Chapter 3 - THE DRIVE HOME
Michael drove.
I sat beside him.
Our children, Sophie and Ben, slept in the back seat.
Sophie was nine.
Ben was six.
Neither knew what had happened.
I intended to keep it that way until I could explain it without turning their father into a monster.
The highway stretched ahead.
For forty minutes, Michael said nothing.
Then he whispered:
“Claire, I'm sorry.”
I stared out the window.
“For what?”
He gripped the steering wheel.
“Everything.”
“That's convenient.”
He swallowed.
“Rachel and I made mistakes.”
I turned toward him.
“Mistakes?”
He didn't answer.
“Did you have an affair?”
Silence.
I felt my heart begin to pound.
“Michael.”
He looked at the road.
“Yes.”
One word.
Ten years of marriage collapsed inside it.
“How long?”
He hesitated.
“About eight months.”
I closed my eyes.
Eight months.
Eight months of family dinners.
Birthday parties.
School concerts.
Sunday mornings.
Eight months of kissing me goodbye before leaving for work.
Eight months of telling me I was imagining things.
I looked at him.
“Did you love her?”
He swallowed.
“No.”
I laughed.
It sounded ugly.
“Then why?”
“I don't know.”
“That's not an answer.”
He shook his head.
“I was selfish.”
I looked back at our sleeping children.
“Where did you meet?”
He hesitated.
“The cottage.”
I stared.
“Our cottage?”
“Yes.”
The place where Dad had taught me to fish.
The place where Michael proposed.
The place where Sophie took her first steps.
I pressed my hand over my mouth.
Michael reached toward me.
I moved away.
“Don't.”
He pulled his hand back.
We drove the rest of the way in silence.
When we reached home, I carried Ben inside.
Michael carried Sophie.
We tucked them into bed.
Then I walked into our bedroom.
I took a suitcase from the closet.
Michael appeared in the doorway.
“Claire?”
I opened a drawer.
“What are you doing?”
“Packing your things.”
He stared.
“Please don't.”
I looked at him.
“You can stay with your brother tonight.”
“Claire, this is our home.”
I stopped.
Then turned.
“No, Michael.”
May you like
My voice shook.
“This was our home.”
