Morgan

Chapter Two - Annie

It's a beautiful Friday. I sit out back of our home in Scottsdale, and observe how the weather is changing, summer is just arriving, and the kids are packing to leave for Annie's. She will collect them in an hour or so, and then the routine all starts again, work, home, date, ghost, home, work, see friends, home, date, ghost etc etc ...

I would never get used to having an empty house when Annie took the kids back to New York. It felt beyond wrong for them to be so far away from me, Gage was only six, Asher eight and Jameson eleven, and they needed me as much as I needed them, full time. What I got though, was half time, and it would never feel like enough. The worst part about divorce or splitting a family with separation was then having to share your children. No mother ever wanted to share their children. We didn't bring them into the world to only have them fifty percent of the time. It was painful, but the truth was that Jameson would soon start middle school, junior high, and then she would need to be in a more permanent location for her friends, fifty fifty between states wouldn't work... it barely did now. I wasn't looking forward to battling Annie on where the permanent base was. She would fight for New York, she had them enrolled in the best of the best, she lived in a luxury apartment and could offer everything financially that I couldn't. I on the other hand had family in Scottsdale, the kids had normal here, a normal home, a quieter life, and I couldn't afford to live in New York on a coach's salary, but she could easily live here. I didn't think she would make it that easy for me though.

Annie clearly still hated me for the separation and imminent divorce, and although she couldn't agree to giving me more, or allowing me to find myself again with work and some independence...she still wanted me to be hers. I think Annie hoped I would just give up, and that I wouldn't ever take what I wanted, but she was wrong. The day I got my job and made moves away from her, she realised this separation was permanent, and indeed that I was serious.

"Morgan you're not actually going back to Arizona" she had asked, as if it was a revelation she had not seen coming.

"You know I am" I had said packing my bags. I had hired help to clear everything I owned from our apartment, and they had just left with the last load, ready to take my life in boxes back home.

"Morgan I forbid it" she shouted, coming around the bed and reaching for my arm "this separation has been a fun little game for you but this isn't permanent. I don't intend to let you actually leave me..." she says, looking to me defiantly.

I look into her pained eyes and shake my head whilst tugging my arm from hers. "Annie you knew my plan. I've been nothing but honest with you. I told you I had to go back... my job starts in a month I have to get the house sorted for the kids and check out the schools for them"

"Our children should stay here. Morgan we both agreed the schools here provided them with a much better start which is why we always come back to New York for schooling"

I shake my head and place the last of my bedside table contents into the bag on the bed "Annie our children will not be staying in New York when I am in Arizona... you are insane if you think I'm leaving them" I say unbelievably.

"Then don't leave Morg... please... Morgan I love you... I don't want this anymore" she says taking my arm and pulling me back around, her hand running up the side of my neck, caressing my jaw, whilst her thumb ran over my cheekbone "Morgan" she whispers "you are mine" she says as if I am her possession that she doesn't want to give away. She leans forward and kisses me, her right hand pulling me against her, but I push back and stop her "Annie stop doing this to me... its painful"

I turn back to zip up the hold-all on the bed and she lets out an exasperated breath behind me "Morgan you are my wife" she says, as if I have forgotten.