Chapter 10
Antonyo and Claire’s relationship had just entered the beginning of its third month, and Antonyo was well aware that the past two months had been sheer bliss for Claire. At every opportunity, Claire informed him how much she enjoyed being with him in every way. She also began to talk about how annoyed she had become by having to go home every day to a husband she felt nothing for anymore.
So, by Antonyo’s estimation of his worth, the time had now come for her to start paying to play. And, no, the few bucks she shelled out for their dates and motel rooms were not going to be taken into consideration. It was time for Mrs. Claire Anderson to start anteing up and kicking in more.
Antonyo assessed his situation thusly: He was an adult male with a full-time job; therefore, he should no longer have to drive the same vehicle he had acquired while still in high school. The time had come for him to own a new or only slightly used car. Accomplishing this coup would require financing, a down payment, and a co-signer. The financing he could handle; the other two facets of this feat were what posed a challenged for him.
Approaching Claire about co-signing for a new car would have to be handled just right, though. The art of Antonyo getting a woman to take care of him hinged upon never making her feel like she was being used. He had to figure out how to make her want to do it for him.
Later that evening, Antonyo and Claire were together in one of their regular motel hangouts. Antonyo had just put in another spectacular performance, and Claire was floating on cloud nine. Her excitement stemmed from not only the fabulous lovemaking, but also her decision to ask Leonard for a divorce and planning to share the news with Antonyo. She lay in bed, wrapped in his arms, searching for the perfect words to tell him the good news.
Antonyo managed to impress even himself with his dance of the mattress mambo. He lay with Claire, figuring now was the best time to make his request known.
“I have something I want,” they both began in unison.
“Ladies first,” Antonyo said. Claire began.
“Tony, I haven’t said this to you before, but I’m sure you know how much I care about you, how much I enjoy being with you. In all truth, Antonyo, I have fallen in love with you.”
Claire paused for a moment to see what effect, if any, her words were having on Antonyo. When she saw his smile, she knew she was doing and saying the right thing. She sat upright in the bed and continued. “My marriage to Leonard has been dissatisfying for so many years. Meeting you and starting this relationship has made me realize that I can have so much more. That I deserve better. So, I’ve decided to ask Leonard for a divorce. I want to commit myself totally to us.”
Claire had not rehearsed her speech. She simply spoke from the heart. Now that she had shared her thoughts and feelings with Antonyo, she swam in the satisfaction of the way she handled things.
Antonyo lay grinning like a Cheshire cat. He knew that Claire would assume it was because of her news, and that was exactly what he wanted her to think. The real truth of the matter, however, was that Claire’s revelation simply made his desire to have her co-sign that much more of a reality.
The two sat in silence for a while, both happy in their own thoughts.
Claire finally broke the silence, remembering that Antonyo also had something he wanted to say. “Tony, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Antonyo thought about it for a minute, realizing that although Claire’s confession of love went a long way toward getting what he wanted, the timing was not quite right. He did not want to spring it on her just yet.
“I was thinking along the same lines. I wanted you to know I’m really feeling you, but I was beginning to feel uncomfortable about our relationship because of your husband.” Antonyo sat up and looked Claire in the eyes. “But now that you say you’re leaving him, I feel so much better. I want to be with you too.”
When Claire got home just after midnight, Leonard was sitting in the kitchen, eating a sandwich while watching the small sixteen-inch television that sat atop the counter. Claire figured now was as good a time as any to tell her husband her plans.
She sat down at the table across from Leonard and picked at the grapes in the fruit bowl. “Leonard, can we talk for a moment?”
“Sure, Claire. It’s only midnight and I have to get up in the morning, but it’s cool. I guess this would be your first opportunity to talk to me since you just got home.”
Claire stared at Leonard, wondering where all the sarcasm came from. This was the most emotion he had shown in more than a year. Thinking about the sadness of that revelation, Claire realized how pitiful her marriage had become. The illuminating knowledge of this sadness forced Claire to forge ahead with her words.
“Leonard, I want a divorce. Neither of us is happy. I don’t see the point of staying together any longer. Before now, I figured it best to stay for the sake of the girls, but then I realized that I can’t just live my life for them. I deserve some happiness too.”
Leonard did not even bother looking up from his sandwich. He spoke to Claire as if this conversation meant no more to him than a discussion about an overdue phone bill.
“So, I guess you’ve met someone else,” he stated more than asked.
