John shrugged. “I guess I’ll follow Cindy then. She said she’d like to make me another sandwich.”
“Good luck with that,” I said.
“I’m still taking you to court.”
“Good luck with that too,” I said, secretly hoping he would get Salmonella.
He took a step then turned back to me. “Don’t be jealous.”
“I think you two may work out. She has expectations you may be able to meet.”
John and Cindy walked out.
Rebecca twisted towards me and asked, “How do I make sure that never happens to me?”
“What? A lot just happened right there that I don’t think that will ever happen to you.”
“How do I make sure I’m not left with two kids and pregnant with a third without a good way of earning a living?”
“Always keep up an ability. You need to make sure you have a degree you can volunteer in or keep up in some other way. It’s never easy to go back to work if you decide to stay home with your kids, but you can do certain things that make it a little easier.” Simon pushed an empty dolly over to us and took away the one we had filled. “I didn’t have any back-up plans. After the first affair, I should’ve gotten some. I should’ve gone back to school then or never left school in the first place.”
“You don’t think I should leave school.”
I stopped and studied at her. “I guess I don’t. Maybe if there wasn’t Justin, but there is and I’m thinking you should make sure you have a sturdy…” I couldn’t think of the word I wanted. I waved my hand around and looked over at Justin. “Foundation or base or something. I think everyone needs to have some sort of sellable ability.”
Simon walked up behind me. “Are you encouraging prostitution?” He looked between the two of us and then at Justin. “How much money does he have? Maybe you don’t need a sellable ability if you marry money.”
All three of us stared at Justin. He glanced up and stopped throwing away plastic cups. He looked at each one of us and then down at his shirt. He looked back up.
“Do you have money?” Simon yelled over at Justin.
Justin glanced around. “Me?” He peered down at his clothes again and smiled. “Do I look like I have money?” He walked over to us. “What are you guys talking about anyhow?”
“Sellable abilities,” Simon said.
“Prostitution?” Justin asked.
I shook my head. “You guys need to think more wholesome thoughts. No. We’re talking about having marketable skills.”
Simon and Justin appraised each other. Simon looked at me. “Do I have marketable skills?”
“You’ve never left the work force.”
Simon concurred. “Sometimes I wish this conversation applied to me. I think I would’ve been an amazing stay-at-home dad.”
“Would you really stay home?” Justin asked Simon.
“I think I would’ve liked the chance,” Simon said. “But it never happened that way.”
“I don’t know if I could,” Justin said. “I’m just not sure.”
Rebecca studied him.
“Then I guess it’s good no one’s asking you,” Simon said. He slapped Justin on the back and turned him around. He gave him a push toward the food table. “Everyone’s gone now. Why don’t you go throw everything over there away in the trash?”
Justin stumbled toward the tables. “We shouldn’t save any of that food?”
“You be the judge of that.” Simon got another dolly over to put tables on. “I’m going to go help Justin throw away crumbs. You guys can finish your conversation over here by yourselves for a little while.”
I placed my hand on Simon’s face and gave him a kiss. “You’re just leaving all the heavy lifting to us.”
“You better believe it,” he said over his shoulder.
Rebecca looked around. “There isn’t much left.” There were half a dozen tables we needed to put up and about twenty more chairs. “I don’t suppose planning high school reunions is a profitable skill?”
“Sure it is.” I walked over to the chair dolly and pushed it over to the middle of the chairs. “It’s just one you really have to keep up. After my short stint in the business, I think it would be best if I had connections in different businesses. I didn’t enjoy this enough. I may not have to love my job, but I don’t think I could throw more than one reunion every 500 years.”
“You had the same degree I do.”
“Yeah. You should probably have a backup, like, writing English papers for money.”
“Would a master’s degree do that?”
“It would open up being able to teach at community colleges, and it would be one step closer to a doctorate. I don’t ever think more education is a bad idea. I wish I'd stayed in school.”
“You’re really disappointed in your life choices, aren’t you?”
I picked up another chair. “Hindsight is 20-20.”
“Don’t let love blind you?”
“I dunno. I think it’s pretty hard to not be blinded by love.”
“You don’t seem too blind now.”
“I’m older. I don’t have the same choices. I don’t think I can be blind this time. I can’t stay home. I won’t depend completely on anyone else financially ever again. But that doesn’t mean I’m not head over heels for Simon. I’m sure there are a lot of things I’m not seeing, and I probably won’t see until we’ve been married for a few years. At the same time, I don’t have the same choices I used to have.”
We finished with the chairs and Justin and Simon walked a table over to put on its dolly.
“It sounds like you don’t think you really had those choices before either,” Rebecca said.
Simon and Justin walked back to get the last table on the other side of the room.
"I guess I don’t. I think women need to always have a backup. Always have a skill. Always keep a part-time job or volunteer or keep your name out in the field you’re in. I guess I don’t believe anyone can be a stay-at-home parent anymore without something along the side. Or if someone does choose that, they need to be prepared for a possible tough couple of years.”
“Isn’t divorce difficult anyhow?”
“Yep. Your heart’s broken and usually you’ve been blindsided. My husband chose my best friend, and I couldn't get a decent job. It wasn’t a good time for my self-confidence. If I’d been employable, it would've made at least one thing a little easier. It’s never simple getting back into the workforce, but at least with skills, it’s a little better.”
Simon and Justin came to get the last dolly. “And now I’m going to turn this back on you.”
Rebecca scratched her arm. “What do you mean?”
“I noticed the name of Aidan hasn’t been mentioned today.”
“I thought it would be rude to mention him around Justin.”
I nodded a few times and kept silent.
“Will I never have any answers?” Rebecca scratched her arm harder.
I placed my hand on hers to stop the scratching. “You have intuition and you can trust it. I know I trusted it with John, but let’s be honest. None of us can control another human being. We have to have faith in other people. We have to unless we choose to be miserable.”
“How does that help me?”
“I have no idea.”
We both laughed as Justin and Simon walked over to us.
“Maybe I should just put off all serious decisions for ten more years.”
“What happens when Aidan calls?”
Rebecca was silent. Justin held out her hand and she took it. “Are you ready to go?”
She nodded.
She twisted her waist toward me. “Can we meet for lunch tomorrow?”
I smiled at her. “Sure. Where?”
“Somewhere without meat or cheese?”
“Perfect.”
She let go of Justin’s hand and hugged me. “I have no idea what I'm doing,” she whispered.
“None of us do.”
/>
I walked over to Simon.
“Did you solve everything?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Tomorrow.”
A Note from the Author
It means so much to me to be able to share Better Off Divorced with you. Without you, this book is just a lonely mass of ink and paper. If you liked it, I would love it if you would help others enjoy it too. You can do this by writing a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Or you can simply tell a friend. Thanks!
About the Author
Marianne Hansen is a redhead who likes red lipstick and high heels. She received a BA, MA and JD, so she could ultimately stay at home with her kids. She travels whenever she can and plans travel when she can’t. She lives in Montana with her family.
She’s spent her life creating alternative endings and wondering “what would happen if…” She’s finally writing the answers and endings down.
You can find her at www.mariannehansen.net.
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