Mrs. Right

Catching Up

I was so happy Aidan was able to take time away from his studies and friends to meet with me, yet I knew the meeting was going to be bittersweet. I hadn't seen him since Christmas. Ideally, we would be catching up on all of the things we have been doing since we last met, but I had a more important matter to discuss with him.

I arrived at the coffee shop a little early and found a table near the door so I could spot him coming in. When he arrived, I stood up and waved so he could see me. He smiled his adorable smile, walked up to me, gave me a big hug, and kissed me. How I had missed my boy's hugs. He seemed to tower over me even more than I remembered. Has he gotten taller?

"Did you want to get anything to drink, Aidan?'

"Nah, I'm good."

"Here, sit. Thank you for finding the time to meet with your old, boring mom."

"Mooo-oom," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously, though, it's great to see you. How have you been doing?"

"Good. I've made some good friends. I've even dated a few girls."

"Oooooh! Anyone special?"

"They were all nice, just not "the one", you know what I mean? Not like with you and Dad."

I looked down at my coffee and cleared my throat. My eyes started to feel a little wet as the painful emotions started to return. The feeling of opening the envelope and finding divorce papers, the feeling of calling only to have it go to voicemail, the feeling of texting and never getting a reply, the feeling of being unwanted and unworthy of Daniel's love--all flooded back building a wall around my heart. But then I remembered the feeling of being held and loved by Jimin. He and Daniel were night and day. Every moment with Jimin chipped away at the wall of pain Daniel had built.

"Mom?"

He placed his hand on mine and I looked back up at him, staring into his beautiful forest green eyes. They looked just like his father's. After all he had done, I still missed Daniel.

"About that, Aidan . . ."

"He's still not talking to you? I haven't heard from him either, Mom, but that's just Dad being his stubborn old self. He loves you. He'll come around."

"Aidan . . . your father's suing me for divorce."

Just then, Aidan squeezed my hand gently.

"What?! You're kidding, right?"

"A messenger delivered the divorce documents to my apartment last Monday. I'm sorry I didn't tell you any sooner. I needed time to process the situation."

"Well, you're not going to sign them, are you? I mean you and Dad--getting a divorce? That's bullshit!"

"Aidan!" I snapped at him under my breath. He knew how I felt about him cursing in public.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"I'm going to be finding a lawyer to help me review the documents. Aidan, please know that I didn't want to . . . I never meant for this to happen. I love your father, but he . . . I don't think he loves me anymore."

"Mom, that's just nonsense."

"How else do you explain him not returning my calls? Responding to my texts? He filed for divorce, Aidan. He doesn't want me anymore."

"Well, I do."

He smiled sweetly at me and I thought back on all the times I had been the one to comfort him when a relationship didn't work out. It broke my heart to see him take on my role. He shouldn't have to be the one doing the comforting. Still, he was proving once again what a great son he was. 

When I finished my coffee, Aidan suggested we go for a walk together. I had a feeling he wanted to try to cheer me up some more. I agreed and added that we should go back to my apartment so I could fix him his favorite lunch. I really wanted to take back the role of caretaker in order to regain a sense of normalcy, plus I missed him. Aidan wrapped his arm around me as we walked out into the cold winter air.