“Mr. Patrick.”

“_Yes_, Kristy?”

“My mommy says that babies come from storks, but yesterday I saw a baby come from my mommy’s stomach. So I wanna know how the storks put the baby in my mommy.”

I’m busy taking the crayons from Billy so he’ll stop eating them, so it takes me a moment to answer her. Everyone—all the kindergarteners in my class, there are fifteen of them—is sitting at their tables, drawing a picture of what they did this fall break.

Fall break…. I don’t want to deal with that right now.

“Mr. Patrick!”

“Oh—yes? Look, Kris, I don’t know. Ask your mommy.”

“But she said she wouldn’t tell me until I’m older, and I. Want. To. Know. NOW!” With each word she slams her hand against the table. I’m left wondering why I ever wanted to teach this kids anyway as Billy finds another crayon almost magically and stuffs it into his mouth.

The kids around me are chatting about their parents, their dogs, their cats, blah blah _blah_. The conversations begins to blur and they ramble on and on. Innocent. Hearts still intact. Static begins fills my head.

All I can think about is the day it all broke on break.

It won’t leave me alone even after I’ve tried to leave it.

[*+*+*]

**Saturday—The Day it Happened**

I should have noticed it. I really should have. But I was blind with bliss of having two men who loved me equally—or so I thought.

I had gotten up early to make breakfast for all of us to celebrate the last few days of fall break. Sunday was my last day because of teacher workday and I wanted to spend that time alone to prepare. So that Saturday we were all going to a carnival taking place at the fairgrounds in our town. The town is small so everyone knows everyone. It was easy to acquire three reasonably priced tickets for all of us.

I was cheerful, that day, mixing the batter of the instant pancakes with the flick of my whisk while keeping an eye on the omelettes on the skillet. I just felt that something special was going to happen. Something life changing.

Ironic, right?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tim, a tall blonde whose face portrayed every single thought he had, stumbled out our bedroom running a hand through his hair. We’d been—been, now, because of the events about to transpire—together for four years.

_Four. _

_Years._

At the beginning of this year, I wanted to try a polyamory. It had been my wish for several years; to have people love me without fault. He said yes.

Now remember that.

Tim went behind me and rested his cheek on my hair, disturbing the bed-headed curls. “Good morning.” His voice was a sleepy rumble, and I flushed at his hands on my waist. I had to push him off though. I still had pancakes to cook.

“Good morning to you too! Now take a seat at the table while I finish this up.” I poured appropriate amounts of batter onto the buttered pan, then put the bowl on the counter to grab a spatula from the bottom cabinet.

Tim murmured a response before yawning and heading over to the table were three chairs awaited him.

I wish I would’ve kept it two, or at least found another man. If I didn’t choose him so quickly, none of this would’ve happened.

***

Finn—_Finn_—walked out our room fully dressed a few minutes after I’d finished breakfast and laid the plates on the table full with the food. I knew how much both men wanted, so Tim was pleased and ate his food while I went to go get some glasses—arranging my own where it tilted on my face—to have some juice in.

“What’s this about?” I heard Finn ask Tim in the dining/living room.

Tim didn’t answer, I think he was chewing, but then he said. “Patty made breakfast again.”

“You mean _Patrick_, right?”

“I—well, Finn, I know what you mean, but can’t we—“

“Aaand, I’m back with the drinks!” Both men stopped their talking when I came in with three full glasses I my hands. Finn gave me a glare, flicking his long hair my way rudely. I was used to it. I thought he still cared for me at the time.

“Let me help you with that…Patrick.” I didn’t register the way Tim said my name, but gave a thanks when he took his own cup away from me. I placed down Finn’s own and began to dunk mine as I took my seat. Finn did as well, though he was still ignoring me.

The bitch looked like he was enjoying my food, though.

“So, are you guys ready for tonight?”

“Uhm, about that Patrick—“

I continued, waving a hand at Tim. “Just wait, I know you don’t like clowns and such, but we can skip that if you’d like.”

“P-Patrick, please li—“

I took out my phone and looked at the picture I took of the flyer when it got handed out at the school. “Ooh, they have funnel cake there, I’m definitely going.”

“Patrick!”

I looked up at Tim, who flushed then looked down sheepishly. “Look, uhm, this…this isn’t working.” He started to mumble at the end, twisting his hands together as though he was uncomfortable.

I should have known. I should have. But I said:

“What do you mean? We can go somewhere else if you’d like to. If Finn agrees as well.”

“No, you idiot.” Finn hissed, finally stepping in. “We aren’t working—more importantly you. We don’t want to date you anymore, Patrick.”

I blinked.

I took a deep breath.

I let it out.

I blinked again.

“What?”

