MY EX-HUSBAND REGRET
TER
e Is A Dev
nose. It smelled bad, like a dirty bar. I sigh
called out
ttes were all over the floor. I sat o
ing here?" I
ears. I made a big mistake back
bedroom. Lucy was proba
I knew I should check on h
as wearing red underwear and l
or you," she said, t
ol on her breath. It ma
eep," I said, p
"Don't you wan
. "I'm tired. I
she screamed. She grabbe
happened every nigh
o bed, Luc
y. "Can't you sta
d. Lucy tried to be romanti
to work,
so mean to me?" She threw the bottl
it was funny. I laughed bec
roken glass. "Look what yo
re right," I said. "I
e, we have to keep tryi
pregnancy test. "It's negative again,"
ears ago. Lucy couldn't have babies bec
in the morni
"No! Let's try now. Mayb
ucy! You can't have children!"
er. I left the room with
ooking. I wanted to leave without
d, kissing my cheek. She didn'
reakfast,
ry," I said,
orry about last night. I
ybe you should stay away from me. I d
"How can you say t
n't even know what th
mean like Clara? The wife
lara's name. I remembered
know anythi
"Are you going to throw
but then Lucy said som
lled. "I got a call this morning. She'
ke it stopped. "
a nice way. "You heard m
lara was coming back?
ked. My voic
id. "Does that
I just walked o
y hands were shaking so muc
me out loud in years. But I
ime I saw her. It was r
ut I didn't listen. I was so
My wife was always drunk. We could
rove to work. But I couldn't focus.
riend Tom came
l," he said. "
cy's drinking. About how I regretted leav
aid, "Nothin
Mike, I've known you for
should tell some
ing back to
. "Wow. How do you
t was true. I didn't know if
to try to see h
"No. I can't. I h
ime. Then he said, "Maybe thi
? For what? For cheating on her? For m
ched you these past five years. You're not
uld I really face Clar
y phone rang
said when
excited. "Mike, they made a mistake before
meone punched
sure?"
or wants to do more tests.
was what Lucy wanted more than a
," I said. But I
m looked at me. "Wh
im what
Clara coming back. Your life
my hands. "What a
don't know, buddy. But you
me. I couldn't face Lucy.
my old house. The house where Clar
lights were on, and I could see
nd I were that happy. Bef
saw a car pull u
topped. It
air was shorter. She looked
use and knocked on the do
ere. To talk to her.
just sat in my
out. She was smiling and w
d and looked r
but it was too
r. I thought about driving
e window. Slowly,
. Her voice was calm, b
said. My voic
time. There was so much I wanted to
poke. "What are
say. "I... I heard y
ed. "I am.
stupid. Of course s
asked. She didn't so
ine, but I couldn't lie. "She
prised. "I'm sor
was funny. "No, you're not. Yo
happy you're hurting, Mike. I
lara was still so kind, ev
everything. I know it's to
. Then she sighed. "It's not too late to
that, but it st
ra said. "Take care
ve, but I called
d back at
oved her. That I made a huge m
d, I said, "I'm glad
little. "Thanks
rive away. My h
ucy was waiting. S
he asked. "I've bee
lying. But I w
Clara,"
got pale.
as an accident. I drove by our
to me. "Did yo
d. "A l
asked. She s
her. Lucy was beautiful, but she
aid. "We ne
"You're leaving me f
ing you for Clara. But... I think
baby! The doctor said we m
won't fix us. We're not happy.
en she nodded. "I know. I've known for
long time, holdin
spoke. "What
think we both need to work on o
need to stop drinking. And y
sed. "What d
ra's picture sometimes. You never stopped loving he
rying again.
d. "I tried to lov
ow. But we can't force lov
r marriage, our mistakes, and
ut stay friends. Lucy would go to rehab for her dri
sad but also relieved. For the f
. I didn't know if I'd ever see Cl
finally being honest with