“I’m not taking care of my daughters! They’re with their mother. They won’t come to my house because they’re not willing to be friendly with you. They’re not happy about us.”
“You should demand that they meet me and that they treat me with respect,” she said.
“I’m not going to demand anything of them,” he shot back.
“You said we’re in this together,” she yelled. “How can I let you and your lies drive me so crazy?” She ran to their bedroom.
Scott could hear Cat crying. He took a deep breath and followed her. He lay down beside her. He put an arm around her. “We are in this together,” he said.
She sniffed back her tears. “You hurt me, you know.”
“Look, we talked about this. We knew there would be adjustments. A transition. I’m hoping the girls will come around in time, but I can’t force it.”
“It’s like you’re ashamed of me or something,” she said.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I introduced you to my wife!”
“And was that her boyfriend with her?”
“I don’t know him,” Scott said. “She said it was someone she worked with. It’s irrelevant. We’re divorced. We can be with anyone we want. But the girls are young, idealistic, haven’t experienced a situation like this before, and we are going to give them time. If you push it, it’ll take longer.”
“I don’t think you really care,” she said. “I’m starting to wonder if you really love me as much as you said.”
He kissed her and asked, “Need some reassurance?”
“That might put me in a better mood,” she said, smiling.
Scott obliged, making love to her. Then they went back to the kitchen and worked together on making a lovely dinner. He opened a bottle of pinot noir, and they sat out on their deck to watch the sun go down.
They talked about how he could make things better, and he bought her a new car to prove his commitment.
There had been a couple more big blowups since then.
While Scott went to see Justine and the girls about selling the house, Cat had been off with a couple of girlfriends for three days in Vegas that he’d paid for. He hadn’t talked to her much, a minute here, a minute there. She just asked him, “Have you talked to her yet?”
He was saving the good news for when she got home.
He had already signed the paperwork to take over the title on the store and assume the loan payments. When they closed, he’d be giving up most of the settlement from his marriage. He thought he might even have to take another job to make ends meet, unless the house sold fast and for a good price.
Despite the fact that Cat was expensive, very high-maintenance and at times very difficult, he did not question his love for her. Their love for each other. He told himself that the best love did not always come easy. He would never be bored, and for that he was grateful. He missed her. He couldn’t wait for her to get home so he could tell her he was putting the house on the market.
That would make her so happy.
* * *
Justine asked Adele to go with her and the girls to their San Jose house to take inventory of the furnishings. Of course the girls could take all their possessions immediately—Scott would have no claim to those things. The girls also had a chance to look through some of their family possessions and choose some personal items they wanted—pictures, accessories, family heirlooms.
And Addie was expected to have a say as she helped Justine choose furniture, kitchenware, linens and miscellaneous items that would be moved into the house in Half Moon Bay. They would mark and list the items Justine wanted but leave all the furniture, paintings and decorator items where they were so the house looked well staged for showings.
“I feel terrible about this,” Addie said when they entered the house.