Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Torn Apart and Back Together
Katie heard her teacher talking about fractions, but she was not really listening. She had other things on her mind. She did not want to be in school, but she did not want to be at home either. She did not quite know where she wanted to be.
Katie's parents were not getting along. They had not been getting along for quite a while. They did not fight when she was around, but they did not talk either. They did not seem happy. At night, when she was trying to fall asleep, she heard them talking. It was more like yelling. Last night she had even heard the word "divorce." Katie was scared. She loved both of her parents.
Lucy's parents had divorced. Lucy had been sad for a long time. Now she lives with her mom during the week and her dad on the weekends. Katie did not want to be away from her mom or her dad. She liked having her family in one house.
When Katie got home from school, her mom was on the telephone. She was having a serious conversation. Katie got herself a snack and sat down to do her homework just like she always did. When Katie's mom got off the telephone, she stood in the kitchen with her back to Katie. She just stared out the window. Then she came into the room where Katie was. Katie noticed her mom had been crying.
Katie had always been able to talk to her mom about anything. This time, she did not know what to say. Katie finally said, "Are you okay?" Her mom said that she was fine. She said that when Katie's dad got home that they would talk about it more. Deep down Katie knew her life was about to change.
Dinner was very quiet that night. Katie's mom tried to ask about school, but Katie knew that she was not truly listening. Finally, Katie said, "What is going on?" Her parents looked at each other. They both put their forks down and pushed their plates to the side.
Katie's parents explained that they were not happy being married. Katie's dad said that over the weekend he was moving to a different house. Katie and her mom would stay in the house that she had grown up in. They said over and over again that they both loved Katie and that would never change. Katie did not believe them. If they loved her so much, they would not be doing this. She told them that she wanted her family to live in the same house.
Katie ran upstairs to her room. She looked around wondering what was going to happen to her. She felt angry. She felt sad. Then she did not know quite how to feel. She sat on her bed hugging her favorite bear that she had since she was a baby. She was crying when her parents came into her room. They put their arms around Katie and hugged her. It was a family hug. Katie could not remember the last time that happened. Katie felt so safe and warm. She did not want to feel anything else.
They sat like that for a few more minutes. When they broke apart, all of them had tears on their cheeks. Katie's parents at the same time said, "We love you, Katie."
