22|Numb
I checked my watch again before returning my attention to the clock on the wall.
"Maybe try giving him a call?" Dr. Hartman suggested. "He's probably running late or forgot."
"I told you he wasn't coming," I reminded her and she gave me a sad smile.
"Do you want to talk one on one then?" She asked and I immediately stood up.
"No," I made it clear. "I only came here to say that this is our last appointment. Nathaniel and I are getting a divorce."
She watched me in disappoint. "You'll regret this."
"I highly doubt it."
...
I took a deep breath before stepping inside the restaurant and forcing a smile on my face.
I spotted them right away.
Nate sat near the center of the table, his jaw clenched and expression unreadable.
Ray and Jackie were beside him, already mid-conversation.
Then my heart stopped.
Across from them, happily sipping wine, were my parents.
My jaw clenched as I forced myself to walk to the table.
When Ray and Jackie saw me, their faces instantly lit up before they hugged me.
I slid into the only empty seat...right beside Nate.
Of course.
He didn't look at me.
Didn't say a word.
Neither did I.
"Nice of you to finally show up," my father was quick to say. "You're ten minutes late."
"And work attire?" My mother commented. "Really?"
I clenched my jaw as the table fell into a tense silence.
"No heads up?" I said softly, so that only Nate could hear.
He ignored me as he continued looking at his phone.
I scoffed before accidentally locking eyes with my mother.
Her face was already twisted in disapproval.
I quickly looked away before she suddenly stood.
"Naomi, could I speak to you privately?"
I looked around as everyone's attention turned to me.
I sighed before standing up and before I knew it, she was dragging me all the way to the back.
We barely made it to the hallway near the restrooms before she spun around and slapped me hard.
My cheek throbbed, but I didn't reach for it.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked angrily. "Nate hasn't looked at you once."
"You can't keep him pleased, you can't give him a child, and you can't even dress like a wife," she cursed. "It's like you're begging for him not to love you."
"And the Carters are noticing," she complained as she held her head. "You're embarrassing them."
I stared at her numb.
She stepped back, smoothing down her blazer like nothing had happened.
"Fix your face before you come back to the table," she said before leaving first.
I checked my makeup using my phone camera before making my way back to the table.
When I did, my parents were laughing extra hard at the Ray's dad jokes and discussing politics.
I slid back into my seat, forcing myself to stay calm.
"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" Jackie asked and I nodded with a forced smile.
"Yeah, just thinking about what I should order."
She smiled.
"Oh, Nate already ordered something for you," she proudly said. "He didn't want you waiting when we got ours."
I silently glanced at him and he continued to pretend like he didn't care.
I glanced at my mother and she motioned for me to say something.
"Thanks, baby," I said with gritted teeth and that finally earned Nate's attention.
Though, it was an extremely confused one.
Ray cleared his throat. "So on to business."
"Yes," mom chimed in. "How is your campaign so far?"
Ray leaned back in his seat, his eyes glistening with excitement.
"We just kicked things off last week, so everything's still moving fast," he explained before turning to me.
"Naomi, did you get a chance to review that draft of the campaign statement?"
"I did," I said, setting my glass down. "But your finance disclosures need tightening. There's a grey area with the fundraiser at the Soho venue."
I could sense Nate staring at me still, but I didn't give him my attention.
Ray furrowed his brows. "What kind of grey?"
"If your campaign staff solicited donations there, even informally, it could be interpreted as a soft violation of city ethics laws," I explained.
"We need a written disclaimer next time, plus clear separation between your campaign and personal events. I already drafted something."
Nate scoffed, barely loud enough for anyone to notice.
But I did.
I kept my eyes on Ray. "It's a simple fix, but if someone decided to drag it-"
"Which they will," he sighed.
"Exactly," I smiled.
Ray looked impressed. "This is why I need you heading my legal team, kid."
"I wish I could, sir, but things are getting pretty busy at work," I told him.
There was a big case that Russell wanted me to take lead on.
He glanced at Nate. "What do you think, son?"
Nate didn't answer at first, but he made sure he did eventually.
"I just think it's amazing that my wife put more effort into your campaign statement than our whole marriage," he said bitterly.
"At least I showed up to our marriage counselling this morning," I glared at him. "Where were you?"
A heavy silence fell over the table.
"I had a case this morning," Nate finally replied. "One that actually mattered."
"Oh, so your case matters more?" I asked and he glared.
"Yes, it does because I told you if you walked away I would be done," he glared. "And you still walked away!"
Ray faked a laugh. "Okay kids, calm down. There's paparazzi outside. Can we not end up on Page Six for the wrong reasons?"
I took a deep breath and looked away from Nate before I argued more.
"When my voters hear 'love, legacy, and leadership,' I'd like them to think of us and not a live action divorce hearing."
Nate leaned back in his seat, his jaw tensed. "Then maybe keep politics off the dinner table."
"Maybe keep tantrums off it too," I snapped at him.
Jackie gave a pointed cough before motioning to the approaching waiter bringing our food.
The table fell silent as he placed our meals in front of us one by one.
When my plate landed in front of me, I instantly froze.
It was exactly what I had in mind to order.
My favorite plant-based dish with an extra side of steak.
...
I watched Nate try not to throw up.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic," I rolled my eyes as my hand rested on my high baby bump. "You said you would try it for me."
"Tastes like shit," he said as he forced himself to try it again and I laughed.
When he was done, he pushed his plate to the side before grabbing his steak.
My mouth immediately watered as I watched him cut into that juicy, mouth watering, deliciously seeming steak.
Shit.
He paused when he saw me lick my lip.
Without another word, he silently slid his plate over to me.
"I love you, Nate," I smiled as I dug into the steak.
He sighed. "I love you more...clearly."
...
Now, that memory, which only happened a couple months ago, felt like a lifetime ago.