"Nora I...Yes well...I know you told me but….I-I….well I….you know what, Nora? I'm getting tired of...oh, you don't care? I shouldn't be surprised really...I didn't think you would- uh...excuse me? Oh no, I'm done. You really crossed the line this time, Nora. Goodbye"
Chelsea hid behind the top of the stairwell as she heard Linnie hang up the phone, his voice still soft but with a somewhat snippy tone behind it. She watched cautiously as he put the phone back in its dock before disappearing off into the room he and Nora shared. She also heard some annoying but still soft grumbles coming as Linnie came back into the living room with a suitcase...wait, a suitcase?
"Daddy!", Chelsea cried, anxiously flying down the stairs, grabbing her father's attention. She nearly tripped down the bottom stair as she flew towards him and hugged him around his waist, making it hard for him to keep moving, "Daddy, where are you going? Are you leaving?"
"Chelsea! Honey, my goodness! What's the matter? Oh, come here, hun.", Linnie picked Chelsea up and wrapped her up in his arms as he sat down, and cuddled the child that was sobbing on his shoulder, "Chelsea, sweetie, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream or something?"
"N-No...Daddy, are you leaving? I thought you said you weren't leaving.", Chelsea sobbed.
"Well...actually...yes, dear. I am leaving again. And I don't think I'll be coming back.", Linnie whimpered, as Chelsea sobbed louder and clenched his green coat even tighter, "B-But you know what else, honey? I'm leaving...and taking you and your brothers with me. I finally managed to save enough money to get us an apartment! I was going to try and wake you up after I was finished packing and cooling off for a bit. Oh, please don't cry darling.", Linnie smiled softly as Chelsea slowly started to calm down, though she still seemed a bit frantic. "I know I know..I scared you. I'm sorry, sweetheart."
"S-So we're not going to live with mommy anymore?"
"No sweetie. I...well..I don't think it's safe to keep living with her. I don't like the way she hits you guys.", Linnie said, still hugging and patting Chelsea's back, "I will explain a bit better in the morning. Tonight, and until I get an apartment secured, we're going to be staying with your Aunt Daisy, and she said she had special locks installed to make sure no one breaks in. And once I get an apartment, we'll be moving far away from here, where you and your brother can grow up safe and loved? How does that sound?"
It took a few minutes, but eventually, Chelsea nodded and stopped crying, her father giving her a reassuring yet sad smile.
"Now then, I'm going to go wake your brothers up if you'd like to start packing. You don't need to bring a lot of things with you tonight, since I plan on us coming back to get the rest of our stuff in the morning. I just think some regular clothes, pajamas, your brush and tooth paste, and maybe a toy or two would do you fine for now, sweetheart."
"O-Ok Daddy."
"There you go, darling. That's my big girl.", Linnie kissed her on the forehead before he let her go, watching her scurry off into her bedroom before he got up and went into his sons' bedrooms, waking them up to do the same.
After the boys had gotten situated, Linnie loaded everyone in his car and drove off, not wanting to use magic to teleport all their belongings. Once his sister had let him and his family in, he sent the children straight off to bed, while Daisy went back to watching her comedy shows on the TV. Linnie, meanwhile, had a bit more on his mind. He sat down at the kitchen table, underneath a dim light, and clicked the black ink pen, scribbling on the piece of notebook paper.
Dear Nora,
As you had probably figured out by now, I have made the decision to leave you. I can't continue with this relationship knowing that I'm not the man that you love and that you intend on continuing to hurt me and my (no longer ours) children. I'm sorry to have sprung the news so abruptly, but after our phone call and the way you've been treating me since we first met, I just think it's time for me to move on. I know leaving you this way isn't necessarily the most fair thing for you, but I'm just really sick and tired of pretending that eventually, you would chang. Over the past couple of years, especially after the birth of our youngest, you've proven to me that either you're incapable of change, or I'm not worth changing for you. As I mentioned before, I know I'm not the man you are in love with, so I hope after reading this, you'll be able to find him. I had also taken the liberty of blocking you from my cell phone number, so hopefully, this will be the last time you will ever hear from me.
