3: 3
"Did he hurt you?"
On the other end, my mother's voice went tight with worry.
The tears only came harder, until I couldn't get out a single whole sentence.
There was a silence of a few seconds, and then my father's steady voice came through.
"Divorce him. Come home!"
The line went dead.
I pressed my forehead to my knees and swallowed down the sob.
All these years, going in circles, and only my parents were still my parents.
Early the next morning.
I dropped my daughter off at school.
Then I got a message from Aaron.
Telling me to come to his company.
When I got there.
I saw the front doors banked with flowers.
The big screen was playing a woman's photo.
That woman was Aaron's first love.
Across it ran the words: *Les, Welcome Home*
Once, full of hope, I'd brought it up with him.
Asked if I could borrow it for my birthday, just to have one small wish granted.
He'd told me back then that the screen was for business promotion and courting investors, and couldn't be used however we liked.
Yet here it was, and he'd used it gladly, for another woman.
Welcome home, no less.
Ten years together, and he'd never once said those words to me.
I drew in a breath and went up to the top floor.
At the door, I saw Aaron in light colors for once, his hair done up on purpose.
That steady, composed man was standing there asking his assistant's opinion, over and over.
"How does this suit look on me?"
He answered his own question before anyone could.
"Les likes light colors. I think this one works, right?"
"And the hair?"
"Les likes a little something loose over the forehead. This should be fine too."
"What about the cologne, is it too strong?"
"Les doesn't like anything that hits you in the nose."
The assistant, at a loss, was about to say something when her eye caught me standing in the doorway.
"Ma'am?"
Aaron froze, then turned to look at me.
The look he'd worn a moment ago was gone without a trace.
"When did you get here? Why didn't you say anything?"
I gave a small tug at the corner of my mouth. "Just now."
Aaron gave a short hum and didn't press further.
"Come in."
The door shut.
Aaron handed me the divorce agreement. "Virginia, do you really not want anything?"
I said nothing and signed my name straight off.
Then I asked him one question. "Are you going to marry her?"
