Page 6 of Adored By Jonah

A part of me knows Liz is right, but another part of me feels guilty for wanting more out of my life than just being a great mom to Gracie. We spend the next hour sliding down the hill with Gracie. After a while when we are cold and wet we decide to head home. The rest of the day I spend thinking about Jonah, wondering if Liz could be right.

We’ve been living in Jolly for a few months now, ever since the divorce was final. I had to wait until then because legally I wasn’t allowed to take Gracie out-of-state until I had full custody. Mark didn’t fight me for custody of Gracie and it kind of broke my heart. I mean I’m glad he didn’t because that would’ve sucked but at the same time what kind of father doesn’t fight for their own child? What kind of man is that? How did I not know that this is the person he really was? Ever since I found out he was cheating on me I’ve questioned everything I thought I knew. I worry that my judgment isn’t as good as I thought it was. What I focus on instead is Gracie. All that really matters is that she’s happy and taken care of. The one thing I haven’t done is cry over Mark. My heart isn’t broken like I thought it would be. What I once thought was love was something else altogether. Looking back at our life together, it felt more like a business deal than building something truly special.

Mark didn’t fight me for custody, but he did fight me when I asked for a divorce. About thirty minutes into my drive to see my sister the day I caught him in bed with that woman, my phone started blowing up. He wouldn’t stop calling and texting me, asking where I was, and demanding that I come home. I ended up blocking his number so he couldn’t get a hold of me at least in the meantime while I was trying to figure everything out.

Gracie slept for most of the trip and by the time we got to Jolly and Liz’s house, it was already late afternoon. Her fever was already starting to come down, thank God, so I gave her another dose of medicine and some dinner and put her to bed.

Liz and I stayed up all night drinking a bottle of wine and going ever over everything that happened. There was never any question on whether or not I wanted to stay in my marriage. To me, it was done. My marriage wasn’t a thing anymore, it ended the moment I saw him in bed with someone else. If I’m being honest, it was over long before then. I spent the weekend getting my affairs in order. I hired a divorce attorney, a woman who had recently gone through her own divorce and was roaring to fight for her clients.

It’s Monday afternoon and it’s been a pretty typical day at the bank. I like my new job. I'm not making as much money as I did before, but there’s no drama, no headache. I come in and do my job then I get to leave so I can focus on Gracie. Gracie goes to prekindergarten at the elementary school and then gets picked up by her babysitter Ally who watches her for a couple of hours until I can get home. She loves big girl school and I’m happy to say she’s thriving now that we're not living with all the negative energy Mark brought into the house. I never realized what a downer he was and how I held my breath whenever he was around. The longer we are apart the more I realize how unhappy I was when we were together.

I’ve been thinking about Jonah nonstop since Saturday. He was so nice, and the way that he interacted with Gracie was a breath of fresh air. I'm not used to seeing men act like that and treating children the way he did like he knew exactly what to do. Does that mean he has children? Maybe that’s why he was being so nice. Who knows, I’m questioning everything he said and it’s driving me crazy. Does it even matter? It’s not like I’ll ever see him again. I've gone all this time living in Jolly and haven't seen him once. I just need to put him out of my mind and do what I need to do.

The minute I tell myself this, the door to the bank opens and in steps the man I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. Jonah. He’s wearing a pair of worn jeans, brown boots, and a dark blue plaid flannel jacket. I suck in a deep breath and hold it as I watch him. He looks as good as he did the other day, no, he looks even better. I watch as he looks around the bank lobby, and when he sees me he looks right on by then instantly looks back at me, his eyes widen and he smiles a cocky grin. He walks up to my station and directs that smile at me.

“Maddie I didn’t know you worked at the bank.”

Blushing, I clear my throat. “I started last week.”

He studies me, cocking his head to the side. “How is Gracie doing?”

“She’s doing fine. Like it never even happened.”

“Good. Did she have fun going down the hills?”

“She had a blast. It was a great time. Thank you again for everything you did for us on Saturday. I really don’t know what I would’ve done if I had lost her.”

“Don’t mention it. I'm sure you would’ve done the same thing,” He says giving me a genuine smile.

I shrug. I would have done the same thing, but not everyone would have. Mark, for example, would’ve walked on by like it wasn’t his problem. I shake my head trying to get rid of the thoughts of my asshole ex-husband. “How did the rest of the event go? Anything exciting happen?”

Jonah shakes his head. “It was pretty tame. I wish you could’ve stayed longer. At the end of the night, we had a bonfire and the kids roasted marshmallows and made smores. Gracie would’ve loved it.”

“I will make a point of staying for that next year.”

“Good. What about Gracie’s dad, he couldn’t come?”

I flinch when he brings up Mark. I hate that I wasted so many years with that man.

“I’m sorry it’s none of my business. Just making small talk.”

“No it’s okay I just don’t like thinking about him.”

Jonah’s eyes widen and his brows raise. “You don’t like thinking about your husband?”

“Ex-husband. And no, he’s a cheating bas… You know what, it doesn’t matter,” I sigh.

There’s an awkward silence for a second as we stare at each other. “What can I help you with today Jonah?” I ask, trying to get him out of here so we won’t be stuck in an awkward moment.

He hands me a money pouch. “Just here to make a deposit for the ski lodge.” He says.

“I can take care of that for you.” I smile, happy to be doing something other than staring at him. I unzip the pouch and check over the deposit slip he’s already filled out.

“How long have you been in town again?” He asks.

“Just a couple of months.”

“So, you’re still getting to know the place?”

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