AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The void in my eyes matched the void in my heart, the void in my home, the void in my world. There were no dogs to feed. There was no back to wash. There was no body to press up against. There were no lips to kiss. There were no hugs to give. There was no Glacier.
Reality began settling in quickly. The silence of my home was mind-numbing. But as much as I hated to face it, the quietness meant that things had aligned perfectly. Everything had fallen into place, even if that wasn’t a place of comfort.
With the towel wrapped around my waist, I stepped into my bedroom to find a familiar face staring back at me. The smirk that turned my mouth sideways was followed by a head shake.
“Welcome home,” Chem greeted me.
My feet were planted on the floor, awaiting the human enclosure he’d become as he wrapped his arms around me.
“You’ve done well, Makai.”
Accepting his approval for exactly what it was, I cradled the back of his head in the palm of my hand.
“I’ve missed you. I’m happy you’re home.”
He pulled away and took a seat on the bed again.
“Appreciate that.”
There was a long, deafening pause that left us both with mixed emotions.
“Why aren’t you happy to be home, Makai?” he asked.
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face. Don’t lie to me.”
“Just… just adjusting to the new norm.”
“Why don’t you just call her?”
“Don’t do that. Don’t do that, Chem.”
“Why not?”
“Because you know what it is. You know how this goes.”
“But I don’t. Have you forgotten who my wife is? Who she was? You think I give a fuck about what it’s supposed to be? When it’s a matter of the heart, not much else matters.”
He stood to his feet and removed a small piece of paper from his pocket.
“When you’re ready, you should really go check that out.”
“What is it?” I asked, picking up the paper he’d placed on the bed.
“Something that needs your attention.”
Glacier’s face was plastered on the page, her license number, home address, phone number, and birthday were all gathered on her updated driver’s license.
Mommas. My heart galloped in my chest.
I lifted my head, pulling myself out of the web she’d spun from afar.
“I can’t g—Chem?”
As quickly as he’d come, he’d gone. The paper he’d left with me was glued to my fingers. I sat on the bed, studying every detail, every bit of information on the card. Her birthday grabbed my attention. It was the 31st of January, just fourteen days shy of her thirtieth.
Idea after idea popped into my head, but I dismissed them without hesitation. Knowing that it was the best thing for me to do, I crumbled the paper and tossed it across the room in the trash where it belonged. Glacier’s life was much better without me. And my life would go on without the fear of losing her because I’d already given her up.
