18|My Garden
It was nearly midnight, and I was on my second work call of the night.
I paced in slow circles near the window, my voice low.
"I'm telling you, if we don't tighten the timeline, the defence is going to drag us through pre-trial hell," I said as I rubbed the back of my neck. "I want the motion filed first thing in the morning."
Behind me, Naomi was already in bed.
She was laying on her side with a file propped up against her bent knee.
Her laptop was open beside her, her dim screen casting a pale light across her face.
She hadn't said a word.
"I've got a bail hearing at eight," I mutter to Ted, as I looked at the ground.
"Alright, email me the revised draft by ten," I said. "Thanks. Night."
I exhaled as I finally ended the thirty minute call and headed towards the bed.
"You're still up?"
She silently nodded without looking at me.
I raised my eyebrow.
Naomi Carter? Silent?
That doesn't seem right.
I glanced at her computer screen. "Long day?"
"Mmm," she mumbled before my eyes slightly widened.
"Is that a contract template?" I asked in disbelief.
That's paralegal work.
She clenched her jaw before silently nodding again.
I scoffed before I could stop myself. "Is that what they are making you do? Seriously?"
She stayed quiet.
I watched how her fingers stilled on the page...how her shoulders tensed.
The Naomi I know would've rolled her eyes, cracked a bitter joke, maybe even snap at me to start an argument.
I shook my head before grabbing my phone.
"No," I said. "I'm calling Russell right now."
She quickly grabbed my hand to stop me. "It's fine."
I watched her in disbelief. "Naomi, you're doing junior-level work. I will not have them humiliate you."
"I said it's fine," she finally snapped. "I don't need my influential husband trying to swoop in and save me."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "What? I'm not trying to use my influence."
She scoffed before getting out of bed. "You think calling the naming partner of the firm at midnight won't send a message?"
"I'm not calling him to flex," I argued with her silly way of thinking. "I'm calling to defend you."
Her jaw tightened. "I don't need you to defend me, Nate. I need to handle this on my own."
I quickly jumped out of the bed.
"And what way is that?" I asked out of genuine confusion. "Letting them bury you under busywork until you forget you're one of the sharpest attorneys in that damn firm?"
"How'd you think I ended up in this situation in the first place?" She snapped back.
I remained quiet knowing exactly where this was heading.
We never really addressed it, so I knew it was building up inside her.
"It was you," she said, her voice cracking at the end. "You humiliated your own wife."
"You didn't just try to win," she continued. "You made me look incompetent. You made me question my judgement. My credibility."
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but there was nothing to say.
She was right.
I was hurt and I wanted to her just as bad.
"You think I got demoted because of one mistake? No!" She shouted. "It was because I lost to you."
"Because you stood there, on the record, and tore apart my argument like I was some rookie."
At this point, there were tears in her eyes and it broke me to see her like this.
Why the hell did I let my anger towards her get the best of me?
She exhaled. "Just don't call Russell, okay?"
I reached out to her, wanting to fix it...to do something, but she quickly pulled away.
"I'm going to get some fresh air," she said before rushing out of the room.
I ran my hand down my face, heart still racing, chest tight.
If I could go back that day, I would've just put my pride aside and let her win.
Just for once.
I sighed before making my way out of the bedroom.
Down the hall.
Past the framed smiles that don't feel real anymore.
Us being madly in-love in law school.
Us being madly in-love at our wedding.
And then I found myself standing in front of the door I made my safe haven for the past couple of months.
Eden's room.
My garden.
I slowly turned the knob and took a step in...slowly slipping back to my old habits.