Beautiful When You Don't Try

Chapter 63

"Oh, good. You two are here." Clara stated as she ushered the couple in. "Food just arrived. Camila, I got you the tofu meal that you always like. And Lauren, I got you the sweet and sour pork."

"Mom, you didn't have to pick up any food."

Camila nodded. "We would have been more than happy to have you over and cook for you. I mean, you just got off of work."

"Nonsense. I like having you two over. So, sit, sit."

The older woman guided the pair to their seats and shuffled the food around the table. Clara had really begun to grow into her own in New York. She loved her job, had made a few friends from work, and had really settled into her apartment. Lauren was happy for her and hoped that her good fortune in New York would help prevent her from falling back into Michael's arms and retreating back to Miami.

"So..." Lauren began, pulling everyone's attention away from their food, hoping to get this discussion going.

"Has he stopped by again?" Clara asked softly, looking back down to her food.

Lauren shook her head. "No. He is actually staying away like I told him to."

"He's listening?" The older brunette stated in surprise, hesitating a little before she continued. "Do you think he has changed at all in the last few months?"

Camila laughed at the question but kept her opinions to herself. She felt that the two brunettes were family, and would legally be soon, but part of her felt like this was strictly between the other two. Lauren studied her fiancé before she shook her head to her mother. "Not much if he has at least. He doesn't claim me as his daughter anymore."

"Then he shouldn't claim me as his wife."

The diva exhaled slowly. Clara was sticking to her guns and that was promising. "But you are his wife." Lauren stated, factually.

"And you are his daughter." Clara responded in the same tone.

"But I'm not a kid anymore. If he doesn't want to have anything to do with me, he doesn't have to. I am legally an independent adult. You are legally his wife. Why... why don't you just file for divorce?" Camila lifted her head up as Clara studied her daughter's expression carefully.

"Because of New York's residency requirements for filing for divorce."

Lauren's mind race, but she had no clue what they were. "Which are?"

"To file for divorce in New York, the marriage must have been performed here, or we lived here as husband and wife for a year, or the grounds for divorce occurred in the state while one of us was a resident for at least a year, or if the marriage was not performed in New York and we never lived together in state, then I must be a resident here for two years before I can file."

"That's so stupid." Camila mumbled as she and Lauren shook their heads. But at least this showed that Clara had been thinking about it. "Is there nothing you can do from Florida?"

"I have the grounds to file for divorce in Florida, but I no longer have the residency. I would have to move back and live there for six month before I could file for divorce."

"So, wait two years here, or move back and wait six months there?" Lauren asked in horror and Clara nodded her head.

"He could file though. Any chance that he would file for the divorce?" The diva asked, hoping that was a possibility. Michael could file from Florida.

The two brunettes looked at each other but their minds were racing all over. Neither of them really thought he would. But then again, neither of them actually expected him to show up in New York either. Maybe he was wanting a divorce and just wanted to talk about it first. "It's possible." Lauren mumbled.