Page 61 of Beyond our Forever

“Looking for a place to spend the night, because I don’t want you here, Bruce. We’ll talk later, but right now I can’t stand being with you. GET OUT!”

Ignoring the vitriol spewing from my mouth, my husband pulled me onto his lap as he sat on the bed and pulled me against his still damp chest.

I struggled and kicked, but he had a firm grip on me, like a desperate castaway clinging to a piece of wood in the middle of the rough sea.

“We can solve everything by talking, love, everything,” he murmured as his hands touched my back. “We can go to therapy, to a support group, whatever you want.”

“That sounds really great,” I replied and I could feel his body relax immediately, thinking he had won me over. “And a few months ago those words would have sounded like heaven to me, but it’s too late, Bruce. I’m so tired, and all I want is to sleep, so please just leave.”

“I can’t leave like this, Ilythia,” he replied, holding me tight. “I don’t want to go, this is my home, and I love you.”

“I wish you had shown me before it got to this,” I whispered, as I pushed him away and got up. “Acta non verba.”

Actions not words.

That’s what had been missing.

“Just go, Bruce,” I pleaded once more.

Finally he conceded defeat and very unwillingly left.

I locked myself in the bathroom to cry, the bathroom that smelled of him. Reminding me that all I had left of my husband was his scent.

Because the man I fell in love was gone. I lost him a long, long time ago.

Chapter 17

Present

I hear footsteps before my bedroom door is thrown open, someone comes running in, and then screams of joy can be heard.

“Daddy,” Ava yells, before throwing herself onto our bed. “You’re here!”

“Calm down, Princess,” he replies, as she jumps and hangs on him.

“Everything went well with your love date!” squeals my girl. “Everything is fixed now.”

Jumping around and clapping with excitement—God, where do we remove the batteries, if this is how she’s going to be all day?

We. We have become two again.

The question is, will it be forever this time?

“Let’s go get you ready,” Bruce says to Ava. “We’re all going out for breakfast.”

“Waffles?” she asks, then gasps when she figures out the implications. “Does this mean we aren’t going to school! Yippee! Please say we can go for waffles. Come on, Daddy, say yes!”

“We’ll see what mommy wants,” Bruce smiles as he answers.

My girl looks at me with bright eyes, little stars almost popping out.

“Fine, but they’d better come with fried chicken, Hulk,” I capitulate with a smile, it’s not exactly a sacrifice.

“Take your time getting ready,” Bruce whispers to me as Ava drags him out of the room. “I’ll take care of the boys.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I want to take a long hot shower and give it the reverence it deserves without feeling guilty. Let Bruce deal with the kids. This is a new beginning so we should start by taking the first step in the right direction.

As the water begins dripping down my body, I think about what these past twenty-four hours have meant. A new dawn, another opportunity. The possibility of achieving all those dreams that were put on hold. A kiss, a touch, leading to forever together.

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