The Uniques

Chapter Twelve

*Lucy*

                  Jamie asked me that weird ass question the day he came back from Canada. I was starting to like life in Raleigh actually. It was very quiet and very peaceful. I had already enrolled Brad in his new school.

                  The question might have been a passing one. But there was just something about the way he said it that made me reconsider that little question.

He said it was for his writings, but Jamie stopped writing after Brad came and he never continued, at least to my knowledge. That’s why I said what I said. I knew his heart was halfway out the door. Our marriage wasn’t perfect. We were just managing. I was happy with Jamie, because he was far better than the man of my dreams, but was he settling for me?

I loved him too much to keep him from his true love and I knew although it’ll probably be breaking many hearts, I urged him to go for it, or his ‘male lead’ to go for it, because why stay in a only-okay relationship when you deserved someone better? Specifically, someone better than ME.

I wanted him to be around me, but if that made his life miserable, then I didn’t actually want that. He left for the grocery store an hour ago, I didn’t know why he was taking so long, but I mentally braced myself that he’ll never be back.

I tucked the kids in before waiting quietly for him at the edge of the cliff. The hours ticked by and there was no sigh of Jamie. Maybe he really left this time. I gave a small sigh as I slowly fell into a slumber.

*Jamie*

I arrived back home later than usual, having taken the time to run to the florist to get some roses for Lucy.  She had fallen asleep at the edge of the cliff and I picked her up easily, bringing her back to our bed and laying her down. I washed the roses and found a nice vase to put them in and laid in on the ground, so she’ll see it the next morning.

I blew out the candle and settled slowly.

*Flashback*

“I love you,” I said quietly, “and I want to be with you, and I’m willing to leave anything, and EVERYTHING, behind, just so I can be WITH you,” I said quietly.

                  She gave me a small smile. “What about your wife? You’re leaving your kids, and why here? Did you tell them that you are leaving them tonight?” she asked. I swallowed slowly. “They wouldn’t want to know,” I said quietly.

                  “If you run away with me now, do you know what that makes me? Your mistress. And I don’t want to be that somebody who knocks down a whole family’s happiness just so I can have mine, and if you even THINK, for a second, that I’m going to just run away with you, forget it,” she said sternly, turning away.

                  “I…I just thought,” I whispered. “You just thought that I’ll agree and we’ll have this amazing kiss and then I’m going to run away with you to some weird country far far away from Raleigh and die a mistress?” she challenged, tears brimming in her eyes.

                  Why the hell was she crying? She’s the one who’s rejecting me. “If you’re so mad, why are you crying?” I asked, looking deep into her eyes. “Because it’s the things you love that are hardest to let go,” she whispered. “But you’re nothing to cry about,” she said quickly, sniffing softly.

                  “Why can’t you just be crazy for one night? Stop being so uptight and just have FUN without thinking of the consequences?” I asked, anger rising in my voice. “You’re getting mad now just to cover up the fact that you are a WUSS and you always will be,” she spat.  “WHAT?” I asked.