T51: Lulu's Confession.

In the boys' bedroom, Lulu was sitting on the third bed, silently reading the divorce papers she had recieved last night. She hadn't told the family about it, as they were all going through enough drama as it was with the boys missing. And she didn't want to add more drama by revealing that her husband was divorcing her.

Laura opened the door and poked her head inside. "Knock, knock, knock. Guess who it is." She said, smiling.

Lulu turned to see her mother, Laura. "Mom." Lulu said before standing up. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to be with you and Alice in your time of need." Said Laura as she entered inside the room and closed the door. "And to be with the rest of the family. I hope that's okay."

"It's fine." Lulu said.

Laura then noticed two papers in Lulu's right hand. "What are those papers in your hand, honey?"

"Oh, nothing. Just the final chapters of my marriage." Lulu answered.

"What?" Laura asked, confused, noticing the papers Lulu was holding.

"Dante is divorcing me. And these papers are divorce papers. I got them from the mail-man last night. Dante's already signed his name." Lulu explained.

"Oh, that's terrible. Why would he do something like that?" Laura said.

"Desertion." Lulu said.

"What?" Laura asked.

"Dante's reason for filing for divorce. Desertion." Lulu said.

"That's rediculous! You haven't gone anywhere. You've done nothing but stand by him all these years. Laura said as she walked over to Lulu.

"No, he isn't saying that i deserted him. Dante is saying that...he deserted me." Lulu said.

"But why. Why would he feel like he's deserted you when he's back home in Florida, working? It doesn't make sense." Laura said.

"...Dante isn't back home in Florida, working...he's in an insane asylum in Africa." Lulu said.

"A mental hospital? Why?" Laura asked.

"He suffers from PTSD due to the war he came home from this year. And ever since then, he's been very moody. Then one day, he sat me down and let me know he had quit his job on the police force and was going to check himself into an insane asylum in Africa." Lulu answered.

"How long has he been gone?" Laura asked.

"...Since October 30th." Lulu answered.

"25 Days? Does the family know?" Laura asked.

"No, and i don't want them to." Lulu said.

"Well, that's nothing you hide from your family." Laura said.

"It's none of their business." Lulu said.

"What about Olivia? Isn't it her business? I mean, for Pete sake, Lulu, Dante's her brother. Shouldn't you have at least told her?" Laura said.

"Mom, Olivia thinks that we're still together and that Dante's back home in Florida, working. And so does the rest of the family. Now i'm suppose to tell them that Dante's in a mental hospital in another country and that he's divorcing me?" Lulu said.

"It's the right thing to do. I mean, you can't go on living this lie." Laura said.

"I know, Mom, but i don't know how to tell them. I don't even know how i'm gonna tell Rocco. Or how i'm gonna deal with it afterward. Ugh! My gosh, how could Dante do this to me?! How could he do this to Rocco, Olivia and the rest of the family and justify it by saying it's his fault?" Lulu said.

"You know, maybe he thought that it would be easier on you if he took the blame. I don't know, but i do think it's a sign that he will give you whatever you want." Laura said.

"Whatever i want? Yeah, well, that's as good a guess as any...i guess. But that's what we're doing, we're guessing. Because you couldn't possibley know what Dante's thinking anymore than i can. Right, because he isn't here. He won't even take my calls." Lulu said.

"I know that Dante loves you. I am absolutely sure of that and...i can't imagine that he would walk away from his marriage without even as much as a goodbye." Laura said.

"He did say goodbye...when he was leaving. I just didn't really hear him." Lulu said. "Mom, what am i gonna tell Rocco?" She asked as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh, honey." Said Laura before hugging Lulu, who hugged her back. "Come on now." She said as Lulu sobbed as the tears ran down her face. "You know...when your father died from a heart-attack in 2020...i wasn't sure how or if i was getting through it. But i did. And if i can't get through that, then you can get through this. You can start by telling Rocco when we find him and the other boys."

They ended the hug and Lulu wiped the tears from her face with both hands.

"I've been walking a tight rope with Rocco. I've been assuring him that his Dad's absence was temporary. And now i tell him what? That it might be forever? What will that do to him?" Lulu said.

"Sweetheart, kids are very resilient. The pressing question right now is not how Rocco is gonna deal with it. It's really how...you will." Laura said.

"Well, i guess i don't know what my options are...but scream? Fall apart? Bury my head in the ground?" Lulu said.

"No, you have two options here. You can give Dante what he wants...or you can fight him on it. You don't have to decide right now. But...soon...you do. The state of Florida gives you four or five weeks to contest a divorce. After that, the state let's the divorce proceed." Laura explained.

"So that's it? Dante has left me four of five weeks to decide whether to fight for our marriage...or let it die." Lulu said.

"Are you alright?" Laura asked.

"I'm okay, Mom. You don't have to hang around. You can go into town and join the family in the search for the boys." Lulu said.

"I'm your Mom. Hanging around is part of the job." Laura said.

"You've done plenty. Dante has left me to do the rest. I have to make the decision about our future. I have to make all of the decisions, really. Right? I mean, i have to decide what Rocco and i have for dinner. I have to decide what clothes he wears to school or what movie we watch. Or what we listen to in the car or what to buy him as Birthday or Christmas presents or when to say no or when to say yes! Right? Whether i love him...or hate him! Or i hang on or i move on, this was suppose to be Dante and me together! And now he says that it's just me!" Lulu said.

Laura then embraced Lulu a second time, who embraced her back. "It's okay, honey. It's okay."

Lulu sobbed in Laura's arms as they hugged each other. She had heard of a lot of couples getting divorced everyday in America, but she never thought she and Dante would be one of them.

Never in a million years.

THANKSGIVING

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