“So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh? You want me out of your lives? Is that what you’re really asking for?”
“Yes,” Zac answers this time, his voice steady and firm. “And don’t come back, Adrian,” he adds, the deliberate use of his real name, rather than ‘Dad’—striking like the final nail in the coffin.
Adrian scoffs, as if this entire exchange is some grand amusement for him. He nods slowly and takes a small step back.
“Okay, if that’s what you really want. You’ll never have to see me again. I’m not going to fight for a place where I’m not wanted. But don’t come crawling back to me when everything goes to shit.”
“Oh, you’d never have to worry about that. Even if you were the last person on earth, I still wouldn’t crawl back. Not for anything.”
“We’ll see,” he says, his tone dripping with vicious arrogance. “Have a nice life you two. And goodluck—cause you’re going to need it.”
His gaze flicks between me and Zac, the muscle in his jaw flexing and unflexing, as he takes one last look at us before turning away and storming out the front door.
The moment I hear his car peel out of the driveway, I slowly collapse to the floor, Zac following me down and gripping me tighter, like he’s trying to hold us both together.
My body shakes with silent sobs, the inner strength I’ve carried for so long finally giving way as I bury my face in my son’s hair, and he cries with me. My heart shatters all over again, but this time, it’s not just for me; it’s for the little boy who has already witnessed and endured far too much in his short life.
I hold my baby tightly against me, as if he’s the only thing keeping me grounded, rocking us gently back and forth. For the next ten minutes, we let ourselves cry—mourning the loss of the man who once meant everything to us, and the life we now have to imagine without him.
I’ve counted three flying-foxes so far, gliding through the sky with slow, majestic movements,as if they’re creatures from another world. I’m lying on my garden bench with an almost empty bottle of Shiraz dangling from my hand, staring up at the blanket of stars above. They sparkle like scattered glitter, shimmering so brightly that my hazy vision makes them seem as if they’re blinking at me.
As soon as Zac went down for the night, all I wanted was to sit on my bench, surrounded by my plants, gazing up at the sky and breathing in the cool night air. After the day I’d had—Adrian’s confession, the countless betrayals, him leaving for good, I needed somewhere to quietly fall apart and think on my own. The bottle of wine I found in the kitchen cupboard was simply a bonus.
Now that I’m only a few sips away from finishing the entire bottle, everything feels quieter, lighter—even the sound of my phone buzzing is more of a soft hum than an intrusion, a soothing sensation that makes my eyes instantly close.
My phone buzzes again, and this time my eyes snap open. Slowly, unsteadily, I push myself into a sitting position, and slip my phone out from the pocket of my hoodie. Kaden’s name flashes across my screen, and I notice there’s already a missed call from him.
I tap to answer.
“Hellooo, you!” I slur.
“Hello to you too,” he chuckles. “You sound happy and relaxed.”
“Oh, my dear friend. I am anything but.” I hiccup, a soft giggle slipping from my throat.
“Hope, are you drunk right now?” he asks, his tone laced with amusement, and something else.
“I don’t know, you tell me?”
“How much have you had to drink?”
I raise the Shiraz in front of me, narrowing my eyes as I peer inside. “Almost a whole bottle of red wine.”
There’s a long pause on the other end of the line, and for a good solid minute, I think he’s hung up. Then I hear shuffling on his side, followed by a heavy sigh.
“What’s going on. Hope? What’s got you polishing off an entire bottle of wine on your own?”
I don’t know if it’s the sound of his concerned voice or the fact that Adrian has managed to obliterate my heart onceagain, but a choked sob escapes me, and soon, I’m crying fully into the phone.
“Woah, what the hell? Hope, sweetheart. What’s going on?”
I try to force the words out, to tell him what I’d just discovered today, but they catch in my throat, struggling to break free. Only gasps and muffled whimpers escape my lips.
“Stay where you are. I’m coming to you.” Those are the last words I hear before the call cuts out.
Ten minutes later, I hear the doorbell echo from inside, jolting me from my seat. I stumble towards the sliding door on unsteady legs, hurrying to get inside before the sound wakes Zac from his sleep.
When I open the front door, I find Kaden standing on my porch, a deep frown etched across his face as his gaze takes me in. He’s dressed in a black hoodie and matching tracksuit pants, his white shoes stark against the darkness.
