When Mike Tillson drove his battered Honda Accord into the family driveway, he noticed his father's car was missing and his mother's still in the garage.
"What the hell," he muttered aloud, "I'm not that late. I guess they left without me. Damn. I'll go in and change. Dad said we were going to Giuseppe's for pizza. I'll catch 'em there."
He walked in the house and saw his kid sister Janie sitting on the couch staring at a muted television, tears glistening on her cheeks. She looked over and said sadly "Hi Mike, welcome to the party."
He sat down beside her and said "What's goin' on, sis? Why aren't you guys at the restaurant? Where's Mom and Dad?"
"Dad's gone, Mom's upstairs locked in their bedroom, crying and breaking stuff."
"Oh crap, another fight. What was it about this time?"
"I'm not sure, but her screaming 'I know you've been fucking that slut, you cheating son-of-a-bitch' was a clue," she said wryly.
"I bet it's that new Executive Assistant he hired three months ago. She's a real hottie."
"Well, whoever she is, Dad's off to be with her and Mom's gone psycho, some eighteenth birthday, huh?"
Mike stood up saying "To hell with this, get your coat; we're going to get some pizza anyway. We'll celebrate your birthday just the two of us."
Janie brightened, "Yeah, who needs them. I'm a grownup now. Let's go."
***
The restaurant was crowded and after a short wait they were shown to a booth. They ordered and sat sipping their drinks until Mike said "You still going to State U in the fall?"
"I can't wait," Janie replied, "I really need to get out of the house now. Besides, I'll need you to show me around being a mighty sophomore and all."
"There is a lot to see. It's a big campus and you'll find that all your assigned classes are as far from each other as possible; that's why everyone rides bikes. Have you registered for a dorm assignment yet?"
"I sent the form in last week. I haven't heard anything yet. Is it weird sharing a room with someone?"
"No, not really, unless you get the roomie from hell like my bud Jeffery did. The dude was a super Trekkie always wearing starship uniform shirts and speaking in Klingon. After two semesters Jeff took a place off campus with three other guys and they split the rent."
"I hope I don't get some weirdo like that ... oh, yay, here comes our pizza."
They ate in silence, enjoying each other's company.
***
Using a screwdriver, Mike loosened the lock on their parent's bedroom door saying "One more twist ... there we go."
The door swung open and the siblings walked in. The shades were closed, the curtains drawn and they saw their mother lying in bed, seemingly asleep.
"Mike, sleeping pills," Janie said, holding a bottle she found on the nightstand, "Do you think Mom took too many?"
He had been examining the sleeping woman and replied "Nope. Not her style. Besides, she's been taking these things for years and she'd never let Dad win. She'll make his life hell if I know Mom."
"If she's okay, then we'll just let her sleep. Wanna play a game on the Wii?"
"Sure, I never miss a chance to kick your butt on FIFA Soccer."
"Hah, you wish."
***
Mike stretched and yawned. They had been playing over four hours and the day was beginning to catch up with him.
"I think I'm gonna bag some Z's, sis. I'll see you in the morning. Maybe Mom will be up by then and we can calm her down."
"Awww ... c'mon Mike, just one more game," Janie said, pouting. "I'll make some more nachos."
"Sorry, cutie, but I'm tired. G'night."
He kissed her on the forehead and went upstairs. She watched him go, felt very sad and began to cry.
***
Mike and Janie sat stone faced at the kitchen table as John, their father, explained how he and their mother had grown apart and that he had found someone else.
"Rebecca and I are in love," he said, "As soon as the divorce is final, we're getting married."
"Dad," Janie blurted, "She's half your age. What do you two have in common, anyway?"
"More than you might imagine," John replied. "She's witty, intelligent, runs her own interior design firm; no matter what you might think, she's not a flighty little bimbo."
"What about Mom?" Mike said. "What's she going to do, she'll be alone."
