One Affair, One Divorce, No Way Back novel · Chapter 2 of 24

Chapter 2: Who Would You Live With

Miles's careless question makes Jamie choose Dad, Leigh puts her key on the shoe cabinet, and the school aide says she changed the pickup list a month ago.

Twice since the coffee cup I had asked Leigh how she knew Kendra's name, and twice she had said, "Later."

Then Jamie came out of his room dragging his school jacket by one sleeve.

"The school wants a family photo for the hallway wall," he said.

"They emailed a reminder, too."

Leigh told him the photo was on my phone and that school notices were mine to handle from now on.

Jamie was stuffing toast into his mouth, and he frowned.

"Why is Dad doing the school stuff?"

"He forgets everything."

"Last field trip, every kid had a picnic blanket except me."

I handed him a napkin.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

It was a weak answer, and I knew it.

I hadn't forgotten the blanket on purpose.

Last spring Leigh had spent three days at her sister's, and she had texted me a list of what Jamie needed.

I forwarded it to my assistant and told her to buy everything.

My assistant missed one line.

When Leigh came home, she took over again, and I never thought about it.

Now my son was complaining about it, and my first instinct was to explain myself to his mother.

But Leigh was already in the entryway, lacing her shoes.

I should have waited until tonight, the way she had asked.

I didn't.

I wanted to see what I would be walking into.

"Jamie," I said, "if Mom and Dad didn't live together anymore, who would you want to live with?"

Leigh stopped with the lace half tied.

Jamie looked from her to me.

"Are you guys fighting?"

"We're not fighting," Leigh said.

"Dad is just asking."

He answered almost before she finished.

"I'd live with Dad."

"He lets me play video games, and Mom says no fried chicken at night."

Leigh didn't look hurt.

She didn't ask if he was sure.

She finished tying her shoe and told him to eat the rest of his toast.

Jamie saw that he had said something wrong.

He held his toast in both hands and added, carefully, "Mom can still come see me, though."

I looked at Leigh.

"Did you hear that?"

She took the house key off her key ring and set it on the shoe cabinet.

"I heard him," she said.

"So don't ask him a second time."

I stood up.

"Be angry at me if you want to be, but don't punish him for being honest."

"You were the one who asked him," Leigh said.

I had nothing to say to that.

I hadn't meant to use Jamie as leverage.

I had wanted her to see that a divorce wasn't a form you signed over coffee.

There was school to think about.

In two years he would start middle school, and somebody would have to decide where we lived.

She couldn't leave all of that to me.

But when I tried to say it out loud, it sounded like I was admitting I couldn't manage a single thing without her.

I tried again.

"You have to give me some time. Yesterday everything was fine, and today you want a divorce. Who can accept that?"

"Take as long as you like with the papers," Leigh said.

"I'm moving out next Monday."

She opened the front door and told Jamie to follow her.

He picked up his backpack, stopped, and ran back to grab my sleeve.

"Dad, can you drive me to school today?"

I checked the time.

It was 8:20.

If I drove him and then went to the office, I would miss the morning meeting.

"Let Mom take you," I said.

"Dad has work."

Jamie's lip pushed out.

Leigh didn't comfort him the way she always did.

She just waited outside the door with her bag on her shoulder.

A hot wave of irritation went through me, and I took my car keys off the hook.

"Fine," I said.

"I'll take you."

In the elevator Jamie was thrilled.

He asked if we could stop and buy a new game card that evening.

I said yes.

In the lobby, Leigh walked out ahead of us without turning around to tell me not to make promises I couldn't keep.

She would have said it a month ago.

Back then I thought she took everything too seriously, even our own kid.

Now that she wasn't managing me, I felt like she was standing back to watch me make a fool of myself.

I drove Jamie to school and parked in the loop.

Inside, I stopped at the front office to sign him in late.

The aide pulled up his file and frowned at her screen.

"Mr. Tanner, I don't have you down as the first pickup."

"Your wife came in last month and changed the list."

"You're listed second."

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