and I Believe. Jodie Richard-Bohman

walking down the stairs, I tiptoed into the living room, and there he was sleeping on the couch. The smell of liquor filled the entire room.

       Hmmm, I didn’t think he was drunk when he came to bed last night.

      Going back upstairs, I took a shower. Before leaving to pick up the girls at Kristie’s, I checked on Aaron. He was still sleeping, or should I say passed out, on the couch.

      “Daddy, Daddy,” Mia said when we returned home.

      “Hey baby girl,” Aaron said, finally opening his eyes and sitting up on the couch.

      “Where did you go last night?” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

      “Just to Creekside,” he muttered, not making eye contact with me.

      I wasn’t going to argue with him in front of the girls, so I dropped the subject.

       He probably feels guilty for the way he acted last night.

      “Are you going to get ready for your parents’ house?” I asked him when he still hadn’t gotten up from the couch.

      “I’m not going. I don’t feel so good,” he said, still avoiding my stare.

      His face was pale and his eyes were sunken in, so I thought maybe it wasn’t alcohol-related and he was really sick.

      The girls and I first went to Aaron’s mom and dad’s house and had a nice visit with them, Carey and her family, along with Grandma Dorothy. Stopping home before going to my mom and dad’s, I checked on Aaron again, who still hadn’t moved from the couch.

      “Did you want me to make you some soup or something?” I asked, feeling sorry for him.

      “No, but thanks,” he whispered, not opening his eyes.

      “Okay. Well, the girls and I are going to go to Mom and Dad’s. Call me if you need anything.”

      “Okay,” he muttered.

      A few days had passed and although Aaron seemed to be feeling better, he was still acting odd. He was quiet, but being very accommodating, offering to take the girls wherever they needed to go, coming home early from work to make supper, and he even bought me flowers.

       He must really feel bad for the way he acted the other night. Maybe he finally realized that I was right and that there’s more to marriage than just sex.

      Chapter 8

      Aaron and Angie . . . I still couldn’t believe that Aaron was with Angie, I thought after I drove around for a couple hours and finally decided to go home, which was empty when I got there.

      Mom and Dad had to be wondering why we hadn’t picked up the girls yet, so I reluctantly picked up the phone and called them. There was a couple of rings before Mom’s cheerful voice was on the other end.

      “Hi Mom.” I bit my lip to keep from crying.

      Her voice instantly became alarmed. “Kate, what’s wrong?”

      I was silent a moment before finally answering her. “Mom, can you keep the girls again tonight and drop them off on your way to work tomorrow morning?”

      “Yes. Is everything okay?”

      My chest felt tight as I fought back a sob. “Actually, Mom, things aren’t good, but I don’t want to talk about it right now. I promise I’ll tell you more tomorrow.”

      “Okay,” she said, with a worried tone in her voice. “Please call us if you need anything.”

      “I will. I love you, Mom.”

      “I love you too, Kate.”

      Tears streamed down my cheeks, one after another, as I hugged my knees to my chest. The phone rang a few times after that, but I didn’t budge. Instead, I stared out the picture window in a blank daze.

      Hours later, a car pulled into my driveway. As I sat in the dark living room, I watched two familiar figures walk up onto the front porch. I quickly got up from the couch and opened the front door. When I saw my sisters’ faces, I lost it.

      After I told them everything that had happened, Kristie was speechless, and Kellie, being the protective older sister that she was, looked like she wanted to rip their heads off.

      “I’m in complete shock,” Kristie said, shaking her head back and forth. “Never in a million years would I have guessed if somebody was going to do this, it would be Aaron. He worships the ground you walk on and has always treated you like a queen.”

      “I know, I know. I still can’t believe this is really happening. I never saw it coming.”

      “Are you seriously thinking about moving out?” Kellie asked.

      “I don’t want to, but what else can I do? He was pretty adamant about not being able to ‘live like this’ anymore. I’m going to talk to Mom and Dad and see if the girls and I can stay in the room above their garage until I get everything figured out.”

      I couldn’t stop from tearing up again. Being around my sisters allowed me to let my guard down and show how raw my hurt was.

      “Do you know how worthless I feel knowing that he kissed and did who knows what with another woman because we ‘don’t do it very often,’ and that he’s the one who wants out of the marriage? I should be the one kicking him to the curb for what he did, not the other way around.” I dropped my head into my hands and started rubbing my temples. “Could one of you call Mom and Dad and let them know what’s going on? Mom’s dropping off the girls tomorrow morning, and I don’t want to talk about it in front of them.”

      “I’ll call Mom as soon as I get home,” Kellie answered. “And since tomorrow is President’s Day and there’s no school, why don’t you drop the girls off at my house.”

      “Thanks. They’d really like that.”

      “Do you want us to spend the night with you tonight?” Kristie asked.

      “No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

      “You sure?”

      “Yes,” I nodded.

      “Okay. Well, we’re going to get going, but call us if you need anything.”

      After they left, I lay on the couch, staring up at the blank ceiling. Even though I was having a hard time grasping everything, I knew I had to anyway. The idea of leaving this place really pained me, but there was no way I could stay.

      I knew Mom and Dad wouldn’t mind me staying with them, but I had no idea how long my stay would be. I could look into renting an apartment, but I didn’t want to commit to something long term in the event Aaron happened to change his mind.

      I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a sigh of exhaustion. Over the last twenty-four hours, my life was turned completely upside down, but one thing I dreaded more than anything was having to tell Jenna and Mia that their mom and dad were no longer going to be together. The mere thought tore my heart in two.

      Chapter 9

      I was awakened early the next morning by the doorbell. Knowing it was probably Mom, I quickly got up to let her in. It felt great to have the girls back, and their big hugs and kisses made me feel so much better. In the living room, I turned on cartoons for them to watch while Mom and I went into the kitchen to talk.

      “I don’t know what you are going to do, but you and the girls can always stay in the room above the garage,” she said, handing me a key and an extra garage door opener.

      “Thank-you so much. I didn’t want to impose on you and Dad, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

      “Hopefully, this is something you and Aaron can get worked out, but in the meantime, you and the girls can stay