Page 4 of Fourth Wall

Julian only laughed at me as we peeled out of the dirt driveway and sped down the road.

“You know you smell like fucking lavender?” Julian pointed out. I glared at him before responding, which only made him chuckle.

“That is your fault. You were the love-crazed idiot who planted an entire lavender forest in front of the casita.”

We chuckled before Julian told me about his plans to propose to his girlfriend, Tatum.

“Shit, are you sure you’re ready to be married?” I asked, knowing my own history of marriage.

“Yeah, I really think so.” He looked over at me as my eyes remained peeled on the road. “I know you are jaded when it comes to marriage—”

“Eh, I wouldn’t say jaded, but I sure as fuck don’t ever see myself getting married again. That is too much fucking responsibility.”

“Yeah, but you never really loved your ex, did you?” he asked.

“I loved her, but it was a different kind of love. I appreciated her and her family for getting me out of the shitty situation with my mom, but when I got home from the war, I came back a different person. My alcoholism made me one angry motherfucker.” Julian laughed at my confession, and I shot him a look.

“Hey, I came along right after, and you’ve been doing a pretty damn good job so far, man,” Julian said. I shook my head in disbelief.

“I’m glad you took me up on my offer all those years ago,” Julian added.

“Me too,” I mentioned.

“You never told me why?” he asked.

I laughed. “I needed the money. I was a nobody and really fucking stuck. You gave me an escape that I just didn't know how to figure out myself.” I paused. “You really helped me out of a rough time.”

“Anything, man.” Julian leaned his arm over the side of the car as we sped back to San Diego.

“You and Maeve got a little close at my bachelor party?” Julian jokingly changed the subject.

“God, she fucking infuriates me,” I added quickly because she did. She was this fucking little blonde who had always been fucking beautiful, but something about her got under my skin.

“That’s how I felt about Tatum at first. Be careful. Otherwise, you may actually fall in love with her.” This time, I roared loud enough that it rattled our sports car.

“Over my dead fucking body,” I replied.

4

Maeve

Present

“Fuck!” I screamed, stepping on one of Kelsie’s Legos littered on the ground.

“That’s a dollar for the swear jar,” she exclaimed and pointed at a small jar overflowing with dollars on the counter. I grumbled as I pulled a bill from my wallet and handed it to my six-year-old. She proudly walked over to the jar and deposited it.

“Dad is coming to pick you guys up, so please grab your backpacks with your work from Kinder.” I dug through the front closet to find her pink unicorn backpack way in the back of the overflowing closet.

“What about my work, Mommy?” my five-year-old, Kinsley, asked.

“Kelsie, go throw some papers and crayons in a backpack for Kins, please.” I looked around my house and cursed in my head yet again. After the divorce was finalized, I moved out of our fancy La Jolla house and was forced to live in my parents’ guesthouse. It had a small kitchen, one small bedroom, a bathroom, and a living area.

My parents have been amazing since the divorce. I had to start working at a brunch spot after I dropped off Kelsie at school and Kinsley at daycare in the mornings. It was the perfect job because I could pick them up in the afternoon. They offered to let us move in with them and made an entire little bedroom for the girls in the main house, giving me the space to unwind in the backyard. I always had a baby monitor on me, so if I needed to run in and grab them, I could.

My little guesthouse was an absolute mess. I wouldn’t say I have always been known for my organization, but since becoming a single parent and working full time, organizing isn’t my strong suit. In the midst of juggling work, parenting, and trying to keep our lives afloat, the state of my guesthouse continued to deteriorate. The lack of time and energy left me with little motivation to tackle the mounting clutter and disarray. Each day seemed like a never-ending cycle ofexhaustion and overwhelming responsibilities. It wasn’t like it was dirty, just full of toys and clutter.

To make matters worse, my ex-husband, in an act of heartless spite, had kicked me out of our shared home with nothing to my name and quickly moved his boyfriend in. It was a painful blow, leaving me feeling betrayed, abandoned, and broke.

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