"Well, good, because I need to ask you something. You know how you asked me to find you a place to get lost for the next few weeks and work with kids?
Taylor opened her eyes and looked at Joules, "Yes, did you have any luck?"
Nodding, Joules said, "I did. I made some calls and think I have found a great place for you. I have booked the plane to take you to Miami in the morning to volunteer at a children's aid relief station for intercity kids from the Dade County area. But maybe you shouldn't go. I am worried that it will be too stressful for you. I talked with Dr. Payne. She says you are basically okay but need a break from all the stress you've been under lately. What do you think? Should you go or stay and rest?"
Taylor didn't even have to hesitate a second. She knew that she needed to stay busy and that working with children again would work the same magic on her now as it had after her family died. She would be much more stressed staying here and worrying about running into Bennett and Poppy. "Go! I definitely need to go! I have to get out of here before I lose my mind. Thank you so much, Joules, you are a lifesaver."
Chapter 16
Carrington Office
Searcy, Arkansas
November 24, 2023
"So, after everything that happened, you just decided to skip town and go to Miami?" asked Harvey. "Wasn't that a bit over the top?"
Considering her response carefully, Taylor said, "I can see why you would think that. But at that moment, I only wanted to hide under the bed and never come out. I remembered what it was like to be very depressed after my parents and brother died. I worked hard on myself in therapy and with self-help techniques to learn how to better deal with my life. I did not want to end up like I did before.
“Also, Bennett had made it clear that he wanted a divorce. Truthfully, by then, I did too. It felt wrong to stay in his family home. Getting out of town and out of the spotlight was the best plan.
By this point, Bennett had dropped back from seeking a vice-presidential spot on the ticket to working hard for a cabinet appointment. At that moment, it was very doable. He was going to be hitting the campaign trail hard for Anderson. I did not want anyone from the campaign suggesting we go out stumping together. He would have hated that as much as I would have.
So, Miami gave me the fresh start I needed. It got me far enough away from Arkansas that no one recognized me. Best of all, it put me on the path of my future, though I did not know it then.”
Miami, Florida
March 2012
By early evening, Taylor arrived in Miami, picked up her car, found her apartment, and unpacked. One of the first things Taylor did was take a short drive to the local market and stock up on several staples and a salad for dinner.
Once back home, she fixed herself a large glass of iced tea and allowed herself to relax and enjoy her dinner. Afterward, she dressed for bed and then, once tucked in, picked up her cell phone and called Bennett. She had avoided calling him all day. She supposed that the more things changed in her life, the more they stayed the same.
He answered on the second ring, "Hello, Taylor. How was your trip? Are you all settled?"
Taylor was struck by how normal Bennett sounded. It was the first time he had sounded like the old Bennett in a very long time. "The trip was fine. Thanks. I called because Joules said you wanted to talk."
"Yeah, I did. Umm…Joules said the two of you talked about leaving everything as it is for now and then quietly dissolving the marriage a few weeks after the election."
"Yes, that is fine. But aren't you worried that someone will find out?"
"No, not really. I have some close friends who owe me favors. I think I can keep it quiet on my end. I want to ensurethat you are on board with this plan. If not, I will drop out of Anderson’s campaign now. I have given that a tremendous amount of thought, but Poppy is completely against it. So are Joules and Edna. What do you think?"
"You should not drop out unless you have to. There is no other person who is more qualified or more committed. It is your dream to serve at a higher level. If you can, you should stay and see what happens."
The phone was silent for a moment, and then Bennett said, "Why are you being so nice to me now?"
"Well, as the last week proved, a lot can happen quickly, and angry, bitter women say and do stupid things. So I am working hard at not being one."
"Wow. That's impressive considering last Friday, I thought you hated me."
Taylor let out a long sigh and said, "I don't hate you, Bennett. Believe me, I tried, but I couldn't. You are right. We are very old friends, and that was all we should have ever been. Maybe if the accident hadn't happened, things would have worked out differently. You know what I mean, you with Poppy and me with someone else. I don't know with whom, but someone. But their deaths, or more specifically, Tatum's death, changed everything. I realized that while I was at the beach. We ended up together mainly because of a poor attempt to hang onto him. We clung to each other out of grief."
After a moment, Bennett said, "I think you are right. I think that sums our marriage up perfectly. I still miss him every day, but the pain has lessened and is not as gut-wrenching as it was. There was a long time when I could not even think of him without wanting to hit something. Now, when I think of him, I miss him, but it is not as bad. I guess it's true that time heals old wounds."
"I agree," said Taylor. "The pain became bearable, but it was too late by then. We were stuck in a marriage more of friendship than anything else. I think that is why we never could have children. Nature knew it was wrong to put the burden of holding a marriage together on a baby's shoulders. If we had a child, you would have never allowed yourself to love her again. And you do love her, don't you?" asked Taylor. There was no need to say who the “her” was. They both knew she was talking about Poppy.
"Yes, I do, with my whole heart. I don't say that to hurt you, but it's true. I think I always have. We had one magical summer together after I graduated from law school. Things ended badly. I never told you about her because it was just too painful. The last few months before she broke up with me were crazy. Your family and Tatum had just passed. The long-distance thing did not work for us. She was in New York. I was in Searcy. I was studying like mad, trying to pass the bar exam. I had my first big case and was working like seventy hours a week. There were times I literally thought I was losing my mind.
