Adore You [COMPLETED]

Chapter 24: Clearing the Air Part II

Thursday May 23, 2019 - Tampa, Florida

Joe POV

12:34 PM

Sitting on the floor of the bedroom, I'm folding and packing the rest of my clothes in the closet into big clear storage containers. Seeming to have come down from her vengeful rampage last week, Galina was on the bed folding and packing my suits into a container. She and I have actually been pretty cool around each other; she was probably looking for a big fight or something, but I just didn't have it in me and I think that might've given her a change of heart - that or her hormones are raging around uncontrollably; she is a month pregnant after all.

Then again, if my sister Vanessa has been on her ass about this whole situation, then that may have shaken some sense into her; my oldest sister can be pretty intense.

Anyway, we're chilling, she's helping me pack, the kids are at school and daycare, so we don't have any interruptions. Aside from that, I didn't want the kids to see the process of me moving out. I've already decided to leave the house to Lina; it's paid for, she'll get a good amount of alimony from this, I'll be sending child support money - basically just me continuing to send money like I've been doing, she's still pretty well taken care of and that gives me some piece of mind. I don't know; ever since I started working with WWE, anything that I could do to make sure that my loved ones are always fed, sheltered, and overall supported, I did, especially now that I've got the money to do so and that's something that'll never change about me: I'm a provider and a protector, it's just who I am.

I'm sure that annoys the shit out of Giana though because she wants to do everything for herself because she doesn't want to feel like a burden to anyone, but she doesn't seem to understand that she's anything but a burden to me; I love buying her things, spoiling her and my kids, surprising her with gifts, and it's all because I think she deserves it. I don't know if there'll ever be a day that she doesn't give me shit about spending money on her, but I always buy her something I know she'll want just to watch her sit there and fight with herself on whether or not to take the gift. The look of self-conflict and concentration on her face is priceless; she's so damn cute, I can't handle it.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you Joseph?"

I look up at Galina with a confused look.

"What?" I reply.
"You've been sitting there grinning like an idiot for like, five whole minutes. Are you alright?"
"Oh, uh, nah, yeah, I'm so good; sorry 'bout that."
"Yeah, don't worry about it."

The room falls silent again, the only sound between us being the sound of our hands on the fabric of my clothing as we fold and pack.

"So you really love her the way you say you do?"

Galina breaks the silence but doesn't stop or turn her attention away from her task. I pause, think, and begin to fold again.

"Yes, yes I do, with every inch and ounce of my being. Sorry, I don't think I should be talking to you about this, everything considered." I say shaking my head, but she just shrugs it off.
"It's okay Joe, really. To be honest, I never once felt like I wasn't enough for you; I just felt like I deserved what I got because I got caught up in my own feelings and ignored the bigger picture."

I gave her a confused look and cocked my head.

"Huh, whatchu mean?" I ask going back to folding.
"I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that I got tired of being married and alone. You're always traveling, I know it's part of your job, but I couldn't help feeling a little jealous, resentful even. You're always in a new place: Italy, Paris, Croatia, Spain, Ireland. You're always going to these amazing places, doing amazing things, meeting amazing people, and I'm always just...here; here being the good housewife holding down the home front because that's all that was left for me to do in life. I never thought that this was where I'd end up, at home alone with three kids and no more aspirations for myself, but that's where I found myself and I blamed you, held you accountable when you were the only reason that I had the freedom and time to lie in our marital bed and find something to be unhappy with and then lie with another man in that same bed on multiple occasions. You never once stopped me from following my dreams, never told me I couldn't have a family and aspirations; I just chose to settle and blamed you for it."
"Galina, c'mon—"