Regret is the Punishment novel · Chapter 21 of 24

Chapter 21: Papers

Jerome signed the divorce papers on a Friday night, at the kitchen table on Maple Court.

Darla was at my sister's for her first sleepover since the fire.

She had left with her rabbit in a tote bag and told me she was going to teach my sister's cat to shake hands.

The house was very quiet.

Jerome had put the stack in front of him, with a pen on top.

He didn't ask me to sit.

I sat anyway, across the table, and folded my hands.

"Eight pages," he said. "Custody is shared. Fifty-fifty, with the schedule your lawyer asked for."

"I don't have a lawyer."

"I know. I had mine write it the way a lawyer for you would."

He turned to the last page.

He signed, and he dated it, and the pen made a small scratching sound in the quiet.

I hadn't known my heart could drop and rise at the same time.

"It's signed," he said. "It can be filed Monday."

"All right."

"I'm not going to file it."

I stared at him.

"I'm putting it in the drawer. I wanted you to see me sign it first."

"Why?"

"So you know I could."

He put the pen down.

"So you don't think the drawer is forgiveness. It isn't. It's me not being able to do it yet."

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