Page 36 of Due Process
“Did you get your revenge, Ms Foster?”
“Not revenge, Howard.Due Process.”
Chapter 20
STELLA
I had thought the hard part was over until I was sitting across from my boys, contemplating how to tell them that their lives were going to change forever.
The past weekend had been overwhelming, collecting all my evidence, discussing options with the board. And how could I ever forget laying everything on my dad?
He was still pissed at me, rummaging around the house, mumbling under his breath on a continuous tangent. Dad wasn’t angry that I’d kept my plans a secret; he was saddened that I didn’t trust him enough to lean on him for support. But by the colourful threats vomiting from his mouth, I knew I had made the right decision.
Let’s just say Felix was lucky he was incarcerated—for his own safety.
“Mum, you wanted to talk?” Eli asked, game controller sitting vacantly in his hand as Phoenix jumped on the sofa next to him.
I grabbed Phoenix and cuddled him in my lap. “No jumping! It’s not a trampoline.”
When he calmed, I looked at my big boy, my soulful eleven-year-old who had seen more than he should have.
“We’re going to live here from now on, with Grandpa…”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“We’ve been here for weeks now, Mum.” Eli shrugged, the nonchalant gesture not quite convincing, due to the tense hold of his shoulders.
“Eli… your dad and me,” I said.You can do this.“We’re getting a divorce.”
My boy didn’t flinch or cry. He just sat there silently, staring at the floor as if it held all the answers to his unspoken questions.
“It’s a decision we came to on our own. But I want you to know we love you both so much. You two are the only ones who matter.” I finished by pressing a kiss to Phoenix’s hair before he struggled to get down.
Once he had raced off, I made the move to sit next to Eli and cuddled him closely into my side.
My brave boy was shaking, his mind racing. Minutes ticked by as I let Eli gather his thoughts. I wanted him to be open, to never be afraid to ask me anything.
“Did he hurt you, Mum?” he whispered into my neck.
“Very much.”
“…He hurt me, too.”
“I know, baby.I know.” Just when I thought my heart couldn’t break any further, that statement alone justified everything I had set into motion.“Your father is going through a lot right now, bud. But give it a bit of time, and everything will work out, alright? I’m here for you. Grandpa is here for you. Phoenix is here for you.”
Right on cue, Phoenix sprinted back into the living room, with black marker all over his face. He held the trophy up high, squealing in glee.
Eli chuckled, and I grumbled. “You go left, and I’ll go right. Hopefully, he hasn’t drawn a mural on Grandpa’s walls.”
We counted down from three, then bolted upright, chasing the wee heathen around the house.
After five minutes of a solid game of tag, we finally caught him. We were all sprawled in a tangled mess on the carpet when Eli gave me his bright face. “I’m glad you left, Mum. You deserve better. We all do.”
My eyes began to burn. “You two will always come first.Always.”
He just gave a nod in acknowledgement, then proceeded to tickle his brother, filling the house with laughter and love.
