers lightly on the folder. "As you all know, the atmosphere in this house has been tense, especially between your mother and I. And I think this should lighten the burden we've been putting on y'all."

Jared sucks in a breath before looking at his wife again who already has tears in her eyes. He hands her the folder and with shaky hands, she opens it up, trying to hold herself together. But she can't hide the pain that burst inside of her. She closes her eyes as a tear slips out and trickles down her face, she sniffles softly and shakes her head. Jared can't look at her, the guilt is too much to bare. He looks at the floor instead.

"Mom?" Sevyn stands up from the couch and walks over to her mother. "Mommy what is it?"

Christine tries to hold on to the folder but Sevyn pulls it out of her tight grasp and flips open the cover. Her eyes skim the page from top to bottom and something inside of her cracks so hard she can physically feel the sudden heartbreak. She places her hand over her mouth and slowly looks up at her mother who's face is now in her hands, then at her father who's watching her. "Is this a joke?" She says hoarsely. "Please don't tell me that..." she swallows around the lump in her throat and looks back down at the papers. "Y-you can't be getting a divorce. Please don't get a divorce."

By now Sevyn has forgotten all about her necklace and all she can feel is her throat closing up and her eyes overflowing with tears. Her father looks like he wants to speak but he's at a lost for words. Suddenly her mother stands up. "I have something for you too." She tells him. She crouches down and reaches under the couch to pull out a shoe box. Malcolm and Ty recognize it as the one they found a few weeks ago hidden under their parents bed, except now it has a big red bow on to top. "Merry Christmas!" Christine exclaims as she throws the box at her husband, hitting him forcefully in the chest with it.

Dozens of pictures fly out the box that has burst open and flutter to the floor. Sevyn glances down at the pictures and feels like she's going to throw up. All of them are pictures of her father and some lady, hugging, kissing, touching and laughing. The dates of each picture is written in her mothers pretty handwriting. Sevyn looks up at her father for answers but her mother starts screaming.

"Why don't you tell them why there's so much tension in the house Jared. Tell them why you're not around anymore. TELL THEM WHY YOU REALLY WANT A DIVORCE! y want a divorce!" Christine screams at the top of her lungs.

Sevyn whirls around to face her father eye to eye. "You cheated on mom?"

"I-I didn't mean to." Jared stutters.

"Bullshit," Ty mutters under his breath but Sevyn is too shocked to hear him.

Their mother shakes her head. "You thought you were being so slick, sneaking around town with her huh? But I know people Jared, my friends have my backs and I had multiple sources telling me they spotted you with her. At first I refused to believe them, but then I saw it with my own eyes and I can't believe how stupid I've been all this time." She chuckles sadly. "I should have seen it coming, you were always looking for the newest thing out there, I didn't realize that meant women too."