“None of this is what I want. Not one damn bit of it. What the hell am I supposed to tell Eli when he asks for you? How am I supposed to explain to him his mother cared more about herself than him, huh?”
And for some reason, Violet came to mind, and he realized how eerily similar their lives were before quickly pushing the thought aside.
“You’re a good man, Hunter, and an even better father. You’ll know exactly what to say to him so you won’t hurt him.”
“Be sure about this, Mel. Because if you aren’t coming home, then know I’m going to seek full custody of him. I’ll even file to terminate your parental rights. Is that what you want?”
“I already filed the paperwork myself. You should be getting papers from my lawyer next week.”
The room started to spin, and a pain pierced his heart as he sat down.
This was it.
She wasn’t bluffing.
In all the years they had been together, this had been their MO. They’d fight; they’d yell and scream. Then one of them would offer an ultimatum, and then they’d be okay.
Apparently, not anymore.
“Mel…don’t do this to him. Please.”
And for the first time in all the years they’d known each other, he heard genuine regret in her voice.
“I have to. It’s not fair to him. To any of us. I’m sorry it had to happen this way, I really am. But…this is how it had to be. You and I? We’re too different. You always wanted to live the small town life and settle down with the wife, the kids, the dog, and never see the world. Well, I do! I need to!”
“There’s nothing wrong with what I want!”
Her laugh was sad. “For you, it’s not. But not everyone wants to live that life, Hunter. I’m not belittling you for it; I’m just saying I can’t live like that.”
Eyes closed, Hunter tried to grasp all that was happening. And even though he knew he shouldn’t be surprised, he was.
“Say something, Hunter. Please.”
His low laugh matched hers. “What would be the point? I think we’ve said it all.”
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I guess you’re right.”
Later, there would be time to process all of this, but the logical part of his brain kicked in and he knew there were some practical matters to take care of.
“Um…Eli’s stuff. I know I have a lot of his things here, but I’m sure there are things at your place he’d like.”
“Oh, yeah. I left a key for you in the flowerpot on the front porch. You can go in and take whatever you want. I’ve got people coming in to clear the rest out next week, so…seriously, take anything you think you might want.”
“You didn’t take anything with you?”
“Just my clothes and a few personal items. I’m making a fresh start. Reinventing myself.”
It was almost enough to make him sick.
“Look, I need to go,” Melissa said carefully.
“Okay.”
“You’re going to be fine, Hunter. If anything, you’re going to be great. I’ve been holding you back. You and Eli. Go and be happy.”
Emotion he wasn’t expecting had him by the throat and all he could do was nod.
“Take care of yourself, Hunt.”
“You too.” The words were barely audible, and it wasn’t until the call disconnected that he realized tears were streaming down his face.
And he didn’t even try to stop them.
Four
“You are going to love Hawaii, Mr. Chen. And your wife is going to be incredibly surprised!”
“Thanks, Violet! We’ll be sure to tag you in our Instagram stories!”
“I’ll be looking for them,” she replied with a smile. “Take care!”
“You too!”
Standing, Violet took off her headset and stretched. Her back was killing her, and she had a bit of a headache, but there was no way she was going to complain to Katie.
Not even to tell her the reason for those ailments was the hard and lumpy bed and the lack of sleep it was causing her.
Why? Because that’s what friends do for each other.
Apparently.
Plus, it had been a few days since the whole Braxton Hicks experience, and Katie still wasn’t feeling like herself. Violet knew next to nothing about pregnancy and chalked it up to her being so close to her due date. She was taking it easy, and right now was taking a nap. Eli and Kira were doing the same.
“Wish I could nap,” she muttered and realized there was something better she could do for herself.
Yoga.
She hadn’t so much as given herself a proper stretch or even gone into a downward-facing dog in almost two weeks! It wasn’t going to solve the uncomfortable bed problem, but it would certainly get out some of the kinks. Feeling energized, she changed into a pair of yoga pants and a cami and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She didn’t have a mat with her, but that wasn’t going to stop her. Grabbing her iPod and earbuds, she was ready to go.
Out in the living room, Violet was about to move the coffee table aside, when an even better idea came to her.
The yard.
It was a gorgeous day, the sun was shining, and being only a block from the beach meant the air smelled fantastic. Katie and Brian’s yard wasn’t overly large, but there was a beautiful grassy area that wasn’t currently in the full-sun and she thought it would be the perfect spot to get her yoga on.
Within minutes, she had gone through some basic gentle stretches and felt some of the tension leaving her body. Feeling mildly encouraged, she transitioned into her warrior poses before stretching her hamstrings. Everything began to relax as she found her groove and she made a mental note to make time for this every day.
A half-hour later, she felt like a new woman. Everything was loose, and she gave in to the crazy urge to do something she hadn’t done in years.
She did a row of cartwheels across the yard.
And came practically toe-to-toe with Eli after her last one.
“Oh, hey, buddy,” she said with a smile, squatting down in front of him. “What are you doing out here? Does Katie know you’re up?”
He nodded.
Violet wasn’t quite sure she believed him, but Katie came to the sliding back door carrying her laptop. “Brian’s surprised us with some FaceTime. Can you keep an eye on Eli for me?”
“Sure! No problem!”
“Thanks!” The door slid shut and Violet stared down at the wide-eyed boy.
“So…you want to play on the swings?”
He shook his head.
O-kay…
Looking around the yard, she spotted a ball. “How about we kick the ball around?”
Another head shake.
Hmm…now what?
“Can you flip?” he asked.
“Flip?”
He nodded. “Like before.”
When did she flip? “Oh! You mean the cartwheel? This?” And she immediately flew into another one and heard him giggle. When she was standing in front of him, he was smiling, and damn if it didn’t make her heart squeeze. He was a fairly solemn kid, so this was a real treat.
Then an idea came to her.
“Want to do some tumbling with me?”