Holiday Chaos & Mistletoe Rules

The flower pot that had not budded for months seems to have suddenly sprouted, a little green stem shooting out of it and for the first time in the past two weeks, what seemed like a smile formed on my face. I walked past the other flower pots that I have been tending to for months now and squatted before the little flower pot. For a while, all I did was stare at the little green thing, with my smile growing wider every second. It seemed like a consolation from the universe for the s**t I’ve been put through the past weeks. “You should grow well, little one.” I gently tapped the bud, then stood up to get ready for the orders I know are about to pour in. Festive seasons come with large flower orders and I need it to keep my mind off things. Maybe it was just an accident, or maybe it was my shitty luck reminding me that things going bad should be the norm and not the other way around, I ended up kicking the pot by accident as I stood and my eyes widened in horror as it smashed on the floor. Both the root and stem of the little thing were on wide display before me, and even though this is categorically the least tragic thing that has happened to me, it was the only thing that brought tears to my eyes. I squatted over it and picked up the little thing, then proceeded to ball my eyes out. The font I’d been keeping despite the messy divorce and child custody case I’ve been subjected to shattered in that moment. “Stacyyyy!” Lisa’s chirpy voice pierced my ears and before I could get myself cleaned up, I felt her presence before me. The happiness in her voice disappeared as she immediately assumed my position, she lifted my face gently and her eyes went slightly wide as they took note of my tear stricken face. “You are crying.” I faced away from her and wiped my eyes, “it’s nothing, just a little allergic reaction to the…” “To the mess you’re going through.” She finished and my shoulders slumped in defeat, tears returned to my eyes. “It’s okay to cry about it, you know?” “Crying won’t erase the fact that I stand a high chance of losing my son to a man that can wake up one day and decide he doesn’t love him anymore like he did with me. So, no, it’s not okay to cry.” I wiped my eyes and stood to my feet, but she followed me up immediately. “It won’t erase anything, but it’ll at least make you feel better.” I opened the shop and put up the open sign. “What will make me feel better is getting enough orders so I can increase my chances of winning the custody battle.” “I-“ I held my hand up, already tired of the back and forth. I know that Lisa will not relent if I allow her to just do as she wishes. “Please, just let me get through today without having Derrick and the horrible thing he did to me mentioned every moment. Please.” I knew my plea worked because she sighed and walked away to go get her apron. We both work here together, it was a college dream that turned into a full-fledged business for both of us. Sighing with relief, I walked over to the counter and plastered on the smile I have perfected for customers. However, when almost an hour passed and no one walked into the store, my smile began to wane and I found my thoughts drifting off to where I did not need it to. The events of that day came rushing back to me as though I was relieving it all over again. My day had started off normal, I prepared breakfast, got John-John ready for school and saw him off to the bus, then came back to have breakfast with my husband, Derrick. I expected us to have our usual banter over the news of the day, then kiss each other goodbye as we both leave for work, but instead of being presented the newspaper, I was handed divorce papers instead, No fight or argument had happened, there was no warning, no sign, nothing at all, just divorce papers. *** “What is the meaning of this?” I asked with my eyes wide after I went through the papers. He merely glanced at the paper then fixed his gaze on me, looking cool and collected, one of the many traits that lured my heart to him, but it was the one thing I despised in that very moment. “Divorce papers, Stacy. I want a divorce and I want full custody of John-John.” It sounded like a joke, a prank, so I laughed. “Very funny, now drop the act.” “I am not joking. I fell out of love, Stacy. There is no chemistry anymore and I don’t want a bland marriage for myself,” he said it like he was reading an article, not like he was crushing my soul into bits and pieces. “I want you out of the house before the day runs out and I want the papers signed as well. Let’s not drag anything out.” My entire world crumbled in that moment because I knew he was not joking. I couldn’t even cry or beg him, all that left my mouth was “okay.” Something in me had gone numb. Like he asked, I was out of the house before the day was over and I moved in with Lisa and her boyfriend. But I refused to sign the papers, not when the custody of my son was at stake, I left his house with nothing, but I would not leave my child behind… especially after hearing he was engaged to another woman already. *** “Stacy!” I felt a slight push on my shoulder and I snapped out of my thoughts, I looked up and Lisa was staring at me with scrunched brows. “Hi… sorry, I was…” “That’s it.” She reached into her apron and brought out an envelope. “You and I both know you are not okay and that you need a break, so take this, no arguments will be accepted. You deserve a vacation.” “Lisa, I…” “I will not accept any buts, take this, Matt and I prepared it specially for you.” She opened my hand and dropped the envelope there.