all too well - Theodore Nott

chapter 5

"I'm going to go get my money from my tent and we can go get food," Selene said, smiling at her friend.

Cas flashed her a thumbs-up and continued to spin in slow circles. Selene weaved her way through tents to her and her mom's and pushed open the flap. She was still smiling as she walked into the kitchen, heading toward where she had put her money last. She looked towards the kitchen table and her footsteps stalled. She stopped breathing, staring at her mother who sat slumped in a chair her shoulders heaving with sobs, slight gasps of air breaking through the crying.

"Mom?" She whispered, taking tentative steps forward, and sliding into the chair next to her, "What's wrong?"

Her mom sat up surprised, wiping her eyes and trying and failing to smile, "Oh nothing sweetie. Everything is fine."

"Mom, no it is not. What is the matter?" Selene asked, grabbing her mother's shaking hands.

She watched in horror as her mom's face crumpled and she started sobbing even harder. Her mother had never looked so sad. So devastated. Her mother was always so strong. Always holding Selene together. Always being the one to put on a brave face. After a few moments, her mother looked up again.

"I was going to wait to tell you this but I guess there is no way to get around it now." She cleared her throat, looking around the tent while blinking hard, trying to keep the tears in, "Me and your father have decided to get a divorce."

Everything stopped. It was like the ground had dropped out from under her and she started falling. Falling so far into the bottomless pit of darkness. No. This could not be happening. Not now, not ever. Her dad always seemed so in love with her mother. Like nothing would ever break them apart. That everything they had been through together would bond them together like metal forged together by all-knowing hands.

"What?" Selene rasped, hoping she heard her wrong.

"Don't worry honey," Her mom said, trying to pull herself together and give her a teary, shaky smile, "You can still go see him on holiday but his new girlfriend will be there too."

"Girlfriend?" Selene cried out jumping up, her tears threatening to overflow, "How long have you two been keeping this from me?"

"I just found out before we left to come here," Her mother whispered, wadding up a tissue and dabbing under her eye.

"How can he already have a girlfriend if he just-"

Suddenly Selene cut off. Because it all made sense now. The reason her mother was crying so much. The reason why her mother sat there looking so utterly destroyed and heartbroken. The reason her own heart felt so broken.

"No. No." Selene whispered, repeating it over and over as she slowly backed away from the table.

"El," Her mom sobbed, pleading with her.

Her mom never called her El. Selene turned and ran out of the tent. She knew she should stay and be there for her mother but she couldn't. She felt like she was drowning, kicking up toward the surface that never got any closer. She ran covering her ears as the music and the sounds of the partying got too loud. Too happy. She stumbled over the ground pushing past people whose faces were painted green and screaming. Finally, she collapsed behind an empty tent and pulled her knees to her chest.

Her father had betrayed them. Her father who her mother gave up everything for. Who her mother betrayed her whole family for. The reason why she has scars on her stomach and ones forever carved into her mother's mind, cheated on her mother. On her beautiful always calm and thoughtful mother. The same mother who she knew heart broke every time she had to pass her brother and pretend like she didn't know him. She did it all for someone who just broke her heart again.