“Patrick…I—I wanted to tell you this after the carnival. You have been so kind, and I don’t know what I would’ve done without you all these years, but—“

“Shut up, Tim. Patrick, let me put it like this so that you can understand.” I looked up numbly to see Finn giving me his fakest smile. Though now I don’t think it was fake. “You plus Tim plus me equals a negative. Taking you out of the equation makes Tim plus me equals a positive. Do you understand?”

The food in front of me was warm, and buttery, making my stomach ache. It was too sweet for the misfortune that had latched itself onto me. I wanted to cry, a thing that I had spent many years trying to control. I just wanted to cry.

“You’re. You’re both breaking up to me.” I hate how small my voice was then, but it was like my dream was shattering into pieces right in front of me.

“Yeah. What else do you think this is? Now pack the rest of your bags—I’ve already started—all you have to do is get the rest of your crap.” Finn scooped the rest of the eggs into his mouth. Tim had stopped eating like me and was picking at the edge of the table in silence. “I don’t like you, romantically or physically, and Tim doesn’t either. In his words, “It’s just not fair to you to be trapped by us”. Isn’t that what you said Tim? Along with other things like—“

“That’s _enough_, Finnian.”

Finn frowned, but stopped talking and stood with his plate. He said to me. “I want you out by sundown. Tim and I have to get to the fairgrounds before then anyway.”

And I don’t know how I did it, but I went, on shaky legs, to our—no, _their_—room and gathered my stuff, biting my lips to try and keep the tears inside, but pathetic little whimpers kept making their way out.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

_FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK_—

***

I sipped at the tea Issac gave me, burrowing in his blanket that his boyfriend, David, had given me when I arrived hours earlier. My eyes were puffy, and most likely red, and my face felt ashy and dry with tears. It seemed I couldn’t keep them contained when Issac saw my bags when I knocked at his door and said:

“They broke up with you, didn’t they?”

He had jumped when I dropped my bags and grabbed him to bawl in his chest. There were stains on his sweater now that were definitely from me.

“So. Are we sure we don’t want to get revenge?” Issac settled on the couch after he poured tea for the both of us. David was off in his office, giving us privacy, and I was warm, warm, warm in the plush, comfy chair that I seemed to sink in. I felt a bit weak, but the tea gave me strength.

“It’s fine.”

“_No_! It’s _not_ fine at all, Patty. But if you really don’t want to do anything, then don’t. I’m still making a post on My Story though.” He stroked his beard as though thinking what he was going to say in the description.

A small laugh tumbled out of me at that, but then I sighed and drank a gulp of my tea. The china felt cool in my hands despite the temperature of its contents. It calmed something inside of me, and I was glad I have friends like Issac.

“Where are you going to stay? I mean, I’ll let you stay here for as long as you need to, but the dating have to do what the dating do.”

“Yeah, I know you and David have to smash every once in a while—“

“God, don’t say it like that. My students say that too much on subjects they really shouldn’t even know about. It scares me.”

“—I’ll probably just move back in with my Mom for the time being.”

“Speaking of her…did you…?”

Mom would be…excited…to say the least if she heard that my relationship had gone south. She isn’t could hearted, I love her dearly, it’s just that she would rather see me with a woman rather than a man. She never says this in my face, but it practically oozes out of her whenever I come to visit. “No,” I sip on my cup some more, “not yet.”

“Mhh-k.” Issac leaned over then patted my knee. “The spare room is ready whenever you’re ready to lay your head. You know the rules: no late night snack heists—unless I’m apart of it. No drinking. No using my soap. You can use David’s if you didn’t bring some, or you can look under the sink. And most importantly!” He stared me straight in the eye. “Don’t. Mess. Up. The. Sheets. That shit takes forever to clean. Even with David’s fresh money. I don’t like him getting angry at me, so please, _please_, my baby Patty, don’t fuck up his sheets.”

I smiled. “Yes, sir.”

“Well then,” he stood, popping his knuckles, “Goodnight, Patty, it’ll get better soon. I know it.”

I watched him walk off, empty cup in my hand and a warm feeling in my chest. I could feel the tears coming again. It twisted my stomach and it felt like someone was poking me hard.

“Sure it will.”

[*+*+*]

**In the Fae Realm**

**Avenbreaker, Land of the Light**

“What do you mean we need a human to participate in the tournament?!”

The solider shrugs. “The Queen wishes what she wishes.”

Gavin runs a hand through his hair, black on one side and white on the other, pupiless eyes wide as he walks back home with a tapping hand on his hip. “Oh skies, what are we gonna do about this?” —more importantly— “Oh help me! What’s Ashvier gonna say?”

***

_200th writing! 100 day streak?! Exactly 2000! YAY! Sorry it’s so long, but thanks if you read it all. I’m so happy to have found all of you in this thing we call life ❤️. Have an amazingly wonderful day_