Page 126 of The Emma Special

Emma lowered the instruction manual. “Mom, I… I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Fine. Just get over here. I need help throwing Carl’s things out.”

“What do you mean out?” Emma asked.

“Onto the lawn. He thinks he can leave me, and I plan to make him regret it. If I throw it out by this afternoon, the rain’ll ruin most of it by tomorrow. It’s only fair after what he’s put me through.”

Emma’s skin went cold. Another relationship ended in hatred. She would never do something like that to James no matter how mad she was. He wouldn’t do that to her either.

She covered her mouth with a hand as the realization hit her. James and her friends hated it when she kept score, but that’s what her mother had always done. She’d grown up watching her mother carefully choose the things she did so she could cash in favors later.

But James never did that. Her friends never did it either. Why was Emma acting like they were holding it over her head?

“Um, I need to go. I’ll call you later.”

Emma ended the call and got to her feet. Hands on hips, she turned a slow circle. The screws, plastic connectors, and boards spread all over the carpet hemmed her in.

She was trapped on an island. By trying to keep everything even, she’d only succeeded in pushing people she loved further away. That wasn’t what she wanted. She had so many apologies to make.

Her phone rang again, but Lottie’s name showed on the screen this time.

Emma answered, “Hello.”

“Hey.” The greeting was small and timid. “Are you busy?”

“Not really.” Emma stepped over the haphazard assortment of parts on the floor. “What’s up?”

Lottie’s voice shook as she said, “Um, I think Harrison and I are getting a divorce.”

Emma slumped onto the bed. “What? Why?”

Lottie scoffed. “I don’t really know why. He’s unhappy, and I don’t know what to do. I can’t live the rest of my life trying to figure out his moods.”

Emma wrapped one arm around her middle. Marriages were ending all around her, and she was trying to hold her own together. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

Lottie sniffed. “It’s a nightmare.”

Emma glanced at her watch. “I’m supposed to meet some of my girlfriends at Brews and Books in an hour. Would you like to join us? I think you could use some hugs, and my friends are the best at it.”

There was another soft sniffle on the line before Lottie replied. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

“Good. See you soon. Oh, and keep your chin up, babe. You’re a rockstar.”

Lottie chuckled. “You’re the best. I’ll see you soon.”

Emma splashed water on her face in the bathroom. She had another important task on her to-do list today: Show Lottie how much she was loved.

A genius idea hit her as she brushed her teeth. If she could throw out some of the legal mumbo-jumbo James always used, she might be able to influence Lottie in a positive way.

James’s home office was a small desk in a corner of his bedroom. It was always tidy despite the hours he put in behind the screen. She pulled up the search engine and began her research.

Wow. Divorce wasn’t cheap. Even uncontested divorces were upwards of one thousand bucks.

“Lottie, you are not going to like this,” Emma sang in a lilting voice. “Divorce is expensive, messy, and… Oh, my girdle, you do not want to mess with custody battles with Kenna between you.”

With part of her plan in hand, she grabbed a sheet of paper out of the printer and sought out the other source she needed—the Bible. James had a small Bible tucked in between his intimidating collection of law books.

She’d filled a whole page with references and notes by the time her phone rang. James was calling.