“Hi, Archie.”
“You send that picture to me, flipping me off? What kind of message is that?”
“Archie, do you realize we share a cloud on the iPad?”
“What?”
“I can see that new receptionist at the dealership is working out. That’s who it is, right? She was butt naked, on our bed, on my duvet, actually. Looks like you’re having the time of your life. I saw all those pictures.”
“That is not your business. And it is not what you think.”
“No, really? It’s exactly what I think.”
“Look, you’re being very stupid.”
It stung when he called her names. That was a favorite of his, telling her she was dumb. It hurt that the man who was supposed to love her could so easily be so mean to her with his words.
“I’m stupid, very nice.”
“NO, I said you’rebeingstupid.”
“Ah, such a distinction. So, I know your big news, you’re in a wonderfully playful relationship with uh, Bambi? I mean, I know it’s not Bambi. That’s just my pet name for her.”
“Carla.”
“Oh, okay, Bambi Carla. Don’t you want to know my big news?”
“I want you to stop acting like you know anything about this. You don’t. Carla understands me.”
Classic. Her middle-aged husband was looking for a woman who understood him but also had the body of a yoga instructor.
“I understand you too, Archie. I understand you’re embarrassing our family and me, and from the pictures, well, you’re embarrassing yourself.”
“You never treated me like you cared if I slept with someone else, so I finally did.”
“Ah, sure, it’s my fault.” Hope wanted to throw the phone but realized Archie was too far away to hit.
“It is, in many ways, it’s your fault. What am I supposed to do when you’re in Vegas?”
Hope was tired of the conversation. Instead of apologizing, begging her forgiveness, or being ashamed, Archie was putting it all back on her. Like it was her fault that her husband was bored.
“You know what? You’ve got all the time you want now with Bambi Carla. I’m not coming back from Vegas. You two can shack up day and night. Enjoy!”
“Really? What are you going to live on without my checkbook?”
That was a joke since Hope had paid her way out here with her catering jobs. She’d helped nearly pay off the mortgage and the girls’ student loans. All with hard work, all because she thought they were a team. A dysfunctional team, but a team.
But they weren’t. Maybe they never were.
“I won the whole thing, Archie. Did you hear that? I won the whole thing. So, I’ve got a little bit to play with. Didn’t you see that big check? It was real. Well, sort of.”
“You won. Uh, congrat—”
“—Save it. We’re done.” Hope clicked off her phone.
She felt a hot sting of tears in her eyes. Did she love Archie? Or was this just the sting of being made a fool of? Of being rejected. Years and years rolled over her. Had she wasted them with Archie?
Hope felt a hand on her arm.
