All That She Needs

Part 29: Asha

I sat behind my desk, my chair turned toward the window. My thoughts wandered, drifting away from the work displayed on my laptop screen. I was just going through the motions today, physically present but mentally somewhere else entirely. The usual rhythm of the office carried on, but it barely registered with me.

This morning, my mother greeted me with cold silence. She sat at the kitchen island, sipping her coffee, deeply engaged in conversation with Kayden and Chloe, as if I wasn't even in the room. Her deliberate avoidance stung, but I could only sigh. I grabbed my coffee and sat at the far end of the table, determined not to let the tension ruin my morning.

Before I left for work, I said to her, "Forgive me, Ma. I shouldn't have been so hard on you yesterday." She still wouldn't meet my eyes. It broke my heart that she had taken Aiden's side instead of mine, but I reminded myself she was still my mother. Even though I had vowed never to be that inconsiderate with my own kids, I wouldn't want them to shut me out completely when we had a disagreement. "But I'm not changing my mind. I'm going through with the divorce."

As for Aiden, I texted him that I didn't want him to come to the house today. I didn't care how he felt about it. If he somehow did have the guts to show up, I wasn't sure I could stop myself from chasing him out with a goddamn kitchen knife.

Groaning, I ran a hand through my hair and leaned back in my chair. No matter how long I stared at the screen, nothing seemed to break through the fog clouding my mind.

There was a knock on my door, and a moment later, Dennis's head poked through the gap. "Do you still need me?" he asked. I glanced at the clock on my laptop; it was already five p.m. "I want to leave on time today. I have a date." He grinned cheekily. "With Samuel."

"Okay," I replied, my tone dull and flat, which was odd for me, considering how excited I usually got whenever Dennis resumed his on-and-off relationship with Samuel again. "See you tomorrow."

Dennis paused for a moment, then stepped further into the room, studying my face. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head slowly. "Not really. But I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Aiden problem again?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

I sighed dejectedly. "What else would it be?"

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Not today, Dennis. You go ahead and have fun with Samuel. Send my regards to him, okay?"

Dennis hesitated for a moment, before he offered, "Want to come with us?"

I chuckled softly. "Nah, I'm good. Not really in the mood to be stuck in the middle of you lovebirds."

"Why don't you go out and have fun yourself?" he suggested.

"With whom?" I grunted when I saw the predictable look on his face. "Don't tell me you're going to say, 'with Liam' again."

His hands flew up in exasperation. "Why not? You and Aiden are separated now, and you've filed for divorce. It's time to move on. Open a new chapter in your life."

"I can't. Because..." I trailed off, searching for an excuse. But then it hit me—he was right. Really, why not? I glanced at the small box on my desk, filled with the chocolate chip cookies he had made for me today, one of the many treats he never failed to send my way. He truly meant what he said; he never gave up on his quest to charm me.

Every day, I found him waiting in the lobby, just outside the elevator, so that we could ride up together. When he couldn't make it, he would text me to let me know. Without fail, even when I sometimes didn't reply to him, he reached out at least once a day, wishing me a good day, asking if I had already eaten lunch, or just sending silly texts and pictures. His thoughtfulness warmed me, and I realized it might finally be time to take a chance.