Page 134 of Secrets on Ice

“This will be a joint what we are thankful for.” Cassidy smirks and looks over at me. “As of yesterday, Ember and I are officially, legally, one hundred percent divorced.”

The table erupts with cheers.

“So, this year,” she carries on over the top of the noise, “we are extremely thankful that we are no longer married to Trevor and Kevin. And that the universe was kind enough to let those two idiots fall in love with each other before they wasted another single day for us.”

My eyes fall on Sully’s, and he gives me a nod.

“To freedom,” Violetta yells, and the whole table's up, glasses raised. Patrick calls out ‘good riddance’ loud enough that Bastien startles, Maureen’s laughing and crying at once, and Mom is across the table with her hand pressed to her mouth and her eyes shining right at me. For the first time in my whole adult life, the word divorced doesn’t feel like I failed at something. It feels like something I got out of.

It takes a while for everyone to settle back down, glasses topped up. A couple more people give their thanks, and then it comes to Issy.

“Guess we have a joint what we are thankful for this year.” She smiles, and Pierre slides his arm around her shoulders and looks at her with so much love in his eyes. “We are thankful that we are having a baby.”

The entire room goes crazy again, louder this time. Pierre’s mom bursts into tears. Jo and Collette jump up and rush over to hug Issy.

“Oh my gosh, Issy, how far along are you?” Cassidy asks.

“We just passed twelve weeks. I’ve been dying to tell you all.” Her eyes shimmer.

“Congrats, Daddy,” Bouch calls out to Pierre, and everyone bursts out laughing.

What a day to be thankful, we have so many blessings.

We get home stuffed, the three of us barely able to move after everything we ate. Cassidy is already yawning before we’re even through the door.

“I’m done,” she announces, kicking her shoes off. “That was a lot of turkey and a lot of feelings. I’m going to bed.”

“Night,” I call after her.

“Night.” She disappears down the hall, and a moment later I hear her door click shut.

And then it’s just us.

Sully drops onto the couch, and I go and pour us both a glass of water because if I have one more drop of wine, I’ll regret it in the morning. I hand him one and sit down on the other end of the couch, my legs tucked up under me.

“Good day,” he says.

“Really good day. And now Issy and Pierre are having baby. That is so awesome.”

He nods, takes a sip of his water, and watches me over the top of the glass. “So, you and Cass are divorced?”

“Yep, divorced.”

“How do you feel about it? Really.”

I think about his question. Yesterday I thought I was going to be sad, that a wave of grief would hit me, but it never came, a whole heap of calm and relief did instead.

“Honestly, I feel lighter. I keep waiting to feel sad about it, and I just don’t. Maybe I got all my tears out before today.”

He nods slowly. “That’s because it was over a long time before it was over.”

“It really was.” I turn the glass in my hands. “Is it bad that I don’t feel anything? Like, I was married to him for years.”

He huffs a laugh. “No, I think it means you’re ready.”

“Ready for what?” I ask.

“Whatever comes next.” He sets his glass down.