Claire was a little surprised by his insightfulness, but not yet ready to admit to anything concrete. “Leonard, this is about you, me, and how dead our relationship is.”
“You’re right, Claire. Our marriage has been dead for quite some time. Our children have been my only reason for staying with you as well.”
As strange as it sounded, Claire actually felt a connection with Leonard for the first time in a long time. But they still had a big problem to tackle: the emotional well-being of their daughters. It was obvious they both loved them equally. Their pending divorce would hurt the girls significantly.
“Look, Claire, this is definitely going to be difficult for our children, but as you said, we deserve some happiness too. We have always done what’s best for them, so we shouldn’t beat ourselves up too badly over this. Glendra and Yolanda are not babies. It’s not like either of us are divorcing them.”
“You’re right, Leonard, but I’m scared for them. When do you want to sit them down to talk?” Claire asked.
“The sooner the better, I think. Why don’t we do it tomorrow when you get home from work?”
Claire nodded in agreement.
“Leonard, thank you for not making this any worse than it has to be. I really appreciate this not turning into some ugly battle between us.”
“Claire, we’ve shared eighteen years of friendship, if nothing else. We got two beautiful daughters out of the deal. Why should it be ugly?”
The two ended their conversation with a companionable hug. That night, Claire slept in the bedroom and Leonard slept on the sofa in the family room.
The following evening, the soon-to-be former couple sat down with their daughters and explained that they were splitting up. Each expressed how much they loved them and that the divorce was in no way caused by them. Leonard went on to convey that even though he was leaving the home, he would never leave their lives. He would always be there for his daughters, no matter what.
Despite what their parents said to console them, both girls were visibly distraught. Glendra and Yolanda cried and begged their parents not to separate.
The sight of her girls in pain shattered Claire’s heart. The peace she shared after having her conversation with Leonard was nowhere to be found during her conversation with the girls. Glendra seemed more agitated than her younger sister.
“Mom, this is all your fault. I know it. You’ve been gone away from home more than ever. I know that’s why Daddy is leaving,” she yelled at Claire.
“That is not true, Glen. This is nobody’s fault. Your mother and I just grew apart,” Leonard said
“I don’t believe you, Daddy. Mommy is cheating on you. I know it. That’s why she stays out late at night. She never did that before.”
“Enough, Glendra! I will not sit here and let you disrespect your mother,” Leonard demanded.
Glendra sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes in her mother’s direction, but she did not utter another word.
Claire sat in stunned silence. She really had not paid attention to how her actions were affecting her daughters. Had she been inadvertently sacrificing her children in exchange for Antonyo’s time? Yolanda’s question snapped Claire from her musing.
“Are either of you seeing someone else?” Yolanda asked.
Leonard looked to Claire to answer this question. Claire knew the truth about his new relationship, and he suspected her of having one as well, but Leonard was unsure if they should share these details with the girls just now. Claire answered for them.
“The issue between your father and me has nothing to do with anyone else. We simply are not happy being married to each other anymore.” Leonard nodded, pleased with Claire’s response.
Glendra was not as easily appeased. She continued to stare at Claire with hatred, silently blaming her mother for her heartbreak. Glendra was the epitome of a Daddy’s girl, so she found it totally incomprehensible that her father could be responsible for hurting her like this.
Yolanda, although still quite upset, tried to be empathetic toward her parents. She loved them both equally, and did not want to cause either of them any more stress than the already horrible situation presented. “I’m really sorry that this is happening to our family, but I’ll try to live with it. I don’t want you to be unhappy anymore, Mommy and Daddy.”
Claire smiled through her tears at the maturity of her baby girl. Her oldest child was not quite so willing to be as forgiving and understanding.
“Daddy, I want to go with you. I’m not staying here with her,” Glendra announced.
Claire was devastated once again. Glendra could not have hurt her any more if she had stabbed her in the heart with a butcher knife.
“Glendra Diane Anderson,” Leonard scolded. “This is the last time I am going to warn you about your disrespect. Your mother and I have already decided that you all will continue to live here. You don’t need to add the stress of relocating to an already unpleasant situation.”
“But, Daddy . . .”
“No buts, Glendra. We have made our decision.”
Glendra jumped from her chair and stormed off to her bedroom. Leonard stood to go after her, but Claire stopped him.
“Let her go, Leonard. She has a right to be upset. And don’t worry. I won’t tolerate her disrespecting me after today,” Claire stated.
Leonard moved out of the house four days later.