Perfect Doesn't Last Forever

Chapter One

Perfect Doesn't Last Forever- Chapter One

Fifteen Years Ago

"Britt!  Britt!" someone said urgently, violently shaking me awake from my deep, peaceful slumber.  "Come on Brittany, you need to wake up!" 

"Go away," I mumbled, swatting a hand away.  As I hugged a pillow tightly against my face, I snuggled deeper into bed, feeling it dip beneath me, and then seconds later I heard a set of feet land on the floor beside me.  "Tired, don't bother me."

"Brittany.  I'm serious right now.  It's 4:30.  We overslept," he said and suddenly my eyes snapped open to a blurry figure standing over me.

"How did that happen?" I asked, throwing the covers aside and hastily pulling my stray sweater over my head as my vision cleared up.  My heart is beating rapidly, a side affect of the panic that is now taking over me.  I search the room for my things, hurriedly grabbing my bag that lay strewn on the floor and pull my phone out and scroll through my notifications. Three voice mails, eighteen missed calls and seven texts.  I was in so much trouble.  “Crap.  I have to go.”

"I'm so sorry.  I don't know what happened," he apologized nervously, leaning against his desk chair and handing me my scarf.  "Hurry.  I don't want to get you in trouble."

"It's a little late for that," I told him sarcastically, slipping into my white ballet flats.  I give the room an once-over, quickly checking for anything that I could leave behind.  "I'll see you tomorrow though, right?"

            "That's the plan," he confirmed, between a quick kiss.  "I'll see you babe."

            "Okay," I breathed, slightly relaxing and catching my breath.  I waited for my heart rate to slow down before rushing out the door, calling out a quick goodbye, "bye Noah!"

            I was two hours late to pick Hayley up and even with the four hours of sleep I accidentally managed just now, I was exhausted.  I pressed play on my voice mails as I flew out the parking lot and barreled down the street towards the daycare. 

            "Brittany," Damien's voice said tightly on my voice mail.  "What is wrong with you?  I have Hayley with me at my parents' house.  Hurry the fuck up and get here.  It's your day not mine," he finished curtly, emphasizing every few words in his message. 

            I was in deep.  I turned off the street and away from the daycare and began driving towards Damien's house.  He was going to be so angry when I got there, I thought as I formulated a story to explain why I did not pick Hayley up in the middle of the day on my last day with her until she went to Damien's for the next five days. 

            Last June when Damien proposed to me in front of my graduating class and their families, I gladly accepted his hand in marriage.  I loved him and I loved our family.  I was truly happy with my relationship with Damien and I was excited that he was as well.  After he went off to college last year, I feared that our romantic relationship would fade away because we were both busy raising Hayley and studying for school, but Damien's proposal erased all my fears.        

            We spent the summer, trying to rekindle our relationship and spent time with Hayley, as a family, but as time passed, I realized Damien and I had both grown into different people during the past year.  Damien was different and it felt like we were trying too hard with our relationship.  I knew that I wanted Hayley to have a family, and on the outside it seemed like Hayley had the perfect family, but I couldn’t handle more fights about a relationship that only seemed to exist for show and for our daughter.  And it turned out I wasn’t afraid of losing my romantic relationship with Damien, especially when Damien and I could no longer see eye to eye.  As the first day of college drew closer and closer, I began to fear that my relationship would actually be the thing to hold me back.