Page 44 of Ever After

“Thank you,” I say with a smile.

My mom picks up the conversation, clearly understanding where I was going with my thoughts. She knows me better than anyone else in the world, even Lia. “At least he understands your situation. It sounded like he did anyway, from what he went through. And he’s not judging you. No one is.”

I lean back in my chair and start running my fingers around in circles on my mimosa glass. “You’re right. I need to finalize my divorce, and then maybe my mind will be a little clearer to decide.”

Once I get back home from brunch, I decide to go through a whole pile of mail I’ve been avoiding. There’s a manilla envelope that looks familiar. As I’m opening it. I already know what it is. These are the divorce papers I mailed out to Aiden. He’s been staying with his parents. It surprised me he chose to stay with them as opposed to his friends. I don’t know how much he’s told his family, and my heart hurts thinking about them.

Me: I mailed you out the divorce papers to your parents’ house. They were mailed back to me. Did you mail them back?

Aiden: Yes, I got them. I mailed them back. I’m not done proving to you we can work this out.

Jesus Christ…not this again.

Me: Just sign them please. We also need to pack and figure out the living situation.

Aiden: If you would like, I can move back in. It would be much easier to work on things under the same roof.

Me: Why do you always dance around the subject?

Aiden: Lilah, give me one more chance. I really believe we can make this work.

Me: I can never have a relationship with you. All the trust is gone. I can never sleep with you again let alone have a decent emotional bond with you.

Aiden: You seem so cool and collected over all this. I don’t see how you got like this.

Me: I’m done talking about this. You need to sign the papers and discuss the living situation.

After telling Aiden we need to talk about our living situation, I looked around for places for myself. I’ve been at it all day, but I haven’t found anything I like. Everything that could potentially work is out of my price range. There is no way in hell I will move back into a place to share walls with someone. I did that way too much when Aiden and I first moved in together. It was awful having to hear other people at all hours of the day and night.

I remember getting woken up in the middle of the night from a pounding noise coming right above my head. At first, I didn’t understand what it was. I kept listening to it and figured out the couple above me was fucking. It was like a routine for them. Three o’clock in the morning rolled around and there goes the pounding. I had to grab my broom and hit it against the ceiling to get them to stop. You would think that would stop them or figure out a way to make the bed not hit the wall, but no, every once in a while, it would happen again.

A call comes through my phone and interrupts my thoughts. I reach over and grab it. It’s Lia.

“Hey let’s go shopping.” She sounds overly happy.

“What’s with you being so happy?”

“That’s an odd question. Can’t people be happy without being questioned why?”

She’s right. My mood has been all over the place. I almost feel like saying no to shopping just so I don’t ruin her mood.

“Hellooooo! Earth to Lilah. Get your ass up. I want to go shopping. I’ll pick you up in twenty, and I won’t take no for an answer. Be ready.”

Before I can object, I hear a click on the other end of the phone. I roll myself off the couch and walk over to my room. Once I get in there, I sit on the bed, contemplating on what to wear. I’m not in the mood to dress up or even get dressed at all. I’m still in my pajamas from this morning. That’s the nice thing about working from home. I can dress and look however I want. Although, I try to get ready most of the time, because if not, I’m in this type of mood. It ruins my whole day if I just bum around.

I grab a pair of black leggings and throw a cute lavender colored sweater on. I walk over to my bathroom and almost scare myself when I look in the mirror. Fuck Lilah, at least look a little more decent during the day, I say to myself. I have mascara all around my eyes. I look like a freaking racoon. My hair is all frizzy and out of place. With little time, I grab a scrunchy and throw my hair up in a loose bun after washing my face and applying a fresh coat of mascara, concealer, and blush. Looking back at myself in the mirror, I’m grateful to look a little more alive.

I hear a honk outside. That must be Lia. I hurry and grab my shoes and purse and run out the door.

After walking through the whole mall, we decide to eat at a brewery. A burger and beer sound good right now. I look over at Lia. She is about to fall off her side of the booth because everything she bought is sitting with her. She said she was in a shopping mood, and by the looks of it, she really was.

After the waiter sets my beer down, I take a huge chug. I love beer. I don’t drink it much because it makes me bloated, but when I do, I really enjoy it.

“Lia, why were you in a shopping mood?” I ask and she looks at me with a huge smile.

“I finally got promoted!” she says with a squeal.

“What? Really? The position you have been wanting on?” Lia majored in marketing. She has been working her way up to manage a project she enjoys marketing for.

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