Free Never Look Back (Coming Home Book 2) by Amy Stephens Page A

but being alone now in my wife’s apartment without her, without any electricity and without knowing what tomorrow holds is about the most absurd thing I can think of. Within a matter of minutes, a knock at the door startles me and takes me away from whatever planet I was visiting.
    I look through the peephole and see it’s the deputy. He wasn’t lying when he said he was about to head home. I open the door and stare face to face with him.
    “Brian Collins?” He asks.
    “Yes sir. That’s me.”
    “I need you to sign right here and right here.” He tells me as he passes his clipboard and a pen over to me. The lines I need to sign are highlighted so I can’t sign in the wrong spot. I assume my signature just verifies I’m receiving the documents just like the mail carriers gets signatures before leaving certain packages.
    “That’s all?” I ask as I pass the clipboard back to him and in return, he passes me an envelope.
    “Have a good evening.” He turns to walk away not bothering to answer my question. Wow, so much for conversation.
    Well screw him and the broom he flew in on. Personality is surely not a requirement for his job. Yep, he’s just like any other person of authority who wears a uniform, arrogant and stuck on themselves. I slam the door aggravated by his cockiness.
    I turn the envelope over and see in the upper left hand corner the name of a law firm. Of course, not being from here, the name doesn’t sound familiar. I hesitate at first before I rip open the envelope and pull out the folded papers.
    As I slowly unfold the documents, my body becomes completely numb. I’m instantly terrified of what I’m about to discover. Before I glance at any of the wording, my fingers rub across the raised embossing on the back page signifying the paperwork is legally endorsed and notarized. What is this all about?
    Then, I see it all. In black and white letters, Jennifer Davis Collins plaintiff vs. Brian Collins defendant. I am staring at my divorce papers and there’s nothing I can do about it.
    The legal terminology doesn’t mean much to me and I end up scanning over most of the words not caring what any of them mean. I did not see this coming at all.
    I drop my head down, ashamed that I’ve turned out to be the biggest flop in life. It’s no wonder my parents, especially my dad, have given up on me. I’m an embarrassment to them and to myself.
    Fuck!
    As I stare at the pages, I wonder what rights I have, if any, since there is a baby on the way. I have nothing to offer. I have no money, no job, no future. What kind of father could I possibly be to my baby?
    And the worst part of all, I have to wonder is it even worth fighting? I can’t even hire a lawyer to defend me. And even if I did have the money, what judge would grant me anything based on my history. If I don’t sign these papers and pretend as though I never received them, how long can I stay legally married to Jennifer? I still love her and our baby but I don’t know how to give them everything they need.
    I crumble the pages up in a ball and throw them across the room. They land in the middle of the living room floor without making so much as a sound. I stare at the crushed pages as though it’s the plague and I’m going to catch a disease if I go near it.
    I lean back against the wall while my body slides down to meet the floor. My eyes pool with tears but I don’t allow them to fall. I will not give up.
    I have no idea what time it is now but I feel like I’ve stared at the same spot in the middle of the living room floor for hours. The ball of papers is still there. Those papers can significantly have a huge impact on my future. I rub the palms of my hands in circles over my eyes and make an attempt to stand.
    Suddenly, an idea comes to mind and I waste no time grabbing my keys from the kitchen table and walking out the door. I don’t even think I bother to lock up.

    Not wanting to be noticed, I pull into a parking spot close to the