Road To Recovery (A "Living With The Choices We Make" Sequel) ✔️

22 - Honey - I'm Home!

This chapter is dedicated to KLNHeartbreaker97 who may have been my very first reader on WP and who also left the first comment on "Living With The Choices We Make". I appreciate your support and dedication :)

This chapter picks up the day after chapter 2 where Charlotte went onto the shopping spree and met her old friend Mikey at the mall (who also gave her the weed :) It is republished from draft I and has undergone minor editing.

22 - Honey, I'm Home

Charlotte's POV

The sound of the Latin American song floats through the kitchen and I can't help but sway along, softly humming to the chorus. It's Spanish and the singer claims that the girl is the one he loves. I mildly smile at the notion. Love - it is something I had given up on until I met Tivon. Now, I can almost taste happiness, feeling like a silly teenager who is having her first crush. 

I chop away at the vegetables for the stir fry, my mouth already watering when I imagine the blend of ginger and soy sauce on my lips. Ryan hates non-American food and I take advantage to cook something special for myself anytime he leaves town. He is still up in Chicago, battling to get the truth out of Rena about Noah's whereabouts. I can't wait for my grandson to come and stay with us, the thought of having a small toddler around day in and day out jolts at my heart.

Life was cruel by tearing two sons away from me and I will make sure to do right this time by this little boy. His smile and cute dimples remind me so much of Brent when he had been a baby. Noah is truly the spitting image of his father. There is a bit of Rena in him, too, especially that stubborn frown when he doesn't get his way. This is be one character trait that Ryan would surely beat out of him if given the chance. He hates this type of impertinence in Rena. 

What he doesn't know is that he will soon outlive his purpose - when the custody order is final, I will divorce him. The papers are already drawn up and in a safe in Tivon's office, waiting to be filed with the court. It was the one compromise I had to make after the Thanksgiving holiday to keep his dad and Hannah at bay - and I gladly made  it.

I spin around on the kitchen floor on my way to the fridge, the hems of my oversized nightshirt bouncing up and down to the rhythm of the music. This week has been a good week. First, we got temporary custody on Monday and then Ryan extended his stay to handle matters personally. For all I know, he could be gone for another week - it will be like heaven.

The weather is great and my secret credit card is still below its limit; I am planning on shopping for Noah later since I didn't find everything I wanted at the mall yesterday. It will only be a little bit longer before Ryan cracks Rena - he always gets his way with people when he puts his mind to it. Young Miss Cooper is no match for him.

When I stick my head into the fridge to get the chicken, the nape of my neck tingles and a shudder runs through me. A set of eyes burns in my back and I don't need to turn around to know who it is. This will be so bad.

He clears his throat. "Honey, I'm home."

I close my eyes and feverishly think of an excuse why I am running around half naked with the house being in total shambles. The dishes are still in the sink from this morning's breakfast and the counter is messy from my dinner inspirations. The belt will be a definite but probably not all.

He turns off the radio and the kitchen is left in deadly silence. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Deciding to face him, I straighten and find him standing next to the counter a few feet away. His eyes are dark like the sky during a raging storm. My gaze comes to rest on his hands which are balled to angry fists.