“Great,” I said, clearing my throat. “Your assistant said the next step was to set up an in-person consultation?”
“Yes, an in-person consultation, exactly,” Brian went on. “I like to establish a personalrapportwith a family before we go any further. We’ll sit down with Sophia, talk about her objectives,her likes and dislikes, and life goals. Every family is different. Every child is different. Every school is different. We’re looking to assemble a complex puzzle, and this process works best when we all work together to align our objectives.”
“A consultation would be great,” I said. “We’d like to move quickly, though. Sophia would like to transfer as soon as possible. Ideally to Amherst.”
Couldn’t hurt to zero in on the same school Doug’s daughter had gone to, if my plan was to eventually ask about him.
“Not a problem, Ms. Thompson,” Carmichael said, using precisely the extra-gentle voice I reserved for clients who were permanently fucked. “I understand that completely. We can expedite as necessary, I assure you. I’ll have my assistant reach out to schedule ASAP.”
“Oh, how wonderful,” I said, making sure to sound relieved. “Thank you. This has been very stressful.”
“We will get Sophia where she needs to be, Ms. Thompson,” Brian said. “You’re in excellent hands, I assure you.”
As I dropped my phone in my bag, I saw Aidan closing in on the sidewalk, hands jammed in his pockets. He’d aged well into that “hot dad” thing, looking easily the same age as me now, instead of a decade older. I could only imagine the women he had to chase off, who surely mistook him—as I had—for a security blanket.
But at least I didn’t feel angry at the sight of him. All I felt was relieved. Because Aidan wasn’t my problem anymore, thanks to those texts fromHer.Literally—that was how she appeared in his contacts. They were from Bella, Aidan’s assistant. I’d known it instantly. I’d been suspicious as soon as he’d hired her, a former student from the New School program where he’d been an adjunct. She was twenty-six and gorgeous and worshipful. Aidan always lit up around Bella, basking in her admiration as he dismissed my suspicions as paranoid and delusional.
Aidan had gotten good at weaponizing what he knew of mytroubled history when it suited him—the subtle suggestions, the gaslighting. After initially denying it, he did eventually admitHerwas Bella. He fired her immediately in an attempt to make amends. Though it was already far too late for that.
“Hey?” Aidan asked now, ducking his head to meet my eyes. “Everything okay?”
“Sorry, I was on a work call,” I said reflexively, then immediately regretted apologizing.
Aidan had never bothered to hide his contempt for my “soulless” corporate legal work. As though we didn’t live off my income. I could only imagine what he’d have said if he knew how I actually spent my days.
“Don’t let Mark run you so hard on that hamster wheel,” Aidan said. “You look tired. Great, too. But tired.”
“Well, one of us does need to earn a living.” It just popped out.
“Nice, Kat, really nice.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. Bickering with Aidan wasn’t helpful now. “Can we just—What did Cleo tell you, Aidan?”
He opened the door and made a show of ushering me in. “Getting right down to business, huh? Can we at least sit down inside like actual humans who madeanotherhuman together?”
“Listen, Aidan,” I went on more gently once we were finally sitting in a booth against the wall. “I’m grateful you went back to Cleo, really. That you’reableto talk to her at all. But I’m also worried, so if you could get to the point.”
“Sure, but can we first finish our conversation about division of the inheritance?”
Division.Last time hadn’t he described it as a loan?
“Beforeyou tell me about our daughter you want to talk about moneyyouneed?”
“Well, Kat, it’s a little hard not to feel used right now. I’ve done what you asked with Cleo, even though it wouldn’t necessarilyhave been my way of doing things. And yet you won’t answer a very simple, very reasonable question. In light of our twenty-two years of marriage, and co-parenting of Cleo, asking if you can advance me my portion of the inheritance doesn’t seem so unreasonable. I mean, the money will be half mine once the divorce is finalized, and it’s your idea to wait on that. By the way, it was also your idea to break up our family.”
“Youhad sex with your assistant,” I snapped.
“And I’ve apologized for that. Countless times,” Aidan said very slowly and condescendingly. “I wanted to work on our marriage. You’re the one who’s not willing. And listen, I know it’s hard for you to trust people given where you—”
“You hadsexwith yourassistant,” I repeated.
“And I’m sorry. I really am. But people do make mistakes! I still love you, Kat. I have always loved you.” Aidan paused for a moment and cocked his head; someone was playing saxophone on the sidewalk outside. I took a breath and tried to calm down. Nothing good ever came of me losing it with Aidan. “Hey, you remember that first apartment we had? When you hadn’t started work yet and Gladys’s money was still in probate?”
“You mean the one with the water bugs?” I shuddered. “Impossible to forget.”
“Remember when our neighbor took up the violin? How we were freaking out about the walls being thin? We were awake half the night after we saw him bring it home. You were so determined to be nice about it.”
“And you were plotting to break in and steal it.” I laughed a little. “And then he was so—”
