Chapter 6
Claire met with the divorce attorney Friday morning at eleven.
She arrived at Sloane’s downtown office a few minutes early and admired the watercolor paintings on the wall while she waited.
The paintings were all Nantucket focused: gorgeous seascapes, brilliant pink roses and blue hydrangeas, all by local artist Kristen Hodges.
Claire looked forward to seeing the flowers bloom in a few months—when the knockout roses would climb her mother’s white trellis and the blue hydrangeas would bloom all around the house.
“Claire Shipman?” A soft voice called.
Claire stood.
The woman walked toward her and held out her hand. “I’m Sloane Patrick. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Claire shook hands and followed her into her office.
Sloane was about Claire’s mother’s age. Her dark brown hair was short, cut in a chic pixie style that flattered her brown eyes.
She wore a navy suit and had an impressive presence.
She exuded intensity and an energy that made Claire glad that Sloane was on her side.
“Have a seat,” she instructed.
Claire sat in a soft leather chair across from Sloane’s massive gleaming mahogany desk. Behind Sloane, Claire could see the ocean out the window. They were near the wharf, and in the distance, she could see a ferry heading to Hyannis.
Sloane opened a file and picked up her pen. Claire had filled her in on the phone about her situation and Ellis’s current financial issues. “Have you heard anything further from Ellis?”
“No. He was going to list the apartment this week. He’s going to start a new job and says his salary will be lower while he learns the ropes.”
Sloane pursed her lips and made a note on a legal pad. “How long were you married?”
“Seventeen years.”
“And Ellis was successful at his job until recently?”
Claire nodded. “Yes, he was. We never had money issues, and he always received big bonuses and promotions over the years.”
“Who handled the finances?”
“It was mostly me. I wrote the checks and paid all our household bills from the main checking account.”
“Did you have access to other accounts?”
Claire thought for a moment. “We had a joint savings account too. And Ellis had a 401k.”
“Do you know how much is in that?”
“I’m really not sure. There should be some though, I would think.”
“There should. Unless he closed it out or borrowed against it. You said he took out a home equity loan that you knew nothing about?”
Claire nodded. “He did. He said that there’s no equity left in the apartment once he pays back the loans and the existing mortgage. I think he said that about the retirement account too, actually.”
“Okay, so we’ll start by asking his attorney for an accounting of all existing accounts and their balances. We’ll see what is in the 401k and any other investments. Does he have a stock account?”
“He said that is gone—completely empty.”
Sloane raised her eyebrows. “People lie about money. We could do a forensic audit, which will uncover any hidden accounts he might have. Given what he’s done, I would recommend it. But it’s up to you.”
Claire hesitated. What Ellis had done was awful, but she’d never known him to lie before the affair with Rebecca.
“I kind of feel like doing that might be like kicking a man while he’s down,” she said. “Ellis was always trustworthy when it comes to money for his family.”
Sloane pursed her lips again and made another note on her legal pad. “Okay. We could start by just requesting the financial data from his attorney then and go from there.”
That sounded like a better plan. “Let’s do that.”
Sloane explained the divorce process and that it could take some time to get all the information, and she also warned Claire that it moved slower when there were more assets and custody issues to sort out. “Have you and Ellis discussed how you want to handle custody of your daughter?”
Claire immediately felt a wave of panic. “No. She’s coming here tomorrow and will be staying with me. Ellis is moving in with his…with Rebecca. Lily isn’t keen on staying there, and I don’t blame her.”
“Okay. It’s best when you can work that out without involving the lawyers or the courts, so maybe have a conversation with both of them, and let me know what you decide. Or if we need to get involved.”
Claire nodded. “Okay, I will.”
Sloane promised to be in touch once there were updates from Ellis’s lawyer to discuss.
Claire left the office in a bit of a daze.
Talking with Sloane made everything very real again, and the emotions rose, and the tears spilled over.
She walked to the wharf and along the docks where the boats were moored.
She didn’t have any tissues with her and dabbed at her eyes as she walked.
Eventually the flow subsided, and she decided to stop into the Corner Table and get a coffee and maybe a scone or muffin.
Her thoughts were on Lily and Ellis and how they would work out the custody issue, and her head was down slightly as she pushed open the door to the coffee shop, and someone immediately swore.
