It's Been a Tough Year

I finally gave up trying to watch anything and set my alarm early enough that I could shower in the morning and be dressed before the factory guys started to arrive at seven.

As I tried to get some sleep, I wondered what I was going to do. Lori was right, I didn't have the money for a lawyer, or even an apartment. I'd have to figure out something. Lori had displayed contempt for our marriage and for me, personally. There was no way I was going to go crawling back home with my tail between my legs.

I was actually a little surprised when the alarm woke me up the next morning. I couldn't believe I slept that good on that couch. The damn thing was a torture device.

I showered and got dressed before heading off to Denny's for a leisurely breakfast. I'd kill some time there until it was time for me to go to work. I was sipping my fourth cup of coffee when the solution to my problem hit me like a flash. Of course, it was so simple. Why I hadn't thought of it sooner was beyond me.

Once back in Enright's parking lot, I took out my cell phone and took a picture. The first thing I did after sitting down at my desk was to run the ad. Two days later I took the afternoon off. I had a few errands to run. Knowing Lori would be at work, I drove over to the house and found the papers I was looking for in our personal filing cabinet. I grabbed the spare set of keys on the way out. Later that day I checked into a motel and called Lori. As soon as she heard my voice she started in again...

"It's about time! Are you done with your little hissy-fit now? I can't believe you couldn't find the money to take me out to dinner but you can stay in a motel for two days."

"Actually," I said, cutting her off, "I stayed at the office."

"The office?"

"Yeah, they have a shower, a nice comfortable couch, and a TV room...all the comforts of home," I said, lying through my teeth.

She responded with more of the same. "Well that's just being ridiculous; stop being so stubborn and come home."

"I'm not coming home, Lori. I told you, our marriage is over. I just called to let you know you're going to need a ride home."

"What; why? What's wrong with the car?"

"Nothing," I replied. "It drives like a dream; nicer than mine."

There was a brief silence as she was undoubtedly trying to figure out what I was saying. "Skyler, what are you talking about?"

"I sold my car; got eighteen grand for it. That's more than enough to get a lawyer started on the divorce and a down payment on an apartment. Of course being in sales, I still need a car so I took yours. I stopped by the house earlier today and got the titles to both cars and the spare keys to yours."

"Skyler," she shrieked. "You can't do that! What am I supposed to drive?"

"Actually, since both cars are in my name, I CAN do that. I didn't take anything out of the accounts. All the bills are paid for the month so there wasn't a lot left but if you budget you should have plenty for food and cab fare. If you run low I'm sure Jerry will be more than happy to take you out for dinner-providing you give him what he wants, of course."

Suddenly it was with a much subdued attitude with which she spoke. "Skyler, please don't do this. I...I never thought you'd really go this far. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone out with Jerry but I was mad. Honest...nothing was going to happen."

"Lori, you lied to me, went on a date with another man behind my back, and then treated me with disdain and showed absolutely no remorse when I caught you. Admit it, Lori, you don't love or respect me. You made that plain as day with the way you talked to me the other night."

"Skyler, I...I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, Lori. We had a good run when life was easy, but when things got tough we let each other down."

He was surprised to hear a sob from the other end of the phone but it made no difference anymore. He continued. "The house is in both our names. It's our one decent asset so it needs to be sold as quickly as possible." He heard her gasp.

"Sell the house? Skyler do we have to?"

"Lori, right now we're up to date with the mortgage but I'm not paying any more house payments and there's no way you can pay them every month. Yes, it has to be sold immediately. I figure we each should be able to walk away with fifty or sixty thousand a piece. You can buy yourself a decent used car and find an apartment with that."

"Skyler, I...I don't want a divorce. Please, can't we talk about this?"

"Sorry, Lori; it's no longer about what you want. Now, do you want to call a realtor or should I?"

EPILOGUE:

Lori stood on the sidewalk outside of her apartment and looked into the grey sky as she heard a flock of geese squawking their way northward; a welcoming reminder that spring was right around the corner. She made her way through the melting slush, to her ten year old Honda and headed toward Starbuck's to meet an old friend.

She was looking forward to seeing Julie. It had been a typical Chicago winter with cold temperatures, lots of snow, and slick roads so Lori had spent most of it cooped up in her apartment when she wasn't at work.

