Love of a Lifetime (2 page)

First he would have to get her to cooperate though.  That in
itself
will not be an easy task.  The woman was a red head to her very core and won’t give up without a fight.  If she believes she has been wronged then nothing less than groveling will soften her to him.  In fact, groveling may not even be enough.

Picking up the phone, he punched a few numbers and waited for an answer at the other end of the line.  He was going to need a lot of help to fix this mess he was in and he wasn’t too proud to admit it.

“What can I do to prove to her I’m serious about saving our marriage?” He asked when there was an answer on the other end of the line.

Atayla sighed, tired of this stressful situation.  “Listen to her, Bill.  All you need to do is
listen
to her and you will know what to do.”

“What kind of advice is that?”  He barked into the phone.

“The only advice I can give you!”  She hung up the phone.

Setting the phone back on its cradle, he looked around his office.  He was in for a bumpy ride that was for sure. 
Listen to her. 
What kind of advice was that, really?  Like he had a snowballs chance in hell of deciphering a woman’s hidden meanings.  He may as well hand her a gun and beg her shoot him and put him out of his misery.

Picking the phone back up, he dialed his wife’s cell phone.  His heart clenched when her voice mail instructed him to leave a message.

“Hey, it’s me again.  Please, baby, please call me.  I miss you something fierce.  I want to fix this and I want you back.  I love you, baby.  Please return my call.”

Dejected, he turned on his computer and settled in for the morning.  He loaded his e-mail and the day calendar Atayla prepared for him this morning.  Three consultations and a meeting with another attorney, Vince Shepard, over a divorce and child custody case would take up most of his morning and afternoon. 

It looks like he would be missing out on lunch again today.  Not that it mattered really.  It was hard to eat when your heart was in your throat.

Carla sat on the chaise lounge in Abby’s dayroom listening to the voice mail Billy just left on her voice mail.  He sounded so sad and miserable that she was having a hard time stopping herself from running to his side to comfort him.

It wasn’t about him anymore.  Or at least it wasn’t about what he wanted or needed.  This was about their relationship and how they could make it work again.  She was miserable too, but she has to know that things will change before she returns home to her husband.

She refused to live a half of a life anymore.  It was all or nothing, she deserved nothing less.  She always had a weakness when it came to Bill being unhappy.  Being a nurturer was part of her nature.  It may kill her, but she would not be swayed by Bill’s despondence.

Abby walked into the dayroom and saw Carla holding her phone to her breast.  She knew her friend was hurting and she wished she could do something to help her.  Unfortunately, strangling her husband wouldn’t be very helpful but there was nothing better that she would like to do.

“Did he call again?”

Startled, Carla looked up at her friend.  “Yeah, a few minutes ago.”  She groaned, “He sounds so miserable, Abby.  I just want to run to him and throw my arms around him and promise that everything will be alright.”

“So do it.” 

Carla raised her eyebrow.  “Were you not the one who said the man needed to suffer for a while?”

Abby chuckled.  “Of course I think he needs to suffer.  I love you and he hurt you.  For that I could care less how unhappy he is, but this is your marriage and you need to do what is right.  Just because I think you should seek revenge doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.”

Shoulders slumping in defeat, Carla agreed.  “I think I’ll give
Tay
a call and see if Billy has any free appointment time today.  That way we can talk on neutral ground and maybe come to some sort of agreement before I cave in and give him what he wants.”

“Atta girl!
  At least you own your weaknesses!”  Abby laughed.

Cracking a smile, she joked “I never could resist that man.”  Sobering, tears shimmered in her eyes.  “I love him so much.”

“Then do whatever you need to do, Carla.  Your marriage is worth fighting for.”

“Yes, it is.”  She smiled as she dialed the office number.

“William Bradshaw, Attorney at Law.  Ashley speaking, how may I be of assistance?”

“Atayla Parker, please.”

“One moment, please.”

Carla listened to the soft music on the line as her call was transferred into
Tay’s
office.  She just hoped that she was alone.  The last thing she wanted was for Bill to be standing there as she made her appointment.

“Atayla Parker, how can I help you?”

“Hey,
Tay
.
  It’s me.  Will you look and see if Billy has any openings today?  I want to talk to him, but I would rather do it there versus at home where I’m more likely to cave.”

“I’m sorry, honey.  He is booked full today.  If you want I can try to reschedule a few things.”

“No, I won’t mess with his business affairs.  I know how important it is to him.  I’ll just meet him at home tonight.  It’s a more appropriate place for personal discussions anyway.”

“You want me to tell him to be there at any certain time?”

“No.  I don’t want to give him the opportunity to plan out his attack.  I’ll surprise him.  It will give me the upper hand.”

Atayla sighed.  “I really don’t think you are going to need it.  At this point I think he would agree to anything just to get you back.”

Carla arrived at home around seven o’clock that evening.  Noticing that Bill’s SUV wasn’t parked in the garage, she pulled her jeep in second bay and closed the door.  Letting herself in through the garage, she had every intention of settling in and awaiting his return.

What she saw when she stepped into the kitchen, though, stopped her in her tracks.  The sight horrified her and she didn’t know whether to feel guilty or angry.  Empty take out containers littered every surface of the kitchen and living room.

That wasn’t all she noticed while walking through the house.  Dirty clothes were strewn about on the floor, on the furniture.  Wet towels lay in heaps on the bathroom and bedroom floors.

