8. Ember
EMBER
The apartment feels alive again. Suitcases are scattered throughout the hallway, someone has already kicked off their shoes near the front door, and the smell of Chinese takeout fills every corner of the place. Surprisingly, I've missed the noise and I’ve missed them.
Cassidy and I sit curled up on opposite ends of the couch as Sully explains how Puck stole the show when he howled during the objections, and Emmett describes how cute Frankston was as Pierre’s best man, he even showed us pictures.
Jo passes around containers of Chinese takeout as she chats excitedly about the wedding and how happy she is that Issy is now her sister-in-law.
She quickly explains how they were childhood sweethearts until her brother was an idiot and lost her for fifteen years, but they found each other again and now they are married.
"So ..." she says, beside Emmett. "You girls have to tell us what you have been up to."
“We had the best time. The first day we spent on the couch,” Cassidy explains.
“Then Cass got an epiphany.” I chuckle.
“I did. It probably was a reaction to the millions of romance movies we watched.”
“True,” I agree.
“I was sick of sitting here miserable because of those two fuckers back home, who were probably happy we walked out and left them there so they could keep cheating on us,” Cassidy says, riling herself up.
“It wasn’t fair that they could continue on as if nothing happened while we bore the full brunt of the betrayal. ”
“So, we decided to do something about our mental health and have a holiday. Honestly, it was the best thing we could have ever done. I feel like I can tackle the world now,” I tell them.
“We had the best time exploring the city. We had a spa day, visited museums and libraries, explored interior design shops, looked at architecture, and felt inspired again. We did a day trip to the Hamptons and ate lobster rolls on the beach, we also visited to the Hudson Valley and went on a hike.”
“Wow, you guys sound like you had fun,” my brother says.
“We did. It sort of calmed our minds, helped us shake off the shock and think about what happens next,” I tell him.
“What does happen next?” Sully asks.
“Well, for one, we are going back to our maiden names,” Cassidy explains.
“We were talking with the girls about how Ember Black and Cassidy Sullivan never got to grow up, and we want to give them that chance,” I explain. The boys seem surprised by this but don’t say anything. “We even messed around with the idea of maybe starting our own interior design firm.”
“Sullivan Black Designs,” Cassidy says excitedly.
“Wow. That’s …” Emmett starts.
Jo elbows him. “That is a great idea, isn’t it, babe?” she looks at him.
“It is, but …”
“But?” she questions my brother.
“It’s only been a week.” I know my brother is only looking out for us.
“It’s just an idea, something to think about,” I tell him.
“We’re not even sure we want to go back to Wisconsin,” Cassidy adds.
“You want to stay here?” Sully asks.
“Maybe,” she tells him.
“Wasn’t expecting that, but I’d love to have you closer.” He smiles.
“Look, nothing is set in stone, we still have so much to work out,” I add.
“Still proud of you girls. I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through, and you’re still smiling,” Jo says.
“Not sure about smiling, but we feel like we have made a little peace with it,” I tell her as my phone buzzes beside me.
I grab it without thinking, and still when I see whose name it is … Kevin.
Kevin: You asked for a week of no contact and we’ve done that. Time’s up, we need to talk.
“Em, are you okay?” Cassidy asks.
“It’s from Kevin. He’s just reminding me the seven days of no contact are up.”
“Are you serious?” my brother says angrily. “How fucking dare he. After what he did. He has no right to demand anything from you.”
“What are you going to do?” Jo asks, putting a reassuring hand on my brother’s arm to calm him down.
I look at Cassidy. “I don’t think we can hide anymore.”
“I agree,” she says.
“Guess we need to go home.”
“You’re not going alone,” Sully adds.
“Exactly, we’re coming too,” Emmett states.
“If you come, you can’t do anything stupid,” I warn them.
“Define stupid.” Sully grins.
“No physical violence. I will not have those two idiots ruining your careers,” I tell them both.
The boys look at each other and nod. “We promise to behave,” my brother says. I don’t believe them, but also, I don’t want to go home without them.
“When do we leave? Let me go home, pack a bag, and we can be gone in the morning,” Sully says.
“You just got back from holidays,” Cassidy states.
“So? The sooner you two deal with those two fuckers, the sooner you can move on.”
He’s not wrong. “What should I say?”
“That you will be back tomorrow and he will hear from you then,” Sully states.
“Shouldn’t we talk to a lawyer or something first?” Cassidy asks.
“I’m on it,” Emmett says. “We will find you the best divorce lawyer.”
“Let me Google what the divorce rules are in Wisconsin, so we have an idea,” Jo says. Maybe we should have done that sooner. It says Wisconsin is a ‘no-fault’ and ‘community property divorce state’.”
What does that even mean?
“Looks like everything will be split fifty-fifty,” Jo continues reading.
“Does that mean the business?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I’m going to assume so, but I guess it depends on how it’s set up. Also, even if you all agree that the marriage is over, there is a mandatory one hundred and twenty days waiting period, and the clock starts the day the petition is served.”
“So, if we serve them tomorrow, the countdown starts from there?” Cassidy asks.
“Yeah, I would assume so,” Jo says.
“So, in four months we could be divorced?” I ask quietly.
“Yeah,” Jo answers.
Wow, that quickly, and just like that, poof, all those years never existed. I open my phone and reply to my husband’s text.
