AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s never my intention, Aubrey.”
“Look, I know you didn’t want this. In fact, I didn’t ask you to come. You came because you don’t trust me, which really sucks, Nick. I’m a good mother. I’ve taken care of my kids from day one, while you worked long hours and rebuilt the practice you gave up because Josie broke your heart. I was there, remember? I picked up the pieces. This is what I want. This is where I want to be. I don’t understand why it’s such an issue.”
“Aubrey, I never said you weren’t a good mother, but come on, what am I supposed to think when you tell me you plan to live in the village and not send Amelie to school?”
“That’s how I grew up.”
“Things are different now,” I tell her. “The world is different now. You sprung all of this on me, weeks before Christmas. And I’m sorry, but this could’ve waited until the summer. Hell, we could’ve had a long conversation and planned things out, but no, it’s what you wanted and now here we are. Our family is a mess. Amelie’s not happy. You’re not happy with me.” I take a deep breath. “I’m not happy.”
“Then leave, Nick. I don’t want you here.” She gets out of bed. “I don’t need you.”
Not—I don’t need youhere—it’s I don’t needyou.
“Just get out, Nick! I’m so sick and tired of you being in my space. I want you gone. Leave!”
“Mommy,” Amelie’s voice sounds small, scared.
Aubrey turns slowly and looks at our daughter, standing in the doorway. I get out of bed and rush to her, scooping her up in my arms. Amelie cries in the crook of my shoulder. “Come on, let’s get back to bed.” But Aubrey isn’t having it.
“Nick, I want you to leave.”
If this were any other time, I’d go. After setting Amelie down on her bed, I turn and slowly walk until Aubrey has no choice but to back up.
“I’m not leaving Amelie. If you can’t stand being in the house with me, you can go. We can figure out the rest tomorrow.”
“There’s nothing to figure out, Nick. I want a divorce.”
I smirk because there it is again. When shit gets tough, she bails. “You can have it, Aubrey. I’m done trying with you.” I don’t wait for her response and head back into the bedroom to grab my shit and take it to the guest bedroom. As much as I want to slam the door, I don’t. She doesn’t need to know she’s gotten to me.
I walk back to Amelie’s room, making sure she’s tucked in and do my best to assure her everything is going to be all right.
Even though I don’t believe a word of it myself.
10
The couch I sit on is puke green and being propped up in one corner by a couple of books. The fabric is rough and not something you can relax on or take a nap. It came with my new apartment. Only there isn’t anything new about this place. It’s old, outdated, and not at all where I want to be. But I did what Aubrey asked and moved out. It’s what she wants, and while it’s not what I want, I’m done fighting with her. I can’t take the hot and cold, the wishy-washy feelings. She wants a divorce, so that’s what I’m going to give her.
Amelie comes out of her new room, hands on her hips, and a look of distaste on her face. “I don’t like it,” she tells me.
“I know.” It doesn’t matter where we live. It’ll never be home. As far as I’m concerned, this place is temporary and the sooner I can get out of my contract, we are out of here, the sooner we can be back in Beaumont. Well, I will be. I can’t stay here. It’s not for me and as much as I want my daughter to return with me, she wants to stay with her mother. I get it, but don’t like it, and want some strict custody arrangements before I leave. Right now, Amelie will stay with me for the next couple of days and then she’ll be with her mom.
Staring at my daughter, I never thought I’d be in the situation I am in now. None of this makes sense. I’m ridiculously angry at Aubrey for leading me on and letting me think we were going to work things out. It’s clear she never had any intentions of doing so and led me to believe we could because she needed someone to help with Amelie. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive her. My heart isn’t broken, it’s numb. I’ve lost all sense of feeling when it comes to my wife . . . well, now soon-to-be-ex. Tomorrow, we’ll meet at some mediator’s office, who doesn’t know us or anything about our marriage, and go over the paperwork my lawyer sent us. There isn’t a doubt in my mind, Aubrey won’t like the agreement, but I have a feeling she’ll sign it because she wants out.
After dinner, Amelie takes a shower and then joins me on the couch. I put a blanket down so our skin isn’t scratched by the fabric. As much as I don’t want to, I’m going to have to find a better place to live or do some remodeling here, the latter depending on if I can work out a way to finish my contract early or not. Who thinks of sitting on a couch when looking at a rental? Definitely not me but then again, until we arrived here, I hadn’t rented anything in decades.
“I don’t understand why you couldn’t stay at the other house too. There was an extra bedroom.”
Amelie shouldn’t know any of this, but she does. She heard the last fight Aubrey and I had, and it all started because I brought up how Amelie wasn’t happy. Truth is, the only one that is happy is Aubrey and that’s questionable half of the time.
“It’s fine,” I tell her. I’m determined to make this work. It’s not like I can walk away from my responsibilities. It’s not in my nature, no matter how badly I want to leave. “We can make some changes, maybe buy a new couch.”
“Okay,” she says as she snuggles into me.
We watch a show until she’s yawning and dozing off. After tucking her in, I boot up my laptop and read over the divorce decree. Ashford v. Ashford feels like a knife in my heart. I had hope. I thought once we were back here, things would be different. Aubrey would see that we belonged in Beaumont and suggest we go back. Instead, she kept renewing her six-week contract, even though she came home in tears most of the time.
Nicholas Ashford retains full primary custody of minor children: Mack and Amelie. Mr. Ashford will provide health insurance for the minor children and pay two-thirds of Amelie’s care while living with Aubrey Ashford. Mr. Ashford will pay for a full-time caretaker while Amelie is in the care of Mrs. Ashford. In lieu of spousal support, Mr. Ashford will pay the fee on the rental home, as long as Amelie is in the care of Mrs. Ashford. Payments will cease when Amelie returns to the United States.
While in the care of Mrs. Ashford, Amelie will attend the International School at the expense of Mr. Ashford.
