“Leave us my dear.” As soon as my father said those four words, I knew everything had changed. That my whole life was going to change. My heart skipped a beat knowing that my father was finally going to stand up for me against my mother. He drew his back straighter as she slowly turned to face him. As he straightened, so did I. This was it. Our chance to get out from under her thumb. Our chance to have a happy life without her constant bickering and put downs. I hoped he wouldn’t fall back and let her win. She stared at him dumbfounded and as she geared her mouth for rebuke and her hand for a nice hard slap, he repeated, “Leave us, my dear.”
He straightened up even higher and said, “My daughter and I have a few items to attend to and then we will be leaving. Leaving and not coming back. You will not be stopping us and you will not be staying here. The divorce papers will be delivered tomorrow.”
I’m not sure whose jaw was lower – mine or my mother’s. All I knew was that today was the day my world changed and I knew I would finally get my chance of being an artist.
Standing Room Only 