Chapter 2: Intermission

Elias liked to hide behind the couch.

It started with Hide and Seek one day, his friends from school running around the house looking for him.

"Jesus, Jen, it's not my fault!" Daddy yelled back.

"Whose fault is it, then?! Who was he?!"

"What? There is no 'he'-"

"Then how do you know? Did it just 'occur to you'?" Mommy accused.

"It just hit me-" Daddy tried again.

"Who is he?!" Mommy screamed.

Daddy breathed through his nose, like he does when Elias breaks something on accident. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"No, but you're doing this to me." Mommy said, so softly Elias almost couldn't hear.

"Babe, I'm sorry-"

"Don't 'babe' me!" Mommy snapped. There was the sound of Mommy's keys, then her purse, then her heels on the tile getting closer to his hiding place.

"Don't leave, we can talk about this…" Daddy said weakly, pleading with Mommy.

"What is there to talk about?" Mommy huffed. "Bottom line, Derek. Could you possibly love me again?"

"Love you how?"

"Exactly."

Elias shrunk deeper into the shadows behind the couch so his Mommy wouldn't see him when she walked out and slammed the front door.

Daddy let out a weird noise, like an animal, and a glass broke. Elias flinched and let out a little cry of distress.

"Elias?" Daddy said quietly. "Elias, where are you?"

Elias climbed out from behind the couch and trudged into the kitchen reluctantly. "I was behind the couch." He admits, already feeling chastised.

"Don't come in here, there's broken glass…" Daddy trailed off when Elias lifted his hands. He silently obliged, picking up his son and taking him to the living room. "Were you listening?"

Elias nodded silently, clinging to his daddy tightly, like he could lose him. "Why is Mommy gone?"

"She…" Daddy stopped, obviously thinking. "Mommy left because Daddy likes other daddies."

"Like how Uncle Peter likes other Uncles?" Elias looked up curiously, rubbing one eye with his balled up fist.

"Well, Uncle Peter likes Aunts and Uncles, or mommies and daddies, I guess... More like Uncle Isaac and Uncle Danny."

"Okay. But why does Mommy have to leave? She still likes Uncle Isaac."

Daddy sighed. "It's hard for daddies who like daddies to be married to mommies. It doesn't work."

"Can mommies like other mommies?"

"Sure they can. Darby's mommies love each other very much."

"Then maybe Mommy will find another mommy to love!"

Daddy let out a laugh, but it sounded funny. Like he was holding part of it in. "I hope Mommy finds someone to love too."

"Am I going to have two mommies too?"

"I don't know, Elias." Derek scooped up his kid and carried him to the couch.

"Can I have two daddies?" He beamed hopefully.

"Sure, of course." Derek agreed. At least, if he didn't get re-married, Jen might.