Chapter 2*~

I looked at Li who was laughing uncontrollably now. She just found Drew’s heavy Spanish accent hilarious. They were having a deep conversation in Spanish now and I just couldn’t follow for too long. I walked away from them and walked over to Dana who was brushing her long hair into a ponytail. I smiled at her and sat down beside her. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine. A little surprised but fine...” Dana looked down at her feet and sighed. “I just can’t believe everything that has happened...and why does it always have to be our family?”

I looked at her, holding her in my arms by now. I sighed and kissed her forehead, looking her in her eyes. “I don’t know why it’s always our family honey but all we can say is that we are grateful to be living.”

"Encima de Dana, cosas conseguirá siempre mejor. Yo apesadumbrado que apenas siempre tengo que ser el problema... usted todo...todo sería mejor sin de me."

I watched as Dana turned her head to look at Aaliyah and I could hear the hurt in Aaliyah’s voice. There was something about the tone of her voice. Hearing her talk about them being better off without her had obviously hurt Dana because she started rambling on and on.

¿"Mommy cómo puede usted decir eso? Yo sabe lo que haría sin usted. Sin usted para ayudarnos cuando papá can't. I can't justo imagina mi vida sin usted. Te amo tanto y nunca quisiera que usted nos dejara."

I rose my eyebrow as I listened to her cry words out in both English and Spanish about how she couldn’t live without her mother and that made things more complicated for me. That’s when I knew my news would be heart breaking for all of us.

~*Later That Night*~

I could hear the sound of heels on the floor and I looked up. Meeting eyes with her. They way she looked at me showed me that she understood what I was getting ready to say. She was dressed in a dress, a coat rapped around her. “I’m sorry...It’s just it’s different now. You know, with you being gone for two years and all and I fell in love again and I just...” I stopped as she lifted her hand and nodded.

“I understand, you don’t have to explain.” She smiled softly. “I have to go. Kiss the kids for me. Tell them I’ll talk to them later. Tell them Alex says bye also.”

“But where are you going?”

“That’s for me to know.” She kissed me softly and headed towards the door. She turned back one more time to smile at me before leaving out into the cold.

I ran to the door. Watching her step into the car that was waiting for her. Driving off into the night. I could feel my heart breaking. The way she just walked away was weird for me. She didn’t even look as if she was heartbroken. Then again we were talking about Aaliyah who hated to show emotion. I felt the tears rolling down my face and that’s when I felt bad. What had I done?

Every time I try to grasp for air
I get smothered and this sky, it's never over, over
Seems I never wake from this nightmare
I let out a solid breath, let it be over, over

~*The Next Morning*~

As much as I hated to do it I knew I would have to sit down with the kids and tell them what was going on. I could see it from Dana’s eyes already that she couldn’t handle this. She was already literally sick and all of this was driving her crazy. “Alright I have to talk about this with you all because I know both of you realized that your mother was gone this morning...” I watched as both of them nodded and I looked at Dana who was shaking her head at this point. “Look you two let me lay it out like this for you all. Me and your mother are getting a divorce.”

“WHAT?” Dana yelled and looked at me with disbelief. She was definitely on the edge now.

I looked at Stephanie who stood there with her head down, trying to take all of this in. “Look Dana...” I tried to touch her but watched as she backed away quickly.

“You know what, fine, but I want to live with mommy. I can’t stay here! I can’t do this!” She yelled and looked at us. “¡Le odio, y le desdeño!” She yelled at me and then Stephanie who was close to tears.

I could make out that line pretty clearly. I hate you, she had said and pointed to me, and I despise you she said as she pointed to Stephanie as she ran out of the room and I looked at Drew who just sat there; close to tears also. I looked at the doorway where Dana was standing and watched as she motioned for Drew. That moment made me realize that the world did not revolve around me, it revolved around my kids.