Are You Happy Now? - Part 2 (Completed)

Chapter 9-Part 1: "Call It What You Want"

Later that night

Taylor left his house with a heavy heart. The conversation he had just had with his family had taken a toll. It had been exhausting mentally and physically. He dreaded what was ahead; the whole divorce process.

Mostly, he couldn't get the look on Ezra's face out of his head. He had looked so angry and disappointed. He knew Ezra really looked up to him, and Taylor knew in that conversation he'd shattered Ezra's high opinion of him, and that hurt. Taylor hoped desperately with time Ezra would come around and come to terms with the divorce.

Taylor had hugged Natalie fiercely on his way out, silently thanking her for being his rock during that difficult conversation. When he looked at her, he was overcome with admiration and platonic love. She was the mother of his children and his best friend. Losing her would undoubtedly be one of the more difficult parts of this process.

But, despite the pain that his affair caused, Taylor felt a lightness he has never felt before as he drove toward his parents' house. The first difficult conversation was over, and now it was time for Taylor to try to mend the strained relationship with his father.

As he drove down the street to his parents' house that he'd driven a thousand times to before, he allowed his mind to wander to Michelle. He was so excited to tell her what had happened. Excited to start his life with her. With every end brought a new beginning. Taylor had always believed in that.

But first he had to have some difficult conversations with people he cared deeply about.

Taylor pulled up to his parents' house and took a deep, shaky breath. His parents, well everyone, knew that Taylor had asked Natalie for a divorce. After the news broke, his father had called him angry one night, but Taylor had said he didn't want to talk about it on the phone. He hadn't talked to his mother at all. Surely his parents assumed that Taylor was leaving Natalie for Michelle? He wasn't sure what Natalie had told them. Perhaps not, Taylor thought as he got out of his car and walked up the familiar path to the front door of his parents' house.

His parents always left their door unlocked and Taylor walked in like he had hundreds of times, thought his time it was not for a lighthearted visit.

"Mom? Dad?" he called out as he took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack, closing the front door softly behind him. He could hear music playing from the living room, probably from the record player.

"Taylor? Is that you?" he heard his mother call out.

Taylor walked into the living room and saw his mother sitting on the couch reading a magazine. She looked up when she saw him, and put the magazine down.

She looked sad and it about broke Taylor's heart to know he had once again disappointed his mother. He had a flashback to the day his parents told him that Natalie was pregnant and the look on her face today was the same.

He sat down next to her on the couch.

"Hey Mom," he said, giving her a little hug.

She smiled a sad smile. Even though she was disappointed in Taylor, she still loved him and missed him and hadn't heard from him in a week.

They sat there together, unsure of what to say, which felt strange for Taylor as he and his mother usually weren't at loss for words with each other.

Taylor took a deep breath.

"So you heard I'm sure."

Diana nodded sadly.

"I have. I think everyone knows, honey."

She took her son's hand in hers.

"But what I don't understand is why honey? Why are you doing this?"