That night, I called my sister. ‘Hey, do you remember how we talked about going to Europe? Let’s do it.’
She laughed. ‘Really? What about work?’
‘I’ll manage somehow,’ I said. ‘Life’s too short for ‘what ifs’, you know?’
Finishing the conversation, I smiled. For the first time in months, I felt excited at the thought of the future. Who knew what adventures awaited me?
The next morning I got up early and went for a run. The fresh air was invigorating. As I ran past our old favourite cafe, I saw Jonathan inside, leaning over a notebook.
For a moment I wondered if I should go inside. But then I ran on. Some chapters need to be left closed.
When I got home, I saw that Emily was already up and making breakfast. ‘Good morning, Mum,’ she said. ‘Do you want pancakes?’
I gave her a hug. ‘Sounds wonderful, honey.’
Over breakfast, I brought up the subject of our future. ‘I was thinking we need to make a change. How do you feel about moving?’
Emily’s eyes went wide. ‘Moving? To where?’
‘I don’t know yet,’ I admitted. ‘But I feel like a fresh start would be good for all of us.’
Michael walked in, rubbing his eyes. ‘What was that about moving?’
I explained my thoughts. To my surprise, the kids appeared open to the idea.
‘Can we get a dog if we move?’ – Michael asked.
I laughed. ‘We’ll see. All in order, okay?’
Later that day, I met my friend Lisa for a cup of coffee. She had gone through a divorce herself a few years earlier.
‘How are you?’ – She asked.
I sighed. ‘Honestly? Difficult. But also… liberating? Is that weird?’
Lisa shook her head. ‘Not at all. It’s a chance to rediscover yourself.’
‘I’m thinking of going back to university,’ I admitted. ‘Maybe finish the degree I never got round to doing.’
‘That’s amazing!’ – Lisa exclaimed. ‘You can do it.’
As we talked, I felt a spark of excitement build up inside me. Perhaps it wasn’t an ending, but a new beginning.
That evening, while helping Emily with her homework, I heard my phone ring. It was Jonathan.
I hesitated, but answered, ‘If it’s about the kids, yes. Everything else, no.’
‘Fair enough,’ he wrote back. ‘Lunch tomorrow?’
We met at a neutral café. Jonathan looked better than the last time I’d seen him.
‘I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,’ he began.
I held up my hand. ‘Jonathan, we’re here to talk about the kids. And only about them.’
He nodded, looking guilty. ‘Right. I’m sorry. How are they?’
We talked about how Emily was having a hard time with maths and Michael’s new fascination with robotics.
It almost seemed normal until I remembered why we were here.
As our conversation came to an end, Jonathan coughed. ‘I… got a job offer. Again in the financial field.’
‘That’s great,’ I said, and I really thought so. ‘The kids will be happy to hear that.’
He mewed. ‘The job in Chicago.’
I blinked. ‘О. That’s…far away.’
‘Yeah,’ he replied quietly. ‘I haven’t decided yet. I wanted to talk to you first.’
I took a deep breath. ‘If that’s what you want, you should go for it. We’ll figure out how to arrange the meetings.’
Jonathan nodded, looking relieved. ‘Thank you, Becca. For everything.’
As I watched him walk away, I felt sadness for what we’d lost, but also hope for the future.
Life rarely goes the way we plan.
But sometimes unexpected twists and turns take us exactly where we need to go.