and I Believe. Jodie Richard-Bohman

for the record, if I’d thought for just a second that you still loved me the way you used to, none of this would ever have happened. So yes, I am the one walking away, but I am only doing something I know has been in the back of your mind for years.

      There was a click and the message ended.

      Stunned, I felt as if I could cry. After everything I just said to him, I seriously thought he would call me crying and begging for my forgiveness, but instead he is still continuing to blame me for everything.

      Later, after the girls had gone to Aaron’s for a few hours, I was still a mess. I was so angry at Aaron for doing this to us that I just wanted to scream. I grabbed my shoes and sweatshirt and went outside.

      It was cold and slushy out, normal for March in Ohio, but I didn’t care as I threw the basketball at the hoop. I needed to do something to release all these crazy emotions inside me. I was so deep in thought, that I didn’t notice my dad coming up behind me.

      “Kate, is everything okay? Do you want to talk?” he asked.

      “Thanks, Dad, but I just want to be alone right now.”

      I could tell my words hurt his feelings, but he still came up to me and put his hands on my shoulders.

      “Kate, everything can heal,” he paused, “as long as a person lets it.”

      He then gave me a kiss on my forehead, turned and walked back towards the house.

      I watched him until he disappeared inside. Part of me was mad at him for saying that, but the other part of me knew there might be some truth to it. Either way, I wasn’t ready to go there yet.

      The bitter cold wind snapped at my tear-streaked face. I dropped my head and went back upstairs. I took off my wet shoes at the door and went to hang up my sweatshirt in the closet. The small plastic storage box on the top shelf caught my eye. Reaching up, I pulled it down to me.

      There wasn’t a sound in the apartment as I sat down on the living room floor. By now, I didn’t feel as angry as I did before, just sad and lonely. I opened the box and began pulling out eighteen years worth of memories with Aaron.

      A small smile came to my face as I looked at a picture of Aaron and me when I met his family for the first time. We were at Gene and Dorothy’s house sitting underneath the gazebo, looking so young and innocent. The next picture was of us at his senior prom. Looking very handsome in his black tuxedo, he had his arm around my waist in a tight embrace. I couldn’t help but notice how crazy in love we were. I then noticed our wedding video. Slipping it into the VCR, I drifted back into time, as I watched my dad walk me down the aisle to Aaron, who looked like he was the happiest man in the world. We were so in love back then and there was never a thought that we wouldn’t be together forever for the rest of our lives.

      “But now,” I said as I slid my anniversary band off of my left ring finger. “Forever has ended.”

      I couldn’t help but to think that being dead would be better than being alive.

      Chapter 16

      Knock, knock!

      Sleepy and confused, I opened my eyes trying to register where the noise was coming from.

      Knock, knock!

      I realized the noise was a knock at the front door.

      God—I hope nothing is wrong with Mom or Dad, I thought when I noticed it was six o’clock in the morning. To my surprise it wasn’t Mom or Dad, but Liz.

      “Is everything okay?” I asked, my heart beating a mile a minute.

      “Yes,” she answered nonchalantly, walking right into my apartment. “I’m sorry for coming over this early and probably scaring you to death, but I have a surprise for you.”

      “You what?” I asked, half relieved, half irritated. Here I was thinking there was something terribly wrong, and she is acting like it’s the middle of the day and asking me if I want to go out or something.

      “I have a surprise for you. All you have to do is shower, grab some comfy clothes and I will be back in an hour to pick you up.”

      “Liz, what are you talking about? It is Friday, and we both have to work.”

      “Actually, I took the day off, and you don’t have to work either.”

      “What?”

      “I called your boss and scheduled a personal day for you. He knows that you’ve been under a lot of stress lately and was more than happy to approve your leave.”

      “You did what?” I snapped back, shocked that she would do such a thing.

      “I said you don’t have to work, and I’m taking you out for the day.”

      “I can’t believe you did that behind my back,” I said harshly.

      She narrowed her blue eyes at me, obviously annoyed with my tone, so I quickly changed it.

      “Liz, I’m so sorry . . . I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. It’s just that Aaron came to work yesterday and I think he still wants a divorce and-”

      She cut me off. “I’m sorry to hear that, but you’ve known all along that this was going to happen.”

      I looked back at her surprised and definitely not liking what she had just said. “You have no idea what I have been going through,” I snapped.

      “You’re darn right I don’t understand, and I hope like hell I never do. I know you’re hurting and probably will be for a long time, but unfortunately your marriage is over with and it is time you acknowledge that and start to move on.”

      “How dare you say that to me!”

      “You want to know something? This last month I’ve watched you run away from everything important in your life, and I’ve tried to be understanding about it, but when your ten-year-old daughter calls me up yesterday, worried sick to death about her mommy, that is when I knew it was time for me to step in.”

      “What?” I asked, completely shocked.

      She continued, ignoring my reaction to what she said about Jenna. “I hate to say it like this, but you’re giving me no choice. Would you rather have your heart broken because your husband left you, or would you rather have your heart broken because you lost one of your kids?”

      Her words really made me stop and think. Yes, my heart was broken right now, but that kind of hurt could eventually heal. But losing a loved one, such as Jenna or Mia, well, I’d never get over that kind of loss.

      “You’re right.”

      “What?” she asked, seeming surprised I agreed with her instead of argued.

      “I never thought about it like that, but you are absolutely right. Obviously this hurts and will for some time, but this isn’t the worse thing that can happen to me.”

      “So does that mean you’re not mad at me?”

      “I think you are mean, but no, I’m not mad at you.”

      We both laughed.

      “So are you driving or am I?” I then asked.

      “Really?”

      “Yes.”

      “Great! I’m driving, and I’ll be back around seven-thirty to get you.”

      “Okay. I’ll see you then.”

      After taking a quick shower, I went into Jenna’s dark bedroom and turned on the lamp beside her bed.

      “Hey there.”

      “Hi,” she said, sitting up, yawning and stretching her arms out.

      “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting lately.”

      Her blue eyes widened.