"I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?" my dad asks.
"Anywhere. I have to get out of here." I grab the giant suitcase I came with and throw random stuff inside.
"We need to talk—"
"I'm not capable of having a conversation with you right now. You cheated on Mom. And you're playing house, in the home I grew up in, with yourmistress?"
I know the unkind words escaping my lips are only making this situation worse. No wonder Theo had a grudge against my dad. It all makes sense.
Molly exits my room in tears, and my dad stands unsure if he needs to comfort her or shield me from the man I've been sleeping with.
My dresser drawer is open, and I throw in a handful of clothes. I have no idea how long I'll be gone, but I pack like I'm leaving for good.
"We all need time to cool off," Theo declares.
My dad is furious at the suggestion, like how dare this womanizer givehimorders.
"Theo, are you coming?" I look at him as he sits in my bed, blankets covering his lower half.
"Oh, umm, yeah?"
"Then go pack your stuff."
My dad follows after me as I grab some toiletries in the bathroom. "Where will you go?"
I've come full circle. I started out packing a bag for my inevitable return home after witnessing infidelity. Now I'm packing the same bag, fleeing the house upon learning of more infidelity.
Theo uses this freedom to escape to his room before my dad can catch him in his boxer briefs.
"Can you talk to me? Please? I loved your mother very much—"
"But notenough. You didn't love herenough. You didn't love your lifeenough. You didn't love the familyenough. Something was missing, and you cheated on us. How could you do that?"
I don't think I've seen my dad so emotional since my mom's funeral, which feels disingenuous now that I have the missing pieces. Dads never seem to cry, but mine is now.
"Amelia, can you please stay? We have a lot to talk about."
"No. I need some time to process everything. You and Molly need to as well. Theo and I have been together for a few weeks, and I have no idea where this is going, but I feel like I owe it to myself to give him an honest chance. And I can't hear your disapproval right now, not when you know nothing about honor and integrity in a relationship."
My dad lets me go, and Theo meets me in the hallway with a backpack over his shoulder. Who knows what he packed, but he follows me downstairs where his mom waits for us at the front door.
Her cheeks are soaked with tears, and my typical empathetic nature has to be suppressed. She's remorseful and sorry, and I want to hug her and comfort her as much as I want to slam the door in their faces.
How were they able to keep such a secret? How could they act like everything was genuine and real between them when Theo and I were first introduced? All the lies.
Theo and I leave the house without another word exchanged.
It'shisideatosee if L'Auberge has any rooms available, since he has two free nights won from the reunion. We're in the middle of summer, and the likelihood is low, but it's midweek and maybe the universe is looking out for us.
We park in the same area, the location where everything changed for us. It's surreal seeing how far we've come since, and how much has been impacted by our foolish decisions.
The man at the front desk informs us they have a one-bedroom suite available, a little too spacious for us, but we'll take anything. He has to check the condition of the room to ensure it's clear of broken glass or any casualties from the earthquake, but the upcharge will be waived due to the hotel having to shut down a few facilities for the interim.
"Thank you." I hand over my credit card to hold on file.
Theo and I haven't said much to each other, and it's only when the hotel room door closes behind us that I burst into a stifled sob.
