No Longer Your Perfect Husband

s, I was the p

he perfect l

iends of my parents, took me in. They paid for my final year of school and,

mance. It was

ul, intelligent, and completely uninterested in domestic life

agr

e. Lily Davies. It sounded right, somehow. She looked just lik

ist and took a stable graphic design j

l into a ri

ol, went to work, and no matter what, I was home by five

d a day. I ne

and the hot meals. She never said

e Ethan. Not

ia's mother, told her

was di

uge national campaign. My boss insisted on a celebratory dinner. It

ted O

. Celebrating a prom

. That w

y called me a genius. For a few hours, I felt like the old me,

g house were on. I walked up to the front d

ss D

gain. Sam

changed

cold night air seeping into my s

Lily? I

ass panel beside the door, I saw a small shadow. It wa

't open

gain, harde

e door. It's c

The shado

to voicemail. I called the house line. It

y bones. It wasn't just about being locked out. It was about what it meant. After s

ck again. I

h swing, sat down, and wa

de. I walked to my car, drove to a

lled me, around noon, I was a

r ride to school, and I have a meetin

" I said calmly. "I'

n the other end. Then

ause you had to spend one night

cooking and cleaning. My abandoned art. My daughter who called me by my

tely,"

nd authoritative. The tone she use

. You can divorce me. But you can't tak

gave me a cautious look. I

"I'll waive my parental righ

ear her shock th

me. You can have the car, too. It's in your fath

ing, and then Lily's voice, small and cle

the child. But I also heard the unmistakable sound of

he final c

you doing? If this is about last night, I'm sorr

ng. The lock was just a

livia," I said. "The lawye

up th

shed over me. It felt like taking off a heavy

like lib

was a respectable, stable career. He had looked at my paintings

to provide, Ethan. N

pro

house every six months. She treated me like a well-dressed butler, introducing me to her frie

g of calling at six to say she was out with friends and wouldn't be h

thousand

avings account I had contributed to, my parental rights. I walked out of th

y lawyer with pity. "H

his head. "He says th

via' s father

his voice laced with patronizing concern.

a cage," I replied, and wal

the skyscrapers shrink in the distance. I didn't kn