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What's Next?
"The divorce is really getting ugly," Trish complained, her brow furrowing with worry. "Janice is making my life hell."
We were at Mom's On Park Avenue, and we all eyed our friend with sympathy. She wasn't quite through just yet.
"Glen says we definitely have a fight on our hands, but I know he'll get me my apartment. He has to."
"Oh, honey, don't worry," Lisa Marie said. "He will." She smiled and patted the blonde's hand.
"Thanks," Trish said. "So... Let's change the subject. What's going on with you guys?"
Candice shrugged.
"Just morning sickness on my end... Nothing exciting, unfortunately."
"Well, actually," I piped in, "I kind of have news." I took a deep breath as my three friends looked at me in anticipation. "At the bar opening last weekend, I ran into Jeff out back."
Candice's expression reflected surprise.
"You did? You didn't tell me that."
"I know. I just... Well, it was such a surreal experience."
"What happened?" Trish asked.
I closed my eyes for a beat, reveling in the memory of that night. Then, I opened them again and gazed far away at some unseen vision an unknown distance up ahead.
"It was... nice," I said. "None of that awkwardness like I expected. He even took some icing off my face and licked it off his finger."
Lisa Marie let out a very audible sigh of satisfaction.
"I just... He looked so good, and I really..." I eyed each of them in turn. "I think I want him back."
"Really?" Trish asked, her brown eyes lighting up. As a sucker for romance, my revelation positively melted her heart.
"Yes, I really think I do," I admitted. "I realized that these past six months, I've been a shell of myself without him. I never got over him."
"Have you talked to Jeff about this?" Lisa asked.
I shook my head.
"No, I haven't gotten up the nerve... But I will."
Candice faced me seriously.
"Are you prepared to hear that he doesn't want to hear it? Because after what happened, he may not be willing to take you back."
"I know, and I'm prepared."
"Okay," the brunette said, "in that case, we need a strategy."
"What do you mean?" I questioned.
"I know what Candi is getting at," Lisa Marie interjected. "You need a safe route. You don't want to go about this face-to-face when there's a chance he might reject you."
"Exactly," Candice concurred. "Okay, Amy, here's what you'll do... Send him an email."
"Do I have to? I'd rather just call him. I do better voice-to-voice."
Trish leaned in to listen more closely, appearing fascinated. I guessed she had to be enjoying this since there had been no new prospects for her ever since the divorce proceedings.
"Do that later... First, send him an email. Once he responds, or if he doesn't, then give him a call. Got it?"
I stared at Candice and nodded.
"Yes... Got it."
As I sat there, I pondered how this might all fall into place - or fall apart. Now, it was just a matter of when I would get up enough courage to send that email.
*
Later, Trish sat nervously in Glen Jacobs' law office as her soon to be ex-mother-in-law and her attorney sat across from them.
"She deserves nothing after all this!" Janice Orton declared. She was an uppity, smobbish woman with harsh features who wore her gray hair tightly back.
"I didn't do anything, Janice... The relationship just didn't work out," Trish said calmly, hating the need to defend herself.
"Where I come from, you honor and obey your marriage vows... You don't bail out because the going gets rough."
"Randy was the one who bailed out," the blonde countered.
"Well!" the older woman snapped. "You certainly didn't fight for him!"
"That's enough arguing," Glen cut in. "All we want is the apartment. Trish took great pains in redecorating it, and your son told her she could keep it when he left."
Janice huddled with her attorney, an older gentleman named William Butler, and the two discussed the matter in hushed whispers.
"The coin collection and nothing more," Butler said a moment later.
"No!" Trish exclaimed. "I don't care about a stupid coin collection!"
The door suddenly opened, and Glen's secretary stepped in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said. "Glen, a fax just came in. It's urgent."
Glen accepted the document, glanced it over and smiled as he looked back up.
"It's a letter from Mr. Orton."
Trish grew alarmed by that revelation.
"Should I read this aloud?" Jacobs suggested.
"By all means, do," Janice insisted.
"Gladly." Glen practically grinned as he did so. It was a letter in which Randy had painted a picture-perfect image of Trish, and her ex stated that she had been a wonderful wife and that the breakup had not been her fault at all.
"In conclusion, I am demanding that Ms. Stratus get full ownership of the apartment. Mother, stop fighting her. Please."
The woman closed her mouth so tightly that her lips became a thin line. Again, she quickly and quietly had a pep talk with her lawyer.
Agreed," Mr. Butler said, "but just the apartment."
Glen and Trish exchanged glances, and the blonde smiled.
"You've got yourself a deal."
Janice Orton finally silenced, she and her attorney rose to leave. Once they were gone, Trish practically jumped out of her chair and squealed with happiness.
"Yay! Oh, my God, this is great! Thank you, thank you!" She threw her arms around the big man, totally ecstatic over the victory.
Glen eagerly hugged her back, a warm feeling running through him over the tiny woman's happiness.
"Congratulations on the victory, lady."
*
While Trish was enjoying her moment of triumph in the divorce case, I was sitting in front of my laptop, trying to dredge up the courage to send that email to Jeff.
I had my email open on my monitor, staring at a blank new message. I began to type, hesitating after nearly every word.
I stared at my message, my breath held as I grimaced at it. Nothing struck me as right. And so, I utilized my backspace key. In place of a medium-sized message I had composed, I typed three simple words...
I miss you.
After staring at that for a good few minutes, I bit the bullet and clicked "Send."
That was that. Now, all I had to do was wait. The ball was now officially in Jeff's court.
Nervous as hell, I grimaced again and buried my face in my hands. Hopefully, this would go all right.