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Theo nods slowly. “Okay. I’m glad to hear you found something good. How’s the job search going?”
“Not great. I didn’t get the best vibes from yesterday’s interviews. Today felt a tad better, but I’m not gonna hold my breath, and I’ll keep applying to new jobs as they pop up on that online portal you recommended,” I say. “I’ll find something for sure.”
“You’ve been there for what, six days? It’s amazing you’ve had interviews already,” Theo replies. “I’m confident you’ll find something. Oh, by the way, your mom has been calling me a lot. She says you keep rejecting her calls.”
I roll my eyes and groan. “I guess she didn’t get my hint.”
“She’s still your mother. And she’s really getting on my nerves,” Theo says with a laugh.
“I’m sorry. I promise she’ll get bored eventually. Just block her number,” I reply with a dry chuckle.
It’s been so good without my mother around that I sometimes feel guilty for not wanting to see her again. But then I remember how toxic she is, how miserable she made me feel, and the guilt simply fizzles away. Maybe if I were still twenty years old and without children, I might’ve found it in my heart to give her yet another chance. But I need to take care of myself and my children, so there’s no room for someone like her in my life. We don’t get to choose the family we’re born into, but we can certainly choose who sticks around for the ride.
Theo’s gloomy expression doesn’t dissolve. Something else is weighing her down, and it’s making my stomach tight with uncomfortable knots.
“What else?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her. “You’re holding back on me, sister.”
“Oh, God, you’re not gonna like this,” she says. “Honestly, I didn’t even want to tell you at first, but I do think he’s serious…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Elijah. He called me the other day, trying to get a hold of you. He said he stopped by the Elizabeth again, but the receptionist called the cops on him. Then he found out you quit. So, now he’s concerned about his children’s welfare.”
“You have got to be kidding me.” My blood runs cold. He wouldn’t dare. Would he?
“I’m pretty sure he was recording the conversation just so he could use it later in court,” Theo says. “I told him I didn’t know where you moved, but that you assured me you’re okay, as are the kids. But Stella, the man kept mentioning his lawyer. He said he’s making child support payments this week.”
“Frickin’ finally.”
“Yeah, but it does come with a caveat. He says he doesn’t trust you with his children anymore.”
My blood fucking boils. I can’t even sit down anymore, so I start pacing the living room, phone still in my hand as I take deep breaths and keep my eyes fixed on the screen, watching Theo as she stirs uncomfortably in her seat.
“The audacity is mind blowing, I’ll tell you that,” I manage, my voice trembling with rage. “He left us, he didn’t even bother to check in on us or make sure the kids are okay, and now he’s concerned? My God, Theo, the man is fucking infuriating.”
“I know, honey, I know,” she says. “But the truth is, he could give you legal trouble. Have you spoken to your lawyer yet?”
“No. I think I need a new one, to be honest. I didn’t really like the advice I got before,” I reply.
“I can make a few calls if you want. I know a couple of good ones in Portland. They’re not specialized in divorce and custody settlements, but surely they can point me in the right direction.”
“I would be most grateful, Theo. And again, I’m sorry I quit my job. I know you vouched for me there, and I promise I will make it up to you someday, somehow.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” she says. “It’s okay, Stella. I only care that you’re safe and happy. Screw the Elizabeth for now. Let’s focus on how to keep you and the kids together, because the last thing you need right now is a custody battle with a third child on the way.”
I got lucky with a friend like her. I’m well aware. For as long as I can remember, she has been there for me. Through good and bad, through better and terrible decisions, through hunger and prosperity, she has never faltered nor judged me, nor made me feel like I was ever less. If anything, Theo was my rock throughout the divorce. She reminded me that I deserved better and had everything I needed in order to get back to the surface before I drowned. Most importantly, she never hesitated to help me in any way I needed.
“Thank you for always being by my side,” I tell her with a trembling voice. “My life would’ve sucked without you in it.”
“Stella, you were always by my side, too. Remember? Acting school. The town plays. The horrible breakup from Jeff. Who showed up at my door six-months-pregnant with a tub of ice cream and a bag of spicy nachos, huh?” she replies, almost laughing. “Who bombarded me with motivational memes when I was tempted to go back to him, huh? Who let me copy from her English Lit exam, knowing full well I hadn’t even bothered to open a frickin’ book that whole semester? I never forgot anything you ever did for me, and you know we’re always gonna be tight. Us girls, we have to stick together.”
“I don’t think the troubles I’m dealing with now are something the two of us could handle on our own.”
“No, but I’ve got contacts I can reach out to, and that is precisely what I’m going to do,” Theo says. “We’re not helpless little girls anymore, Stella. If there’s something I can do to protect you from Elijah, I will absolutely do it. If you need me to show up with a disguise, a shovel, and an appropriately sized van, you know I’ll be there. No questions asked.”
We’re both laughing now, and it’s enough to help some of these tears dry on their own. I’ve never felt lonelier than I do at this moment, even while I’m on a video call with my best friend. Elijah was easier to handle as a ghost, as someone I knew I would rarely see again—if ever. This aggressive version of him has always lurked beneath the surface, but I was thankful I wasn’t on the receiving end of it. Truth be told, part of me breathed a sigh of relief when he just left me for another woman and didn’t bother to get in touch or ask about our children.
He's trying to force his way back into my life because he was rejected by someone he thought was better than me, and because I’m not rolling the red carpet out for him, he is bitter and vindictive and looking to cause as much damage as possible. He’s not a good father, though. He doesn’t deserve any form of custody of Lucas and Ava. And I will stop at nothing to keep him away from them—even if it means leaving the States altogether.