Julie had already commandeered a small table in the corner and was sipping her latte when Lori walked in. They greeted each other with a girly kiss on the cheek before Lori got in line for her own Columbian brew. While standing in line, Lori thought what a treat it was to get out and visit with a friend. As she walked back to the table with coffee in hand, she was greeted with a warm smile and a friendly voice.

"Lori, it's so good to see you. It's been a while."

"Yes it has, too long," she replied with a tinge of sadness in her voice. "I don't get out much anymore."

"How come? When we were younger you were the party girl."

"Yeah-well, life was a lot easier in those days. I don't have the money to go partying anymore."

"What about dates? You remember those-you go out with some handsome man and he pays," Julie joked.

"Huh," Lori faked a little laugh. "It's kind of a catch twenty-two. You can't meet men if you don't get out and you can't afford to go out if you're not with a man."

"What about guys at work," Julie asked.

"Nothing but dweebs and married men," Lori countered. "Let's get off this subject, it's depressing. How're the kids?"

"Oh, they're doing great. Charlie junior just got a promotion at work and Debbie is in her third year of college already. They grow up so fast don't they?"

"They sure do," Lori replied. "Lance has another year to go in the military and he's already talking about re-enlisting. He likes it. How's hubby?"

"Charlie's doing just fine; as hard working as ever."

Lori caught the sheepish look on her friend's face. "What?"

"Oh nothing," Julie replied even more sheepishly.

"Come on, out with it. You were going to ask me something."

"I...well, I was just going to ask if you've seen Skyler."

"No, not since we signed the divorce papers." She thought for a second. "Jeeze, that was two years ago already. Why?"

"I just wondered. I..I'm not sure I should tell you but it's probably better to hear it from a friend..."

"What? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. I ran into him the other day and we talked. He's...ah..."

"He's what, Julie? Come on-out with it."

"Okay, well...he's getting married again."

Even though she knew it was over a long time ago, the news was still hard for Lori to take. She felt her eyes instantly starting to water. Her voice dripped with sadness. "It doesn't surprise me," she said softly. "He's a great guy." Her eyes drifted downward as she admitted, "Sometimes I think back at what we had together and I wonder how I could have been so stupid."

She took a sip from her coffee then lifted her face and looked at her friend. "I did love him, you know; I really did. Things just got so rough with all the bills and everything that I started to feel sorry for myself. At the time, all I could think of was escaping all our problems and having a little fun."

Julie didn't say anything. She thought it was better to just listen.

"Skyler was right...about everything. I did lose my respect for him. I may have even stopped loving him for a little while. Stupid, I know. It wasn't his fault he got fired. He was doing everything he could to make sure we didn't lose everything, but I couldn't see past my own selfish wants. I just had to have things my way. I remember Skyler suggested we go to the zoo one weekend but I wanted my night out on the town so I shot him down cold.

"Hell, he was even right about Jerry. That was the guy he caught me having dinner with. Skyler asked if I had plans to screw the guy at the end of the night. I denied it of course, but just between you and me, I had every intention of doing just that."

"Oh Lori..."

"Yeah, I know. Believe me, Julie, if I could do it over, I would do it a whole lot differently. Is he still living in that little efficiency apartment he got?"

"Oh no, he move out of there a long time ago. I guess you didn't hear," again Julie was hesitant to bring it up.

"What now? Don't tell me—he won the lottery."

"No, nothing that good, but he got his old job back with Van's. That was a while ago, a few months after your divorce was final. I guess they started losing customers left and right after they fired Skyler. They finally called and asked him to go back. After some negotiations he took them up on their offer. Hell, he's making more now than he ever made."

As she finished talking, Julie saw a tear roll down Lori's cheek. "I'm sorry, honey. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," she replied shaking her head. "It's nobody's fault but my own," she said. "I can't tell you how many nights I've gone to bed and thought about him. I've prayed that the last two years was just a horrible nightmare and I'd awake the next morning with Skyler lying next to me; but then I wake up and have to face reality again." Lori picked up a napkin and wiped away the tears. "I'm happy for him, honest. Tell him that for me if you see him again, will you."

"I will, honey," Julie responded with sympathy.

The girls changed the subject and talked about a variety of other things. When they finally parted, Lori put up a good front, but once she got inside her car and was out of sight, she broke down and cried.

The End.