Page 13 of War
“Eli gave me everything I could ever want, that’s why I married him.” Faith replied. She caught the look on her mother’s face and revised her statement. “I was also in love with him, too, Mommy. I did go through fertility treatments for him.” Faith grew increasingly defensive. “I do love my husband.”
“I never doubted your love for Eliodoro, Faith Marie,” Amy added, “I just wonder how much of the lifestyle Eliodoro is providing for you is playing a part of making you stay in a marriage you clearly no longer want and probably never wanted from the start?”
“Eli proposed to me when he was dirt poor, barely any money, and I said yes,” Faith’s tone was polite, but angry. “His money had nothing to do why I married him.”
“His money has everything to do why you’re staying,” Amy replied, “you don’t trust your husband, and you’re staying with him. You have yet to give me a solid reason as to thewhy.”
Tension inched along Faith’s spine. “I don’t believe in divorce,” she paused for a moment, “I was taught – by you out of all people – that divorce is not an option.”
“In certain situations, divorce is allowable in the Bible.” Amy put down her sandwich, “this is assuming you’re aware of what I’m referring to.”
Faith was well-aware of what her mother spoke of. She also knew God hated divorce. “I’m trying to trust my husband but it’s hard, okay? Every time he walks out the front door, I don’t know for sure if he’s going to work. I don’t know if he’s really doing an event. I don’t know if he’s really with his employees at happy hour. I just don’t know! I go to the salon, and then it’s me and the kids most of the time.”
“Faith, it’s always been you and the babies. Eliodoro works very hard to provide the lifestyle others could only dream of. You needed extra help, Eliodoro got a nanny. You didn’t like to cook that much, he got a chef. You were too tired from the salon to clean, he hired a maid. And Faith Marie, he did this when it was just you and Nathan.
“Faith, if you can’t forgive your husband for his affair, you need to leave him alone,” Amy suggested, “so you both can move on.” She paused for a beat. “Faith Marie, why are you still with Eliodoro?”
Her mother’s question took Faith by surprise. “Why am I still with Eli? That’s insane, Mommy! I’m with my husband because I love him!”
“Okay,” Amy sipped her tea.
Amy Sheppard was grace personified and Faith spent many years trying to emulate her mother’s classic and flawless style. Even when her mother politely shaded other folks, she did in a way it appeared to be a compliment. “What is on your mind, Mommy?”
“When a woman is married, there’s a certain respect society has for her, no matter where she is on the socio-economic ladder of life. When a woman is divorced, her stock drops rather significantly. Not that it’s any of her fault and most of the time, it’s not. But society doesn’t view her with the same respect and awe as when she was married.
“My point is while I do believe you love Eliodoro and you do want to make your marriage work, I also wonder if you also love the privilege that being Mrs. Eliodoro D’Amato brings to you.” Amy glanced at her daughter. “Everyone cares about the current, but no one ever cares about the ex.”
