The Teenage Years
Because they had such different views on raising a child, Diana and Thomas divorced. Each blamed the other in their own way.
“Thomas never took responsibility, so I had to handle everything from the day Ethan was born,” Diana would explain.
“My ex-wife never knew how to relaxshe micromanaged everything, obsessed over pointless things, and made herself miserable,” her former husband would say.
Ethan was fourteen, living with his mum, seeing his dad just once a weekweekends and Wednesdays after football practice. Diana and Thomas had split nearly eleven years ago, but neither had remarried. Thomas lived alone in his late mothers flatshe had passed from a long illness seven years earlier.
When Ethan spent weekends with his dadespecially this past yearDiana could finally breathe. But it was hardly restful. She still worried, convinced Thomas was anything but responsible.
“Jokes and funthats his thing. Hes brilliant at entertaining. But building something serious? Impossible. Life was perfect when it was just us. Then Ethan came along, and everything changed,” she told her mum and friends.
With a newborn, Thomas barely helped. He avoided chores, showed no initiative. Diana embraced motherhood instantlyThomas never quite stepped into fatherhood. Resentments piled up until they split.
That was Dianas side. Thomas had his own.
“We just didnt understand each other. I always imagined how amazing itd behaving a kid, teaching him the world. But Diana turned parenting into a minefield of rules and fear. She was terrified of germs, convinced everything would make Ethan sick. Eventually, I was afraid to even touch him. And if I tried to help? Never good enough. I stopped offering,” he confided to friends, the pain clearhe felt like a failure.
“Diana, we should divorce,” she announced one day. To his own surprise, Thomas felt only relief.
So they parted calmly, agreeing hed still see Ethan.
“Why fight a woman who wont listen? Shes always right. How do you reason with that?” he thought.
Nearly eleven years passed. Thomas never remarriedonce was enough. But professionally? Thriving. Ironically, his success came from the very thing Diana mockedhe designed video games, earning well.
After dinner, Diana tidied the kitchen and headed to Ethans room.
“Left the bathroom light on again. So carelessjust like his father,” she muttered, ignoring the “DO NOT ENTER” sign on his door.
Inside, the usual sceneEthan glued to his screen, not even glancing up.
“Ethan, flipping a switch isnt hard. Youre not a childI shouldnt have to do everything.”
“Fine,” he grumbled.
“Thirty more minutes, then homework. Or have you forgotten tomorrows test?”
Half an hour later, he hadnt moved. She snapped, demanding he switch to studying. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed his history textbook.
Prepping soup for tomorrow, Diana wondered:
“How much longer will this phase last? A year ago, he changed overnightimpossible to manage. Typical teenager, but if this keeps up, Ill lose my mind.”
On Saturday, Thomas arrived. Ethan bolted out.
“Dad! Finally!” Thomas loved their weekends too.
“Did you pack your books?” Diana pressed.
“Oh my God, Mum, not this again,” Ethan groaned, slinging his heavy backpack over his shoulder as they left.
“Thomas, help him with mathshis test is coming up. And historys a mess. We dont want him failing. And for heavens sake, not pizza every time” The door slammed.
In the car, they grinned.
“Movie first, then the park?” Ethan smirked. “And before thatpizza!” They burst out laughing.
Now that Ethan was older, Thomas had found his footingtheyd become friends. But friendship doesnt just happen. It takes shared time, common ground, easy conversations without lecturesthings boys his age bristle at.
“Hows school?”
“Fine, Dad. Ive got it.”
“Course you do. But if youre stuck, well figure it out.”
“Its just my history teachershes got it in for me. The only decent ones the PE coach”
Once they left, Diana thought:
“Of course hes thrilled. Thomas only reconnected once Ethan was older. Typicalall fun, no responsibility. The hard partshomework, chores, cookingfall on me. Thomas plays the cool big brother. No wonder Ethan adores him.”
“Brilliant weekend. Go on, head inside,” Thomas said, dropping Ethan home Sunday evening.
“Dad, that was epic! Cheers!”
After the weekend, Diana attended parents evening, dreading it. The teacher slid Ethans report across the tablea few Bs, an A in PE, the rest Cs and Ds.
“Hes going to get it,” she fumed, barely hearing the teachers words.
“Ethans at risk of failing history and maths. Hes bright but lazyand plays games in class.”
Humiliated, she stormed home.
“No more laptop till those grades improveand whens he supposed to fix them? Its nearly summer!”
She marched in, snatched the laptop from his hands mid-chat, and carried it out.
“No games till holidays. Fix your gradeshow are you not ashamed?”
“Oh, Mum. Stop overreacting,” he said, echoing his dad.
She ranted untilslam. Ethan was gone. She grabbed the phone.
“Thomas, Ethan ran offprobably to you. Hes mentioned living with you before!” she sobbed.
“Calm down. Well sort it.”
“Dad, Ive been thinking I want to live with you,” Ethan said when Thomas opened the door.
“Id love that. But your mum wont agreenot now.”
“Dont make me go back. Please. Ill fix my grades.”
“Alright, stay here. Ill talk to her.”
To his surprise, Diana barely resistedquiet, defeated. He convinced her.
The next morning, Thomas shook Ethan awake.
“Up, mate. Seven alreadybreakfast, then school.” But minutes later, Ethan was still asleep.
After a rushed meal, Thomas packed him sandwiches and they sped off.
“Bed by ten tonight,” he said. Ethan nodded.
The week flew bypizza, laughs, easy chats. Then Ethan started skipping school.
“Dont worry, Dad. Teachers sick,” he saidrepeatedly.
Diana got a call.
“Ethans skipping. He hasnt improvedhes failing history and maths.”
Furious, she rang Thomas.
“Like father, like son! Im taking him homenow!”
Storming in, she stammered, “Youweour son” Ethan bolted.
“Hes not going to school. Hes failingsummer retakes!”
As Thomas calmed her, his own guilt gnawedhed trusted Ethan.
Then Dianas mother called.
“Ethans here. Says he cant live with you anymore. Let him stay awhile.”
“Hes at Mums,” Diana exhaled.
“Dont cry,” Thomas said, rubbing her shoulder. “We need a plan. Hell run againI did the same at his age. He knows Grans soft. Orders wont work. We have to unite. Whens your holiday?”
They went campingtextbooks in tow. Diana drilled history, Thomas maths. It was perfect.
Parked outside school on exam day, they held their breath.
“He passed!” Diana cried as Ethan sprinted out, waving his results.
“Did it! Freedom!”
“Well done,” they chorused. Thomas grinned. “Nowbest ice cream in town.”
At the café, watching them joke, Diana felt no angerjust lightness. Thomas caught her eye.
“See? We did it. No more fearwere in this together.”
She knew the past was gone. But now? They understood each other.
