Page 1 of Love on the Edge
This is not whereI want to be.
I want to be home. Not here. I’d rather be on the couch with Cassidy, watching her pick apart a bowl of popcorn, asking me a hundred questions about the movie we’ve already seen twice. That’s what I should be doing. That’s what I always do on Saturday nights.
It’s just been the two of us for a while now.
Margo, her mother, decided one day that she no longer wanted to be part of our family. Of course, it didn’t start like that, hence the reason we’re still legally married, hopefully not for too much longer.
She wanted to tour with her high school band. She said it was her big chance, her one shot to reclaim what she lost. I agreed, at first. Two months. I told myself I could handle two months. Cassidy and I would manage. Plus, Margo promised she’d call regularly. She promised she’d come back.
That was a year ago.
The first month, she called every other day, her voice buzzing with excitement about the road, the crowds, the freedom. Bythe second month, the calls became texts. Then... nothing. Just silence.
I should’ve seen it coming.
I replay the conversation in my head sometimes, wondering if I missed the signs.
“It’s only a little while, Ethan.” She stood by the door, bags lined up like soldiers, neat and ready to go. Her voice was firm, but I caught the hesitation. Just a flicker, not nearly enough to stop her.
I crossed my arms, leaning against the counter. “And Cassidy? What do I tell her when she notices you’re gone?”
"Tell her I’ll be back soon. Tell her I love her."
"She’s seven, Margo. She’s not stupid." My voice was steady, but my grip on the counter wasn’t. "You think she’s just going to forget you walked out with a suitcase?"
Her shoulders stiffened. No flinch. No second thoughts. Just a slow inhale, her fingers brushing through her hair, stalling. Buying time.
"She’ll understand when she’s older. She won’t remember this."
I let out a short, bitter laugh. "She remembers everything. And when she asks me why you left, what am I supposed to say?"
That’s when she looked at me—really looked at me. Hazel eyes sharp, unrelenting. Daring me to be the bad guy.
"You’ll figure it out, Ethan. You always do."
It should’ve ended there. That was the moment I should’ve told her no. That she didn’t get to do this. That Cassidy deserved better. But then she squared her shoulders, and her voice turned to steel.
"I’ve been here every single day for seven years. I gave up everything. My band, my shot, my life. Can’t you give me this?"
I wanted to tell her she hadn’t done it alone. That I’d been there too, holding it all together. But the weight of her guilt was too sharp, too thick to cut through.
I exhaled, rubbing a hand over my face. "How long?"
"Two months." Softer now. Hopeful, even. Like if she said it gently enough, I’d believe it.
She kissed my cheek, lingering just long enough to leave me feeling more alone than ever. Then she grabbed her bags and walked out.
The door closed with barely a sound, but it still echoed through the house.
She meant it when she said it. I think she did. But two months turned into three, then six, then twelve. She found her freedom on the road and forgot what she left behind.
Or maybe she was planning it all along. I probably should’ve seen it coming.
But I didn’t. And Cassidy is the one paying for it.
Before I walk into Drew’s, my phone buzzes.
I answer. "Hey, Ryan. What’s up?" He’s not only one of my closest friends, but also my attorney for the divorce I’ve been begging for.
