Chapter Five #2
“Whatever the reason, it’s a miracle,” I said. I barely believed in God anymore. Maybe I didn’t believe in him at all, but I knew a miracle when I saw one and wasn’t ashamed to admit it.
“That it is.” Jessica got down her from stool and took a turn around the room looking for more cobwebs.
I gave up sweeping for the moment and opened the small bathroom to take stock of what needed to be done in there.
The stench hit me first. “We’re going to need more cleaning supplies,” I said as I plugged my nose and ventured into the small room.
The room was in complete disarray. I didn’t blame Mr. Jones for giving up on the place.
At least, now I knew why the rent was so low.
An animal had clearly made its home here.
Under the grime, though, I saw potential in the large claw food tub, pedestal sink, and what I hoped was a functional toilet.
Even with the prospect of having to evict the furry tenants and scrub this room, my hope only grew the longer I spent in the space.
This was my place. Mine and only mine. I was safe here. I couldn’t wait to move in.
Once I thoroughly scrubbed the bathroom and cleared out the family of rats that had taken up residence in the small cupboard, the rest of the move went smoothly.
I didn’t take too much from my old house, Bill’s house, but I needed enough to get set up in my new home.
Bill wouldn’t miss the guest bed or the pots and pans.
He never entered those rooms, anyway. I cleared my side of the closet and brought my vanity, complete with Anders’s letters, to my new home.
It took four days after Bill was supposed to come home before the call I had been dreading finally came through. Bill was back, and he knew I was gone.
I desperately wanted to avoid the call, but I knew I had to deal with this and say the words to him. I didn’t have to tell him where I was though, that was my information and my information alone.
“Hello, Bill,” I said in my most detached and polite voice, one I had honed over the years.
It was one I knew would placate him. My body tensed for a fight.
I understood now why my spine tried to escape my lower back whenever he was around.
It didn’t matter that this was a phone call.
Knowing it was him on the phone put me on high alert.
I paced to give that energy somewhere to go.
“Grace!” He almost sounded genuinely concerned.
“I’m so glad that you’re alive. Where have you been?
I’ve been so worried about you since I got back two days ago.
” I could detect the fake note in his voice, though.
I’m sure he used it so many times with me, but it was almost like admitting to myself who he was, had changed my view of him and it would never go back to the delusion I’d held before.
“Bill, I want a divorce,” I said, my tone still flat and emotionless.
I had practiced my lines with Jessica while we moved my stuff in so I wouldn’t be fumbling with what to say and how to say it.
“I’ve contacted my grandma’s old lawyer and the papers will be served to you soon.
” Despite my neutral tone, my pacing increased as I waited for his response.
“What?” He sounded like I had slapped him. Good. “Grace. Baby. What happened?” He dropped his voice into what I assumed he thought was a sexy and enticing tone. “Come home and we can talk about this.”
“No, Bill. My lawyer will send over the papers.” I held firm. I knew if I veered off course and answered any of his questions, he would just turn this into a fight and I was done fighting with him.
“Is this about the necklace?” He demanded. Gone was the placating and cajoling tone. “Look, I know I messed up there. I couldn’t stop thinking about it while I was gone and I’m going to make it right. I’ll get it back for you. I promise.” So he did do something with it.
I can do this. Don’t respond. Just stick to the script. I took a deep breath before responding, pushing down my desire to question him about the necklace again.
“Please, just sign the papers and send them back to the lawyer. I already have everything I need. I don’t even want the house. I’m trying to make this easy for both of us.” I was proud of myself for holding firm and not falling for his bait.
“Easy?” He yelled. “You think this is easy for me?” His rage tore through the phone line between us, piercing me in it’s intensity.
I was glad to be far away from him, where he couldn’t get to me.
He usually kept his temper in check, but the times he had become angry terrified me. This far surpassed that.
“How will it look if a deacon was divorced? What about my business relationships? They count on me being a family man. You barely managed that and now you’re taking away what little respectability you did give me?” Of course, he would only talk about how this inconvenienced him.
“Goodbye, Bill.”
“Don’t you dare…” I hung on him before he could finish that sentence. My heart raced and my hands shook so badly it took three attempts to hang up the phone. Pride and elation ran through me. I’d done it.
He immediately called me back. Three times. I turned my phone off and made a note to ask Jessica how I could block his number.
I was keyed up for an hour after that call. I directed that energy into giving the bathroom one last good scrubbing, just for something to do. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock on the door.
“It’s just me, Grace,” Jessica called out through the door, and I closed my eyes in relief. I undid the two deadbolts and the chain that we added to the door when I moved in and let her through.
“Guess who just heard from Bill?” she asked as she waltzed in and set down the bag she carried. “He was furious. It was amazing.” She unloaded the groceries as I re-bolted the door.
“I know,” I squeaked out as I went to help her put away the food she brought for me.
“What did you say to him? Tell me everything,” she said, as we finished putting away the groceries in the small fridge and she popped open a can of coke she brought.
“I stuck to the script. Told him I wanted a divorce. Didn’t answer his questions. Can you believe he said he could get my necklace back? I knew he took it. What do you think he did with it?”
“You’re a badass, Grace.” She hopped up on the counter and I realized I didn’t really have anywhere for her to sit. “I do think he took the necklace. He probably pawned it or something.”
“Probably.” I blushed at her assessment of me as a badass. I didn’t feel like it, but I felt better now that the dreaded conversation was over. I popped the top on my coke and settled onto the foot of my bed to gossip with my cousin.