The place was an absolute mess.  Not even in high school would he have lived in such filth so why would he do it now?  Shaking her head in disbelief, she stopped at the foot of the bed.   Her red satin night gown was lying on the bed next to Bill’s pillow.  Her heart clenched as she picked it up. 

Why was it there?  She knew it should have been in the laundry basket in the bathroom.  It was what she had worn the last night she stayed here.  It was more than apparent that Bill hadn’t done any laundry since she has been gone so it should still be there.

Sighing, she walked back through the house and into the living room.  Clutching her nightgown tightly, she looked around at the chaos presiding over the room.  She hoped she wouldn’t have to wait long for Billy to arrive.  The guilt was hard enough to live with, but seeing the result of her abandonment tore her in two.

Carla shoved a pile of clothes to the side and sat down on the couch.  It wasn’t long before the smell got to her.  She got up and started opening windows to let the breeze in.  It was bad enough that the air inside the house was stale, but the dirty laundry and trash added their own pungent aroma.

Unable to stand it any longer, she started the washing machine and began throwing clothes inside.  When the washer was full enough, she piled the rest of the clothes and towels on the floor in front of it and sprayed it with air freshener.

Searching the cabinets, she found a trash bag and opened it with a snap.  She made short work of filling the first bag before moving on to the second.  By the time she filled the second, the house was mostly devoid of trash.

Filling the sink with hot water and bleach, she dumped the dirty dishes in to soak.  She wasn’t sure they would ever be suitable for use again, but she would give it a good shot.  If her efforts proved fruitless, then she would just make Bill buy new.

When the washer stopped, she flipped the laundry into the dryer and started a new load.  Taking the air freshener, she sprayed it throughout the house and lit candles along the way.  Already it was easier to breathe.

Going back to the sink, Carla drained the water and filled the sink again, adding dish soap this time.  She scrubbed the dishes until her hands felt raw then rinsed and set them in the drainer to dry.  She was tempted to run them through the dishwasher as well, but realized that would be overkill.

Looking at her watch, she was surprised to see that it was nearly midnight.  Where was Bill?  He should have been home a long time ago.  Was he staying with someone else?

Searching through her purse she got out her phone.  She pulled up his number on her speed dial, but before she could initiate the call she heard the garage door open.  Putting her phone back in her purse, she set it on the counter and waited for him to come inside.

A few minutes later the door opened and he stepped cautiously inside.  Setting his keys on the counter, he stood there watching her and waiting for her to make the first move.  Seeing anger in her eyes provoked
his own
and made him defensive.

“What are you doing here?”

“Apparently I just came by to clean up after your sloppy ass!  Here I thought you might have missed me being as I found this in your bed.”  She held up her red satin night gown and watched him flinch.  “I thought maybe you might want to talk and find a way to work through our problems, but I see you’re enjoying the single life too much.  Coming and going as you please, not answering to anyone but yourself!”

“Now wait just a damn minute, Carla.”  He interrupted.  “I’ve been calling you all week and leaving messages.  You’re the one who ignored our problems.  You’re the one avoided my calls and never called me back as I asked you to.  You have no right to be mad at me for coming home late when I didn’t even know you would be here!”  He yelled the last sentence at her.

“Where have you been?  What was so important that you come home at midnight when you have to be back in the office early in the morning?”  She snapped accusingly.

“Having a drink with my old man, listening to him tell me yet again how big a fool I was to marry you in the first place.  Is he right, Carla?  Are you going to make a fool out of me?”

She recoiled at his verbal assault.  “Apparently I am the fool.”  She wiped away the tears running down her face.  “I thought you were a better man than this.”

“Well, I guess you were wrong weren’t you sweetheart?”  He replied cruelly.

Tossing her gown on the counter she shook her head.  “This was a bad idea.  I shouldn’t have come.”  Grabbing up her purse, she headed towards the garage door to leave.

When she was within reach of him, he grabbed ahold of her and hugged her tight.  “I’m sorry, please don’t leave.”  He buried his face in the crook of her neck.  “I’ve missed you so much, baby.”

He lifted his head and looked her in the eyes.  “I can’t sleep without you next to me.  I tried curling up with your gown, because it smells like you, but it doesn’t help.  I need you.  I want you to come home.”

Sadness constricted her heart and tears flowed unchecked from her eyes.  “I love you Billy.”  She raised her hand and stroked his bottom lip with her finger.  “But I’m not coming home.”  When he started to protest she explained, “Things have to change between us.  I’m tired of coming in last in your life and I’m tired of being lonely.  Until you can prove to me that things will get better, I’m staying right where I am.”

“I don’t understand how you can feel that way, baby.  Yes, I forgot your birthday and I’m sorry, but you have always been the single most important thing in my life.”

“Are you sure?”  At his nod she challenged him.   “You tell me the last time you made love to me and I will let this entire matter drop and deal with things the way they are.”

He narrowed his eyes, but she could tell he had no answer to her question.  When his shoulders slumped in defeat, her heart shattered. 

“That’s what I thought.”  She said around the lump in her throat.

“What do you want from me?  Tell me how can I fix this?”  He pleaded.

“You need to figure out what you are willing to give me.  All I want is to have my husband back, to be a part of your life.  Not have a lump in the bed next to me at night and to lead separate lives in the daytime.”

Silence stretched between them until she couldn’t stand it any longer.  She kissed his cheek and stroked his brow.  “Call me when you figure it out.”  She walked into the garage and drove out of his life…again.

Chapter Three