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Divorce

Andrew Rivera

    A warm stream of light beamed through the white blinds, illuminating the small, cluttered room. As it slowly filtered across my eyelids, I woke to the stench of half drank beer bottles lingering throughout the room. I leaned forward, pressing my feet against the cool wooden floor. As I took a glance outside the window, my phone began vibrating on the coffee table beside me. “I’m twenty minutes away,” Lucy said quickly hanging up the phone.
    “Great,” I said tossing the phone onto the bed. I quickly made myself somewhat presentable. I tried my best to do the same for the room but knowing her, she wouldn’t care. As long as this process is over and done with as quickly as possible, That’s all that matters. I waited patiently. Taking the opportunity to get a quick smoke in. I slid a chair over to the nearest window. I glanced over to the small local park across the street. A young girl was swinging on the swing set with her father right behind her. I sat there almost transfixed by the pure joy radiating between the both of them.
    The sound of a few stern knocks on the door brought me to. I flicked my cigarette out the window and answered the door. “Here,” she said as she walks right in and sets the small stack of portfolios on the coffee table. “All you have to do is sign your name where it’s highlighted and that’s it.” I could tell she had been crying because of how puffy her face was and her eyes were slightly red.
    “Um, would you like something to drink? Water or coffee?”
    “Water,” she replied as she sat down on the small couch. “I could see you’re still drinking.”
    “Yeah...” I said handing her a bottle of water. “How’s the boy’s?” I asked.
    “They’re fine. They’ve been dying to play any sports. So, I just signed the both of them up for the city basketball league,” she said handing me a picture of the both of them in their separate uniforms.
    I cleared my throat. “I need to see them, Lucy. I think it’s been long enough already,” I said placing the pictures on the coffee table alongside the court documents.
    “Didn’t you think of that before? Could you? You made your choice and now all of a sudden you want a family?” she asked.
    “It wasn’t like that...” I said.
    “Then why?” she quickly interjected.
    “Why what?” I asked
    “Why did you have that affair?” she asked.
    I didn’t know what to say at that moment. Nothing could justify what I did. In every which way, she was right. I married a great woman. We had beautiful twins, a beautiful house, and cause of the selfish decision I made, she was forced to move to a shitty two-bedroom apartment and has to play two parental roles.
    “I don’t know” I replied.
    “Of course, you don’t. Now it’s going to be on you to tell them everything. I will not be the one to break their heart, Elias. I can’t,” she said.
    “When they’re old enough and ready, I’ll tell them,” I said.
    I began to sign those documents, I realized how different everything would be for them. As I handed her the last of the documents, I was overwhelmed with emotions because I knew that was it. “Here,” I said sliding the remaining court documents to her. Taking a deep breath, she collected her the remaining papers, putting them in her bag and left the two photos still on the table. As I walked her out the door, she stopped abruptly.
    “Here,” she said reaching into her bag. She pulls out a small black box and places it in my hand.
    I only just nodded my head and closed the door.

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