room.
“Did they get their homework all done?” she asked.
“Yes, chief. Kirsten’s got that big reading project due at the end of this week. We started, but she’ll probably need to spend a good two hours on the diorama she decided to make. And don’t forget, Liam’s third-grade sing is this Thursday, so I’ll see you then. Do you want to maybe go out for pizza or something after?”
“That’d be nice.” She watched Carl polish off the last of his water and smiled. “You’re a good dad.”
He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
“Sorry,” Maggie said. “I’m sure I don’t tell you that often enough, but I mean it.”
“Thanks.” He flashed a sincere smile without an ounce of cockiness in it, and then the grin faded. “Look, I may as well tell you before the kids do. Melissa and I called it quits last week.”
Maggie was stunned. As far as she’d known, all had been well in paradise. She didn’t know what to say—what was the appropriate response when one’s ex-husband announced he’d just broken up with his girlfriend?
She settled on a simple, “I’m so sorry.” And she meant it. She didn’t like to see him so sad, and she worried about her children’s reactions—would it be too much for them to handle after seeing their parents split? But she decided against laying that guilt on him at the moment. Eyeballing his empty water bottle, she said, “Perhaps I should have offered you something stronger, like I don’t know…rubbing alcohol?”
Carl let out a dark chuckle. “I’ll settle for a glass of wine. Thanks.”
“Oh, okay.” She’d only been joking, but okay. “Red or white?”
“Red.”
She grabbed a bottle of trusty merlot and opened it. When she set a single glass on the counter, Carl said, “Please don’t make me drink alone.”
In addition to Carl sounding completely pathetic, Maggie noticed her arm shaking slightly and thought perhaps she could use a little nerve-soothing too. “Two glasses it is.” She poured and handed one to Carl. As he took a long, slow sip, she decided her best approach to the situation was to not try to say the right thing. He’d see through her anyhow and might even appreciate a little honesty.
“I’m surprised,” she said. “You two seemed pretty serious.”
He shrugged. “Nah. I wasn’t serious, anyway. She’s a great girl and a lot of fun, but the fun doesn’t last forever, as you well know. When it stopped being fun, there just wasn’t enough substance to make it worth the trouble. She’s pretty broken up, but I thought it was better to end it now instead of stringing her along, you know?”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
Silence lingered in Maggie’s small kitchen. She stared into her un-sipped half-glass of wine, feeling bad for Melissa and wondering about the kids. They hadn’t seemed upset when they’d come into the house, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be repercussions. While she was still lost in her thoughts, Carl spoke. “You’re the only girl I’ve ever been serious about.”
Her eyes snapped up to him. He was looking straight at her wearing a small, sad smile. She recognized the expression—it was the same one he’d used so many times before the divorce to tell her he was sorry. She lifted her glass and took a gulp. Immediately after swallowing, she asked, “How’d the kids take the news?”
“They seem okay. Kirsten asked if she could still call Melissa sometimes and I told her she should wait a little bit, give Missy a bit of time, and then we’d talk about it again. I wanted to get your thoughts before saying anything definite.”
“Waiting seems like the best course for now. I’ll make sure to talk to Kirsten about it too.”
“Thanks. Sorry to dump this on you.”
“It’s fine. Part of the Great Divorce Adventure, right?”
“I guess.” He circled the counter to pick up the wine bottle and topped off each of their glasses. Nearly half an hour had passed, so
“Did they get their homework all done?” she asked.
“Yes, chief. Kirsten’s got that big reading project due at the end of this week. We started, but she’ll probably need to spend a good two hours on the diorama she decided to make. And don’t forget, Liam’s third-grade sing is this Thursday, so I’ll see you then. Do you want to maybe go out for pizza or something after?”
“That’d be nice.” She watched Carl polish off the last of his water and smiled. “You’re a good dad.”
He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
“Sorry,” Maggie said. “I’m sure I don’t tell you that often enough, but I mean it.”
“Thanks.” He flashed a sincere smile without an ounce of cockiness in it, and then the grin faded. “Look, I may as well tell you before the kids do. Melissa and I called it quits last week.”
Maggie was stunned. As far as she’d known, all had been well in paradise. She didn’t know what to say—what was the appropriate response when one’s ex-husband announced he’d just broken up with his girlfriend?
She settled on a simple, “I’m so sorry.” And she meant it. She didn’t like to see him so sad, and she worried about her children’s reactions—would it be too much for them to handle after seeing their parents split? But she decided against laying that guilt on him at the moment. Eyeballing his empty water bottle, she said, “Perhaps I should have offered you something stronger, like I don’t know…rubbing alcohol?”
Carl let out a dark chuckle. “I’ll settle for a glass of wine. Thanks.”
“Oh, okay.” She’d only been joking, but okay. “Red or white?”
“Red.”
She grabbed a bottle of trusty merlot and opened it. When she set a single glass on the counter, Carl said, “Please don’t make me drink alone.”
In addition to Carl sounding completely pathetic, Maggie noticed her arm shaking slightly and thought perhaps she could use a little nerve-soothing too. “Two glasses it is.” She poured and handed one to Carl. As he took a long, slow sip, she decided her best approach to the situation was to not try to say the right thing. He’d see through her anyhow and might even appreciate a little honesty.
“I’m surprised,” she said. “You two seemed pretty serious.”
He shrugged. “Nah. I wasn’t serious, anyway. She’s a great girl and a lot of fun, but the fun doesn’t last forever, as you well know. When it stopped being fun, there just wasn’t enough substance to make it worth the trouble. She’s pretty broken up, but I thought it was better to end it now instead of stringing her along, you know?”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
Silence lingered in Maggie’s small kitchen. She stared into her un-sipped half-glass of wine, feeling bad for Melissa and wondering about the kids. They hadn’t seemed upset when they’d come into the house, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be repercussions. While she was still lost in her thoughts, Carl spoke. “You’re the only girl I’ve ever been serious about.”
Her eyes snapped up to him. He was looking straight at her wearing a small, sad smile. She recognized the expression—it was the same one he’d used so many times before the divorce to tell her he was sorry. She lifted her glass and took a gulp. Immediately after swallowing, she asked, “How’d the kids take the news?”
“They seem okay. Kirsten asked if she could still call Melissa sometimes and I told her she should wait a little bit, give Missy a bit of time, and then we’d talk about it again. I wanted to get your thoughts before saying anything definite.”
“Waiting seems like the best course for now. I’ll make sure to talk to Kirsten about it too.”
“Thanks. Sorry to dump this on you.”
“It’s fine. Part of the Great Divorce Adventure, right?”
“I guess.” He circled the counter to pick up the wine bottle and topped off each of their glasses. Nearly half an hour had passed, so
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