Grow Up

[Pia Morales]

Pia knew change was one of the few things that was inevitable, and this had been proven to her more so in the last year than during any other year of her life, as eventful as the other years had been. Kylie had moved out, leaving her alone in a two bedroom apartment which became more apparent as Calum was traveling more than ever, and Ignacio was looking for a new and more honest job, Flavio was growing up and being more independent and Marcos had finally started school, among many other things. None of the changes were negative per say, although Pia could not help but shake an awful feeling that the changes that were around her, despite her not changing anything about herself intentionally, had made her a different person than what she used to be. She was growing up more than she ever thought, aging into a real adult and she had known in her heart for a while that sooner or later she needed to make changes herself rather than observe as everything changed around her.

One of these changes involved Calum and though it broke her heart to think she would need to change this part of her life for the better, when nothing about it was wrong, she knew it was necessary. It had taken a long time for her to make the decision to officially break up with him, wondering if the distance between them caused by their constantly conflicting work schedules and his traveling that was a problem that could be fixed, or something irreversible that meant their lives were running down completely different paths which would only push them further apart. With contemplation she decided the latter was the truth of their situation and it was something she needed to accept and tell him so they could both move on, in what she hoped would be a mutual parting. It wasn't going to be easy to end a three year long relationship, especially when she loved Calum. But she wanted the best for both of them, and believed this would be the best option in the long run. Pia, sitting on the sofa with a glass of red wine in hand, tried to remain calm as she waited for Calum to arrive home, feeling anxious to finally say everything that had been on her mind and worrying what kind of a reaction it would bring. The last thing she wanted was for this to be more difficult emotionally than it would already be.​

 

[Calum Lloyd]

After being out of school for so long, Calum could say that he was quite happy with where his life was at that point. Apart from the constant travelling, Calum was enjoying his duels and gaining trophies on the way. It made him feel good knowing that he was good at it and was able to get by on it as a career. Calum was also quite happy with his living arrangements ever since Kylie moved out. He liked being able to spend his time with Pia and see her when he arrived home each time and he hoped she felt the same way. Calum liked the way things were. The freedom he had made him feel complete, and with things finally turning into shape, Calum would never change a thing.

The man walked with his hands in his pockets, the bag on his back holding his most recent trophy he had just bought over from Germany. He was excited to get home to show Pia this and walked up towards their apartment with a leap in his step, finally taking his hands out of his pockets to unlock the door. "Hey Pia!" he exclaimed, the excitement evident in his voice. He closed the door behind him to find Pia sitting on the sofa drinking. Calum took off his bag before dumping himself next to her, too excited to grab himself his own drink. She looked nervous and Calum raised an eyebrow at her, placing a hand gently on her leg as his mood suddenly changed from excited to concerned. He wanted to talk about his trophy but felt that he shouldn't - not when something seemed wrong with Pia. "What's up?" he asked softly. "How was your day?"

 

[Pia Morales]

Pia remained still when she heard the familiar sound of Calum's footsteps and the shuffling of his clothes as he arrived to the apartment. Not even budging as he greeted her, Pia instead chose to sip from her wine quietly. Rehearsing the words in her mind seemed to have been a poinless endeavor as in the moment she felt the weight on the sofa shift and she finally looked over to Calum, she could not figure out how to say everything. She knew the words she needed to get out and the explanation that Calum deserved but it froze, her gaze moving between his face and his hand on her knee, something that would have usually been a comforting gesture if it weren't for the distance she felt between them, both literally when he was travelling and figuratively as their lives were running down very different paths, and had been for a while.

Pia finished the last mouthful of wine under the gauze it would give her the courage she needed, and then leant forward to place the empty glass on the coffee table, bringing the sleeves of her cardigan into her fists as she turned to face Calum more. "I need to talk to you about something important." She tried to remain calm, keeping his gaze now that she had it, hoping it would show she was serious about this. It had been easy to lose her thoughts between her two jobs, focusing on how tired her mind and body was most days to think about the growing distance between her and Calum, but with everything that was changing with her friends and family she was forced to make changes herself, for the sake of their lives in the long run. It had been initially difficult to admit it, but Pia knew that she and Calum could no longer give each other what they wanted, and it would be easier for them to break up sooner rather than later. After waiting a moment to gather her thoughts, Pia finally managed to share this out loud. "I think we should break up." The words were heavy but she quickly followed them up with an explanation, knowing that Calum deserved that. "Our lives are very different, we have been growing apart for a while and I think it's best for both of us if we break up now, before it gets harder." Pia kept her eyes on Calum, anticipating his reaction. She wasn't a mind reader and could not tell if her words were sudden to him or if he felt similarly but was not able to put his feelings into words in the way she had been until that moment.
​

 

[Calum Lloyd]

Calum watched Pia's every move as she placed her glass on the coffee table, turning to face him, which indicated how serious it was. In a way it seemed rehearsed to Calum and as if Pia had been wanting to talk to him for a while now, and he was willing to listen. He felt his heart beat against his chest as she said she needed to talk to him, wondering what it was that he had done wrong or what had been digging around in Pia's mind the whole time he was away. He wanted to know if he could help, with whatever it was, and he would try his best.

As she continued to speak, her words cut Calum deep and he hadn't ever felt so vulnerable. It was as if the world was disintegrating around him, making him lose the things he held onto the most. He loved Pia, and something about not having her in his life anymore felt wrong, but her explanation for them to break up was valid, and if he really loved her he had to respect her opinion and let her go. "Okay, I'm sorry." he spoke softly, not feeling as though there was much else to say. He took his hand back off her knee, looking away from her for the first time since he walked into the room. He'd have to move out now, probably live with his parents for a bit until he found somewhere, preferably not in the country as it would be best for him. He didn't know what else to say. He felt empty as he completely forgot about the gold trophy that still sat in his backpack. Not even a shiny trophy could fill his emptiness. "I have to... go." he told her, picking up his bag. "I'll come back for my stuff later." With that, Calum stood up and left, not looking back as he opened the door to the apartment and walked back down the steps with nothing but Pia on his mind.