Just My Type

Part 2- Home

I stand in front of my childhood home, contemplating if it's too late to turn back and go home. I grip the dog leashes tighter, cutting off the circulation to my fingers. Reluctantly I knocked on the door. Mom answers. When she opens the door a draft of the scent that I recognize as home almost knocks me down. It's been too long since I've smelled home. 

"Kamden?" She seemed confused, and a little sad.

"Hi momma." I take her into a big hug. One I didn't realize I needed so bad.

"You're really here Kamden, you're really here." I let the dogs into the house, I hear the sweet sound of kids laughter. Home.  As we enter the house I realize almost everyones here. Minus Noah and his family who are living in California these days and Seb, who I guess has been in California lately. Seb and I haven't talked in almost a year, he was into some bad shit with my ex. The ex that started this whole mess. The ex that put me through the wall. Literally. An ex I will be finally free from after Monday.

It's a really good sight, having almost everyone here. I've always been close to my family. Especially the middle boys. Eli and Dom, they're identical twins but they couldn't be more different. Eli is flamboyant, and sociable. Dom constantly has to be proving his masculinity while hiding in the corner. 

We all mingle for a few hours, catching up.  The dogs getting tons of attention from the young ones. Seb and I are the only ones that don't have kids. Noah and Hannah have 3 boys 13, 11, and 6. They're still trying for that girl. Owen and Emily have a little baby girl who's as sweet as can be, they worked really hard to get pregnant with her. Eli has a daughter who is 16, He was 17 when she was born, but it was good for him, it helped him learn a lot about himself, he came out as gay a few years later, he and Megan's mom stayed friends and respectful towards each other. They have raised her to be an incredible person. He's been with his partner Mike for a while and they're even talking about adopting a little baby. Dom and Lily Have twins,I think he's planning on proposing soon. Lastly, Lucy and Her husband Nate are trying to start a football team of their own, they got pregnant 2 months after getting married and they now have 4 kids, all under the age of 6.  They're planning to have even more, more power to them. When everyone is here together the house is filled with love, and laughter. You can feel it in the air if even one person is missing from the group. 

Theres a knock on the door, that break us out of our circle. 

I look to Eli, "Who would be knocking?" If someone thats coming over knows us, they know to just walk in. Our house has always had an open door policy, with there being so many of us under one roof and our friends always coming in an out. Eli got up to open the door. 

Eric.

I almost came out of my skin. He cannot be here. Legally, he cannot be here. Dom and Owen perk up, Dom puffs out his chest a bit. They stand up, almost at the same time, and walk over to the door. Eli so stunned that the man had audacity to even show up he couldn't say anything. 

"You have a lot of fucking nerve Eric." Dom was assertive. 

"Just let me talk to her Dom, I know she's here, I see her car." It was super creepy that he knew I was here.  I shook my head yes at Dom, I felt powerful, more powerful than I've ever felt before. I knew I could handle this. I can handle him. 

"Hey baby." My hair stood up at the sound of him calling me that. His southern drawl thick. He had been drinking. I could tell by his voice, his accent always thickens.

We had been high school sweethearts. We got married when I was just 19, and it was good at first. Until something in him snapped. Right after we got married, we decided to start a family, we do things quick around here. It didn't workout the way we wanted it too, it was a really big struggle. After 3 miscarriages, we decided to give it a break. I was empty inside, completely broken, I hated myself. I blamed myself for not being able to give him the family we dreamed of. I shut myself down. Eric turned to the bottom of a bottle and he changed. He became verbally degrading, and it escalated. Quickly. I told myself it would get better, that if I just gave him a baby it would be fine. Until, one day about a year ago, he accused me of cheating on him, which I would never do. He picked me up, and just threw me through the wall of our bedroom. It broke my wrist. I left that day. I stayed with Eli and Mike for a year and some change until I figured out my next move, which was to go somewhere far enough away that I could just start completely over. You have to be separated for a year in Delaware before filing or divorce, and he tried to contest the divorce.