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Kent laughed, a belly laughed and nearly doubled him over. “You thought I was going to propose!? Madeline, this relationship has been going downhill for a long time. We have completely fizzled out. We’re not right for each other; you surely don't seem to give a shit about what is going on with me. Neither one of us wanted to admit it. You are too focused on other things that I felt like a blip on your radar, so, yes,”—he stood up straight and shot fireballs at me with his eyes—“yes, itisyour fault.”
Niko barked, a loud harsh bark that was meant for his enemies. Both Kent and I jumped and turned to him. Kent backed away, and I reached out for Niko’s collar.
“Control your damn dog.” He pointed at Niko, stabbing him in the air with his finger. “And, Maddy…”
“Don’t callme that.” I grumbled again. My nickname was not for him to use.
He shook his head and turned his back, heading straight for the front door, grabbing the handle. “If you don’t figure out what is important in your life…no one willeverpropose to you.” He opened and slammed the door so fast and hard that a picture of Milo and me fell to the floor and smashed.
I listened for his stupid BMW to start and the wheels to screech before I fell to the ground, losing all senses. Niko nudged my chin up and pressed his warm fluffy body against mine. I hugged him, pulled him as close as I could get him, and cried in his fur. I cried until there were no tears left to cry.
Chapter Eight
-Milo-
During the divorce, Hannah got the house, so I had…a bachelor pad—which happened to have a little girl’s bedroom in the hallway. Whenever Holly was with her mom, I was left alone in the apartment, which always felt bigger without her. Thankfully, most of my longer shifts happened when she wasn’t here, keeping me busy and allowing me to keep my apartment relatively clean.
This particular night, I came home from my shift and kicked off my boots. It was a harder day than normal. There was no time to just sit in the ambulance, no time to look at my phone. Dropping everything at the peninsula counter in the kitchen, I went for the fridge, grabbing a bottle of beer, and throwing leftover spaghetti in the microwave
Ah…this is the life.
Stop fooling yourself, Milo… This sucks.
I shook my head at my own self-loathing and placed the beer back in the fridge, opting for a can of Sprite instead. Keeping beer in the fridge wasn’t my norm, but for some reason, after dropping off Madeline a few nights ago, I felt it was a necessity. I hadn’t heard from her since Saturday—meaning she was probably too busy celebrating with Kent on their engagement, but I at least hoped for a text. One of those cheesy photos with her with a huge smile, Kent behind her with just as large of a grin, flashing the rock on her finger.
I cracked open the Sprite can before I changed my mind and went back to the beer.
The microwave beeped, and the smell of leftover’s wafted through the small kitchen. Grabbing the Tupperware—who needed a plate?—and my Sprite, I headed for the couch and TV. I doubled back when I remembered my phone wasn’t in my pocket. Holly would call for bedtime.
Plopping on the couch, turning on the TV, I glanced at my phone, a slight smile on my face when I saw Madeline’s name on the top of my notifications list.
Madeline: Are you busy after work? I need...to talk.
Well, shit.
Not even responding to the text, I hit the green phone to call her, the ringing hitting my ear. It rang longer than normal, but soon enough Madeline’s voice filled my ear.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“Hey, what’s up? Your Milo is home and exhausted…”
“Kent was cheating on me,” she said in a rush before sniffing. “For a year.”
Well…shit…
I stay silent, inhaling deeply. I don't even know what to say to console her.I’m sorryorare you okaydoesn't cut it. I should know. I bit my bottom lip and sat up on the edge of the couch, my free elbow leaning up against my knee. I could hear her sniffling, waiting for a response…but I had absolutely no words. Was this what people felt like when they found out Hannah was cheating on me?
Hannah at least had the decency to ask for a divorce before things got too serious with her new boyfriend. To my knowledge, they had met at the gym (of all places, I know) and she didn't even let him know she was married. They went on a few dates, and then boom—slept together, and then bigger boom—she wanted a divorce.
Like Madeline, I’d been blindsided when she asked for a divorce. She sat me down after Holly had gone to bed, the remote in her hand ready for our Friday night movie. I sat next to her, raising my arm on the back of the couch, waiting for her to snuggle in when she suddenly looked over at me, tears in her eyes, and told me everything. She ended with the “I want a divorce” line, and then I slept in the guest room.
It was me, she said. That I wasn’t showing enough affection to her, that I was too busy with other things, and that I had seemed to completely forget about my family at home. To Hannah, I was drifting away, which forced her to drift farther. She had said our communication lacked, and that I was the root of all our problems. I just sat while she laid into me about everything, finally admitting to sleeping with this “Donald” and that she wanted to see where that relationship would go.
I distinctly remember looking at the stairs, envisioning my Holly sleeping in her small bed, thinking there was no one else on Earth that mattered to me the way Holly did. How I would take a bullet for her if it came to it and I would buy her that unicorn one day, but here Hannah was, telling me how terrible of a father and husband I was.
The next day, we hired a divorce attorney, and I began looking for an apartment.
Donaldmoved in not long after the divorce was final, and a year later, they were married, another baby on the way.
