AFTER THE FALL; HER SIDE OF THE STORY

INE'

he divorce papers sat on the kitchen counter like some loaded weap

gether. But the truth is, I have nowhere to go and no backup plan. There is no suitcase packed

a part of me still thinks he'll come home sober and calm. And maybe he'l

conversations in my head with all the ways I'll explain what happened and how I'll tell him that I loved our son, "his"

it's the cold that makes the wine bottle in th

e best if I'm clear headed by the time he comes home. I n

d goes. Then the

The unmistakable sl

s h

my brain does. My heart punched

nds and say something saf

him with a soft voice a

over one shoulder, shirt halfway un

d. He only dropped his keys on the table and stared at

ign them," he

it's because we still

laugh. "We're past talking,

up on us," I r

body radiated heat and fury. The

s wrong. "There is no "us". There was never an "us". All I had have

diately gripped the

ed to you."

eath you took after I b

snapped, loud

for what seemed like a second, I saw so

the side table drawer w

his

, it was there in his hand claiming it belonged

lie" he asked with a cold but calm voi

o I dug my finger

to panic yet. That he wou

Vincenzo." I o

scared"

k, angry, and grieving. That's not a good

nd the handle and my kn

wled as he stepped closer, "to lose everything

th a cranky voice "I loved you

un halfway though not at me,

," I w

feels like hours before

ieved me but because some

beside him and sat down hol

t now. I can't..." his voice breaks, and th

ont of me and know this isn't

d I packed some personal belongings I could pack in a small sui

s I was about to head out. With no

epped out of the house with my little su

h the kind of emptiness that feels personal. It felt a

the last, every memory sneaked up on me. His smile and our son's laughter. Those t

ere al

as I had grown extremely tired from walking

a car pulled up in front of me. It was black and

alright" a voice asked. It was deep,

o surprised

and drive on, he only stoppe

white Egyptian cotton shirt, a silk oxblood tie, and wholecut Berluti shoes, he completes the look with a folded i

spread his hands visibly, a

urt you," he says.

of the year" I t

ne," I

empty street and

let me take you somewhere

and tell him t

and worse, lost. And something about him doe

" I wh

offered his coat

," he said but

e," I r

y knew. But somehow, I knew that night wasn'

hing