Cora couldn’t help it when her heart leapt into her throat and sweat beaded on her brow. There, at her front door, not ten minutes after the kids were seated on the bus, stood Sam, complete in a too-tight polo she’d bought for him three birthdays ago. He must have received the papers she’d filed for sole custody. In the four weeks since she’d warned him of her plans, he had yet to come see them. She’d watched Jolie escape inside herself, reading more books, listening to more music and withdrawing socially. She couldn’t stand to watch it. Cora decided to take a stand.
Sam’s fist pounded on the front door and the door handle wiggled. She could tell just from his knock alone this wasn’t going to be a pleasant visit.
Swinging the door open, Cora then placed herself in between the opening and the living room so he couldn’t waltz in.
“We need to talk,” he said, his voice gruff. He attempted to push her aside, but she was so fed up of always being pushed aside that she placed her palm on his chest and stopped him.
“You don’t live here anymore, Sam. You’re not invited in.”
He shook the legal papers at her. “This is crazy!”
Cora cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. She wouldn’t let this man bully her another day of her life. “What’s crazy is you not coming to see your children. I’ve asked you to many times. I gave you an extra month after I told you I was going to file for sole custody.”
“You’re with someone else now, aren’t you? The only way you’d have this much confidence and stand up for yourself is if someone else is feeding you this nonsense. The woman I married wouldn’t dare take a man’s children from him.”
Cora stood up a little taller. “The woman you married was naïve the day she said I do. But not anymore. I just see you for what you really are. A selfish man whose priorities are all wrong.”
“You need to drop this stupidity,” he said with another shake of the paperwork. “I’m doing all I can to make ends meet and pay child support.”
“It’s not enough, Sam. I’m done with you. You have my lawyer’s contact information. That’s the only way we’ll be speaking from now on.”
Sam stared at her for a second too long, like he was trying to figure her out. “Who is he?”
Cora took a minute to take a deep breath. “It’s really sad that we were married for so long and you actually think the only strength I’m capable of is through a man. You were never my strength. You brought me down with your double standards and your lack of compassion. The only reason I have confidence standing here right now is because I’m finally free to be me. With no one telling me I’m right or wrong.”
Sam’s eyes widened then narrowed into thin slits. “I’ll fight this.”
“I hope you do,” Cora said honestly. She’d love for something to go right for a change.
“And one day, our kids are going to see you for who you really are.”
“Daddy?” Jolie’s voice came from behind Sam. Sam whirled around, his face full of shock.
“What are you doing here, Jolie?” Cora asked, stepping past her ex-husband to embrace her daughter. Tears were shining against her skin.
“I thought I saw Daddy in a car we passed on the school bus.” Her dazed perusal of her father made her fall quiet for a moment. “Why are you saying such awful things to Mom? Why haven’t you come to see us?”
“Jolie,” Sam said with a sigh of frustration, “it’s complicated. You wouldn’t understand.”
“She understands more than you realize.” Cora tightened her grip on Jolie.
“Not this. She doesn’t understand what you’re doing.”
“She’s filing for sole custody so we don’t have to worry whether or not you’re going to show up when you say you are.” Jolie’s small frame shook, and Cora’s motherly instincts told her she should let her daughter have some closure even when it took everything inside her not to protect her.
“Cora can you tell her—“
“What, Daddy? That you love her more than you love us?”
“That’s not it, and you know it. Your mother hasn’t told you the whole truth.” Sam’s face turned crimson and sweat beaded on his brow.
“But I don’t know. I haven’t seen you in six months and we live in the same town. All my friends have their dads at their school functions, but I have to worry whether or not mine will just call me. You missed everything I did at school this year. You used to be on the front row, cheering me on. Now your seat is empty. Mom’s always there. What’s your excuse?”
“Jolie, that’s enough. Don’t talk to me like that. I’m your father.”
For a moment, Cora thought Jolie was going to submit. Then she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I don’t have a father.”
With those parting word, Jolie ran inside and slammed the front door shut. Cora watched Sam’s emotions walk across his face. Shock, anger, frustration, despair…
She didn’t bother to tell Sam goodbye. Cora walked past him into the house and closed the door quietly behind her.
Jolie needed her.
****
Liam exhaled sharply when Cora’s number displayed on his phone. He’d waited for a month without going after her. It had almost killed him, but he knew it was important for her to find her own way back to him. He couldn’t carve a path for her if she was still blind to it.
So he’d sat back and waited. Not so patiently.
“Hello?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Liam?” Jolie’s voice sounded small and far away. Her sniff told him she’d been crying.
“Jolie? What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” His heart galloped in his chest at the thought.
“Everything is fine.”
Liam exhaled sharply without realizing he’d been holding his breath.
“Do you remember when you asked me to come visit one of your horses?”
“I do.”
“Could I come out now? I need to get out of the house.”
“Wait. Why aren’t you at school? This is only Thursday.”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Could you come pick me up?”
Liam was hesitant to get Jolie if Cora didn’t know.
“Does your mom know about this?”
“Yes. She gave me her cell phone to call you.”
“Alright. I’ll be there in ten. Wear riding boots.”
When he hung up, Liam frowned. Cora still wasn't speaking to him. At first, it had been personal. He’d admitted his feelings too soon and pushed too hard. She wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment again with the ink barely dry on her divorce papers. And she was gearing up for a custody battle for her kids. There wasn’t a whole lot of time in between all of that for them to develop a relationship.
He’d be patient just a little longer. In the meantime, Jolie needed him.