Ember: We are flying home tomorrow. We will be in touch then.
Kevin: It will be good to see you.
Ember: I can’t say the same.
Then I turn off my phone. I don’t want to continue talking to him.
“I’m organizing a jet for tomorrow,” Sully says.
“No, that’s too much money,” Cassidy argues.
“We’ll split it, then it’s not,” Emmett adds.
“That seems like a waste,” I say.
“It’s not,” Sully states.
Guess that’s that then. We are going home.
"I could get used to this." Cassidy giggles as we settle in on the private jet. It’s just us and our brothers today. Jo had to get back to work.
I laugh. "The private jet?"
She nods. “I think my next husband should be a billionaire. I feel like I am meant for this life.”
“You want to get married again?” I ask her.
Cassidy frowns at me. “One day, yeah, especially if he owns a jet.”
“I didn’t think my sister would be a gold digger,” Sully calls out to us.
“My priorities have changed now, brother,” she teases.
He shakes his head as an attendant hands us both a glass of champagne, and the boys coffee. I could get used to this.
We strap ourselves in, and minutes later we are taking off. It’s just over a two-hour flight back home. Once we are stable, the attendant comes over and tops up our drinks and places a cheese platter in front of us. Yum.
"So last night I made a few calls to lawyers,” my brother says. “And I found one that I’ve heard is the best. We have a meeting with her as soon as we arrive.”
“That quickly?” I ask him.
He nods. “I think it’s better to be prepared before seeing Trevor and Kevin again.
This way, you can have all the information you need so those two can’t pull one over you both.
” That is true. “I explained your situation to her, and it should be an easy case unless the boys decide they want to make trouble.”
“That’s why we are here, so they don’t,” Sully adds.
“You think they might?” I ask him.
“Didn’t think the two of them would hook up either,” he bites back.
Guess we should be prepared for everything.
“So, after the lawyer, we will go see Mom, she is desperate to see you,” Emmett tells me. “She just needs to see if you are okay, and then we will deal with them.”
I nod, it sounds like a good plan. Kevin has been blowing up my phone asking what time my flight gets in so they can pick us up from the airport.
Has he lost his mind? In what world would I want him to pick us up from the airport?
I told him we would be making our own way and that maybe we should meet at a neutral place.
He didn’t like that and said I needed to come home, that home is the right place for this talk.
I told him that the four of us should be talking, not separately, as it concerns us all.
He agreed to that, and so we are heading to our home for dinner.
I’m still unsure if Emmett and Sully should be there for this.
“The lawyer has also spoken to someone in her office regarding the business, and she has notes on that too.”
The business. It’s the one thing I keep forgetting about, which is strange because before all this happened it was the only thing I could think about.
“If you want to keep the business, we will fight for it?” Sully adds.
Cassidy and I look at each other.
“We don’t know what we want regarding that,” I tell them.
Emmett nods. “Okay, we can work that out later.”
I nod as I look down at my engagement and wedding rings that still sit on my finger. It feels strange now as I look at them, heavy and foreign.
The conversation moves away from us, thankfully, and before we know it, the captain tells us to prepare for landing.
The familiar streets of Madison come into view through the window as the SUV turns down Mom's street. I haven't been here in what feels like forever. In reality, it's only been a week. One week. Feels so much longer. That's all it took for my whole life to change.
Emmett reaches over and squeezes my hand. "You ready?"
"No."
He smiles softly. “She’s just worried.”
The SUV rolls to a stop in front of Mom's house. Before Emmett can even switch the engine off, the front door flies open. Mom. She doesn't wait for me to come to her. She's already halfway down the front path by the time I climb out.
"Oh, sweetheart." She wraps her arms around me so tightly I can't breathe. I bury my face in her shoulder and absorb her hug. "I'm so glad you're home."
"I'm glad to be here." I sniffle as I continue to hug her.
She pulls back, cupping my face between her hands. "You've lost weight."
"Mom. It’s been a week. I doubt that, not with the amount of ice cream Cassidy and I have been inhaling.”
"You have." She looks behind me at Emmett. “Emmett.” She opens her arms wide to give him a hug. "Thank you," she tells him.
He smiles. "I didn't do much."
"You gave my little girl somewhere safe."
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," he tells her.
Mom's eyes well with tears before she quickly wipes them away. "Come inside." She takes my hand like she used to when I was little, and leads me into the house. "I've got a pot on," she tells us. "I've also made lunch."
Emmett and I look at each other, this is home.
"I've been worried," Mom confesses as she moves around the kitchen fussing over us.
"I know."
She busies herself making three coffees, needing something to do with her hands. I sit at the kitchen table while Emmett pulls out a chair beside me. Mom places the mugs in front of us before finally sitting down herself.
"How did it go with the lawyer?" she asks.
"Better than I expected."
She lets out a breath. "So ... what happens now?"
I wrap both hands around my mug. “We now have an idea where we stand legally. I guess it’s now up to Trevor and Kevin to play nice.”
“You think they will?” she asks.
I shrug. “Not sure. I hope so.”
“He will,” she tells me.
See, that is where I’m not sure. I don’t know who Kevin is anymore, he feels like a stranger now. So, I don’t trust him not to mess me around.
“Well, whatever will be, will be,” Mom says, patting my hand.