The Divorce

40

When Gabriel said that his grandmother was out, I knew he meant just for the night but the hopeful part of me hoped for longer. Like maybe, I wouldn't see her for the rest of the time we were here, which was only a few days left. 

But no, here we were at 10 am sitting in the lawn, and I was sweating. I wasn't sure if I was sweating because of the tight dress I had to quickly put on, which mysteriously appeared this morning in my room, or because Gabriel was not here, and I wasn't sure how exactly I'm meant to converse with this grandmother of his, who was shooting daggers at me.

Or it also could be the fact that the sun had risen, right in my  eye line and there was not a single cloud in the day. I was pretty sure when we first came to the garden, or, more I was escorted, the sun was still rising. Now, it had well made its spot in the sky and we were still here, barely speaking. 

She took another sip from a tea cup that looked like it would be worth as much as my weekly pay, her eyes still remaining in contact with mine. The sun was bright, and hot even thought it was so early in the morning. I was worried I was going to be cooked like a charcoal chicken if we stayed out here any longer. The tip of my nose was also starting to hurt, I was pretty sure it was sunburnt. 

Athena leaned forward, finally placing her tea cup down and wiping her mouth with a brand new napkin. Somehow she matched the theme of blue for the tea party which happened to be the same colour as the dress I had squeezed into. I was pretty sure the zip was slowly slipping down in the back. And the sweat that was lathering on my upper half was not helping. It was really hot. 

I looked at my own napkin that was folded neatly next to my empty tea cup, as no one had offered to pour me a glass, I refrained from taking a glass myself, not that I wanted whatever lavender tea she was having, but I could do with a cold drink. 

I wonder if she picked blue cause last time we had dinner and I was in a blue dress, she said that the colour was horrible on me. But all my life I always thought blue made my complexion pop out a bit more, better than red I guess. 

I shifted in my seat, feeling the sweat on my thighs as I waited for her to speak. 

If she wasn't going to speak, then I was going to help myself to some water. I leaned over, pretty sure giving her an eyeful of cleavage that no one asked for, and grabbed the glass of sparkling water I was trying to avoid. It had an odd smell to it, but it had ice in it, so I chugged half of it,  in an un lady like manner she would not approve off, and kept a hold of it. The bubbles tingled my throat as I felt the cold water trickle down. 

"Why do you and my grandson not share a room?"

I was glad she asked this question after I finished drinking, or else I would have choked at the abruptness of it.

"Wh-,"

"Don't lie to me. I know you both are in different rooms."

Crap, where is Gabriel when I need him. Why is he not up, running laps like he did the other day?

"Um...we're working through some issues," I said, trying to remember what exactly Gabriel had told me the other day, and whether that was in line with what he told his grandmother. 

"As you know," I continued shifting in my seat, the movement making  more of the fabric stick to me, "I am his wife and I will continue to support him and work through our issues and I -"

"He said you're re-considering a divorce a few months ago," she said, cutting me off. 

That caught me off guard because Gabriel told me the night we met his siblings that I was still his wife for now, and that he was still typing up loose ends. Does that mean he told her?