My heart skipped a beat. “Are you serving me divorce papers?”
“What? No. Wow. Are things so bad between us that you think I came here on the one day I could see my children to divorce you?” He looked honestly shocked. “Open it. I think it will change how you’ve been feeling about me.”
Inside were two tickets to Athens. I pulled them out and stared at them in disbelief. I was tongue-tied, trying to sort my feelings.
“I know you wanted to go to Greece this summer, and I stupidly refused. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I’m rectifying the situation. We leave on Tuesday.”
Tuesdays were the weekly campfires. I couldn’t miss that or the upcoming dance, or the carnival.
“I can’t leave in two days. My job doesn’t end for another month.”
“I know, but this coming Tuesday was the first day that worked for me. I have it all planned out, you’ll leave with me tonight, and that will give you a day and a half to pack us up.” He tousled my hair. “And hopefully Zito will have a salon appointment for you. I can’t wait.” Ronnie grinned from ear to ear.
This wasn’t about romance. It was clearly Ronnie trying to manipulate me and restore control over our relationship. I would’ve naively fallen for the idea a month ago, but not now. My time away from him had given me clarity about the dynamics of our marriage, and I wasn’t going to let him make any decisions for me ever again. No, the tickets did not change the way I felt about Ronnie—they validated my feelings.
“I made a commitment to work at Woodlands for the entire summer.”
“I don’t understand, I thought this was what you wanted.”
I handed him back the envelope. “Yes, but you’re six months late.”
Zelda and Hazel had found a shady spot under a tree, and we joined them with plates filled with hamburgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, and potato salad.
The girls told me about what they did with their dad that morning: gymnastics, archery, and volleyball.
“I used a bow and arrow for the first time. I missed the bullseye by a mile,” Ronnie said.
Hazel seemed to be jumping out of her skin. “Dad, did you give Mom her present?”
“Do you mean the tickets to Greece for this coming Tuesday?” I asked.
“The tickets are for now?” Hazel asked. “That can’t be right, who’d take care of the girls in Mom’s bunks?”
Zelda crossed her arms. “You always say we can’t quit after we’ve made a commitment. How can you think Mom could pick up and leave in the middle of her job just because it was good for you? That’s really inconsiderate.”
Ronnie’s mouth hung open, but no words came out.
I was thrilled.
Before we could continue the conversation, a mother of one of the Cubs came over to talk to me. “Sorry to bother you while you’re eating . . .”
Smiling, I looked up, shielding my face from the sun, and said, “Give me one second.” Facing Ronnie, I said, “Let’s talk more about this later. I’ll catch up with you guys down at the lake.”
Zelda and Hazel were in the water splashing around with their friends. I stayed in uniform, and Ronnie wore tropical print trunks with a matching rash guard swim shirt and a baseball cap.
I expected he would’ve gained weight, ordering in, noshing on chips and candy in the office late at night. “You’re looking slim.”
He stood straighter. “You sound surprised.”
“I figured since I wasn’t home to take care of you, you’d be eating junk all day.”
“Jana orders in food from healthy places and keeps things like carrots and hummus around to snack on.” He tugged at the elastic of his trunks to show it was loose. “All the attorneys on my team have lost weight since she’s been ordering.”
“I’ll have to remember to thank her for taking care of you while I’m away.”
We stood next to each other watching the girls from the shoreline, our toes in the water. There was so much I wanted to say but didn’t know where to begin.
Mike came by in a white Speedo with “Lifeguard” written across his butt in green. He put his hand out to shake Ronnie’s. “You must be Lori’s husband. I’m Mike, I run the show down here.”
