“I didn’t say it was logical,” Cassie said. The pub came into view as did Lacey’s little BMW, parked out front. “Oh good, we’re not going to have to wait for her today.”

Lacey had herself a spacious booth and was already sipping a glass of white wine. She smiled when Lauren and Cassie came into view and that was such a relief. The girls had done well over the holidays—no squabbling, no taking sides. Of course they avoided the subject of the divorce, and for that Lauren was relieved.

“Are we late?” Lauren asked Lacey, giving her a peck on the cheek.

“Not a bit. I might be early. This is a great little hole in the wall. l love it. Walking distance for you, too.”

“I love this neighborhood,” Lauren said. “I’ve been known to walk down to do a little light shopping or grab a breakfast sandwich at Starbucks or a salad right here.”

They chatted while Cassie and Lauren looked over the menu and ordered; Cassie invited Lacey to come to Boston for a visit, though all she could offer was the couch and a door that closed. They even managed to laugh at Lacey’s complaints about Christmas with her father and grandmother. “I can’t believe you have left me to deal with him!”

“Hold on, sister mine! You did that to yourself—you don’t want to give up the allowance and for that luxury, you’re going to have lots of family dinners.”

“Lord, I hope not. Cassie, be a sport and make up with him! Then we’ll at least have each other and you’ll probably get back on the payroll!”

“What have I done to you two?” Lauren said, resting her head in her hand.

“I admit it, I’m a little spoiled,” Lacey said.

“A little?” Lauren and Cassie said together.

Their lunches were delivered, they laughed through lunch and Lauren felt a glimmer of hope. She’d filed for divorce right about June 28th. Today was December 28th—six months had passed and they were making crude and somewhat evil jokes about their parents throwing them into poverty.

“Not me,” Lauren said. “I just want to live a life free of control and meanness. And I’ll help you all I can while you both finish your educations, but that’s one of the reasons I wanted us to get together before we’re separated again. I have another challenge ahead. I was fired from my job.”

“What?” Cassie said. “You’ve been there forever! What was their reason?”

“They said that I hadn’t done anything wrong, but they were taking product development in a new direction and my position was no longer needed. I’ve heard it said, very cautiously, that it’s not really true and doesn’t make sense.”

“Oh Mama, what in the world!” Cassie said. “What will you do?”

“I’ll look for another job,” Lauren said. “And I’ve asked my lawyer to turn up the heat and get your father to sit down with a mediator over the property. We need to wrap this up for everyone’s sake. So, what I’m telling you is it may take me a while before I can help you with expenses. I’ve still got my retirement funds, but I’m trying to save that for emergencies.”

Cassie grabbed her hand. “Listen, I can do this on my own. I might run up a lot of debt but I sure won’t be the first and I’ll work my way out of debt like everyone else. Jeremy is going to earn some money teaching while he finishes his PhD. You can’t believe how many law students I know whose family isn’t able to help them at all. The only ones living like normal people come from those fine old families and—”

“Lacey?” Lauren asked.

Lacey was looking down at her plate. Her hands were folded in her lap and she was crying.

“Lacey, your father will probably pick up some of your expenses since you haven’t deserted him, but if that doesn’t work out, I’ll do everything I can to at least help you. Just please be patient. I’m in a fix right now. An unexpected fix.”

Lacey lifted her eyes and a big tear spilled over. “He did it,” she said.

Cassie and Lauren just looked at her, confused and speechless.

“He did it. I didn’t get it at the time. He and Grandma were laughing about how freaked you would be, how you wouldn’t know where to turn, you wouldn’t have any income, you’d be begging him for help...”

Lauren frowned in confusion. “But how?” she asked.

“I don’t know, not really. After a minute of not understanding what the hell they were talking about, I tuned out. I remember he said it paid to know the right people in the right places and that golf was an excellent game for all kinds of favors. That meant nothing to me at the time.”

“That is not how my company operated!” Lauren said, realizing after the fact, she was echoing Sylvie’s words exactly.

“I don’t know how, Mama,” Lacey said. “This is probably my fault! I should have done exactly what Cassie did. I should have told him how much I hated what he did. But I didn’t. I didn’t because I hate this divorce!”

Lauren was quiet for a long moment. “Me, too. I waited too long. And now look how complicated and terrible it is for everyone.”

