Time for Me to Go, Time for You to Burn
On Children's Day, the most popular social media post is about me.
The caption is: "Mr. Shane Norton spends his birthday with his son David Norton and his first love, Ruth Feynman. Has he finally decided to divorce Ayla Sanderson?"
I quietly press the "like" button.
When my phone rings, I'm in the midst of taking down the balloons I put up for our wedding anniversary.
"Honey."
My husband sounds anxious as he tries to explain himself. "David suddenly insisted that we go to a theme park, so I—"
In the background, I hear David laughing. "Dad, Ruthie says that I can sleep with her tonight!"
I look at the mess in the house.
The balloons are drooping, and the cream on the cake is congealed.
"You don't have to explain," I hear myself say.
"I understand."
It's just that this time, I don't want you or David any longer, Shane.