A tall rugged-looking man with slightly long wavy hair, a green plaid flannel shirt, and paint-splattered jeans bent over to pick up the paper coffee cup she’d caused him to drop.
“You really should pay attention,” he snapped as a clerk showed up immediately with a rag to wipe up the spilled coffee.
Claire’s eyes welled up again at his tone. “I’m so sorry. I’ll get you another one of course. What was it?”
“Black coffee, no sugar.” His tone was gruff. He followed her to the counter, and she ordered his replacement coffee, one for herself, and a raspberry scone.
While they waited, he watched her, and she saw that his eyes were kind and concerned. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Claire sighed. “I’m not usually a crier. I just left my divorce attorney’s office, and it all just hit me. You’re right, I wasn’t paying attention. I was trying to work out how my husband and I will manage custody of our sixteen-year-old daughter when he lives in Manhattan and I’m here.”
He nodded. “That sounds challenging.”
He looked vaguely familiar. Claire handed him her coffee, glanced at the stack of mail he was holding, saw the last name, and realized who he was.
“You’re Stephanie’s brother?”
He smiled, and it transformed his face. Laugh lines danced around his eyes as deep dimples appeared in his cheeks. “I am. You know Stephanie?”
“We graduated the same year. I just saw her for the first time in years Wednesday night at book club. I’m Claire.”
He held out his free hand and she shook it.
“I’m Cody. Did you just move back here?”
She smiled. “I did. My daughter arrives tomorrow, and I think we’re going to be here awhile.”
“Well, welcome home and thanks for the coffee. Hope your day gets better.”
“Thanks.” She settled at a small table and watched as he left the shop and headed down a side street.
She couldn’t believe she’d been so in her head that she’d caused him to drop his coffee.
Her thoughts returned to custody of Lily as she sipped her coffee and ate her scone.
She knew Ellis would want time with Lily.
They would have to figure something out somehow.
“So think about coming back for a weekend soon. Rebecca has a spare bedroom that you’ll love. It overlooks the park. You can see all your friends when you come back.”
Ellis tried to sell Lily on a visit—again—and if it was just with him, Lily would have been fine with it. But she wasn’t ready to forgive her father for what he’d done, and she most definitely wasn’t going to stay at his ridiculously young girlfriend’s apartment. Not any time soon. Maybe not ever.
“At least tell me you’ll think about it and that you don’t hate me?” He pleaded pathetically as he pulled up to the airport terminal.
Lily sighed. “Of course I don’t hate you. And I will think about it. Maybe later this summer,” she conceded, and his eyes lit up. It was the first crumb she’d thrown him since this whole mess started.
“Great!” He jumped out of the car and pulled her suitcase and carry-on bag from the back seat. She hugged him goodbye, then headed in to board her flight to Nantucket.
Her mother and grandmother were waiting for her at Nantucket Airport. Lily climbed off the tiny plane, grabbed her suitcase from the luggage cart, and made her way over to them. Claire pulled her in for a hug first and squeezed her tight. Marsha followed.
“How was your flight, honey?” Claire asked as they walked toward the car.
“Fine.” The flight was quick. Lily had done it many times before, and it always amazed her how in a little over an hour, she could leave Manhattan and be in another world entirely.
That was how Nantucket always felt to her—like a magical, dreamy escape.
She loved staying at her grandmother’s big house on the water and looked forward to walking along the cobblestone streets downtown and shopping with her mother.
And as soon as the weather warmed up, she looked forward to spending a lot of time on the beach.
About twelve minutes later, they pulled up to the house. As soon as they were inside, her mother and her grandmother began to fuss over her.
“Are you hungry, honey? I made some blueberry muffins yesterday,” her grandmother offered.
“Do you want coffee or tea?” her mother asked.
“Maybe later. The muffin sounds great, but I had a bagel at the airport. I think I’m just going to unpack.”
Claire and Marsha exchanged glances.
“Sure. Maybe in a little bit we can go for a walk on the beach?” her mother suggested.
That sounded good. Lily felt restless, and she always loved walking the beach. She went to the bedroom she always used at Nana’s house and unpacked her suitcase, putting her toiletries in the adjacent bathroom. Her mother, or maybe it was Nana, had put towels and a washcloth on her bureau.