Picking Up The Pieces

Picking up the Pieces

By: Stacy Leonhardt Gravely & Nichole Harrison

© All Rights Reserved - 2010

Prologue

"Momma, why are we putting all our stuff in a truck?" Sommer questioned as she sat on the front steps of our now former home.

I quickly deposit the box at the open back end of the moving truck allowing my father to stow it away safely. Turning to look as Sommer's confused face I force a smile. "We are going to stay with Nana and Pops for a while." Trying to sound happy about this was a lot harder than I could have imagined especially with what came out of her mouth next.

"Is Daddy coming?" Her big blue eyes sparkled as she looked at me.

"No Sweetheart." I paused as I watched her face fall into a familiar pout. "Daddy has to stay here and work." I couldn't bring myself to be honest with my eldest child. How do you explain that your husband of seven years is supposedly no longer in love with you? You just can't, there is no manual telling you the exact way to tell your six year old that mommy and daddy won't be together anymore ever again.

"Now go get Riley, we are going to be leaving soon." I watched her bound inside skipping down the hall way to retrieve her sister. Letting out a heavy sigh I glance over at my flower beds that I worked so tirelessly on a few weeks earlier, and around the entire yard remembering all the wonderful days we spent together out there. Never again would I see my girls running happily in the yard with Mike happily at my side.

"Lynds, it's time to go." My dad called as he jumped in the front seat of the moving truck.

"All right Dad. Come on girls." I call out for them. Seconds later they come tumbling out the door with their dolls in their arms. I quickly strap Riley into her car seat and then buckle Sommer into her booster seat. "We're all set say good bye to the house." Riley squealed as she waved bye and blew kisses and Sommer simply waved her hand in front of the window, something in her eyes told me she has an idea things were never going to be the same.

The drive to my parent's house took about four hours, we used to take weekend to come and visit so the route was engrained in my memory. Within the first hour both girls passed out while watching the world pass by, leaving me to my own thoughts. Thought of how exactly I was going to make our life work just the three of us, how was I going to move on and learn to love and trust again? How was I going to pick up the pieces of the girls and more importantly the pieces of my life to be strong for them?