Separating
One Month Later…
"Are you in pain?" Cassie asked.
"No, Cassie. It feels amazing." Theo said, lying up on the bed in his go to tattoo parlour, "In fact, I could just fall asleep right here, I'm so comfortable." He nodded, lying on his side whilst the needle worked along his torso.
"You're doing it voluntarily may I remind you." Cassie nodded, "No one is forcing you to cover your entire body in ink."
"I know, but I don't need your running commentary the entire time." Theo said, closing his eyes over, screwing them up a little, feeling the needle pierce around the fragile skin on his ribs.
"You promise you're done after this one?" She asked. He had a full sleeve on one arm, his entire chest, one side of his back and one calf completely covered in different ink work. He was now adding more with a giant piece on his torso.
"I'm not promising anything." Theo said, "You didn't have to come."
"I don't know what else to do with myself. I don't know anybody here." Cassie said, "And I don't speak enough Spanish to feel confident."
"So, you're going to attach yourself to my hip the entire time?" Theo asked, "You know plenty of Spanish to get around. Why don't you go get your nails done or something?"
"When have I ever gotten my nails done?" Cassie shook her head.
"Deja de moverte." Theo's tattoo artist said angrily.
"Perdón." Theo apologised, looking over at Cassie.
"Maybe I'll go call my mom. Check in with the kids." She nodded as Theo gave her a thumbs up, closing his eyes back over, "Do you want me to bring you some food? Coffee?"
"Coffee would be great." Theo nodded.
"Ok." Cassie said, leaning over and kissing his cheek before leaving the tattoo parlour, sitting outside a little further along on a bench on a busy street in Mexicali.
They had been in Theo's hometown for the week, after receiving a call from Kelise that his father was now in palliative care, with no doubt just weeks left. They'd spent every hour on the clock around Raul's bedside until Kelise insisted they go and get themselves some air, to clear their heads.
"Hey, mom." Cassie spoke into her phone once her mother picked up.
"Oh, hi sweetie." AJ said, sitting in the kitchen of her home, "How are you two doing? Any news?"
"No changes, really." Cassie said, "Kelise pretty much kicked us out. Told us to go get some fresh air and clear our heads. Of course, Theo decided he'd clear his head by getting a tattoo on his entire right torso."
"I've heard of people making worse decisions to clear their head." AJ nodded, "He likes his ink."
"Yeah, tell me about it. The guy out here has done all his tattoos, and he was speaking about getting another one actually." Cassie nodded, "How are my babies?" She wondered.
"Both fine." AJ nodded, "Lena is down for a nap and Chase has gone out with your father to pick up dinner."
"Sweet little helper." Cassie smiled, "You'll give them lots of kisses from us?"
"You know I always do." AJ smiled, "Jude is moved into her apartment. Your father was helping her last night."
"Did he bump into her new man?" Cassie wondered.
"No." AJ shook her head, "No, we still haven't met him yet."
"None of us have." Cassie shook her head, "I don't like knowing she's smitten with some guy none of us even know yet."
"Cassie, she's figuring out everything with Sean and the girls first. She's told us that. Miles isn't her priority right now. He's obviously a decent man if he's giving her the time and the space to deal with… all the things she has to deal with." AJ nodded.
"How have her and Sean been? What's the latest?" Cassie asked.
"Not much change. They're being civil. Working on the divorce. Sean has been back at work." AJ said, "It's going as smooth as it can go, I guess."
"Well, I guess that's good." Cassie nodded, "And Thea?" She asked.
"Everyone is fine." AJ nodded, "Look out for Theo. People can handle grief in so many different ways. I know his relationship with his father has always been hard but… I don't doubt losing him isn't going to hurt."
"Yeah, I know." Cassie nodded, "Problem is, he's as good as dealing with this sort of stuff as I am." She said.
"You know how to handle each other." AJ nodded, "Give him our love."
"I will, mom. Thanks." Cassie nodded, saying her goodbyes and hanging up, heading into the nearest coffee shop to collect some coffee to take back to the tattoo parlour.
