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She looked at him, disgusted. “I don’t want someone else’s child! I want our child.”
Jack stood and paced their sparsely decorated living room. He couldn’t for the life of him find anything in that room that reflected his taste. “Look, Elise, I know you’re upset right now. I’m upset, too. But this is the eighth time now. And at some point, we have to start considering your health and the risks associated with recurrent miscarriages. I think it’s time that we come to terms with the fact that we may be forced to pursue other options.”
She glared at him, her mouth hanging open. “Upset? You think I’m upset? I’m devastated, Jack. Devastated! Do you have any idea what it feels like to have your body betray you like this? No. You don’t. You don’t have a fucking clue what it’s like. You’re little contribution to this whole mess just happens to be the fun part, doesn’t it?”
“Elise. Please. I know what it’s like to watch someone I love suffer. And I just don’t want to do it anymore. We agreed the last time that we would try just once more. It’s too risky. Even the doctors say so. I’m not just going to stand by and watch this happen again.”
“Then what are you going to do, Jack?”
“Well, as I said… I was hoping that we could come to an agreement on our other options.”
“As far as I’m concerned, there are no other options, Jack.”
Jack stopped pacing and met her gaze head on. “Sure there are. You just need time. This is a lot to handle all at once.”
“No. I don’t think you understand. I’m finished. With the whole baby thing. With this marriage…”
“I know you’re devastated Elise but please don’t say things you don’t mean.”
“But I do. Mean them. This is your chance, Jack. Run! Go be with her. It’s what you’ve wanted all along, isn’t it?’
He walked toward the front door. “I’m not doing this again, Elise.”
“I’m not either. I’m done, Jack. You must think I’m an idiot. A fool! You think I haven’t seen her photographs hanging on the wall in your office. You think I don’t notice whenever a new one appears. Well, I’m not stupid, Jack! I know you’re still in contact with her.”
“We’ve been over and over this, Elise. And I’ve told you again and again I haven’t spoken to her since the wedding.”
“Do you know why I didn’t tell you I’d lost the baby before the wedding? Because I knew. I knew that I’d lose you, and well, you know me… I like to win at all costs. It’s why we’ve always been so good together. But the joke was on me with that one. I didn’t win, Jack. Not really, anyway. Winning isn’t winning when you realize you’ve already lost. Do you know what it’s like to wake up next to your husband every day and know that he’s in love with someone else? Do you have any idea how that feels? You’ve never been that good a liar, Jack. Tell me you don’t still love her. I want to hear you say it.”
“I love you.”
“Wrong answer. Get out! Get out now! Just go!” She shoved at his chest hard. Jack relented. She just needed some time to cool down and process everything, he assured himself. “Fine. I’ll be at the lake house if you need me. I’ll head back tomorrow afternoon.”
“Don’t bother,” she said, slamming the door in his face.
The next morning, Jack was awakened to someone buzzing from the front gate asking to be let onto the property. It was a moving van, and it just so happened to be full of his stuff. Jack drove home the following day only to find that all of the locks had been changed. She just needed time, he told himself. She just needed time. He’d worked too hard and given up too much for this to be the end of it.
Three days later, a courier arrived with divorce papers, and Jack realized that no amount of time was going to change her mind. The following day, Jack met with his attorney in his office. Jack sat at his desk opposite the grey-haired man who rattled off facts, which Jack didn’t hear. He was too focused on one of the photographs that hung on his wall. He looked from picture to picture before settling on one. It was sunrise in New Orleans. He hadn’t remembered her taking that particular shot. He couldn’t recall whether he’d been there or not when she did.
The attorney cleared his throat. “Beautiful photos you have here. Before we leave, remind me to get the artist’s name. I’d like to purchase one like that for my wife,” he said pointing to a shot of the beach that Jack knew had been taken in Hawaii.
“Will do.” Jack nodded and focused his attention back on the man.
“So I assume the first question you have is how much the dissolution of your marriage is going to cost you. Thankfully for you, the prenup we had drawn up beforehand is pretty iron clad.”
Jack tilted his head. “Actually, no. I wasn’t thinking that.”
The man took his glasses off and used his tie to wipe the lenses down. He readjusted them on his face and looked at Jack. “All right. Well…”
Jack glanced at a photograph of vibrant wildflowers and imagined how they must smell. That picture was taken in Florence, he wanted to mention. Instead, he looked at the paperwork in front of him. “I want to give her everything she’s asking for.”
The man frowned briefly before his expression turned to concern. “Are you sure? According to your prenuptial agreement, you don’t owe her near what she’s asking for...”
Jack waved the man off, interrupting him mid-sentence. “It was all for her, anyway.”
“And your business? Do want to give her the additional ten percent she’s asking for.”
“Yes.”
