2005 December
12PM
You firmly knocked on Marshall's house's large wooden door, clutching child custody and divorce papers. Having already moved out with your daughter Hailie, you had settled into a new house not too far away.
Marshall swung the heavy door open, immediately recognizing you and stepping aside. He wore his classic white wife-beater, gray sweatpants, and a silver chain, looking freshly groomed.
Unintentionally, your eyes traced over him. Despite your intentions, it was difficult not to after four months of not seeing him.
Part of you missed him, yearning for everything he once was – his cologne, his tight embraces, his kisses, his sweet words, and more. Yet, another part of you just wanted closure.
You walked past him into the house, catching a whiff of his cologne that weakened your knees. Nostalgia flooded you as you entered the kitchen, memories of your time together filling your mind.
Though you had convinced yourself you were fine during these past four months, being here now, filing for divorce and shared custody, made the reality sink in. It hurt to admit it was truly over, for good. Your relationship with Marshall had always been on-and-off, but now it seemed off for good.
Placing the papers carelessly on the kitchen counter, Marshall sauntered over with a look of irritation etched on his face. "Let's just get this over with," he grumbled, eliciting an exasperated eye roll from you. "I need a damn pen," he snapped impatiently.
"You're the 'Rapper, slash, Songwriter' here, go scrounge one up," you shot back, annoyance dripping from your words.
"Why the hell didn't you bring one?" he spat, his frustration palpable. "I thought you'd have your shit together for once," he added, shaking his head as he rifled through a nearby drawer, finally retrieving a black pen.
"Where do I fucking sign?" he demanded harshly, his tone dripping with irritation.
"Right here," you pointed out, guiding his hand to the signature line. He scribbled his name, and just as he finished, you snatched the paper from beneath the pen, deliberately provoking him. Annoyance flashed across his face before he moved on to the next document. And again, you repeated the same stunt, pulling the paper from under the pen just as he finished signing.
He let out an exasperated sigh, frustration boiling over. "Would you fucking cut it out?!" he bellowed at you.
"What?" you feigned innocence, playing dumb just to piss him off further. He shook his head in disbelief, releasing an exasperated breath. Signing a few more times, each time with more aggression, he finally slammed the pen down on the marble counter, shoving the papers into your chest.
"Alright, you need to chill the fuck out," you snapped back, feeling the anger rising within you.
"What?" he echoed, feigning cluelessness, mirroring your earlier demeanor. You rolled your eyes in exasperation. "Why the hell do you have to make everything so damn difficult?" you retorted, squinting at him.
"I ain't making shit difficult, you're just acting like a bitch," he shot back, his words dripping with venom.
"This is exactly why I wanted to divorce your disrespectful ass," you scoffed, brushing past him. "You better be damn grateful I'm letting you have half custody of our child, because I could have easily said no," you added, walking away with a hint of finality in your voice.
"Oh, shut the hell up! You know damn well you wouldn't have done jack shit. Hailie would've despised you for that," he retorted, trailing after you. Whipping around, you scoffed in disbelief.
