Part 2

Second grade changed all of us… what I mean is we all grew closer. That was the year that my parents started fighting, and at first it was normal fights that parents would have you know? And then it stopped. Just like that, and I thought that it was over with that they wouldn't fight again. Sometimes the innocence of a child protects that child from seeing or hearing things that they don't want to see.
1990
That's what was protecting me from actually seeing them fight, the normally did it when I wasn't around, at least that is what my mom told me years later. For a few months it was okay, and my dad took me back outside to look at the stars, but after about a week that stopped and they started fighting again, this time it was loud and scary, I use to take my blanket and sneak out of my house and to Jason's, heck it wasn't that hard, all I had to do was run across my back yard and into his. Unlike most of us, he got a bedroom downstairs and I was able to get to his room.
By the time I got to Jason's I was crying…no I was sobbing, I didn't know how to make sense of it all, and Jason was like a brother to me, I knocked on his window once, and then slid down the wall leaning against it still crying, I didn't know that Tommy and Billy were there too. IT was Tommy who heard me knock on the window, and he looked out, and when he saw me he climbed out of the room and pulled me into a hug trying to get me to stop crying long enough, to tell him what was wrong eventually they got me into Jason's room and they called Trini.
Within Ten minutes she was there, now remember we were only in the second grade. Trini got me to calm down and I told her what happened with my parents she had me call my parents, and I ended up staying at Jason's house that night the entire night didn't sleep and early in the morning I snuck out of his house and went back into my back yard sitting on the porch, that is when my mom and dad both came out to talk to me.
They started out by telling me how much they both loved me, now that I look back on it, that should have been a was a major warning sign of what was to come, but like I said I was only in the second grade and although I was smart, I didn't fully understand what was going one.
"your mom and I wanted to let you know that Daddy is going to be moving out"
I looked at my mom, who only offered a small teary smile, and then to my dad, who I could tell was upset but wouldn't cry. I moved my gaze to my dirty bare feet.
"Kimberly We both love you.."

"I know"
I mumbled. And they both hugged me and gave me a kiss on the forehead, and then left me alone again. I remember that later that day my dad started to pack his things, even though he didn't actually leave until a week or two later.

The night my dad left I'll never forget it. He waited until nighttime before he left. And For the last time I would ever get to do this with my dad, he laid out our blanket and we sat there looking at the stars and after what seemed like forever he finally spoke.
"Kimmie… you know that I love you right..?"
I looked at him and smiled.
"yes and I love you daddy.."
he gave me a small smile, before continuing on what he probably rehearsed for hours before hand.
"what's going on with me and your mom has nothing to do with you, you never did anything wrong… I just need you to try and understand that, mommy and I love each other, but not the way we use to. I'll still visit you and you'll come see me on weekends and on some holiday"
Yea right that was really going to happen. At the time I thought he meant it, he was my dad, I looked up to him. I nodded and then he sat up as I did and watched him as he pulled something that was sliver out of his pocket and then looked up at me.
"give me your wrist."
I held out my hand as he slipped a charm bracelet onto my tiny wrist, it was a little big, ok, who am I kidding it was a lot big, but that didn't matter to me, but that didn't matter to me, all that matters was that he gave it to me, and it was the most important thing that he had ever given me up to that point. I gave him a big hug.

"thank you daddy, I love it!"
"I know its no where near your birthday and I know Christmas is still a long ways away, but I thought that I would get you something special"
I smiled brightly up at him, and that's when he hugged me and placed a kiss on my forehead and left. I remember hearing his car start up and then he was gone. He didn't even say goodbye, he just left.

"Kimberly Honey are you out here?"
I looked up at the stars and I smiled one last time before Turing to my mom, tears filling my eyes, and I couldn't hold it any more, and as I sat there I started to cry, and my mom was at my side immediately and she picked my up, leaving the blanket behind, and I cried for hours until I fell asleep that is when she took me up to my room and tucked me in.

That year my mom and I never really mentioned the whole divorce, I of course told all my friends when they noticed the absence of my father, and they all were careful around me for a while.
My mom decided that I needed an after school hobby. And I thought hanging out with my friends was a hobby who knew it wasn't? my mom obviously, so she signed my up for gymnastics.
Little did she know how many problems that would completely screw things up in my life, that will come later.
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