Free Starting Over by Cheryl Douglas

placing himself directly in
the line of fire.
    “When? A month
ago? A year ago? When was the last time she told you she loved
you?”
    “A few days
ago, when she let me back in her bed!” Alex didn’t know why he was
shouting. Perhaps because James was challenging the only thing he
knew for certain—his wife loved him.
    Narrowing his
eyes, James said, “Let me get this straight, you guys had sex when
you went to Richmond?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Just as I
thought. She doesn’t want a divorce. She wants her husband
back.”
    Alex wanted
that to be true more than anything, but he couldn’t deny the
conviction he’d heard in Eve’s voice when she told him it was over.
“But she—”
    Holding up his
hand, James said, “Correction. She wants the guy she fell in love
with back.” He gestured at Alex’s expensive suit and shoes. “She
doesn’t want this guy. If this is all you have to offer her, I
suggest you sign those divorce papers and let her get on with her
life.”
    When James
stepped toward the door, Alex grabbed his arm. “What do you think I
should do?”
    “Remind her why
she fell in love with you in the first place. Make her forget why
she wanted this divorce.” James grinned. “By the way, if Eve asks,
I tried to talk to you into signing the papers.”
     
    ***
     
    Alex walked
into the two-story home he’d built for Eve almost five years ago.
It was eerily quiet without her and he’d been spending as little
time there as possible. He glanced at the hall table and saw a
wedding photo, a photo of them on vacation, and another from the
night they celebrated the grand opening of their new factory. He
picked up the last frame and noticed for the first time that her
smile looked forced. Probably because she knew the new building
meant more responsibilities, and by that time, he was already
stretched way too thin.
    As he wandered
around the house, the only sounds were his footsteps on the glossy
hardwood. He closed his eyes and imagined the house filled with
sounds of life. Children’s laughter, dogs barking, televisions
blaring, telephones and doorbells ringing. Then he realized the
house had been lifeless forever. No wonder Eve got tired of living
there. The silence was already making him crazy.
    He walked
slowly up the stairs, almost afraid to face the memories. Stopping
at the doorway to the master suite, he thought about all the love
they’d made in their four-poster, king-sized bed. When he came in
too late and reached for her while she slept, she never turned him
away. Her body and the love she gave so freely, even when he hadn’t
earned it, was like a salve after the days when the business world
beat him up and left him for dead.
    The tears he’d
been aching to shed for days fell freely since no one was there to
witness his moment of weakness. He turned around and immediately
wished he hadn’t. The empty room across the hall was supposed to be
the nursery. When they’d designed the house, Eve wanted it to be
right across the hall from their room so they could hear the baby
crying during the night.
    His mind
tortured him with the sound of a baby crying, and he gripped the
door handle as he wrestled the urge to drop to his knees and wail
over the dreams he’d single-handedly quashed. He’d always wanted a
family with Eve… someday. He just wasn’t ready when she was. He
needed a little more time to get used to the idea of being a
father. Now he would never be a parent because the thought of
anyone else mothering his babies made him sick. His eyes drifted to
the corner where she’d said the white rocking chair would sit. He
imagined her rocking their baby, singing a sweet lullaby, smiling
down at the beautiful little miracle their love created.
    The doorbell
rang, pulling him out of his twisted fantasy. If he’d spent more
time daydreaming about their baby sooner, he wouldn’t be in that
mess. He ran a hand over his face to dry his tears. Clearing his
throat, he tightened his silk tie,