Page 3 of Gabriel & Skye

She shook her head. “I need some time to figure things out.”

“Tiff, don’t do this.” I reached out to her, but she pulled away abruptly.

“It’s already done, Gabe. I have to go.”

“Where?”

“To Nashville. I have a conference there next week. I’ve been thinking about going back to school.”

This was news to me. “What the fuck?”

She gave me a look. “I want to be a surgeon. That means going back to school.”

I stared at her wide eyed, unable to comprehend her words.

She just removed her wedding rings, said she was leaving, and now wants to go back to school? I know having a baby is hard work, but I never expected her to quit our family.

“I’m not understanding any of this.”

“Gabe, I need some time. That’s what I’m saying.”

“You need to take your wedding rings off for that?” I placed Trin back down on her play mat. I didn’t need her getting upset with my impending aggravation.

She sighed. “It’s only fair. I don’t need any expectations on me right now.”

“Where does that leave things?” I started to panic, more than panic. My chest felt like a heavy weight was pressing on it.

“I don’t know!”

“You don’t fucking know?” I didn’t mean to yell, but this was just taking the cake.

I gestured over to Trinity. “She needs her mother, Tiff. We both need you. You can still work, we can get Geraldine more, I can cut back even more at work…” I was desperate.

Tiffany looked over at her, too. “I don’t know why I feel this way, but it’s something I need to do. I’m sorry.” She turned on her heel and marched away, grabbing her suitcase as she went.

Trinity started to cry, so I rushed over to pick her up.

What the fuck is going on? My wife is leaving? We have a newborn!

“Is it someone else?” I called after her, desperate for answers.

She stopped and turned to look at me. “It’s nothing like that, Gabriel. I have enough to contend with here. How would bringing another guy into the mix help with that?”

I stared after her, shocked and confused. Never being lost for words, up until now, I was unable to speak.

Trinity wriggled in my arms as I held her close to my chest.

She was leaving both of us.

“Please don’t go,” I begged. “We can talk this through.”

“No, Gabe.” And I watched as my wife walked out into the rain, threw her suitcase in the back of the car, started up the engine and left me standing there watching after her.

I held onto Trinity with all I had. She stopped crying as I soothed her softly, trying to make sense of what the fuck had just happened.

Did my wife really just leave us?

With no return date in mind. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

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