"She's getting the house and an equal share of our investment portfolio; monetarily, she'll be fine. Your mother's tougher than she appears. She has her friends, her clubs and her board memberships to keep her busy. In truth, we've been emotionally separated for years, going our separate ways and living under the same roof. Now that you two are grown, I've decided to make it a clean break.
"I'm taking my clothes and other things out this weekend and moving to Rebecca's place. She has a condo uptown near where I work, so no more commuting. I hope you understand that your Mom and I have grown apart. We aren't the people that were married thirty four years ago."
Janie sighed, "I understand, I guess. I know you and Mom have been unhappy for some time. It seemed that all you did was fight."
"I know," John replied, patting her hand. "It hasn't been easy for either of us. I was going to move out earlier, but your mother said it would be a waste of money maintaining two residences; then I met Rebecca."
"You're happy now, aren't you?" Mike said. "She makes you happy and Mom doesn't anymore. I can understand that."
"Me too," Janie added, tears glistening on her cheeks. "We're gonna miss you Dad."
"I'm not leaving town," he chuckled, "Just moving. You're welcome to visit us anytime. Rebecca would love to meet you. She's a lovely person. Look, I have to go; I'm meeting her for lunch at 'Le Crepes et Quiche'. I'll see you this weekend, okay?"
He hugged Janie, gave her a kiss on her forehead, shook Mike's hand, had a father-son hug and he was gone.
"He seems happy," Janie said as they stood together on the front porch watching his BMW sedan back out of the driveway.
"Yeah, he does," Mike replied. "Maybe we better check on Mom."
'Mom' was watching her husband leave from an upstairs window, a look of despair on her lined face.
***
"Mom, you have to eat something," Janie said, "You're gonna make yourself sick and drinking doesn't help either."
Lucille (Lucy) Tillson sat dispiritedly at the dining room table, the meal Janie had prepared for her untouched. She continued to drink from a tumbler of vodka, the half empty bottle next to her plate.
"Not hungry," she muttered, swallowing what remained in the tumbler and reaching for the bottle.
"Come on, Mom," Janie said harshly, taking the bottle from the table, "You've had enough tonight."
The woman slumped in her chair and began to cry. "Tha bassar leff me alone and ran off wiff, wiff that tramp," she sobbed. "He'll come back, I know he'll come back to hiz li'l Lucy, he'll come back."
"For fuck's sake Mom," Janie cried in exasperation, "You two are divorced. You both agreed to it. It's over. He and Rebecca are married now. Dad's not your husband any more. Get a grip. He's not coming back."
"Where's Mike, where's my son, where's my little Mikey?" the woman wailed, "He's left me too hasn't he? I'm alone, I'm all alone."
"Mother, I'm here," Janie said, "You're not alone. Mike's working. He'll be home later."
Bleary eyed, the drunken woman looked up at her daughter standing over her saying "There you are Janie, my li'l Janie. Y'r all grown up now. Soon you'll be leaving me too, I'll be all alone." She slumped back in the chair, crying piteously.
Janie helped her mother up from her chair and helped her stagger to the sofa in the living room. The woman fell upon it and began to snore loudly. Janie threw the uneaten food and the half empty vodka bottle in the trash and went upstairs. She took a shower, dried her hair and lay on her bed to watch TV. She was dozing through a late night talk show when Mike stuck his head in the half open door.
"Hi sis, you decent?"
"Yeah, c'mon in."
"How's Mom?"
"Drunk, as usual, didn't you see her passed out in the living room?"
"Didn't look, came right up here, you okay?"
"Yeah, Mike we have to do something, she won't eat, she's drunk all the time, she keeps saying Dad's coming back to her, she's a basket case."
"Why don't we talk to Dad in the morning? Maybe he'll know what to do."
"I sure hope so. We might have to get her into a clinic or something."
He sat on the bed and rubbed her back, "Don't worry, we'll get through this, I'm goin' to shower and hit the sack, you get some sleep too."
"Thanks Mike. G'night."
"G'night sis."
***