Severance [h.s]

Chapter 1. Losing Faith in You

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Jane's POV

"Where we goin', mama?" My daughter, Willow, says as I buckle her car seat.

"We're going to your daddy's house, baby. You're going to stay with him for a bit and then you're going to come back here to mama's house," I say back to her with a tight-lipped smile.

It has been a month of doing this, a month since Harry moved out. No matter how many times I tell her she's going to her dad's for a little bit while packing her overnight bag, she still asks where we are going every time I put her in the car.

"Why doesn't daddy live here anymore?" This question always follows the first one, it's like clockwork.

Every time, tears brim my eyes as I struggle to answer. I can't just tell my four-year-old that her father broke my heart into a million pieces, so I kicked him out. Harry and I have tried to explain our separation to her the best we could, but it's not sticking.

Once I finished buckling her car seat, I respond, "mommy and daddy need some time apart right now." I kiss her on her cheek and shut the car door.

I pause when I get to the driver's side of the vehicle, taking a moment to get myself under control. I don't want to cry in front of her. I haven't done it yet and I don't plan on starting now. Once my eyes clear, I get into the car and start it.

"Alright, Willow, what music should we listen to?" I ask her. For her age, she has great music taste, and listening to her sing along always puts a smile back on my face.

"Oooooo," she loudly exclaims, "the girl song by Lizzo."

"That's a good one, love bird," I pull up the song, the clean version of course.

We sing along loudly as I drive. I stop to laugh a couple of times, watching her do some sassy dance moves through the rearview mirror. Like I said, she can always cheer me up.

Harry's house isn't very far, it's only about 10 minutes away. He insisted on being that close when I made him get his own place. He knew it would make it easier on me and Willow, and he was right. After I drop her off at his every other Monday I head to work, which is only a 15 minute drive from his house. I pick her up on Wednesdays after work and we switch off every other weekend, hence why I'm dropping her off this Monday.

After Like A Girl finishes, Juice automatically comes on, which we also sing along to. Soon enough, I'm pulling up to the front of Harry's place.

His house surprises me every time it comes into view. The house we shared together, that I'm still living in, is all white on the front. His new place is grey with a pop of yellow. It makes me wonder if this is the kind of house he would've wanted if we never got married. I wonder if I took that away from him.

The second I put it in park, Harry comes out onto the porch, like he was waiting for our arrival. My breath hitches in my throat at the site of him. The wound he caused in me is still fresh, even a month later, so seeing him three times a week hasn't gotten any easier. He's got on a white monochromatic outfit, with shorts and an unbuttoned short sleeve shirt with a tank top underneath. His hair is in a claw clip like it would be if he was walking around our house.

I step out of the car to take Willow out of her car seat as he approaches us.

"Daddy!" She calls out to him when I open her door.

"Hey, my sweet girl," the sound of Harry's voice causes me to speed up my movements. I can't be here for long. I can't be reminded of him for long.

Once she's unbuckled, I place her on the ground. Willow immediately runs to him, and he picks her up, swinging her in the air. The sound of her giggles fills my ears, causing a soft smile to appear on my lips.