He Asked Me To Wait, I Asked For A Divorce novel · Chapter 1 of 24
Chapter 1: The Orders
On the second day of her marriage, Hannah is asked in front of the captain to wait fourteen months, says no, and finds the orders were filed before the proposal.
On the second morning of my marriage, my husband's commanding officer stood in our kitchen and told me I would be alone for fourteen months.
Captain Harrington had come to our door in Navy housing at eight o'clock with a folder in his hand.
Behind him came Lieutenant Commander Shelby Whittlesey from the squadron office, carrying a box of pastries and a smile.
I was still in Broderick's old Academy sweatshirt. We hadn't unpacked the kitchen yet.
Broderick stood by the counter in full uniform. His sea bag was already packed and waiting by the door.
"Diego Garcia," the Captain said. "Fourteen months, unaccompanied. The island has no family housing."
I looked at Broderick.
He was looking at the floor.
Last night, in the dark, he had told me he'd put in for shore duty so he could stay home with me.
I had believed him, because before that I had believed every word he ever sent me.
For eight months he was at sea, and for eight months he wrote me letters so tender I kept them in a shoebox under my bed.
Last night I had quoted him one. The one about the morning the fog lifted off the flight deck and he wished I could see it.
He had laughed and said, "I wrote that?"
Then he said, "Good one," and asked what else I remembered.
I had thought it was sweet. I had thought he was shy.
"Mrs. Loomis," the Captain said, and his voice was kind. "I won't pretend this is easy. Can you manage the home front while he's gone?"
"I'll make sure he calls every Sunday, Hannah," Shelby said. She squeezed my arm.
Two weeks ago, Shelby had walked me through every form for housing and shown me where the good grocery store was.
She had left a welcome basket on my doorstep with a note that said, You're one of us now.
I liked her. I really did.
Everyone in the room was waiting for me to say yes.
"No," I said.
Nobody moved.
Broderick's smile went stiff on his face.
"He can take the assignment," I said. "After he signs the divorce papers."
The Captain's eyebrows went up. Shelby's hand dropped from my arm.
"Hannah." Broderick laughed, short and bright. "Han. You don't mean that."
"I mean every word."
"She's upset," he told the Captain. "She's a newlywed. She's allowed to be upset."
"I'm not upset," I said. "I'm asking."
"Mrs. Loomis," Captain Harrington said slowly, "that's a heavy thing to say when you're angry. Take a night before you say it again."
"I don't need a night."
Broderick crossed the kitchen and put his hands on my shoulders.
He used the voice that had worked on me at the courthouse, low and warm.
"Han, it's fourteen months. You already waited eight, and you were so good at it."
I felt that one land.
Good at it.
He had just told his captain that waiting was the thing I did best.
"You said shore duty," I said.
"The plan changed."
"When?"
He didn't answer.
I stepped out from under his hands and took the orders from the Captain's fingers.
The Captain let me. I think he was curious.
The paper had a date stamped in the top corner.
Request submitted: five weeks ago.
I worked backward.
Five weeks ago Broderick was still on his ship. He hadn't yet come home to me and asked me over dinner to marry him.
He had applied for this island before he proposed.
He had stood at the courthouse and said his vows already holding a plane ticket.
Below the date, in blue ink, there was a line for the endorsing officer.
Lt. Cdr. S. Whittlesey.
I looked up.
Shelby was studying the pastry box.
"You asked her to sign it," I said to Broderick.
"It's a routine endorsement, Han."
"You told me last night you'd taken shore duty."
"Hannah," the Captain said quietly. "Let's step outside, you and I."
"No, sir. Thank you."
I took off my wedding ring.
It was a plain gold band, bought in a hurry in the courthouse parking lot, and it had fit me for two days.
I set it down on top of the orders.
So I walked out of the kitchen, picked up my purse, and left my husband standing there in his dress blues.
Behind me, Broderick called out, not even loudly.
"You'll be back, Han. Nobody waits like you."
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