Chapter 1

Introduction to Sharon, And Devin

 

Chapter 1

 

It was an early foggy morning. Sharon was lying in her bed pondering over her life. She felt that things in her life were all wrong. Every day she would think to herself that maybe today he will spend time with her that Devin would give her some positive attention.

 

She wondered if Devin really loved her and their children because he really didn’t spend much time with them and the attention Devin had given them was not good either. He would talk or really he would yell when there was something that bothered him or something that he didn’t like. Otherwise, Devin would keep to himself; busy himself with the TV or at the local pub or working on his projects. He did go to some of their school events. I guess he had some kind of affection for the girls.

 

 When they were babies he was much better with them. He would kiss them and hug them and take them places to show them off. I remember when Lori was born; he took her several places to show her off.

 

She wondered at what point things start to separate them.

 

She got out of her bed and went to the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and she whispered to herself, “How did I put up with this for so many years? How can I have been rational about staying with you and being put down for not being good enough or pretty enough? I will find out today if I will waste my time with you another day Devin. All I need from you is for you to just tell me you love me still or care about me. If you cannot do this small thing then it is time for us to part ways.”

 

She was practicing her speech in the mirror as she combed her long brown hair. She carefully put on her makeup. She used black eyeliner to bring out the blue in her eyes.

No blush or color on her eyelids. She is a mom with kids and her time is limited.

 

She missed the Devin that was so charming to her and seemed to really care about her. This very small memory was what she was holding onto. It just wasn’t going to help her anymore she needed someone to be a companion, friend and lover. She had none of that in Devin not now.

 

She felt crazy trying to figure out why things were going so weird and why did he distanced himself from them. It was like he had this secret life and they were not a part of it. She wished he had not given up that he would ask questions or talked about things that were bothering him. Had he not hurt her so badly that she no longer trusted him with any of her feelings she would try and work things out but he had burned that bridge with her some time ago?

 

She rambles to herself in the mirror some more. “I have been losing sleep and I have not been able to handle the simplest of tasks. I need some sanity back into my life.”

 

She finishes what she is doing and then corrals the girls up and takes them to school and goes on with her day.

 

 

The next morning Sharon wakes early, she turns over in bed and looks hopefully at a still sleeping Devin.

 

He notices her staring at him. A little startled he slurs, “What!”

 

She quietly said, “I love you.”

 

There was a stilled silence.

 

“Well… then… Do you love me?”

 

He spoke very softly,

 

“No I don’t. I stopped loving you a long time ago. I don’t even know why I have stayed for so long. I guess for the girl’s sake.”

 

She felt a huge heaviness on her chest. Her throat felt tight. Tears welled in her eyes. She knew this was how it was going to be it was just a hard thing to hear.

 

He continued, “I know I shouldn’t have just cut you out of my life and left you hanging on but I didn’t want the girls to get messed up because of this and I do want them to have a happy life. Sharon, I am going to a Lawyer and get papers for a divorce so we can get on with our lives. I will pack an overnight bag and go to a hotel. You and girls can keep the house. I don’t want to explain this to the girls, if you can talk to them for me.”

 

Devin got up out of the bed. He is tall and blonde. He was a little overweight but not obese. He got his suitcase out and packed some clothes then went into the bathroom and showered and shaved and took his toiletries and packed them as well.

 

Sharon lay in bed still feeling the heaviness in her chest. She had tears streaking her face though not sobbing her heart was broken. It had been breaking for a long time but now it was broken. She watched him leave not looking at her when he left the room. She heard the front door open and then close. A chapter in her life had closed as well.

 

It was close to summer and it was hot and this particular day it was humid. The air was barely breathable. There was a faint sound of crickets in the air. The pine trees were pushing out pollen in extreme amounts this year. You could see the layers on the car.

 

Sharon was getting up for work after all the emotional stuff in bed. She turned on the TV to watch the news. There was something interesting going on. Everyone was instructed to go to the nearest school. There they were doing a screening of some sort. There were not specific as to what the test was but they said it was a state of emergency.

 

Sharon grabbed the girls and took them to the school. Devin was on his own, she didn’t care what happened to him. He already had abandoned his family.

 

There was quite a bit of commotion going on. There were people everywhere trying to get to the schools. At least it was separated in districts. The girls were real quiet. Not like most days in the car. They seemed to know that something was amiss. She had not told them of the divorce decision. It would come soon enough. She just thought if she could just get through this then she would handle that.

 

They soon arrived to the school and the girls got excited as this was a familiar place for them it was their school. There was a line and after the line, a coordinator, this person was instructing each person as to where they should go and get briefed. There were small flyers that said this was a screening for a new race, one that had been hidden by the government.