A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews.
Chapter 5

He had needed someone to talk to, and there she was. She just waited for him to talk. He knew she understood how hard it was for him to open up. And he was grateful she wasn't pushing for answers he couldn't give. Here goes nothing

Jess looks over at Rory, who is giving him support with her eyes. He takes a deep breath and begins his story, "It was my fifth birthday. I was young, but I remember ever detail like it was yesterday. The events play over in my head like a broken record..."

*Flashback*

Jess woke up and jumped out of bed. It was his fifth birthday, he was turning five. He was extremely excited, that is until he heard the yelling. He listened from inside his room; he had opened the door slightly. He was now able to see them and hear them.

"You can't leave, it's his birthday!" he heard his mother yell.

"It won't be any better if I stay," his father argued.

"Yes it would be, you'd be here."

"I can't pretend anymore, we aren't happy."

"You have horrible timing in figuring that out," she snapped

"Yeah, I know. But I can't keeping playing 'happy family' with you," he explained

She let out a sigh of defeat and said, "Are you at least going to tell him goodbye?"

He looked over at Jess' door and replied softly, "Yeah" He looked back at Liz then turned to walk towards his son's room.

Jess saw him coming and jumped back into his bed, trying to hind the fact that he had seen everything.

His father came in and sat at the edge of Jess' bed. He looked at the little boy and tried to explain, but Jess spoke up first.

"Are you leaving?" Jess asked. He knew enough to know what the fight was about.

"Yeah" his father answered softly

"Are you coming back?" he didn't want his father to leave, but already knew the answer to this.

"No."

Tears started to fall from Jess' eyes as he got up to hug his father.

"I don't want you to go" he pleaded

"I know, but I have to" his father tried to explain.

Jess stayed in his father's arms until he had to go.

"I have to go now" he let Jess go and started towards the door

"Goodbye daddy" he cried

"Goodbye son" And with that his father was gone. Gone from his life. And Jess felt alone.

A few hours later Jess came out of his room into the living room. He found his mother lying on the couch. He walked up to her and she lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were red from the tears she had shed.

"This is all your fault" she said angrily then continued by saying, "To me you no longer have a birthday, now get away from me"

So Jess walked back into his room away from his grieving mother. Neither one of them wanted the reminder of his birthday because of the memory that came with it.
~~~~~~~~~~