Page 17 of The Sweetest Surrender

Selena could hear the smile in her mother’s voice. Margaret had been a true advocate for Selena finding a husband. That was Selena’s goal, too, so when Selena slipped and mentioned Jordan’s name during dinner one night, Margaret did not rest until she questioned Selena from here to kingdom come. However, Selena didn’t feel the need to gloat about a relationship between her and Jordan when the nature of her parents’ divorce loomed.

“How’s Dad?” Selena asked, steering the conversation away from her and Jordan.

The silence that followed twisted Selena’s gut.

“Ma?”

“You’ll have to call your father and ask him, baby.”

Selena shut her eyes and propped her elbows on the desk, clasping her head in her hand. She gave a slow rotation to her temples as she felt the signs of a small headache coming on.

“You can’t tell me? I’m talking to you now.”

The phone went silent again, and Selena blew out a harsh breath. It was interesting how Margaret had plenty to say when she wasn’t talking about her marriage.

“I haven’t talked to him in a few days,” her mother revealed.

The information slapped Selena across the face. “What are you talking about?”

Margaret sighed. “He’s been staying at the Ritz Carlton.”

To say Selena was shocked was the understatement of the year. A wave of dread coursed through her, and suddenly Selena’s heart felt weighed down.

“How long has he been staying at the Ritz?”

“For a few days.”

“I don’t understand why you guys are doing this now. You’ve been together forever. Do you not love each other anymore?”

Selena held back the tears that threatened to fall, but her voice shook as she spoke.

“It’s not that simple, baby. Our marriage has been going downhill for a while now.”

“What’s a while?”

“I don’t know, maybe two or three years.”

Flabbergasted, Selena pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it incredulously.

“Two or three years? Are you kidding me?”

Margaret sighed again. “I wish I were, but you have to understand, sweetheart, sometimes people just grow apart.”

“Grow apart?” Selena bit down on her teeth. “If you were simply going to grow apart, wouldn’t that have happened, oh I don’t know, fifty years ago!?”

“I know you’re upset, but you must understand—”

“No! You must understand!” Selena screeched, forgetting she was in her work environment. “You’re telling me that you and dad have been having marital issues for three years, but no one told me anything. I’ve been thinking all this time that you guys were happy-go-lucky! Then you spring it on me when you just can’t stand to be around each other another minute, and I’m supposed to what, take it in stride?”

“Baby, listen—”

“Just because I’m not a child anymore doesn’t mean this doesn’t hurt like hell! Ugh!”

Selena slammed the phone down, concurrently slapping the desk with the palm of her hand. She seethed and dropped her head down in a heap on the mahogany surface, feeling defeated. She had so many questions and a mind to corner them both and demand they give her answers. They’d been the ones to instill values of honesty, integrity, and faithfulness in her. How apropos that they didn’t offer it in return.

There was a swift knock at the door followed by a feminine voice.

“Are you okay?”

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