"Oh, this is nice." Kirsty, Jude's longest friend smiled as she looked around the apartment which Jude had just moved into. They had been roommates in college and had stayed close ever since, even when Jude lived in New York.
"Still feels kinda weird." Jude admitted, walking into the kitchen as Kirsty followed.
"Well, of course it does." Kirsty said, taking a seat on one of the bar stools at the island in the kitchen, "How has things been going?"
"Ok, I guess." Jude nodded, taking out the bottle of wine from the fridge and pouring two glasses for them whilst Kirsty shook her jacket off, "A lot of small talk. Mostly about the girls. Who are asking questions about what's going on." She sighed.
"What'd you tell them?" Kirsty asked, "Thanks." She took the wine glass from Jude.
"Just that… mommy and daddy are going to live in different places now. But that we still love each other, and love them." Jude said, "And that we'll always be a family, the four of us." She nodded.
"Well, that's good." Kirsty nodded, "Not many people going through separation can do it without traumatising their kids."
"It just… it is going to take so long to get used to it. Feels like my life has just changed completely overnight." Jude said, sitting down beside Kirsty with her wine.
"A change you welcome?" Kirsty hoped.
"I think so." Jude nodded, "Me and Sean weren't right for a while. I guess since he cheated. It just… wasn't the same anymore. And when we moved here, it just… it just felt like we were getting more distant by the second." She said, "But he's a man I spent fourteen years of my life with. I can't just jump into this new apartment and move on like nothing happened."
"Of course, you can't. No one is expecting you to do that." Kirsty said, "But you lead with your heart. You made decisions for yourself. Trust in them." Kirsty nodded, placing her hand on Jude's arm.
"I'm going for coffee with Miles tomorrow morning." Jude said, "It'll be the first we've really spoke since everything has happened. We've spoke in work but… not in detail. He wanted to give me space." She nodded.
"He sounds like a good guy, Jude." Kirsty nodded.
"He is." Jude nodded, "I'm just scared."
"Of what?" Kirsty asked.
"Everything. Moving too fast. Dealing with something so new. Opening up to another person the way I only ever have with Sean." Jude said.
"Which are all difficult things for anyone to deal with." Kirsty said, "But he sounds like a good guy, he's giving you all the space, letting you set the pace." She nodded as Jude smiled a little.
"Nice and poetic. Good job." Jude smiled.
"Thank you." Kirsty flicked her hair sassily as Jude chuckled, sipping on her wine, "I know this is a drag and all but… you look happy. Your face lights up when you talk about him, you know." She smiled, nudging Jude who blushed a little.
"I wouldn't feel like this with just anyone." Jude said, "He just makes me feel safe. And respected." She nodded.
"Have you guys…" Kirsty raised her eyebrows, taking a sip of her wine.
"No." Jude shook her head, "We've kissed a couple times but… nothing else." She nodded, "I guess I just still feel like I'm with Sean. I know we're filing for divorce and separated but… it might take a while for me to go there with Miles. What if he loses interest?"
"He won't." Kirsty scoffed, "He doesn't sound like he's lost interest thus far, so I think you're fine." She nodded, "How do you feel about… being with him?"
"I'm not sure." Jude shook her head, "I've only ever been with Sean since I was attacked. I don't know how I'll be with someone else." She admitted, "But I know that I do want to be with him. I think that's a good sign."
"Yeah, it is." Kirsty smiled, "You've been unhappy for a while. Maybe it was to do with Sean cheating, maybe it was your job, being away from your family… I don't know. But… you look a lot happier."
"I do feel happier. I just want things to go ok with me and Sean. And the girls. I know it's a lot for me to ask him to still be my friend when… he obviously wants more, but I never want us to be those divorced parents that can't be in the same room."
"He loves you." Kirsty said, "Whether he says it or not, he's gonna want the best for you, and certainly for his daughters." She nodded.
"I know." Jude nodded, "I just don't want him to think that this has been easy. That moving on from him has been easy."
"I think Sean knows it's been rough with you guys for a while. He's not blind. False hope." Kirsty said.
"I'll always love him." Jude nodded, "I hope he knows that. When I say it, he looks like he doesn't believe me."
