Regrets Of What Was Lost Chapter 02
My mouth opened, but no words came out.
Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
It was Savannah.
Three iMessages buzzed in quick succession. “Have you left yet?“ “I have the tickets!“
I had promised to see a premiere with her tonight.
Since Zinnia had already agreed to the divorce, there was no point in dragging this dinner out.
I set down my utensils.
“Tell me your terms. If they’re reasonable, we can file tomorrow.”
Zinnia finished packing Chloe’s food and set down her fork.
“The condo goes to Chloe. The house is sold, we pay off the mortgage, and we split what’s left, fifty-fifty. I don’t want the car. The joint account—the two-hundred-odd thousand—we split that down the middle, too. If you agree, we can file tomorrow.”
I ran the numbers in my head.
No problem.
If anything, it was fairer than I’d expected.
“All right. Tomorrow morning at nine. County Clerk’s Office.”
I stood up, then added after a moment, “Zinnia, thank you. These past few years… I know it hasn’t been easy.”
She didn’t respond.
When I went to the host stand to pay, I glanced back one last time.
She was still sitting there, her utensils resting beside her plate, not having taken another bite.
Under the dim overhead light, I couldn’t make out her expression. I could only see the tight grip she had on her water glass, the faint tremor in her shoulders.
I looked away and walked out.
From this moment on, she was no longer my problem.
The thought was liberating.
Savannah had been waiting for a while outside the theater.
“What took you so long?”
She pouted, tapping a fist against my chest.
I pulled her into my arms and rested my chin on the top of her head.
“I’m free, Savannah.”
She froze for a second, then pushed me back, her eyes wide.
“She… she agreed to the divorce?”
I nodded, unable to hide the excitement in my voice.
“She did.”
“That’s amazing!”
She threw her arms around my neck.
“I knew you could do it. Honey, I love you. You finally belong only to me.”
I held her, feeling the warmth of her body.
For some reason, the image of Zinnia sitting alone at that restaurant table flashed through my mind.
Just for a second.
Then it was gone.
Savannah pulled me into the theater.
We’d booked seats in the back row with double recliners.
Not long after the movie started, she curled up against me and began to gently file my nails.
Her movements were light, her hands smelling of L’Occitane. After she finished each nail, she would hold my hand up to the light of the screen to inspect her work.
Before long, neither of us was paying attention to the movie.
In the dim theater, her breath brushed against my ear as her hair spilled across my chest.
The soundtrack swelled, but I had no idea what the movie was about.
Afterward, she leaned against my shoulder, her fingers still tracing the smooth edges of my nails.
“From now on, I’ll do your nails every day, sweetheart. You’ll never have a hangnail again.”
That faint unease from before had vanished completely.
I buried my face in the curve of her neck, inhaling her perfume.
“I’ll take care of you.”