All Chapters of Five Years After Divorce, My Ex-Husband Wants Me Again: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

NORAMonday morning arrived quickly.By six-thirty, Marta had already taken over the kitchen.Uniforms hung neatly over the backs of two chairs. Lunch containers sat in a row on the counter, two water bottles waited beside them.Lena bounced onto her stool before I finished pouring my first cup, her new backpack was already on her shoulders."Mama, do you think Frances will like rabbits?"I looked up from my coffee."Who is Frances?""The friend I'm going to make today."She tore a piece of toast in half."I decided yesterday."Marta placed scrambled eggs in front of her."You cannot decide other people's names, little miss.""I can decide my friend's name.""You have not met her.""I will."Marta shook her head and returned to the stove.Lena swung her legs beneath the stool. "I think she will have a rabbit."I took a sip of coffee. "That is very specific."Theo sat beside her, unlike his sister, he had not touched the conversation.He ate slowly. His backpack rested beside his chair

CHARLIE I was halfway out of the estate when I noticed the Uber. At first I paid no attention to it. Cars came and went through the district all day, and I would have forgotten it entirely if I hadn't recognized the woman sitting in the back seat as it passed the security gate. My hand tightened on the steering wheel. The Uber continued toward the townhouse district on the eastern side of the community. I should have kept driving, instead, I found myself turning at the next intersection. My curiosity peaked immediately. Nora had spent the previous week appearing in places I did not expect her to be, and now she was here. I parked a few distance away and remained inside the car. A few minutes later Nora appeared at the front gate of a narrow stone townhouse. The woman who opened the door froze the moment she saw her. Even from a distance I could see that much. She led Nora to the garden. The two started talking, I couldn't hear a word. The longer I watched, t

CHARLIE The school parking lot felt strangely quiet after Marta's car disappeared through the gates. For the last ten minutes Lena's voice had filled every available space. Now there was only the sound of traffic from the main road and children laughing somewhere beyond the school building. Nora stood beside me with one hand resting against the strap of her handbag. She wasn't looking at me. Her attention remained on the road where the car had vanished. I looked there too. The vehicle was long gone. None of us said anything. Parents crossed the parking lot and teachers guided children toward the entrance. Nora adjusted the strap on her shoulder. "I should get back to work." I nodded once. "I'll drive you." She turned toward me, for a second I expected her to refuse. Instead she dipped her head slightly. "Thank you." Then she started walking toward my car. I stood where I was for a moment longer before following her. The drive back into the city began quietly. Nora sa

CHARLIE Traffic rolled steadily through Manhattan.I drove without turning on the radio.The lunch should have been over. We had all left the table. Grandfather Beaumont had gone one way. Alexander Ashton had gone another. Nora had disappeared back into Beaumont Group.The afternoon events should have stayed where it belonged, instead it followed me through Manhattan.A red light forced the traffic ahead to stop, my foot settled on the brake.The image arrived again.Nora pressing two fingers against her forehead.Alexander leaning back in his chair with a smile.I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.The conversation between Nora and Alexander kept looping in my head. The way Nora had lowered her head and covered part of her face with one hand.For years every conversation between Nora and me had felt restrained.The traffic began moving again and I followed the car ahead.A few blocks later another memory arrived.“Daniel.”I adjusted my hold on the wheel.The name had entere

Saturday night settled over the mansion slowly.The twins had been sent upstairs an hour ago.Marta had reminded them twice that tomorrow was not a school day and that staying awake until midnight would not magically make them older.Lena had promised she would go straight to sleep.Theo had promised nothing.The lights in Theo's room were off.Lena lay on her stomach across the rug with her feet moving lazily through the air while Theo sat beside his bed with a notebook open across his knees.For several minutes they talked about dinner.Mostly they talked about Alexander."I like him." Lena rolled onto her side and looked at her brother.Theo kept writing."That isn't enough information.""It is."Theo glanced up."No, it isn't."Lena folded her arms."He was nice.""He was nice."Theo's pencil hovered above the page for a moment. "He asked questions.""He asked me questions too.""What questions?"Lena thought for a moment."He asked if I liked school."Theo nodded."That's normal.