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“I don’t know of any extended family on either side. I never met any when I was a kid, and I just assumed any relatives I did have lived far away.”
Shelly asked her a few more questions, including the address of their house in Portland where Theresa had been born and raised. “Did you try Googling her?” Shelly asked.
“Several years ago, yes. I didn’t find anything and couldn’t get past those sites that claim they can give you the information for a fee. I got frustrated, and I never went any further.”
“Got it. It’ll take me a few weeks.”
They discussed how much it would cost, and Shelly said she’d send an agreement via email, which would include an invoice for the deposit.
“Great. I’ll look for the email,” Theresa said. They ended the call. Nervous excitement and a dose of dread percolated through Theresa as she stared at nothing. She’d definitely have something to talk about with Dr. Grayson this afternoon.
What was Caleb doing right now? Would he mind if she called him? This was Friday. She’d see him on Monday. As much as she wanted to tell him about the momentous step she’d taken, it could wait. She didn’t want to be a pest.
Starting the investigation had taken courage, and a tiny spark of pride in herself flared to life. Whatever came of the search, at the very least she’d be able to let go once and for all.
Her phone began to ring and vibrate in her hand. This was definitely one of those days. Damn, she spent a lot of time on her phone. She checked caller ID and hit accept. “Hi, Sonya. What’s up?”
“David signed the divorce agreement. Once you come in to sign, I’ll get it filed, and you’ll be free.”
Her breath caught, and she shot off the bed. “Would now work?”
“Yes. Kathryn will have everything ready and waiting for you.”
“Great. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” She hurried down the hall to inform Elli.
“I have to run into town. I won’t be gone long,” she called out the patio door. “John, I need you to come with me.” She really, really didn’t want to deal with the paparazzi today. Maybe by some miracle there wouldn’t be any info-diggers hovering around the office complex. “Jeremy, Charlie, please fill Sully’s water bowl, and play inside until John and I are back.”
“Okay, Mom,” Charlie said, waving goodbye. Jeremy didn’t even look up. He was too engrossed in a game of tug-of-war with Sully.
“Come on, you two,” Ellie said as she began to herd the boys and Sully inside.
“Where are we off to?” John asked as he opened the door to the garage for her.
“My lawyer’s office. I need to sign my divorce agreement. It’s finished, over. Once I sign, I’ll have full legal and physical custody of my children.” Despite the guilt, she’d sleep better and breathe easier.
“Glad to hear it,” he said.
Theresa made it to her lawyer’s office in record time, with John stepping on an imaginary brake the entire trip. She turned a few streets before the office complex, circled around the block, and parked in the back. “I didn’t see any buzzards. Did you?”
“If by buzzards you’re referring to the paparazzi, no. I haven’t seen anyone with a camera.” John got out and scanned the area. Theresa put on her floppy hat and sunglasses. She hadn’t changed out of the designer pantsuit she’d worn for her magazine interview, and wished now that she had. Jeans and a T-shirt were so much less conspicuous.
Holding her breath—why, she had no idea—she slipped in through the back door, exhaled, and took the stairs to her left all the way to the third floor.
John didn’t have any problem with the three flights of steel and concrete steps, but she was huffing and puffing by the time she reached her destination. “Whew.” She leaned over and rested her hands on the railing to catch her breath. “I need to get in shape.” She glanced at her bodyguard. “And a preemptive thank you for refraining to comment on what I just said.”
“You’re welcome.” He quirked a smile.
By the time she walked into the reception area of Gusman, Smith & Associates, her breathing was almost back to normal, but her nerves were rioting.
The receptionist smiled. “Kathryn is ready for you, Mrs. Rhodes. You’re in conference room number two again.”
“After today, it’s Ms. Rhodes.” Theresa grinned. “I’ll be right back, John.” She waved toward the chairs in the reception area as she hurried down the hall. Unidentifiable emotions welled. Was this closure, or was it the feeling one experienced when a new chapter of their life began?
She didn’t regret marrying David, and she did care about him. How could she regret what had led to her two sons? Still, she’d come to realize she’d married him for all the wrong reasons, and being in love with him had never been part of the equation.
She hadn’t been fair or honest with David from the start, and maybe at some level he sensed that. They’d coexisted, and that had been all there was to their relationship—on her part, anyway. Could that be where his resentment toward her stemmed? Something else to bring up with Dr. Grayson.
Would she ever experience real love? Given her dysfunctional upbringing, she wasn’t sure she knew how to be in a loving relationship. Would she even recognize love if she happened to fall for someone? Caleb’s image flitted through her mind. Such a thoughtful, considerate man. He’d loved his wife with his entire heart and soul, and she couldn’t help feeling a little envious. Not of his wife, but of the fact that she’d never experienced the kind of relationship he and his wife had shared as a couple.
