(This is from an edited and published piece, so not looking for a critique.)
Sarah’s father joined them in the dining room. “Are you taking the rest of your things with you today?”
Sarah hesitated and shot him a wary look. “I don’t think there’s enough room in Matt’s car.”
“I’d like to get someone in soon to repaint and cover all the holes you left in the walls,” John said firmly.
She sighed and turned anxiously to Matt. He shrugged.
“Let’s see what we can fit in,” he said. He didn’t want to aggravate her father.
Her mother told them where to find empty boxes in the garage. There weren’t many items in her bedroom, but it was probably more than they could take today. Sarah scanned her room and dropped the boxes on the floor. Pulling out a dresser drawer, she began wrapping clothes around her breakables. Matt followed suit and they quietly filled the boxes.
He sensed Sarah’s agitation with her father for insisting they complete this task today. Thankfully, Matt’s bedroom still sat intact and even Mark’s room still showed signs of his brother’s occupancy. John seemed eager to have all traces of his daughter removed from his house, though. Matt wondered if Sarah moving in with him had influenced her father’s decision. He’d not intended to compounded the problems between father and daughter.
By the time they began filling the last container, three boxes waited in the hallway. Matt wanted to make sure all four would fit in his car before they proceeded any further. He carried the largest box to his car and slid it into the trunk. The second box fit perfectly beside the first, and when he returned, Sarah set the last one in the hallway. She nodded solemnly as he picked up the third box.
When he returned for the final box, Matt heard angry voices drifting out into the hallway. He approached the doorway with caution and paused to catch the conversation.
“Sarah, I want everything out of here so I can hire a painter,” John said in his firmest tone. “I’m tired of this room looking like a damned dungeon!”
“Well, how about if I just cram everything in the closet?” Sarah replied. “Then you can do whatever you want with my room!”
Matt heard his fiancé tossing things into her closet. He quietly picked up the last box, hoping to avoid a confrontation with Sarah’s father.
“I cannot wait until you have children of your own,” her father said in a low voice.
“Well, too bad, ‘cus that’s never gonna happen!” cried Sarah.
Her words echoed coldly and decisively down the hall, leaving no room for consideration. It solidified a recent discussion regarding children. Matt sighed and turned to leave, unable to listen any longer.
“You’re not mature enough to handle the responsibility!” John replied.
A loud crash startled Matt. He hesitated at the end of the hallway, torn between retreating from the unpleasant scene and returning to insure Sarah’s safety. Her hysterical voice reached his ears and his fiancé‘s response scared him even more.
“What do you want from me?” screamed Sarah. “What am I doing wrong? My grades are perfect, I’ve never been in trouble, I’m not pregnant and I’m marrying a really decent guy! What is it you hate about my life? What is it about me that you hate so damned much?”
Visit Tessa’s Blurb for other participants and a list of prizes! I also have a post today at The Gatekeeper on speaking and writer/author tips!
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