"He will believe you in time." Kirsty nodded.
"No change with Theo's dad. Cassie called when you were out." AJ told Punk who had arrived from picking up dinner for them.
"And how's Theo?" Punk asked.
"My daddy's name is Theo." Chase said, listening in from the kitchen table.
"It is." AJ nodded, "We're talking about your daddy."
"Oh." Chase nodded, "Why?"
"Well, I was just telling papa that your mommy called, just to let us know how they are." AJ nodded, "And she told me that they want me to give you so many hugs and kisses." AJ said, wrapping her arms around Chase from behind, squeezing him and kissing his cheek as he giggled.
"Ok, ok." Chase wriggled with laughter as Punk smiled.
"Pizza for the man of the house." Punk said, sitting a slice on a plate for Chase.
"Thanks." Chase said, immediately getting stuck in as Punk messed with his hair sweetly, nodding to AJ for them to leave the kitchen for a minute.
"Cassie just said Theo's doing ok." AJ nodded to him, standing in the hallway outside the kitchen, "Kelise, his father's wife, she told them to get out of the house for a while, get some fresh air, have some time to themselves. They've been in the house all week." AJ said, "So Theo decided to go for a tattoo." She shook her head.
"Good kid." Punk nodded, "Nothing better to take your mind off things than a tattoo." He said.
"I just hope they're alright out there." AJ sighed, "Rough relationship or not, watching your dad slowly dying has to be difficult. And going by what I've gathered, their relationship has gotten better these past few months." She nodded, "It's a shame."
"Yeah." Punk nodded in agreement, "Cassie's got him, though. Ain't nobody better."
"That's true." AJ nodded.
"I'm going to the movies tomorrow." James announced, walking into the kitchen where he saw his mother sitting at the back step smoking and reading a book, "Thought you were quitting." He rolled his eyes, opening the fridge to get a can of soda out.
"Next month." Thea nodded.
"I'll believe it when I see it." James shook his head.
"Why are you so grumpy?" Thea laughed a little.
"Not grumpy. Just don't want my mom to get lung cancer and die before fifty." James nodded, "Some of us actually do like you being around here."
"That's sweet." Thea smiled, "Who are you going to the movies with?" She asked.
"Friends." James said, "So can I have money?"
"Yeah, of course." Thea nodded, "When you tell me which friends." She grinned.
"My friends from school. The ones I always hang around with." James shook his head.
"So not Jess?" Thea asked, "Or Elle?" She smiled.
"No." James shook his head, "Well they're going but… there's others. It's not just me and them. It's not a date." He clarified as Thea smiled, watching him get flustered.
"Ok." Thea hummed, unconvinced, "I can give you a ride there if you need-"
"No, it's fine I'm walking." James said.
"James. That's like an hour's walk." Thea said.
"We're all walking." James shrugged.
"Oh, don't congregate on the streets like a gang. That's a bad image." Thea shook her head nervously, "That makes me nervous."
"Me walking to the cinema makes you nervous?" James asked her, "I'm in less danger than you are if you keep on smoking." He nodded, watching his father appear into the kitchen, heading for the door with his own cigarettes, "You too." He nodded to Dominic.
"We're quitting next month." Dominic nodded, stepping over Thea on the steps to head outside.
"Yeah well, I don't believe either of you." James nodded, leaving the kitchen as Thea turned to Dominic.
"What's up with him?" Dominic asked.
"Nervous cause he's going on a date tomorrow." Thea nodded.
"He told me he was going with his friends." Dominic said.
"No, it's a date." Thea said, "But with who? I don't know. He's stuck in a love triangle." Thea shook her head.
"My boy." Dominic nodded proudly, taking a draw from his cigarette.
"Where are the girls? It's quiet in there." Thea said.
"Sam is watching a movie in our bedroom and Sofia has her headphones on in the living room." Dominic said.
"She's not taken them off since she got them." Thea smiled a little.
"She likes listening to books on them." Dominic nodded.
"And the floof?" Thea asked.
"Floof is beside her. As always." Dominic said as Thea smiled.