A white T-shirt of Theo’s had been left on his closet doorknob. I pushed the fabric to my nose and inhaled, reveling in the scent of him: deodorant and the light aroma called Theo. Tears sprang to my eyes, but I wiped them away and jammed the clothing in my suitcase for safekeeping. I might have made my decision about him long ago, but old habits die hard; that could be the only piece of Theo I’d have for time moving forward.
Mom interrupted me. “Uh, Sadie? Have you seen my car?”
“You mean it’s not in the driveway? I haven’t been using the back door. I assumed it would...”
“It’s not there. And neither are my keys.”
“That’s odd.”
“Did Theo take it?”
I sighed. “He’s not supposed to drive by himself but hold on. Let me text him.” He knew better than to drive alone, but maybe he took someone with him. Mike?
Delia ran into the room, paper in hand. “Look what I found! A note from Daddy.”
Mom looked at the paper and read it aloud. “Marjorie, I’m borrowing the car. I’ll keep it safe. Sorry you weren’t here to ask.” She met my gaze and raised her eyebrows.
What? “I’m—”
“I’m not mad,” she said. “I understand some of what he’s going through. If he needs the time away, so be it. I can stay up here for a few more days—if you’re okay with it. In fact, I’m happy to do so. Lake life agrees with me.”
An uncharacteristic connection emerged in my chest. Walloon Lake had worked its magic on Mom too. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, but if you want to stay, the place is yours.”
We spent the last few hours at Walloon Lake hiking the trail along the lake, swinging at the empty playground, and ordering double scoops of Superman ice cream. The soundtrack of the kids’ voices brought happy tears to my eyes, and I stored it for later, when I needed to hear utter joy and contentment. Theo hadn’t returned my text yet, but Mom wasn’t worried about her car—Lena offered hers when needed—so the kids and I packed up and swept the house. Then, we left for home. The kids might have sensed something, or perhaps it was the sadness they felt from leaving Dad at the lake, but none of them quibbled at the sandwiches I doled out or how few stops we made on the return drive. Charlie and Delia read to themselves and chatted with Lexie in the back seats, interrupting me only when necessary.
At the last stop, I texted Jackie and Kate, telling them of our change in plans, practically begging them to come by sometime after we arrived home. I didn’t give either of my friends the details, just that I needed to talk. It was no surprise, then, to see them in the dark, lounging on the porch of our house back in Kettering. Jackie held a bundled but sleeping Clara on her chest, and Kate sported a bottle of white wine in the crook of her arm. A levity bloomed inside my chest that hadn’t been there before. Glancing in the rearview mirror at the three sleeping children, I put the car in park. It wasn’t too late, but all the activity of the past few weeks had caught up with the kids. If I was lucky, Kate and I could get them to bed while Jackie manned the baby and the wine.
It didn’t take long to deposit the kids in their beds and get the baggage and outdoor toys into the laundry room. A quick closing of the laundry room door served its purpose: I wouldn’t see the mess, and Brooke wouldn’t try to tackle it the next day when she arrived. Jackie and Kate had come over for me, to help me, and everything else could wait.
In the living room, Kate had set up the wine and glasses, and Jackie had pulled in an old pack-n-play. Clara lay there, snug and asleep, and I laughed. Not so long ago, I’d been seated in Jackie’s living room helping her with her life problems. And here she was, coming to help me. The ebb and flow of friendship; I smiled at both my friends and was grateful they’d arrived at a moment’s notice. How lucky was I?
“Thanks for coming to rescue me, ladies. If you hadn’t come, it’s likely I’d be here drinking by myself.” I poured the wine into one glass and nodded my head in Jackie’s direction, a silent question as to whether she wanted any.
“Go ahead, but just a little. I don’t want to have to pump and dump this precious stuff.” Jackie gestured to her chest.
“By the way,” said Kate. “I’m happy to rescue you. Of course, I don’t like having to rescue you, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do.” I passed the glasses to my friends and slumped onto the couch. My body language must have said something.
“Is it that bad?” Jackie asked, taking a small sip of the wine and leaning in to listen.
My actions mimicked Jackie’s, but my swallow turned into a large gulp. “Probably not, but sometimes, it is.” I stood up from my seat. “Good evening. My name is Sadie, and I’m a horrible person. I haven’t divorced my husband yet, but I want someone else.” After a quick and clumsy curtsy, I sat back on the cushion, placing my hand to my head in dramatic fashion. Holy cow, the wine had just started, and already my
