She lies in bed, and I can hear her crying, feel the bed shaking. I’m having a hard time listening to her. Loved her more than half my life.
I reach over and rub her head. “We’ll figure it all out for the kids.”
Her body quivers as she inhales a breath.
I reach over and roll her onto her back. I take her hand and link my fingers through hers.
“I’m gonna miss you.”
I feel like a hundred-pound weight was just dropped and is crashing down on my chest.There is no fix to this. She loves him.
“We have kids together. We’ll always be there for them.”
“I haven’t, though, Lucas. I haven’t.” She begins to sob again, and I pull her over and hold her.
“You took a time-out, Ash. We all need one once in a while. Now it’s time to get back in the game. Team Links. For them, forever.”
She rolls to her side and scoots back against me. She takes my hand and holds it between the pillow and her head, just like she always has.
“I do love you, Lucas.”
I can’t respond in words. The last time I heard her say those three words was to the man she’s choosing over her kids, over me. I kiss the back of her head instead.
I fall asleep faster tonight. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m emotionally trashed or if it’s because I’m holding my wife.
Then I wake from a dead sleep when Ava screams out, no doubt having another nightmare. I scurry from my room to hers and grab her tight, pulling her against me and just holding her.
Ashley comes in and sits on the other side of her, and yeah … together, we both try to calm her down without waking her. I learned how to do that a long time ago.
Logan comes in and asks what’s wrong, and I quietly explain. He sits on the chaise in Ava’s bay window, grabs a blanket, and covers himself.
We all end up falling asleep in Ava’s room.
All of us, together.
?
I wake sitting against her headboard. Ashley’s against my chest, and Ava’s on the other side of me, holding my hand. I look up and see Logan is wide awake, watching us.
I smile and wink at him. Then I mouth “Gym?”
He nods.
Ava stays asleep, but Ash wakes when I’m trying to climb out of bed.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Logan and I are going to the gym. You got her?”
“Yes.” She gives me a sad smile. “Thank you.”
In an awkward attempt to kiss her head as I’m climbing over her, I kiss her lips.
I look into her hopeful eyes and close mine, giving her a quick peck and then getting the hell out of the room. Logan watches it all from across the hall.
I grab my workout clothes, and he does the same.
Once ready and in the garage, I turn the key as he asks, “Dad?”