Page 6 of The Lighthouse Sisters
Stomping across the hall, she grabbed her car keys from the entryway and stood ready to leave. She hesitated. And then realized that he didn’t plan on stopping her. This was what he wanted, after all.
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and stepped out into the night.
FOUR
“Raelynn, what are you doing here?” Katrina asked, looking down at her friend who stood on her front steps looking forlorn. “Are you ok?”
She stepped forward, and Raelynn took a deep breath. It didn’t matter because she was still barely able to get out the words, “No, far from it.”
She began to cry again, and Katrina quickly reached for her friend, wrapping her in her arms. She held her as she cried, not knowing what was happening but tearing up listening to her friend sob. Raelynn had managed to hold back tears as she drove to her friend’s home, but the moment Katrina had asked her if she was ok, the floodgates had reopened. And she felt that she couldn’t hold back the pain any longer. She sobbed in her friend’s arms, realizing that she hadn’t ever felt so hopeless and lonely in her entire life.
Keeping an arm wrapped around her shoulder, Katrina ushered Raelynn in. Dave came to the door to see what was going on and quickly made himself scarce upon seeing Raelynn in such a state. Raelynn was relieved. He wasn’t exactly her friend anyway.
Closing the door behind them, Katrina led Raelynn to her couch and sat her down. Katrina’s house was warm and cozy, filled with keepsakes and knickknacks collected from thrift shops, estate sales, and online auctions from around the world. Some would call her house cluttered, but Raelynn felt it was well-lived in. It was loved.
She felt the tears coming again as she thought of her own house––that she had thought had been filled with love. She could not have been more wrong, and now it wouldn’t even be her house anymore.
When she started to cry again, Katrina handed her a handkerchief. Katrina was the only person Raelynn knew who even owned handkerchiefs in this modern world.
“Thank you,” she said to her friend. “I––” she couldn’t get the rest of the words out. She was too upset to speak.
Seeing her friend in such a state, a disconcerted Katrina rushed to soothe her. She placed her hand over hers, and said gently, “Shh...take your time. It’s all right. Whatever it is, it will be all right.”
Then unable to stop herself, she asked, “Is Dylan ok?”
Raelynn could only nod.
“Thank goodness,” Katrina said, her hand over her heart. She frowned, “Then what happened, Raelynn? Oh no, is John ok?”
Raelynn closed her eyes tightly and then forced herself to take a calming breath. “He’s fine,” she said bitterly. “He’s perfect. He’s divorcing me.” Saying the words out loud to her friend made them all too real, and she started to cry again.
“Oh, sweetie, come here,” Katrina hugged her and just rocked her back and forth, almost like a small child. “You’ll get through this. You’re not alone.”
A knock sounded at the door then, and looking confused, Katrina was about to get it when Dave appeared from nowhere and answered it instead.
“Oh great,” he said sarcastically. “The gang’s all here.”
“Move it, Dave,” Hazel said, entering the house without waiting for an invite. Shaking his head, Dave disappeared into another room.
Hazel closed the door behind her and then upon seeing Raelynn there announced, “I’m glad you’re both here, because I’m done.”
“What?” Katrina asked, befuddled. What was Hazel talking about?
“I’m done working my life away. I have, what? Like 30 good years left if I’m lucky. I’m not waiting until I’m an old woman to enjoy my life! I need to seize the day now! So, I’ve decided…I’m done. On Monday, I’m going to walk into my office and hand over my resignation.” She placed her hand on her hips and said, “It’s decided! And I feel so free!” She did a little twirl and kept talking, pacing as she did, her mind now far from the room and focused on all the adventures she was going to have.
With passion in her voice, she said, “I’m selling my stock, and I’m going to retire early, as a young…well youngish…independent woman! Yes!”
She finally turned back to her friends and said, “What? No reaction? None at all?”
Katrina shook her head. “Come on, Hazel, read the room.”
“What?”
That was when she leaned in a little and noticed Raelynn’s face. Her eyes were red and looked swollen.
“Are you ok? What’s wrong?” She immediately went and sat on the opposite side of her and grabbed her hands in hers.
“He––John––he wants a divorce,” she struggled to get the words out but finally managed.
