Love Amidst Divorce Woes

Over the weekend, my parents went to the local registry office. Faye mentioned that after a thirty-day cooling-off period, they could finalize the divorce.

Afterward, surprisingly, Mom agreed to let Dad come visit me, a rare compromise.

But I refused.

I shut myself in my room, watching him through the curtains. It must have been quite cold outside; his lips looked pale from the chill, yet he stood there for a long time.

The next time I saw him was on TV and on the giant LED screens all around town.

Instead of making a movie, Dad took a different path and joined a reality TV show. It was completely unexpected how it took off, and he earned the nickname "Charming Clutz."

I overheard the housekeepers chatting about it—apparently, it was the most popular parenting reality show at the moment, perfect for someone like Dad with his background.

At dinner, as usual, Mom was busy with work and didn't come home. Faye switched on the TV, tuning it to the parenting show for me. "Even if they're divorced, he's still your dad. How long has it been since you’ve seen him? If you miss him, just watch," she said.

"I don't miss him!" I leaped off my chair, ran over to turn off the TV, and stormed back to my room.

Then, hiding under the covers, I opened my iPad to watch.

Hahaha! Dad is so clumsy, tripping for no reason!

It's so obvious he'd be spotted hiding in such an open place!

How do you manage to set the kitchen on fire while just trying to light a campfire?

I stifled my laughter under the covers until it was hard to breathe, but soon, laughter turned to tears. The way Dad fed that little boy, holding him with such tenderness, and he even made him spiced honey cake.

Thinking of it all, sadness overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t hold back my tears.

The next morning, I woke up in the warm embrace of someone. As I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see—it was Mom!

Beside me, the iPad was still on, paused on the latest episode of the parenting show. I distinctly remembered watching less than half of last night’s episode before drifting off to sleep in sorrow. How did it continue to play so much further ahead?

Could Mom have been watching too?

Maybe, just like me, she secretly misses Dad.