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“Don’t open it yet,” he urges, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. After switching on the radio, he keeps his eyes forward as I reach for the box that doesn’t feel too heavy. “Not yet.”
“That’s just cruel,” I mumble, pouting at him.
“I know, but there’s a thing to the gift that I need to talk to you about.”
“Now I’m even more curious.”
He laughs and goes to place his hand on my thigh but then he thinks better of it and places it back on the wheel. “Hopefully you’ll love it.”
“You’re the master gift giver, I doubt I’ll love it even a fraction less than you intended.”
We smile at each other and I wonder how we got here from what we were.
I miss him.
“I miss you,” I say before I can stop myself. “So much.”
“Not as much as I miss you. Trust me.”
In the restaurant we sit in a private area beyond patterned dividers. Such a romantic setting, especially with the rose-scented candle between us, though I don’t think that’s by accident. I finger the gold pattern on the tablecloth and sip my wine. It’s sweet, fruity, pleasant.
“You look stunning, I can’t keep my eyes off you,” he comments, smiling softly at me. “I’m so glad you agreed to come.”
“We shouldn’t be here though, not really. This is cheating… I feel like we aren’t learning any lessons.”
“Now that you’ve finished your steak, I want to talk, but I want you to listen and not jump to conclusions until I’ve finished.” He places his hand over mine when I look away. “Can you promise me that until I’ve finished you won’t walk away, run away, or interrupt me with conclusions?”
I hesitate, terrified of what he’s about to say next. “I’ll do my best.”
His thumb circles my palm and his tongue wets his pink lips. “Elizabeth and I have separated.” When I immediately try to pull my hand away, anger flaring through me, he grips it tighter and reminds me of my promise with a look. I relax and listen because I said I would, but I’m not sure I want to hear what he has to say anymore. “She’s not pregnant,” he rushes, “she never was.”
My jaw hits the floor. “WHAT? Oh my God… I’m so sorry.”
“She lied, she panicked, but truth be told I was sadly too relieved to be angry, and she saw that too. Though I still felt grief for the child I had started to warm up to the idea of, I knew that with it never existing might mean my life could take the course I wanted. The course I still want.”
Oh my God… she lied. “That’s cruel. Who does that?”
“A desperate woman in love with her shit husband,” he responds, pushing his hands through his hair, mussing it up in such a sexy way. “We talked about it and I forgive her for what she did though my family not so much understandably. My mother was very hurt and poor Maria who doesn’t understand at all.”
My breath hitches at that confession.
“I hurt her badly, she returned the favor and we opened up in ways we haven’t for years. I was finally honest with her about my feelings for you and our affair, and she was honest about the fake pregnancy and what she hoped to achieve. It turns out Elizabeth hoped to get pregnant when we returned to each other as a last-ditch effort to keep me, but I could not lie with her. I couldn’t be with her while feeling such love and devotion for you.”
“How did she convince you? Did you not attend her appointments?” I question, still reeling with shock.
“She doctored a sonogram. You can do many things with money.”
I shake my head and give him my most empathetic look. “I’m so sorry, Ezra.”
“Don’t be. Maria and I spent a lot of time together during the two weeks you did not hear from me and we both made peace with it. She knows we are separating, and though she’s sad, she still loves us both and Elizabeth and I agreed to put into motion legal joint custody. Effective immediately. So that neither can use our daughter as a weapon.”
“That’s a relief,” I say because that was the one thing that always worried me the most. “So you’ll get her…”
“We’re doing one week on and one week off as opposed to splitting weeks. And holidays we will either take turns or halve the day. It all depends on Maria.”
I sit back and blow out a heavy breath. “Poor Maria, but I’m happy you’ve all found a co-parenting method that works for you.”
His gray eyes flash with humor. “For now and hopefully forever.”
I sip my wine and he refills my glass when I place it back on the table. “How did she take your confession about me and you?”
