After a few moments, his voice remains low when he asks me. "Will you come to my game on Wednesday?"
That hope swells so abruptly that it almost knocks me out of my seat.
"If you want me to," I say, and he nods his head.
"I do," he murmurs.
We sit in silence again for a few minutes, just looking at the fire, when I ask him, "So, who's this Birdie I've been hearing about?"
Liam's face completely transforms into something familiar, his smile going warm and his eyes going glazed. It's familiar because it's my own face, the way it warms in photos when I'm looking at Wendy.
"She's my best friend," Liam says, his voice so soft and fond. "She knowseverythingabout basketball. And she's really nice. And she's funny. She's... she's great."
My smile widens.
I guess the apple doesn't really fall far from the tree.
"I can't wait to meet her," I say, before my smile drops and quickly add, "If you want me to—"
"I do," Liam says, shrugging. "She'll be at the game. She comes to all my games."
Relief and happiness make me dizzy.
"Okay," I nod.
"Okay," Liam echoes.
Chapter Thirty
Atlas
Dinner was actually good.
The boys and I ordered from Antonia's, not really wanting to repeat this morning's cooking disaster on my part, something we laughed about while the boys ate their pizza and I ate my cheesesteak.
Liam talked about his science project—he and Will need to build a small electric motor. When he told me, I just grinned and said he happened to have an expert for a father. He became really excited about that and we spent the rest of the night mapping out the schematics.
Now, I'm sitting in the living room, mindlessly watching this basketball game and trying to figure out how to repair my marriage further.
I've already started laying the foundation with the boys, and I'll continue building on it during the weekends I'm granted visitation.
Fuck. Visitation. Separation. Custody. Divorce.
I hate all of those words. I hate even more that I'm the cause of them. That she had to file for separation just to wake me up. That I pushed it that far.
We have a mediation next month with our lawyers to discuss how I'm doing and whether we need to make any changes to custody or spousal support.
I already told them to give Wendy whatever she wants. She could drain my bank account at this point, and I wouldn't care. None of it means anything without her.
I know from our brief talks that she's really enjoyingworking at Mabel's, and I'm so proud of her for that, for doing something that makes her happy.
I just hate that she feels that she needs to work when she's always enjoyed being home with our kids.
Right?
No matter if we were divorced, she's still my Wendy, the mother to my children, my wife, even if it's only in my heart, I would take care of her forever.
But, maybe that's the point. Maybe she doesn't want me to take care of her, because I've become wholly unreliable besides making sure there's money in the bank account.
