Ugh. She pulled open the junk drawer and started throwing everything into a box. When it was empty, she grabbed the nozzle to the vacuum cleaner and sucked out the dust and old pieces of plastic and pencil lead. She was a good mom. She wasn't perfect, but she went above and beyond to make things fun for Bailey. Clark hated that about her. He would've been thrilled if Bailey loved him and only him. His strategies had worked when she was smaller, but now she was smart enough to see through the smoke and mirrors.She hoped.
Aelin dug through the items in the box and sorted out everything that was worth keeping. She put them back in the drawer knowing full-well it was going to be chaos again in a week or two, then emptied the remnants from the box into the trash. She washed her hands and put away the vacuum, then grabbed a water bottle and went downstairs to the workout room in the basement. They had a walkout, so it didn't feel dark and sad down there. That had been important to her when she'd bought the house.
She put on her runners and stepped onto the treadmill. Once her water bottle and earbuds were in place, she started the fourth episode of Better Call Saul and pressed the start button. The belt started moving. She walked for a bit, then adjusted the speed until she found her rhythm.
As she ran, Aelin's mind began to blur. The world outside of her workout room faded, and her focus narrowed to the hum in her legs and Saul scamming some sociopath in an alley.
After twenty minutes, she slowed the treadmill to a walk, then stepped off and moved to the free weights. She lifted, stretched, and did a core workout on her yoga mat, then put hershoes back in place next to the treadmill and headed back upstairs for a shower.
Her mind slowly drifted back to reality as she stepped into her ensuite and turned on the shower. She peeled off her sweaty clothes and draped them over the laundry basket. The washroom filled with steam as she twisted her hair into a bun and secured it with a clip, then she stepped under the hot stream. She closed her eyes and let the water cascade over her shoulders.
Okay. She needed a plan. She'd set up interviews for Thursday, but she could easily cancel them if Ryan was, in fact, open to the idea of her watching Amaya for the summer. But how much would he be willing to pay? The place Ryan had planned to use wasn't traditional. It was a small program that seemed to be a blend between an arts and crafts summer camp and paid field trips. The price had been five hundred and fifty a week.
She assumed that was lower because there were twelve spots available, which meant the woman running it was making a fantastic weekly rate. But if Ryan only wanted to pay five hundred and fifty . . . there was no way she could survive making that little. She had credit card debt she was trying to pay off thanks to Clark deciding it would be best to buy their flights to Europe in 2023 on her card since it had a better percentage back. Three weeks before the trip, she found out he was sleeping with his personal assistant. Which betrayal was just two years after he'd cheated on her the first time. She’d believed him when he pleaded for her to forgive him. She wouldn’t ever make that mistake again.
She had lawyer fees, the mortgage—it all added up to an insurmountable burden without full-time work.
All in all, it wasn't a compelling sell.Hey, do you want to pay twice as much as you were planning on for childcare this summer so I can spend time with my daughter and keep my house?
Aelin grabbed a bottle of body wash and poured a dollop into her palm. She lathered it over her skin, inhaling the scent of eucalyptus and mint as she worked through a potentialapproach. She would be with the girls full-time. It was one adult to two kids, so the level of care and attention would be astronomically higher. She could show him the list Bailey had made for all the things she wanted to do over the summer and throw in . . .? She scrambled. Some overnights? Time for him to go and be with his wife while she was recovering?
She rinsed off and turned off the water, then stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel. As she dried off, her mind flitted through Ryan's potential responses. Would he tell her he'd already found something else? Or that he couldn't commit to a higher rate? Or—or.There was a chance he could say yes. Wasn't there?
Her phone dinged, and she picked it up from the washroom counter.
Megan:
Any thoughts on that double date?
Aelin exhaled. She’d looked at Megan’s original text, but hadn’t thought twice about it.
The 27th, right?
The 27th or 28th. Whichever is best.
I think the 27th is best for me.
So . . . is that a yes?
Aelin chewed her lip. Was it a yes? It was just dinner. Megan had a guy, Colin, she knew through a mutual friend who she swore would be a perfect fit for her.
I don’t want him to think this is more than it is
I promise. He knows it’s just dinner.
Aelin’s heart pounded so fast, she thought she was going to pass out. She was still married. It didn’t mean anything to Clark. Hell, it hadn’t meant anything to them even when he swore he wanted to make things work. But it meant something to her. He could be a cheater, but she would never be. As if reading her mind, Megan sent another text.
This marriage is over, Aelin
You would’ve been done with this by now if Clark didn’t keep trying to stab you in the back to get custody of Bailey. This is on him, not you
You deserve to have some fun and to feel like a woman again
I’m Clark’s sister, so if anyone should be biased in this matter, it’s me. And I’m on your side, babe. You deserve so much better.
Tears pricked her eyes.
That’s a hell of a speech
