One Diagnosis, A Family Changed Forever

One Diagnosis, A Family Changed Forever
My eyes burned with tears that threatened to spill out at any moment. I was determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, especially not today. I was huddled in the corner of my living room, behind the brown dotted chair where my mother told me to hide if I got scared. This was my spot. I could stay here for hours at a time, tracing over the colored dots on the chair with each finger, studying the pattern, feeling the roughness of every dot as it passed under my hand. My mind would snap back to reality only as I heard a door slam or the piercing sound of breaking glass as it clattered to the floor. This was almost always followed by yelling. I could never really hear the words being said,
I only found this peculiar because it was a Friday, and he never came around on Friday’s. I approached my house cautiously and grabbed the doorknob. The door creaked as I slowly opened it, afraid as to what I might see when I entered the house. My ears melted at the sound of yelling. I slowly climbed the stairs and proceeded to turn right, headed straight toward my moms room. As the door came closer, my heart began to pound so hard I thought it would jump right out of my chest. I reached the door and the wood felt cold against my hand as I knocked gently. The shouting suddenly stopped and turned to vigorous whispering. It was a few moments before the door swung open and both my parents were standing on the other side. My mom plastered a fake smile on her face and asked me about my day and what I learned at school. I answer, though I am very skeptical that she is really listening. She busies herself with random household chores while we wait for my three siblings to arrive at home. Once all of us are in one room, my mom and dad instruct us to sit down. I sense that they have something to tell us, but little did I know it would be life changing. My mom begins her speech by telling us she loves us and going on to explain how people can grow apart. Then she tells us that they are filing for a divorce. I hear the words, but it is as if they are traveling through water. My body turned cold, but I am so relieved at the same time. I have no idea what to say. Those few words that my mother spoke shattered through the many layers I put over my heart to protect it. A lump formed in my throat as I ran to my room so I could be alone with my