I didn’t even realize he was home until Finn’s bag was pulled off my shoulder and sailed into the bedroom, crashing against the wall.
“What are you doin’?” Curtis asked, his tone vibrating with something under the calm words.
“I thought you were at work,” I replied dumbly as I turned. I’d watched him leave a little over an hour before.
“I’m not,” he replied. “What are you doing?”
I glanced over at the bed. “I’m packing.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re leaving.”
“You’re leaving.”
“Yeah. It’s time,” I said, straightening my shoulders.
“It’s time.”
“Are you just going to keep repeating everything I say?”
“Tryin’ to make sense of it.”
“What’s hard to understand?”
“The fact that you waited until I left the house to pack your shit and sneak away,” he replied, his voice rising.
“It’s easier that way.”
“For who?” he thundered.
“For everyone,” I snapped back. “I didn’t want to do all this.” I gestured between us. “Just go back to work. I’ll be in touch later—”
My words trailed off as I realized the kids were crowded outside our bedroom door, watching it all play out.
“Go back to your rooms and make sure I grabbed everything you’ll want,” I ordered.
Jesse shook their head slowly.
“This is ridiculous,” I murmured, closing my eyes as I took a deep, calming breath. “We’re leaving. It doesn’t have to be this big fight, okay? It’s time for us to move on.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“I don’t,” Curtis replied flatly. “Explain it to me.”
“We knew that it was only for a while,” I said.
“Thought you said we were doin’ this.”
“That was before.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Don’t act like you’re confused,” I ordered in frustration. “It’s different now.”
“Not for me,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