“I couldn’t figure out why he and Grandma were so happy and laughing. He wants you on your knees,” Lacey whispered. “God,” she said, a sob escaping. “This is the most horrible thing...”

“It’s not your fault,” Lauren said. “It’s not your divorce. It’s my divorce.”

“Lacey, don’t let him manipulate you anymore,” Cassie said.

“But you don’t understand. I don’t have anyone. I don’t have my sister—we’ve been on opposite sides of this. I don’t have my mother—you must hate me for the way I took his side. He’s using me, I don’t have a guy, my girlfriends don’t want to hear about it. I don’t have anyone. And I’m not in law school with some big dream. Do you know what teachers make?”

Lauren just smiled. “It’s not pretty,” she said. “But you will always have a mother. Even when we’re on opposite sides. I don’t blame you for wanting to stay on civil terms with your father, just don’t work against me. That would be hard to forgive.”

“But he says you’re trying to hurt him with this divorce,” Lacey said, clearly misunderstanding the terms.

“Of course I’m not,” Lauren said. “The law is clear. Our possessions and investments that were obtained during our marriage are divided equally with the exception of personal retirement funds. Everything accrued prior to our marriage is not part of the equation. I worked at least three jobs my entire marriage. I cleaned, cared for the children, took care of your father’s needs—professional and personal—and then held down a full-time job. Your father never volunteered in your school, never cleaned the house, never went to the grocery store, doesn’t know where the dry cleaner is, gave me lists of chores to do for him or things to buy for him, and my paycheck went into the joint account. Lacey, I don’t want to hurt him, even though there’s an argument that he deserves to be hurt. All I want is my life back.”

Lacey was quiet for a moment, then she said, “I don’t think he’s going to make that easy.”

“Sweetheart, I knew that before we’d been married a year.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

On January eighth Beau took Lauren with him to a wedding in a small Catholic church on the outskirts of Oakland. Beau was going to stand as best man for Tim Bradbury. It was supposed to be a very small, private affair but by the time Tim and Angela included their families, small was impossible. Angela lost control of the wedding early on as her mother, aunts, grandparents, siblings and cousins took over. At the end of the day their intimate little wedding was over one hundred strong with every woman bringing covered dishes and the mariachis from a couple of towns over arrived. There was also a dance band. The flowers must have been ordered from afar, it being January, and they were plentiful. There were piñatas for the children, beer and wine aplenty and the most delicious Mexican food imaginable.

It came as no surprise to Beau that the Bradbury family, a well-to-do professional family, blended in beautifully and had the best time of all. Beau mentioned it to Michael and Drew and they wouldn’t miss it, so they were there with girlfriends in tow. There was music, dancing, singing, laughing, toasting and toasting and toasting. Beau gave the bride and groom a roaring good speech.

“I don’t think any couple I’ve ever met has been more married,” Lauren said. “They really know how to do it right.”

“Did you have a big wedding?” he asked her.

“Of course,” she said. “It wasn’t a fun wedding, however. It was prim, proper and stick-up-your-butt boring.”

Beau erupted with laughter, then grabbed her in his arms and spun her around the dance floor—the church basement—one more time. It was after midnight when a limo ordered by Tim’s father arrived at the little church and whisked Tim and Angela away, back to the city where they’d been staying.

And Beau took Lauren back to her house where they stumbled into her bedroom, peeling off clothes along the way, their lips locked together the whole time. Within seconds they were on the bed, naked, holding on to each other. The moment Beau touched her, she opened to him like a beautiful flower and he filled her with all his love and lust. Her skin, so soft and perfect to his touch, grew warm and supple and her hips moved beneath him.

This was what perfect love felt like, when there was trust and devotion and passion. Beau tried to count the number of satisfied emotions every time they made love. There was blinding pleasure, there was unparalleled contentment, comfort, excitement, a need quenched, a desire gratified. Body and soul came together for him and he knew complete fulfillment.

“I can’t believe you’re mine,” she whispered.

“Oh, I’m yours,” he said. “I’m yours like I’ve been waiting for you my whole life. This is how it’s supposed to be.” With his lips on hers, his hands all over her, filling her, moving with her, it wasn’t long before she came to a thundering climax in his arms. It was so quick; it was always quick. Her body responded to his body and together their love was powerful yet easy. Then his favorite part, holding her as she came back to earth, as her body trembled and her breathing evened. He gave her a flood of small kisses to mark the way home and she held him to make sure they were together for the ride.