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After the Divorce, I Returned to the Track
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I spent three whole weeks planning my son Noah's ninth birthday, and in the end, there was no place for me in the family photo. When it was time for pictures, Noah held Vera's hand and jerked his chin toward the cake table. "Mom, they need help over there." One of the parents casually asked why I wasn't in the shot. Noah answered as if it were obvious, without a hint of embarrassment. "She's just a stay-at-home mom. Taking pictures for us is her job. Besides, she didn't do anything for my party, so she doesn't get to be in the photo with us." The little sailboat at the center of the party was built from Noah's drawings, but I was the one who stayed up two nights in a row fixing the mast. I was the one who went over every sailing lesson with the instructor. Even when the birthday cake came in the wrong flavor, I was the one who drove through the pouring rain to exchange it. But in Noah's eyes, all of that was just what a mother was supposed to do. I wanted him to explain himself, but my husband, Adam, cut in with a frown. "Erin, don't embarrass the kid in front of all these people on his birthday." "So we're just going to let what he said go?" "He's nine. Do you really have to pick a fight with him right now?" The photographer was about to take the shot. Adam and his mother stood beside Noah, and Vera smiled as she smoothed his sleeve. I turned and walked toward the long cake table. By the time the party ended, no one had called me over for a picture. We were trapped in a blizzard 13 years ago. He gripped my hand and refused to let go. He gave me all our supplies and held me close to keep me warm. He told me to hang on, and that once we got out, I could do everything I'd ever wanted to do. Back then, I thought marrying Adam was the luckiest choice I'd ever make. Now I dug a dusty racing helmet out of the storage room and called a divorce lawyer. Since you all look down on stay-at-home moms, I'm done pretending. I'm going back to the track.
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After the Divorce, I Returned to the Track Chapter 22
Noah's POV:At 17, I dug out an old photo album and found the picture from my ninth birthday.In the photo, I was hugging a roughly made little sailboat, standing between Dad, Grandma, and Vera. The ocean was bright blue, and the guests were smiling. Mom wasn't in the picture. I used to tell my classmates she was busy getting the cake ready that day and didn't have time to be in the photos.When I was putting together my photography portfolio for high school graduation, I remembered that and dug up the old event files. The old computer's hard drive still had the whole set of planning documents. There were invitations, guests' dietary restrictions, the venue budget, and lists of spare parts for my sailboat. Page after page bore the same name: Erin Grant.I sat in front of the screen for a long time without scrolling. I'd stayed in touch with Mom all these years. I already knew she was a race car driver who fought hard, got hurt, and felt sad too. But when I saw that stack of documents,
After the Divorce, I Returned to the Track Chapter 21
Adam's POV:Three years later.At 12, Noah was almost up to my shoulder. The school was offering a basic youth water rescue course over vacation. The moment he saw the notice, he printed out the whole packet, highlighted the safety rules, and was dead set on signing up. My mother had already picked out a different summer camp for him, saying that one would look better on his school applications."That rescue course is dirty and exhausting," my mother said with a frown at breakfast. "Noah's still young. He shouldn't be taking that kind of risk. The summer camp I arranged for him is the best choice."Noah started stuffing the application into his backpack. I could tell he was already braced for me to shoot it down, his fingers clenched around the straps. In the past, my first reaction probably would've been to blurt out, "We'll talk about it later." For so many years, I'd been used to weighing the risks and costs first, instead of asking my son what he really wanted."Let me see the pack
After the Divorce, I Returned to the Track Chapter 20
On the day the divorce became final, there was a short drizzle in the morning.Kate called to tell me the court had reviewed all the paperwork. The property division and custody terms we'd agreed on were included in the final judgment, and the legal waiting period was over. I'd planned to drive over and pick up a printed copy, but she said the electronic copy was just as valid, so there was no need to make a special trip to the courthouse.I went out anyway and walked along the boardwalk by the ocean for half an hour. After the rain stopped, the wooden boards were soaking wet, and every few steps, Chestnut had to stop and sniff the damp wood. In the distance, seagulls skimmed low over the water, and dockworkers were sorting rope at the harbor. I kept my phone in my coat pocket, and only when the puppy wanted to go home did I take it out again to look at the document.The title "Mrs. Holt" wasn't on the document anymore. The marital property had been legally divided. Noah would mainly l
After the Divorce, I Returned to the Track Chapter 19
Noah's school was planning to start a new youth sailing course in partnership with the foundation. When the staff sent the materials to the parents, they accidentally put my name in the caption of a family promo photo.Before I could even reply to the email, Adam called. "They put your name in the promo copy. I already had someone take it out. The corrected version is going out today.""Who asked for my name to be added?""My mother. She thought since the divorce wasn't final yet, using an old family photo for promotion wasn't a big deal."He didn't use Helen's good intentions as an excuse, and he didn't ask me to cut his mother some slack. I opened the new email. The promo photo had been removed, Noah's enrollment was still in place, and in the parent contact section, my number and Adam's were listed side by side."Noah can still take the class as usual, right?" I asked."Of course. He really loves the class. There's no reason to take it away from him just because we don't like that p
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