Page 61 of Love Beyond Repair
“Very well.” She started again. “Mr. Jones and Ms. McMillan. I’m concerned about the recent behavior of your daughter, Savannah. Yesterday, she struck one of the other children.” She paused, letting that sink in. “Now, since this is her first warning, we will only give her a detention.”
Kelsey and I looked at each other in disbelief. She struggles to deal with conflict, so I took up the reins in the conversation.
“Which child did she strike? And what was the situation that caused the incident?”
The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jones, but I can’t divulge that information.”
Wrong answer. I narrowed my eyes at her.
“This isn’t MI5, Mrs. Pringle. It’s a school. You’ve accused our daughter of being violent. I want to know what led her to be so. Savannah is a good girl and has caused no issues in the past. Don’t you think this requires a bit more investigation?” She shrugged her shoulders, not interested, and I stood. “I’ll be speaking to Savannah this evening. We’llcontact you with what I find out. Come on, Kels, let’s go. And, Mrs. Pringle, in the future, please use my correct title. It’s Doctor Jones.”
We left the office and headed to the front door.
Kelsey’s eyes were wary. “Do you want to grab a coffee?” she asked, her voice quiet. I nodded and followed her to the small, grubby coffee shop across the street. The sun was shining, so we sat outside.
“Ben,” she ventured. “I want a divorce.” I sat, stunned, as she put a hand on mine. “You and I both know this is over. Neither of us wants to go back. It’s time we moved on. I’m going to use my maiden name.” I nodded, but kept my lips squeezed tightly closed. There was nothing more to say.
Now, talking with Eamon, the school meeting and her request for a divorce all make sense. She’s met someone else. Eamon whacks my arm, pulling me back to the pub, reminding me of what we are talking about.
“So, what about Savannah?” he prompts.
A huge grin splits my face. I’m so proud of my little girl.
“Well, it turns out, the little shit Raymond in her class had been picking on one of the younger children during break. Savannah had been watching from a distance, but went over when the little one had hit the ground. She told Raymond to stop, and when he didn’t, she clobbered him.” Eamon’s eyes go wide, and he laughs heartily.
“The wee devil,” he declares. “That’s my girl!” He lifts his hand for a high five.
When I walk over to the bar to pay the bill, the pretty bartender shoots me a smile. She hands me back my change along with her number.
“Call me,” she mouths, and I give her a wink. You know, I just might.
***
After-school pickup is always a bit of a mission. Savannah and Rose leave through the door to the west while the small children exit via the rear gate. Parents all stand around and watch through the bars as the children play.
I see Ollie playing with a little boy I’ve never seen before, but he’s his double. They run around playing planes, shouting, with their arms outstretched. Both their little faces have red cheeks and huge smiles. My heart melts, watching my son with his friend.
Sometimes I wonder what it would’ve been like raising my kids with a woman who loved me, not the idea of me. Someone with the same outlook and dreams. A quieter life maybe, but more secure. A steadier kind of joy, rather than the constant highs and lows.
Ollie loves school. He’s the oldest in his class, as we kept him back a year because his speech development was poor.I think it was the best decision; his confidence is growing day by day.
The bell rings, and I walk forward to the gate to collect my son. We wander back to the car to meet the girls, hand in hand. He’s skipping along beside me, singing a nursery rhyme. I can’t quite make out the words.
“Who was that you were playing planes with, Ollie?”
He beams. “That’s my new friend, Liam. Today was his first day.” It’s rare to see him so animated. My girls have always had each other; Ollie is used to being a third wheel. But now, he has a bestie of his own. Happy, we all climb into the car and head home for pizza.
Chapter thirty-one
Ben
Within weeks, the divorce proceedings are underway. As it happens, we agree about finances and the childcare situation, so this should speed the process along.
Kelsey told me about her new love interest. She didn’t use the word boyfriend, maybe it felt too soon. Or maybe it just sounds wrong for a grown man. Either way, who am I to judge?
When she told me she was dating, I was sad, but surprisingly, not jealous. Even though I don’t want Kelsey, I always assumed I would hate anyone who did. Turns out, I want her to be happy. I married Kelsey because she made sense. We worked in our teenage dream way, but now grown, I realized that we had gotten life all wrong.
But Bex... Bex made me feel. She made me brave. My time with her may have been short, but it was the most right I’d ever felt. And I broke her anyway. I walked away, even though every part of me screamed I shouldn’t. I deserve to end up where I am—alone.
