"Shut the hell up Jack," I yelled.
My four year old son, Thomas, and Jack's four year old daughter, Lavender, were in the living watching TV as we were in our room, yelling at each other.
"No you listen to me," he yelled.
"Jack Lavender and Thomas are in the living room," I yelled.
"It's not my fault we're in this argument," he snapped.
"Yes it is! You accuse me of not listening to you, when I listen to you all the goddamn time! You never listen to me!"
I heard Thomas and Lavender in the kitchen.
"You're wasting my time," Jack snapped again. "I have to go to work!"
Jack walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him. I heard his car take off.
I entered the kitchen to see Thomas and Lavender making a mess.
Thomas and Lavender looked heart broken.
I picked them both up and set them on the couch. I cleaned them off and sat in between them. I pulled them close and we snuggled as we watched TV.
"Relationships are hard babies," I whispered as they dozed off to sleep.
—
It's been three years since I last saw Jack. I'm not even joking. The day of our argument, he walked out of our lives. Gabbie moved to Florida so there was no way she was picking up Lavender. So I was stuck raising toddlers for awhile. Of course I still hung out with Corbyn, Jonah, Zach, and Daniel. But we never mentioned Jack. And obviously they still worked with Jack.
I moved to Washington, to start a new life for Lavender, Thomas, and I. We live in Port Orchard. Thomas and Lavender go to an elementary school called Burley Glenwood. It's a good school. They're both in second grade. They're seven. They're so big.
Corbyn offered to move in with me to help with Lavender and Thomas.
When Corbyn came home with Lavender and Thomas Thomas and Lavender ran up to me and hugged me tightly.
"They asked about their dad on the way home," Corbyn asked.
Thomas and Lavender ran upstairs to do their homework.
"I told them about both their fathers. They said that they want me to be their new dad, cause I'm the on,y father they've ever known," Corbyn said.
"I love that idea," I said.
Corbyn and I dated for about seven to eight years. And then we got married. Thomas and Lavender were both 14 when Corbyn and I got married. And to this day, Jack Robert Avery, has never tried to contact me. Or his daughter.
And Corbyn and I are still going strong for our tenth hear of being married. I definitely couldn't be happier.
Corbyn and I still have our ups and downs, but relationships are hard. That's what I learned from that fight with Jack. Relationships are hard. But as long as you talk your problems out, you can get through those rough patches in your relationship. And that's exactly what Corbyn and I do with Thomas and Lavender, or did until they left Corbyn and I.
