I choked back my tears and tried my best fake ass smile."Oh, I am ok, Jackson, I just tripped."
I could feel Clara studying me, but I tried to ignore her.Thankfully, my nephew decided he was going to hold the lion's share of this conversation.
"It is too bad that we couldn't go to get ice cream with Max and his parents.I think you would like his dad."
I almost choked on air...
"They have this big house and a pool...It's so cool."
My chest felt like it would cave in.
Clara was driving now, but I could feel her eyes on me still.I couldn't look at her; she would know that I was breaking inside, and I still didn't know how to tell my family what I had become.
Jackson had moved on to his phone and was watching what sounded like funny farm animal videos.
"Are you ok, Cassidy.What happened back there?"
God, how could I explain this to my big sister?
"I...please...can we talk later?"
A look I had never seen before passed over Clara's face."Cass, what is going on?"
I felt a single tear slip free.
Clara must have noticed because her face softened and she nodded, focusing on the drive ahead of us.
We made it back to my parents' place.I couldn't even look at Clara as she drove, so I focused on the changing colours outside, on the sound of the familiar chatter between Jackson and my sister.Her voice always soothed me so much, just like my mom's.
People always said that Clara was the carbon copy of my mom; we looked like sisters, but she had blonde hair and blue eyes.
My brother Chase was the carbon copy of my dad, with dark hair and dark brown eyes.
And I ended up the blend of both, my mom's ice blue eyes and my dad's dark hair and complexion.
Jackson was out of the car as Clara yelled after him to grab his stinky hockey gear and his stuff because his dad should be here any minute.
I barely got the car door open when I felt her hand on my arm."What was that, Cassidy?"
I wasn't ready for this conversation, so I asked a question back, "What did Mason do to make you file for divorce?"
Her eyes narrowed, and she frowned, "Fuck you, Cassidy, you are not avoiding this conversation.Please don't tell me it's what I think it is."
I heard a car pull up, and look at that, saved by the ex-brother-in-law.
I swung my gaze back to her, "How is it fair that you can ask whatever you want from me, Clara, but you won't tell me what he did?"
I got out of her car and made my way to mine to grab my weekend bag.My phone had quieted for a few minutes, but the alerts were starting to go off again.
Mason got out of his sports car, which was so impractical for the town we lived in and the temperamental Western Canadian seasons.He looked a little rougher around the edges than he usually did.People used to call Mason and Clara the perfect couple, Ken and Barbie.He had wavy blonde hair and dark blue eyes.Dressed in one of his usual suits.He looked like him, but tired, resigned...sad maybe.
I tried to avoid eye contact because I was barely keeping myself together and didn't need a run-in with the golden boy from our town.
"Hey, Cass, can I talk to you for a second?"
Ugh..."Sure, Mason, but answer my question first..."
He stopped in front of me, and I could hear Clara calling for Jackson behind me."Shoot."