Now, let me just start off by saying, I don't intend on pressing charges on you, under the circumstance that you cut off contact with me and the children. I'm really not looking to get even with you, although I do believe I have the full right to after all the awful things you had done to me. I really just want to move on and focus on raising the kids in a more safe and loving environment, something that I had hoped that you would eventually turn around and provide. Silly me for assuming the best in you.
That being said, a lot of the things you had done to me, I'm not so sure if I can ever forgive. I certainly won't ever forget all the horrible things you did to me (and especially to our children). I'm not a hateful man by any means, and because of that, I have this tendency to turn the other cheek when it comes to people's flaws. No one's perfect after all. But for the sake of our children's and my own safety, I'm not going to turn a blind eye to your violence anymore. I had enough, Nora. No one deserves to be treated like that, especially not young, innocent children.
Quite frankly Nora, I'm disgusted by your attitude towards children. Even if you're not physically harming them, you're either incredibly drunk and act like you want nothing to do with them, or you're treating them like slaves, cursing and yelling at them for every last mistake they make. I understand it was never your intention to have children, but let's not forget, you're the one that decided to lie with me and bed, and you didn't take the time to use protection. While it is my responsibility to practice safe sex just as much as it is yours, putting on a condom really isn't that hard (I wouldn't think. I'm not a female so I wouldn't know). Taking that extra 3 seconds would have saved you from a life of misery, but you know what, sure. I guess blaming others for your irresponsible actions is much easier than taking accountability. I understand.
Actually, that's another thing. I'm so sick and tired of you going around town claiming that I raped you for the sake of getting pregnant. You know darn well what happened the night we conceived Darren, and I remember how uncomfortable I was the night you pinned me against your couch and well...I'm not comfortable saying. I remember how your breath reeked of that stupid whiskey you drink religiously (how are you not in the hospital, by the way?) and how hard you pressed your hands against my chest as you were digging around in my sweater. You made me feel so small and powerless in that moment, and yet, you have the nerve to go around people telling me that I was one raping you when you KNOW for a fact, it was the other way around. Frankly, it's a miracle I didn't get any STDs from you, Nora.
I understand I can't make you love me or any of our kids for the matter, but I just wish you would have been honest with me instead of putting me through everything. First off, we wouldn't have even bothered getting married in the first place, possibly, assuming you've never loved me in the first place. We could've gone on with our lives; you would still be childless while I'd be off with another woman, having children with them. You knew I loved children, yet you decided to slip the ring on me anyways.
Second, assuming you did love me but that love died down, you should have told me something. Yes, it would have hurt but we could have worked something out. I could've had the kids just stay with me and grow up in another neighborhood while you went off doing whatever you please, as long as you paid the child support on time (though in hindsight, I can't see you doing that). The point is, you didn't have to stay with me if you were so miserable, but the face that you did and decided to take your anger out on my and my 3 beautiful children well..I'm honestly not sure what you think of you at this point.
Oh speaking of, if you're wondering if I got your little note before you left for work this morning, I did, and to be quite honest, I'm not surprised. I know you intended on me to get upset and offended, but I'm tired of giving you the satisfaction. I went ahead and ripped up your letter. Those words mean nothing to me now, much like you.
I don't hate you but I don't love you, and I'm not sure if I ever have. I'm tired of my world revolving around you, especially if all I'm going to receive in return is a nice, hard punch in the face, stomach, or whatever. I'm not a punching bad, Nora. I'm a person, and I have the right to live in this universe just as much as you do.
So, I guess this is goodbye, from both me and the kids. As mentioned earlier, I will not press charges (even though I really should) unless you do anything more to harm me or my children, if odds are we do meet again. Obviously, I will not be disclosing my location and I have all the medical evidence to present to the police should the occasion arise. I don't want to go to court, but I'm just tired. So tired of you.
I wish you the best of luck in the rest of your life, but I also hope you know; you have no idea what you have just lost.
Sincerely,
Linnie
